Anyone Wish They Had Not Done Their Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

[Karelia 5]

When something goes well for us, we tend to become evangelists about it. I am going to a "seminar" about VSG tomorrow, though... and I want to know if anyone here wishes they hadn't had the surgery.

Thanks.

[MegInNOLA 531]

Hi Karelia:

I started out immediately post-surgery (as in waking up from the anesthesia!) with a serious case of buyer's remorse. I was angry at myself for getting to the point where a surgical procedure was the best option for my long-term health--I was mad!! I also had a problem with throwing up for the first month and a half, until the wonderful people on this board encouraged me to try a PPI and I got enough of it in my system to solve the problem. I'm telling you, my husband dealt with a very tearful, very frustrated, very upset wife for a good 6 weeks after my surgery. I was losing weight, though, even through all of that.

Since the throwing up problem has been gone now for almost 5 weeks, I can truthfully say I am really glad I had the surgery. Yes, I'm admitting it. :-) I know for a fact I would never have lost the weight "on my own," despite my best intentions--I had tried numerous times in the past and had never managed it. Now, I eat tiny portions of "regular" food, am losing weight despite not exercising much at all, and feel pretty darn good. I'm enjoying having cuter, smaller clothes, and I'm looking forward to getting back to teaching in the fall with more energy and more physical stamina. I'm also looking forward to my blood tests and physician checkup in a couple of weeks, because I know my blood pressure will be lower, my weight is getting better, and things are moving forward health-wise.

So, no, I don't regret it at all now--if you had asked me this same question a few weeks ago, you might have gotten a very different answer, but even then I knew it wasn't a permanent thing. There are frustrations at first with learning how to eat and what to eat and when to eat and even then, sometimes things beyond your personal control happen that you have to deal with, but time makes most of those things better. I'll be interested to see how others respond.

Best wishes to you as you research!!

Meg

[Karelia 5]

Thanks, Meg... my stomach is one issue I have. I have terrible IBS and have already made dramatic dietary changes, but it's related to fibromyalgia, so there's only so much I can do, really. It's scary, because maybe VSG makes my stomach better... maybe it makes it worse. Same goes with the fibro. There's really no way to know, and it's such a HUGE risk since you can't "undo" it.

Hi Karelia:

I started out immediately post-surgery (as in waking up from the anesthesia!) with a serious case of buyer's remorse. I was angry at myself for getting to the point where a surgical procedure was the best option for my long-term health--I was mad!! I also had a problem with throwing up for the first month and a half, until the wonderful people on this board encouraged me to try a PPI and I got enough of it in my system to solve the problem. I'm telling you, my husband dealt with a very tearful, very frustrated, very upset wife for a good 6 weeks after my surgery. I was losing weight, though, even through all of that.

Since the throwing up problem has been gone now for almost 5 weeks, I can truthfully say I am really glad I had the surgery. Yes, I'm admitting it. :-) I know for a fact I would never have lost the weight "on my own," despite my best intentions--I had tried numerous times in the past and had never managed it. Now, I eat tiny portions of "regular" food, am losing weight despite not exercising much at all, and feel pretty darn good. I'm enjoying having cuter, smaller clothes, and I'm looking forward to getting back to teaching in the fall with more energy and more physical stamina. I'm also looking forward to my blood tests and physician checkup in a couple of weeks, because I know my blood pressure will be lower, my weight is getting better, and things are moving forward health-wise.

So, no, I don't regret it at all now--if you had asked me this same question a few weeks ago, you might have gotten a very different answer, but even then I knew it wasn't a permanent thing. There are frustrations at first with learning how to eat and what to eat and when to eat and even then, sometimes things beyond your personal control happen that you have to deal with, but time makes most of those things better. I'll be interested to see how others respond.

Best wishes to you as you research!!

