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Hi there! I had my surgery in March 2019 and I've never regretted it for a second. Your post-op eating plan will be up to your surgeon but almost everyone is back to a regular diet by the six week mark. For me, it was one week of clear liquids, one week of full liquids, then two weeks of soft food and then to regular food, as tolerated. "Regular" is relative though, my surgeon's eating plan is moderately low carb, so no bread, rice, pasta or sweets. I can't lie, the pre-op liquid diet sucked. It was tough but I powered through it (with one slip along the way). The post-op liquid diet wasn't hard for me at all because I had no hunger. I didn't even want food in those first few days. I'm not sure about the protein shake, I buy ready-to-drink, LOL. I've lost 124 pounds, my health is much better, I have my mobility back, I can shop anywhere, I was able to have the knee replacement I needed, my overall quality of life is improved in every way. For me, it's more than worth it. Only you can weigh the pros and cons to decide if it's worth it for you, but it's rare to hear anyone say they regret having the surgery. I wish you well in making the best decision. Hugs. 🤗

I won’t miss: 1. my feet constantly hurting; 2. wiping my butt abnormally because I was too fat to reach behind me to wipe from front to back - I know, TMI! 3. Breathing heavily for any amount of exertion 4. Straining to buckle my sandals 5. Shopping from the Plus section 6. Having to wear orthopedic shoe inserts or purchasing special ortho shoes. 7. Straining to shave my legs. 8. No energy; taking naps every day I had off.

I’m feeling the what the heck did I do. Liquids are much harder to drink today. :(

Kinda sorta. We get what we call "the foamies" here whenever we eat something our stomach doesn't like or we eat a little too much. We sometimes throw up mucus.

I had my sleeve on 12/7, and I was also thinking about Covid. I decided to go for it since I had been waiting all year, and I figured I’d rather (if I got Covid) fight it at a healthier weight and less co-morbidities than my starting weight. You have valid concerns, and maybe later everyone will be vaccinated. As a side note I received first dose of Covid vaccine on Monday! Whatever you do, take your surgeon’s advice along with others’ advice, and even your gut or intuition and do what’s right for you!!

Many (most?) people have these feelings of buyer's remorse right after surgery. I certainly did! The first few weeks after surgery are the worst because you're still recovering from the surgery itself, maybe in pain, you're extremely limited in what you can eat, adjusting to the huge changes to your life that you've put in motion, and you're not yet seeing the benefits of the weight loss. It all gets better! Just wait a couple of months, and you'll feel better, you'll be able to eat "normal" foods, you'll get used to your new diet and maybe even discover new favorite foods, and you'll see amazing weight loss and all the benefits that come with it. It's totally normal to worry when you've just gone through a major surgery, but weight loss surgery has a very low complication rate, so chances are that as long as you follow your surgeon's instructions, you will be totally fine and soon be able to enjoy your new life!

Please don’t be too hard on yourself! I had surgery 7/23, and I still have occasional moments of lightheadedness when I’m exercising. The first time it happened it was much more like you described. I definitely thought I was seconds away from fainting. I stopped walking immediately and eventually made it to a bench. It took me a while ( hour or two) to feel back to normal. I started carrying lifesavers around with me in case it was my blood sugar dropping, but I actually think the issue was my that my blood pressure meds needed to be adjusted. My PCP has reduced my blood pressure meds, and that has helped. So that bit of near-fainting weirdness wasn’t actually an indication of something terrible. As I said, I still will occasionally get the lightheaded feeling, but I notice that feeling much sooner. It has never been as bad as it was that first time. I will either slow down (sometimes sit down), and I recover much more quickly than that first time. My PCP asked me to keep track of when it happens, record my blood pressure and in my next follow up in a couple of weeks I’m betting my blood pressure meds will be reduced again. It sounds like you had a really long day. Maybe you needed food, maybe you needed a rest, or maybe it’s time to check in with your primary care about any meds you take. I know it’s frustrating and irritating and frightening, but you can do this!

The first few days are the hardest. It will start to get better soon. Just keep walking and sipping.

To add to @Jaelzion excellent list: 9. You’ll lose some hair. The surgery & reduced caloric intake accelerates your natural hair loss cycle. It generally starts around month 3 or 4. You can’t stop it cause it’s a normal process. It does stop & your hair is regrowing as you’re shedding. How long it lasts is an individual thing. 10. Constipation is common. Add benefibre or similar to your diet & have some gentle stool softeners on hand. You’ll become regular again once you get close to or are in maintenance. 11. After surgery you may experience some nasty & very sudden attacks of diarrhoea. Pack some incontinence knickers so you’re not caught unaware & forced to toss your own knickers. 12. You will have lose skin. How much depends on how much weight you have to lose, your age, gender, weight gain/loss history, how long you’ve been overweight. 13. A lot of hormones, etc. are stored in your fat & as you lose your weight they’ll be released into your blood stream. You may experience changes to your menstruated cycle like heavier periods, increased cholesterol levels, incidences of low blood pressure, etc. Things will settle once you reach goal. 14. You will experience tiredness & loss of energy at times. Rest, nap as you need it. 15. Take each step slowly. Your tummy can become very contrary & throw tantrums like a 2yr old child. You may not enjoy foods you did before surgery. Food you ate successfully for weeks may suddenly upset you. Don’t give up on those things. Take a break & try them again later. 16. Yes, there will be foods you won’t eat again but they are the ones you won’t be able to tolerate after surgery &/or got you to the weight you are now. There will be foods you will only eat in moderation & foods that you discover healthier alternatives for or healthier ways of cooking them. 17. Listen to your body. It will tell you what you can or can’t tolerate. You may experience tightness or heaviness, vomiting or diarrhoea, even dumping. 18. You digestive system may gurgle, groan & whine like the ghost of the part of your tummy that was removed is haunting you. 19. Eat slowly. Put your cutlery down between bites, sit back & wait. Then ask yourself do you really need the next bite or do you just want it. 20. Don’t eat until you are full. Eat until you’ve had enough. There is a difference. 21. Sometimes, you may think you are having hunger pangs but it’s actually too much acid in your tummy. You likely will be prescribed esomeprazole to take at the beginning. If you weren’t, ask for some. My surgeon told me I’ll always be taking one every day. Of course you may not experience all of these things but it’s better to be aware of them in case you do. Good luck on your journey.

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