Depression After Gastric Sleeve Surgery

[MsDownToMe 2]

Before surgery I used to refer to "Little Debbie" as my best friend! It has been hard to 'let go' of her! But thanks to this surgery, I am learning to be my own best friend!! I will also be going to a counselor to help with establishing healthier ways to deal with life issues, now that I do not comfort myself with food. This is the best decision I have made in my life!

[Discocactus 0]

Was glad to see your post about how some things make you nauseated. (I mean, I'm sorry that you get nauseated, but thanks for sharing!) Some smells REALLY bother me, like scented candles! Weird, Huh? My hubbie keeps lighting a scented candle in the kitchen, and I finally told him I CAN"T STAND THE SMELL OF THAT CANDLE, IT MAKES ME NAUSEATED! He was so sorry, and I felt bad for yelling at him, but right now I need to eat and can't afford to be naueated by certain smells if I can avoid them! If I didn't know better, I would think I was pregnant. With all my pregnancies I had smells that really bothered me (dryer sheets! candles, greasy food, etc.) But at 62 I don't think pregnancy is a concern! HaHa! I do hope that you get over this phase soon! I keep telling myself that Time Heals Everything. (I just hope it is true!) But seriously, will keep you in my prayers!

KathyD49

Thanks for your prayers. I am thinking that VSG creates what they call learned food aversions (LFAs) and this is tied up with taste and, from what you say, smells. Fortunately not ALL foods do this. I will have a look on the net to see if there are any standard cures for LFAs other, that is, than time.

Bill

[smkeller 3]

Your post really struck a chord with me, not because I have the same issues, but because of the suffering and isolation that you are going through. You didn't mention anything about counseling. You are, of course getting out of the house to see a therapist, aren't you? AREN'T YOU? You are much too intelligent to be going this alone. Please, please avail yourself of counseling - with a female therapist. I do not understand completely the struggle that you are going through, but I do recognize the suffering and the isolation. Other than just plain encouragement to continue on to a better place, I have only one suggestion for the heavy feeling; do NOT eat sitting down. Eat on your feet walking around. This is the only way I can get stuff down at times and avoid nausea. I hope that you overcome these problems, because some day you will be able to help someone else through their dark night.

Oh, and by the way, your avatar is GREAT. I have never seen that before. I'm embarrassed to say that it took me a moment or two to know what I was looking at.

Ok, I really didn't think that I would ever have to post on here. Who was I kidding? I am going to be going into my 11th week post-op and I feel. Well, I guess I feel ok. My problem, I think that I can relate somewhat to how anorexics feel and I will explain of course. For some reason, when I eat, the little that I do, it feels heavy in my little stomach and I feel uncomfortable for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. I cannot drink Protein shakes, they are nasty and no longer agree with me. Nothing I eat seems to go down well at first anyway. I no longer want to eat. It's just easier to avoid it altogether, at least until I start to feel the actual hunger kick in. Then I eat something, but it's always difficult to even think of something palatable (sp?).

I have suffered from depression for years and thankfully have not felt the same since surgery. Now that I am experiencing these issues, I am going through an entirely different kind of depression that I have never felt before. I just want to be normal, feel normal. I don't care if I cannot eat the quanitity of food that I used to, I really don't, but I do want to feel good after I do eat my smaller portions. Not sluggish and heavy. I have gone to my doctor (gp as I was self-pay in Mexico) and she is really trying to work with me to figure things out. I think I may be driving her crazy. I go for a barium swallow probably next week to see if there is a spot in my stomach that is too narrow to allow food through properly. My fear is that they will find nothing and I will not know what to do from there. I feel better having lost weight for sure, but this is not living I will tell you that much. I am not religious, but I pray every night for this to get resolved. That I did this for a good reason, to get healthy and live my life fully. I am more of a recluse than ever now. I don't want to go to my family's for dinner because it is just a struggle and I stay home from anything social wherever I can. If I didn't have to work, I wouldn't leave then either! I have posted on the boards and been told that this can be normal and talked to my patient liason who also said it was normal and could last up to 6 months. I just recently asked her to talk directly to the doctor and ask when I am actually supposed become concerned if this doesn't resolve itself. She is to get back to me tomorrow or Tuesday. People just have no idea what a struggle this is, both physically and mentally.

I am sick and tired of feeling sick and tired but felt I needed to get this out in writing.

Thanks for listening.

e

[Buckeye Girl 8]

Does anyone find excersize helpful for your depression? I just wonder if the release of endorphins helps. I hate to excersize, I really hope that changes after I lose some of this weight.

[Indymom 132]

I've tried to do lots of walking to keep my mind off food. So far it's working and I know it's good for my weight loss and recovery!

[minniekitty 44]

I know about the depression. I was just sleeved last Friday in Mexico by Dr. Aceves. Everything was great there, and I just left yesterday. But, on the flight back I had to go to the airplane bathroom a few times and just cry. I still feel *OK*, and not fantastic like I thought I would. I've lost a significant amount of weight (8lbs in a week) since before I left for Mexico.

