GinaCampbell

For clarity, I definitely regret it but not because of pain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App Can I ask why? Because I liked things the way they were before. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

If you don't want thoughts and opinions, don't post on public forums. I will post where I like, when I like. You posted first, inviting opinion. Exactly why are you posting if you don't want people to support you? Everyone, including myself, have only simply tried to help you. As for the rest of the nastiness you spat in my direction, I shall simply ignore it and put it down to the stress of your pre op diet and upcoming surgery. I know how hard it is to stick to a liquid diet, you must be having an effect on your emotions. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

For clarity, I definitely regret it but not because of pain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's fine and thank you, but saying things like " even if I don't wish the best for myself" is really unhelpful. Your words about me being "miserable", "pessimistic", etc were not opinions about my disliking my new stomach, those were assumptions about my frame of mind. I just don't like it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App you might not like it, but I am sorry to say you do come across as miserable and pessamistic - which can be self fulfilling - so it is good that you correct that assumption so that current and future readers will better understand. That's because no one is actually considering this subject without emotion. I may be the only person on here that simply dislikes their new situation (all my realtime bariatric friend regret their surgeries too). People find this opinion hard to accept. Pre op people are desperate to get their surgeries and most other people are quite happy to lose weight with this surgery. In telling my story and asking my questions, I may have come across as miserable because I was in alot of pain, sick as a dog and starving to death. I nearly died. My family was distraught. But there is a big difference in that and the context that post was made. This mistake does not define me. It confines me, restricts me, changes my daily life and health but no, I am not those labels. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

You just had major abdominal surgery. You have just had a large section of your stomach cut away. Your body is trying to heal. Curl up and rest, sleep and sip water all day. Think about how many calories you are actually taking in. Your body is confused and exhausted. Just rest. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am not negative, not in my outlook nor in my inner mind. I simply don't like the outcome of an ill informed decision that I made. I am simply trying to get across that my opinion is not because I am only 3 months post op. This isn't about complications. Or healing. I just don't like my new stomach and how I have to live now because of it. The concept is really simple and I am amazed that people want to make huge excuses about why I feel the way I feel! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

That's fine and thank you, but saying things like " even if I don't wish the best for myself" is really unhelpful. Your words about me being "miserable", "pessimistic", etc were not opinions about my disliking my new stomach, those were assumptions about my frame of mind. I just don't like it. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Wait a minute! I am NOT a pessimistic, nor a miserable person. Don't label me. You don't know me! Just because I have declared that this surgery was not right for me, does not make me "hopeless", "miserable" or "pessimistic". Why is it so hard for people to accept that I don't like the results of having 85% of my stomach removed? I just don't like it. I will never like it but that doesn't make me a pessimistic person, I just don't like it! For all the reasons that I have stated. I can't grow it back and VSG rarely stretch significantly, so in six years, I will still only have 150 to 200 ml capacity in my remaining stomach. I will still be on Vitamins, Iron supplements and injections for life. That's why I know that regardless of time passing, I will not view this any differently. I am an intelligent, educated, travelled 54 year old woman. I am viewing this logically and with presence of mind. Your comments are inflammatory, which I imagine was the desired effect. Saying that I "don't wish the best for myself" is petty and childish. You say that you "had to change your outlook for your sanity". Perhaps this is more about your issues than me saying that I don't like my new stomach. I wonder what it is about me saying that I don't like my new stomach that has rattled your cage enough for you to attack my character in this way. I am a positive, happy Christian woman. My faith keeps me buoyant even when I make stupid mistakes like this. "Hopeless" only applied for brief moments when my surgical team didn't know how to help me and my friends and family thought I might die. Please be more careful in the labels you through out in future! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It's because of my lovely upbeat attitude that I am still standing. My GP said that I was much more forgiving than she would have been. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Oh my stars! You had a worse time than me! I so understand the "mental" part. I was in hospital for weeks and in and out alot after. They want my gallbladder out too! Glad to hear that you are better now. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I don't know. Everyone I know has had one. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am no doctor so can only tell you from my experience. My surgeon put a drain in the incision where my stomach was removed, just under my left breast. That means that he left a tube in my abdominal cavity running to the outside of my body so fluid/blood etc could run out instead of collecting. Unfortunately, mine did not prevent a collection which turned into a septic abscess but these things happen. My surgeon had the drain removed on discharge day and did not stitch this incision so I had an open wound for six weeks, covered by a dressing which I changed daily. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I had very little pain from my surgery itself. It was the complications etc that caused my pain. And anytime I tried to put more fluid in at a time than my sleeve wanted, that can really hurt. I got dehydrated and that caused muscle pain in my legs and because I now have constant diarrhea, I have quite alot of pain in my inflamed bowels. But surgery itself was not too bad, only the drain dragging around caused actual pain. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think it is a really great idea that you are researching and being thorough. Your post says that you have seen that several of us have had problems (don't read mine if you are squeamish). Are you wanting to hear that it will all be okay? Because it might be. But it might take months of recovery. It's major abdominal surgery. Even if everything is perfect. Then your body has to adjust to the lack of solid food, low calorie diet etc. Learning to get your fluids and Protein in. This is a life changing event. I have had loads of surgery including open hysterectomy and full abdominoplasty but this surgery has really kicked my a**s! And if my BMI had been below 40 and I was only talking about 75lbs, no way would I consider having the majority of my stomach removed. If you have anxiety, how will you manage this condition post op? Do you have a therapist who can help you with the mental health changes e.g. hormone dump, depression etc post op? Will your anxiety manifest in food aversion, food revulsion post op? Just explore, research, explore some more. You can always do it but you cannot undo it. Best wishes in whatever you decide to do. I was convinced this was my answer. I wish that I had read stories like mine before I did it. That's why I stay here and post. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I think people were simply being kind and trying to save you cluttering your hospital room with unnecessary items. That's alot to carry too. Maybe someone will be carrying it all for you. You are over prepared. It shouldn't upset you by people simply trying to help. God bless you and best wishes for a speedy recovery. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you all for your kind wishes. Of course I new that I would be healing and therefore restricted at 9 weeks (now 10). But if you read these forums, some people are eating quite alot at three months out. My nutritionist said that I would be "eating normally at six weeks out, just less". No mention of problem foods, intolerances etc. Upon discharge after surgery, then the booklet is issued to me discussing the food stages in detail and that "meat and lettuce" might be problem foods. I take your point that maybe a year from now, I might be eating better. Or I might not. Again, I will never, ever have a different opinion. 6 months, 6 years. Never. This was wrong for me. I want to be free to choose how, when, where I eat and drink. I made a mistake, I made a bad decision. I am stuck with this forever now and that makes me sad but it is done. Just trying to live with it now. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