Meg

[MrsPositive 5]

Hi!! Just read your post about IBS. I have it too plus ulcerative colitis/Chrons disease. I was super sick...in the hospital in Jan/Feb of this year with it. It is actually what woke me up and helped me decide to be sleeved. My health is too important to ignore my food addiction/weight problem anymore!! I have 3 small kids I want to see grow up!!! It was a risk for me....especially the healing post surgery with the Chrons. My thought was that I may have Chrons/IBS the rest of my life...but I can handle it with or without the extra 135 pounds!!! I was sleeved June 14th and it has helped all my digestive system issues so far!! I've lost 40 pounds and feel great. I would do it again in a heartbeat. hope that helps you! Goodluck!! Joan

[KellyL 173]

I do not regret having my Sleeve. Only that I didn't get it yrs sooner. I had Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, IBS, and could barely do my own grocery shopping from being in pain. My diabetes is in remission, I have not had a Fibro Flare post-op, and my IBS has improved drastically!!! My mobility is so much better, I can't wait to see what it's like when I lose even more weight. The Sleeve has changed my life, no, it has SAVED my life!

[Rootman 1,101]

As Meg states probably a good portion of us wonder "WTF did I do to myself?" after awakening from surgery and a few times over the next days / weeks / months. Then everything heals and we start losing the pounds. For some of us with food issues - and YES nearly all of us DO have food issues of one sort or another, else we wouldn't be in the shape we are in and need the sleeve - once in a great while we would like to vegetate and scarf down a bag of chips, a big juicy hamburger or a full plate of nachos. But the desire wanes and reality sets in and we realize that's what got us into this mess in the first place.

YES, it would be nice to not have the restrictions once in a while but that's just foolishness talking. Without a doubt we are all generally better off without the capacity. Few, very, very few have problems and it causes health issues and so forth. They are FEW and FAR between. It's the luck of the draw and a FAR, FAR surer bet than anything Vegas or the state lottery has to offer.

[thinoneday 445]

yup sure did for over 3 mos after surgery. . there are days when i really hate this sleeve even now (18 months out) but now it's only a temporary thought, i have really gotten used to the sleeve and how much i'm allowed to eat. . .i no longer miss pigging out and going wild at the buffet. . . actually i stay away from buffets cause it's a waste of money for me to eat there unless it's take out and then it lasts for days on end. . . lol. . . but yes I had really bad hatred for this thing but that was mostly because i was forced to change bad habits and i couldn't "enjoy" massive eating habits. . . people don't like change, but would i do it again? YOU BETCHA! I'm even trying to get my daughter to think about it. . . good luck!

[Margaret 4]

Meg's post says it all! I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I am 3 months out. I only have a problem when something really, really good is around and I can only eat a few bites----like July 4th and a perfect steak. However, that perfect steak also fed me for 2 more meals! I can honestly say I'm joyous over the entire change. Pulling out big clothes and passing them on is very empowering. Just looking in a mirror is almost entertaining. My insurance just began paying for the sleeve last fall so I wouldn't have done it earlier, but I do wish I could have had this done 10 years ago when the weight began piling on! It's all good. ALL GOOD!!!!!

When something goes well for us, we tend to become evangelists about it. I am going to a "seminar" about VSG tomorrow, though... and I want to know if anyone here wishes they hadn't had the surgery.

Thanks.

[lyndynojo 140]

Well I'm only 13 days out and have had complications, but I wonder everyday what possessed me to do this. I love to eat and cook and I wonder if I will ever enjoy food again. I'm 5'7" and was 239 lbs so I keep thinking I could have gotten under 200 easily if I had just tried. If I could have a do over right now I would not even contemplate this surgery. Not to mention the money, I was self pay so I spent 13,0000 dollars of my families money to be miserable. So far I have lost 25 lbs and maybe when I lose 50 more and can eat and enjoy meals I will feel differently who knows.

[Karelia 5]

I wouldn't even be able to consider this if I was self-pay. My insurance will cover it, or so they say.

There are a few things I want to make clear. One is that after four years of Intuitive Eating, I rarely binge or even eat to the point where I feel overly full. I am far from perfect, but if I hadn't had these four years where I've learned to see food as something that is a tool, but also something fun that doesn't have to control me, I'd never even consider this surgery. That said, the idea of a food "addiction" is plain silly to me. I realize that's an unpopular viewpoint, but you cannot be any more addicted to food than you can to oxygen. You NEED both to live. So, if you believe in oxygen addictions, well, that's another story. Nicotine, caffeine, heroin, whatever... these are things we do not NEED to survive, and therefore can be true addictions. Food is a necessary component of life. I definitely used food in the wrong ways, but that doesn't make it an addiction. I guess an argument can be made for a "psychological addiction," but I've been much healthier emotionally since realizing that food is fuel. It can - and should be - fun, pleasant and enjoyable. I love food, and always will. I've just learned to love less of it, to listen to my body. Sometimes, for example, my tastebuds may say "CHOCOLATE" but my body makes it very clear it wants - needs! - Protein. I eat the Protein. These are the things IE has taught me, things that I imagine would be invaluable should I go forward with this procedure.