I'm not hungry anymore at least. I keep on "sipping sipping sipping" but I can't get half a bottle of Isopure down in one day :/

Curse this depression! I should be ecstatic with this gift!

[smkeller 3]

What is it about Mexicali? I was depressed to tears just driving back to San Diego and for 10 days afterwards - seriously depressed. Gone now though. Good luck with it.

I know about the depression. I was just sleeved last Friday in Mexico by Dr. Aceves. Everything was great there, and I just left yesterday. But, on the flight back I had to go to the airplane bathroom a few times and just cry. I still feel *OK*, and not fantastic like I thought I would. I've lost a significant amount of weight (8lbs in a week) since before I left for Mexico.

I'm not hungry anymore at least. I keep on "sipping sipping sipping" but I can't get half a bottle of Isopure down in one day :/

Curse this depression! I should be ecstatic with this gift!

[meggspeggs 0]

I'm having more of an anxiety response. I'm scared. Scared I ruined my body. Scared I wont succeed. Scared I am too young to have done this. Scared that down the road there are going to be horrible side effects that will kill me and my family will be alone. Scared my suture line will rupture and I will die

Pretty much all around scared.....

[Erin92 4]

I have these feelings at times too. I had my surgery back in January. I am 36. I suffered with anxiety and depression prior to the wls but what I have experienced since then is totally different. What you have thought about, scared I won't succeed, scared you are too young or that you will have side effects. I got past all of these feelings by believing, really believing that I would. You need to remember that you did all of this not only for yourself, but also for your family. So that you will be around to see your kids grow up etc. The diseases that you would very likely have gotten from being obese would certainly have taken you away from them. You will succeed, you are not going to rupture your suture line and you are going to feel great soon! It took me a while, and I had some extenuating circumstances related to the surgery crop up and I got past them and feel better all the time. I have my moments of anxiety, but then I think them through and take some deep breathes and these moments pass too. I don't know how far out from surgery you are, but just follow the diet you have been given, and live your life. Enjoy your life because you did a great thing for yourself. I truly believe it takes people with serious guts to get wls. It is laughable that people think we are taking the easy way out considering the mental aspects that many of us have to deal with.

Good luck to you and remember we are hear to listen and help you get through this. :bigear:

I'm having more of an anxiety response. I'm scared. Scared I ruined my body. Scared I wont succeed. Scared I am too young to have done this. Scared that down the road there are going to be horrible side effects that will kill me and my family will be alone. Scared my suture line will rupture and I will die

Pretty much all around scared.....

[Jane_J 117]

I'm having more of an anxiety response. I'm scared. Scared I ruined my body. Scared I wont succeed. Scared I am too young to have done this. Scared that down the road there are going to be horrible side effects that will kill me and my family will be alone. Scared my suture line will rupture and I will die

Pretty much all around scared.....

Meggspeggs, you will not die from this procedure and there are many people who have had their stomachs reduced in this way for other medical reasons who live happily and healthily to old age. In fact you are more likely to live longer than if you were still obese. So put a positive spin on it. Maybe go to your doctor and see if you can get some meds for the anxiety, life is too short to be unhappy. Good luck and love to you.

Jane x

[loveshackdeb 0]

I have these feelings at times too. I had my surgery back in January. I am 36. I suffered with anxiety and depression prior to the wls but what I have experienced since then is totally different. What you have thought about, scared I won't succeed, scared you are too young or that you will have side effects. I got past all of these feelings by believing, really believing that I would. You need to remember that you did all of this not only for yourself, but also for your family. So that you will be around to see your kids grow up etc. The diseases that you would very likely have gotten from being obese would certainly have taken you away from them. You will succeed, you are not going to rupture your suture line and you are going to feel great soon! It took me a while, and I had some extenuating circumstances related to the surgery crop up and I got past them and feel better all the time. I have my moments of anxiety, but then I think them through and take some deep breathes and these moments pass too. I don't know how far out from surgery you are, but just follow the diet you have been given, and live your life. Enjoy your life because you did a great thing for yourself. I truly believe it takes people with serious guts to get wls. It is laughable that people think we are taking the easy way out considering the mental aspects that many of us have to deal with.

Good luck to you and remember we are hear to listen and help you get through this. :bigear:

Thanks for this wonderful advice. I am having my VSG next week on 9-14-11 and have been feeling excited and scared too.. My therapist told me not to have the surgery for the emotional aspect of it - like hoping it will cure the depression I've been having for the last few years. He said to do it for the medical aspect of it - like not getting obesity related diseases and feeling better physically. He said it's very taxing to be carrying around all the extra weight and it will be so good to get rid of that. He said the mind is a very complex thing and may find something else to be depressed about - so don't have high hopes of it curing everything. That really helped me a lot. I've known it wouldn't cure my head from the beginning, but was fearful that I was still "hoping" it would. Having him say that helped me to feel better and to not be let down later when the weight is coming off and I am still possibly depressed. Hopefully feeling better physically will help the depression at least a little!!!