oh dear Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

My initial weight nearly three years ago was the BMI they registered. When I queried the weight loss, I was told that "I had surplus". I went weeks with no nutrition at all. They did give me saline with glucose once while in hospital. They only weighed me in once! Lol And whenever I go in, no one mentions weightloss. The guy with the tracheotomy is much worse off. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I will definitely recover from the abscess, wounds and my stomach stitches will heal. I have already lost all but 25lbs of the weight that I wanted to lose. What will success look like? I now have a house move coming up that I have had to put off because of all the complications etc. Quite frankly, I have two choices during this stressful time, wear adult diapers and deal with fecal incontinence during the move or stop taking in anything but Water. I am delaying the colonoscopy now as well as any discussions about my gallbladder. Life is happening and I have been out of it for three months now. Can't lift boxes or shift things so the Lord only knows how I will do this. All I can do is pray these days. Thanks for your support! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I have been very, very ill. I was averaging 100 cals a day for 7 weeks, now up to around 350 to 500 cals depending. With constant diarrhea, I do lose alot of those calories. I was losing 10 to 15 lbs a week, now it's down to between 5 to 7 lbs a week. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

No, my personal goal is 125. The weight my bariatric team expected me to lose is 60% of my excess weight at 31st May. I weighed 266 lbs when I entered the program. I weighed 225 lbs on the day of surgery. I now weigh around 150 which more than satisfies their requirements and leaves me 25lbs from my ultimate goal weight. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I wasn't a high BMI patient. In fact several nurses asked me why I was even having surgery. I have already now lost all of the expected weight, 9 weeks out. My weight wasn't climbing exponentially. I wasn't pre diabetic. And my BMI had gotten so low that I actually didn't qualify for the wls program when surgery time came. So no, that was never going to be me. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am not "beating myself up" about this decision. I believed what I was told about the good things that might have come from this. And they might have happened, but they didn't. That is no one's fault. I have accepted my decision, as flawed as it was. I am satisfied that I did all I could to make an educated decision. I post about it to try and make sure no one else makes the same mistake I did. I simply want them to make sure that they are not seduced by the idea that this is easy. Believing that life after surgery will be easy and the weight will just magically stay off. So don't worry about me "beating myself up". Or not making the best of a bad situation. I fully understand that I have no choice but to move on. That's the point! It's irreversible. Permanent. And if you hate it, tough, you are stuck with it for life. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Those last two posts are exactly one of the reasons I regret this. And I know everyone seems to want to cloud my feelings about wanting to be my "normal" again with the complications I had post op. I don't want to forget to eat or only have 500 calories a day. I can only say yet again, complications have not impacted the fact that I would regret this surgery even if it had gone perfectly. I don't even think about weightloss. It was a gamble. That it might help the fibro pain, help the CFS, the IBS. Instead, it made it all worse. Bad idea. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

It sounds like this surgery was the right decision for you. I like that I used to like food. My health conditions need me to be well fed and nutritionally sound. My immune system needs the boost that a good well balanced diet brings. My lack of interest in food feeds into the lethargy of CFS, I simply haven't enough interest to keep my nutritional health up. I am not sure that my outlook will ever change much about my decision to electively disable myself further. Regardless of six more weeks, months, years, I will still regard this as an idiot move. I just wish stomach transplants were available so I could undo this mess! I will now have to use supplements as food replacements. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App