However, the reality is, fibromyalgia (like IBS) is a testy disease. I might be one of the unlucky ones who does not respond well to such a drastic change in diet. There's a chance that I have this surgery and feel even worse than I already do. There are no sure things, and that is very frightening to me. Yes, I might be lucky and feel fabulous, at least after an initial period of pretty freaking awful... but I might also never feel better, or may be even worse. Being thinner would be nice, but not if it means more pain.

The idea of a lot of vomiting is very off putting to me, too. I already deal with chronic nausea, and that's bad enough. I have to be really careful with what I eat, particularly where raw veggies and fruits are concerned. It sucks because I love them, but they're asking for trouble and feeling miserable, so I've learned to avoid most of them. Always made dieting fun, too...

I am unconvinced that a procedure of this extreme will actually lengthen my life. I've read studies that show that people who do gastric bypass and are diabetic often redevelop diabetes later in life, even when they've kept the weight off. I have concerns on how healthy it is for a heart to be put through such dramatic, rapid weight loss. But even if my life isn't extended, if the quality of it improves, then it's worth it. Problem is, there are just no guarantees, and anyone claiming otherwise is not to be trusted.

I could be MUCH happier and feel much healthier. I might be miserable and feel much worse. There's no way to know, and if I do this and it's the latter... I'm just screwed, because there's no going back. So it's more than a bit scary...

[Tamz 8]

When something goes well for us, we tend to become evangelists about it. I am going to a "seminar" about VSG tomorrow, though... and I want to know if anyone here wishes they hadn't had the surgery.

Thanks.

Tomorrow is my 30 days post op... and yes, I regret doing it every day. I hate it. I hate saying that, but I do. I cant go out with friends for dinner and eat normal .. and i dont even mean eating a lot like i used to, I mean i cannot even order a regular meal like everyone else does. I cant have bread, sweets.. nothing. Not even a normal slice like a 130lb person would. I hate it. Im hoping it will get better.. but at this point I wish I didnt.

[june13sleever 223]

Tomorrow is my 30 days post op... and yes, I regret doing it every day. I hate it. I hate saying that, but I do. I cant go out with friends for dinner and eat normal .. and i dont even mean eating a lot like i used to, I mean i cannot even order a regular meal like everyone else does. I cant have bread, sweets.. nothing. Not even a normal slice like a 130lb person would. I hate it. Im hoping it will get better.. but at this point I wish I didnt.

Tamz - You were over 300 pounds and really need a reality check. Everyone has bad days, but you seem to be extrememly negative about the sleeve and that is your right, but in all honesty - there isn't **** you can do about it now. So you have to embrace it and learn to love it. I fear your misery will be forever if you don't punch yourself in the face and start telling yourself that first you needed this because you couldn't do it on your own and second so what if you can't eat. FAT OR EAT? I guess you wanted to be FAT. BUT I know you didn't and you don't. SO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS and tell yourself you made the right choice...Because even if you didn't, again...There is no going back. I am not even 30 days out yet and my incision pain is still seriously bothering me. It feels like SCIATICA in my stomach, but OH WELL. I gotta go to work. I am dizzy everytime I get up, but I gotta push through it and drink more and figure out what I need to do. I was eating like I had lost my damn mind, but finally, no more bad fat girl thoughts...Eater's remorse. GONE. At 30 days. You have to really get it together. Because we are gonna lose our hair, our skin is going to be saggy and who knows what else is gonna happen...You have got to start getting to a positive place because the journey is long and FOREVER. Do you want to be all down forever. You post a lot of negative things on this site, and I think you need to take a break, get your nails and toes done, get a massage and LET THE **** GO. It is ok to have a bad day, but you don't seem to have any good days. Maybe you should also see someone. And I am really sorry to say this, but I have been lerking on this site for awhile and it just seems you are really bad off. Attitude really is everything.