[Discocactus 0]

I'm having more of an anxiety response. I'm scared. Scared I ruined my body. Scared I wont succeed. Scared I am too young to have done this. Scared that down the road there are going to be horrible side effects that will kill me and my family will be alone. Scared my suture line will rupture and I will die

Pretty much all around scared.....

Just to put the geriatric view (I'm 61), I really enjoy putting on my (much smaller) trousers these days. I can do both legs without holding on to the wall. Or as Billy Connoly says: you know a man is sober when he can lay on the floor without holding on. I enjoy the fact that I am off antiinflammatories for arthritis and can now walk up steep slopes. I enjoy not having to pay A$200 a month for medications (this is the Australian medicare system where standard meds are no more than A$32 a month). I enjoy being able to go to the local woodworking men's shed and work solidly for a couple of hours. I enjoy the fact that work around the house is now not daunting - I can now contemplate the painting and concreting I have to do. I also enjoy not struggling with the 10 minute walk to the train station in the mornings. I am happy that my risk of stroke and heart attack is now a lot lower. And generally, the constant regret and self recrimination at being morbidly obese has left. Also the constant barrage from the TV about obesity no longer affects me. I believe I am less prone to sadness and depression now because my self esteem has increased. The trade off for me is intolerance to fats, oils and carbs. But - hey! - you can't win 'em all!

[jillw8 22]

I am 3 weeks out tomorrow and have been on depression meds for a long time. Yesterday was the first day I felt sorry for myself and jus wanted to lay around all day. I will be okay but I can see why this major change can cause depression.

[VSGbyACEVES 0]

Thanks for posting this. I for one will be consulting with a therapist. This is a major change and I am encountering mixed emotions about my decision to have had this surgery.

Get the surgery--you will never regret this decision!!

[VSGbyACEVES 0]

I know about the depression. I was just sleeved last Friday in Mexico by Dr. Aceves. Everything was great there, and I just left yesterday. But, on the flight back I had to go to the airplane bathroom a few times and just cry. I still feel *OK*, and not fantastic like I thought I would. I've lost a significant amount of weight (8lbs in a week) since before I left for Mexico.

I'm not hungry anymore at least. I keep on "sipping sipping sipping" but I can't get half a bottle of Isopure down in one day :/

Curse this depression! I should be ecstatic with this gift!

Bless your HEART. I had my Sleeve down with Dr. Aceves in may, I am 57, and I am down 55 lbs. I just went back for my 4 month check up and they told me I am doing FANTASTIC. I think Dr. Aceves is one of the BEST out there doing this surgery. My scars are smaller than my little finger nail--trust me--there are alot of women reading this that have huge scars--that would depress me.

YES--you have your HEAD to deal with because it has told you to eat eat eat. Talk with your head and tell it NO-no-NO and start living the life you want to live. YES you have to make some adjustments. I lost 45 lbs and 45 inches in 45 days. Here is what I did every day for that 45 days.

1 small Isopure shake in the morning [50 grams of protein]

1 zero carb isopure drink in the day [40 grams of protein]

THAT IS 90 GRAMS OF Protein and you are NOT hungry and it helped me with my depression.

I also added some ZINC in capsule form and LYSINE in capsule form to my shakes. This helped with my immune system and depression. I also take D-3.

Then if you call Bountiful Nutrition [(801) 298-7076] and ask them about their super Vitamin produced in UT [they will ship it to you] this has so much B-Vit's in it, it will wipe out your depression. I can tell when I dont take it after 2-3 days. IT is the best on the market--but not widely distributed. LOVE IT for ridding me of ALL depression during this process and before when I would get blue.

Now this is a horse pill and Dr. Campos says no big pills for 90 days minimum, so I ground it up in a coffee grinder, just swallowed the powder raw with juice as a chaser. [add it to a drink if you like]

I also squeezed one LEMON and one LIME daily and put that in a 30 oz container of Water with just a little stevia to sweeten [get rid of the blue-pink-yellow packages since they all 3 are BAD for you and your insulin levels].

Give yourself permission to grieve over what you did to yourself and the time you wasted EATING to comfort you.

Get your tennis shoes on [i got the shape-ups by sketcher] and walk 15 minutes to 30 minutes twice a day.

You will be amazed as the weight comes off how much faster you are walking. I have 2-dogs and we are not running in the mornings. I never thought I would be doing that!!

The super Vitamin, my walks, the way I look has me feeling soooooo good about myself. AND for you, by Christmas, you will be able to eat little bits of things, even sweets, then get back onto your routine.

Also, I did not tell anyone about my surgery. NOT their business--this is all about ME--for me--it is my journey.

For me--that was a GREAT choice because I am not answering to anyone. Consider how you can gift yourself with a closed mouth and not answer to anyone.

Blessed Be.