[Rootman 1,101]

Tamz, it DOES get better at 6 months out. Your capacity will increase and all the funny feelings should drop away. I too enjoyed food immensely and felt shorted when I could not partake, but I now enjoy the conversation and fellowship more than I ever did the food. I feel SO much better physically that it MORE than makes up for missing it. I also enjoy the small amount of food I eat just as much as I used to enjoy the masses. We went to Red Robin and we ordered garlic steak fries and I ate maybe two, I had a little less than half my bunless burger too and enjoyed it too.

It WILL get better, especially when you pass the 6 month mark.

Tomorrow is my 30 days post op... and yes, I regret doing it every day. I hate it. I hate saying that, but I do. I cant go out with friends for dinner and eat normal .. and i dont even mean eating a lot like i used to, I mean i cannot even order a regular meal like everyone else does. I cant have bread, sweets.. nothing. Not even a normal slice like a 130lb person would. I hate it. Im hoping it will get better.. but at this point I wish I didnt.

[Karelia 5]

I don't think attacking Tamz on MY thread - where I asked specifically about "buyer's remorse" is very fair. She's sharing her honest feelings. You wanna be positive about Hair loss and saggy skin, that's great. She doesn't have to be.

Tamz - You were over 300 pounds and really need a reality check. Everyone has bad days, but you seem to be extrememly negative about the sleeve and that is your right, but in all honesty - there isn't **** you can do about it now. So you have to embrace it and learn to love it. I fear your misery will be forever if you don't punch yourself in the face and start telling yourself that first you needed this because you couldn't do it on your own and second so what if you can't eat. FAT OR EAT? I guess you wanted to be FAT. BUT I know you didn't and you don't. SO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS and tell yourself you made the right choice...Because even if you didn't, again...There is no going back. I am not even 30 days out yet and my incision pain is still seriously bothering me. It feels like SCIATICA in my stomach, but OH WELL. I gotta go to work. I am dizzy everytime I get up, but I gotta push through it and drink more and figure out what I need to do. I was eating like I had lost my damn mind, but finally, no more bad fat girl thoughts...Eater's remorse. GONE. At 30 days. You have to really get it together. Because we are gonna lose our hair, our skin is going to be saggy and who knows what else is gonna happen...You have got to start getting to a positive place because the journey is long and FOREVER. Do you want to be all down forever. You post a lot of negative things on this site, and I think you need to take a break, get your nails and toes done, get a massage and LET THE **** GO. It is ok to have a bad day, but you don't seem to have any good days. Maybe you should also see someone. And I am really sorry to say this, but I have been lerking on this site for awhile and it just seems you are really bad off. Attitude really is everything.

[Tamz 8]

Tamz - You were over 300 pounds and really need a reality check. Everyone has bad days, but you seem to be extrememly negative about the sleeve and that is your right, but in all honesty - there isn't **** you can do about it now. So you have to embrace it and learn to love it. I fear your misery will be forever if you don't punch yourself in the face and start telling yourself that first you needed this because you couldn't do it on your own and second so what if you can't eat. FAT OR EAT? I guess you wanted to be FAT. BUT I know you didn't and you don't. SO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS and tell yourself you made the right choice...Because even if you didn't, again...There is no going back. I am not even 30 days out yet and my incision pain is still seriously bothering me. It feels like SCIATICA in my stomach, but OH WELL. I gotta go to work. I am dizzy everytime I get up, but I gotta push through it and drink more and figure out what I need to do. I was eating like I had lost my damn mind, but finally, no more bad fat girl thoughts...Eater's remorse. GONE. At 30 days. You have to really get it together. Because we are gonna lose our hair, our skin is going to be saggy and who knows what else is gonna happen...You have got to start getting to a positive place because the journey is long and FOREVER. Do you want to be all down forever. You post a lot of negative things on this site, and I think you need to take a break, get your nails and toes done, get a massage and LET THE **** GO. It is ok to have a bad day, but you don't seem to have any good days. Maybe you should also see someone. And I am really sorry to say this, but I have been lerking on this site for awhile and it just seems you are really bad off. Attitude really is everything.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. Im not the only one in a crappy place. Im still adjusting. Not everyone can take it in stride. Your kind words will really help.