Anyone Wish They Had Not Done Their Gastric Sleeve Surgery?

[Bandme1 12]

I couldn't agree with you more!! Why have the surgery done if you don't want to eat small amounts?

I went out to dinner with a large group of friends the other night and cut off a tiny piece of my husband's chicken and just ate very slowly and enjoyed the company of my friends. I was SO full off such a small piece of chicken and I was so excited that I could feel so satisfied after such a small amount. It's exactly why I got the surgery done. I didn't feel deprived in any way. This has been the best thing I've ever done for myself!!

Honestly, I'm a little shocked at some of the reasons for regret. I'm 18 days post op. I've not had a single regret at any time. Surely you didn't go into this without realizing this was going to change your entire way of eating!? Did you really think that you would lose weight by still being able to eat full meals? Isn't that what got us into this mess? Not all of us, but a mass majority of us had no control over our portions, or the things we chose to eat. So now your regret is that you cannot sit down and eat an entire meal with a friend!? I... well, I'm sad for you about that. I went to dinner with a friend just a couple of days ago, and I was ecstatic that I could only order a piece of fish, and more ecstatic that I could only eat a small portion of it! It was THRILLING! There was a time when I would go to that same restaurant and scarf down an entire meal.... that put me at over 300 pounds! Why would I NOT want to give that up? From what I've read, all the things we go through for the first few months are NOT permanent. Yeah, it sucks that you have to have liquids for a couple of weeks, and pudding, and mushy stuff for a month, but its temporary. This is a long term change that will change your entire life! There is NOTHING embarrassing about eating a small portion of food! If ANYTHING your friends probably wish they got full on such a small amount! Embrace this change... and expect nothing but greatness from it.. because in the end, that is what you are going to have... a GREAT NEW YOU!

[LoserMama 37]

It's off topic but anyone know a good treatment for this for my son?

Good treatment for what for your son?

Thsi being bumped up lead to me reading every page of this thread, which was very helpful despite some of the unnecessary stuff it contained. I really appreciated seeing people's answers about regret. A must read for pre-ops.

[TiffanyC 7]

I am 4 weeks out. I moved myself to a regular diet very early, against my surgeons orders. I have taken and eaten lots of Protein and have always felt great, no lethargy. I was very careful not to eat much at all when I did start eating real food so as not to over stuff my tummy. I would eat 1 scrambled egg, 2 pieces of thinly sliced ham or turkey deli meat, lean sliced brisket (no bbq sauce), a small meatball, baked chicken, etc - I would eat maybe 2 oz max. It was very satisfying ot be able to eat Protein, but I was often very frustrated that I could not eat more. I knew it was mostly due to my bad habit of eating waaaay too much portion sizes before the surgery. I even sort of regretted the sleeve for an instant when i did eat but only because I wished I could eat like a pig but that is why I am a fat pig --so my feelings were quickly replaced by feelings of "Well -it's a good thing you can't eat like that any more! Look at what it got you!". I have only lost 23 lbs so I think I am going to be a slow looser. I already had a plateau this week -wk 4- but today it appears i lost 3 more lbs - woooohooo!

I am also a grazer and I am trying to break that habit now before it gets to ingrained. I did good yesterday so I think it helped break my plateau. I think the grazing might have been a physical necessity early on when I could not eat much volume, but now I can eat a little more and feel less desperate about getting anything and everything I can inside my tummy for sustenance. I am also getting used to not feeling hungry and my brain is finally beginning to realize I do not have to eat to prevent my tummy (and head) from hurting which I used to do in the past. I hated feeling hungry.

So now my brain is starting to be ok with eating such small amounts. Though I do feel physically satisfied after I eat 3-4 oz (my tummy feels very full and I dont want to eat more) - but I am not feeling mentally satisfied like I did before when I ate huge amounts. But I think that desire is going away. Since I am unable to have that feeling, I am forgetting what it felt like, and therefore I can not recall the pleasure I felt, and therefore I am missing the pleasure less than I did right after surgery. As I suspected, the desire/need/addiction/drive/habit of over eating appears to be going away.

The desire for snacking is leaving me less slowly. That is the grazing thing. I have eaten a candy bar, I felt horribly awful mentally for doing it, but it went down easily. THANKFULLY it was not as rewarding and delicious tasting as it was presurgery. And this was my most favorite candy bar!

I think i ate it just to see how I would feel about eating it, and I was glad to find that it was not very rewarding or satisfying, and i hope that means I will not eat another one any time soon.

PS - I never got ketosis or the yucky taste because I am allowing myself some carbs. My surgeon even suggested oatmeal, mashed taters, or grits during mushy phase ( wk 3 according to him, but I started eating it at day 5). If you feel this might help you, try just one tiny bite of instant mashed potatoes and if you tolerate it, eat just one bite 3 or 4 times a day. You can make just what you need and portion it out and save the rest. Make it with milk instead of Water and add a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese for some protein.

You could also suck on non SF candy, or eat non SF popsicles to get carbs in and move out of ketosis. My surgeon DID tell me that is is ok to eat some non SF popsicles and Jello right after surgery if you are feeling crappy. A body does need some carbs and no sugar at all is tough on the body. And be sure to sip on the high Protein Shots - getting enough protein also makes a huge difference in how you feel right after surgery - (mentally and physically) - I know they are nasty but I found if I chased them with a swig of a chocolate Protein Drink or spoonful of pudding, the taste went away fast and I could get a few swigs a day down that way. I did not sip either, too much tasting for me, I would take a big swig at a time to get as much down as possible in one gulp, then a quick chaser to remove the after taste. I did this nearly every time I walked past the fridge.

You could chase it with anything at all that you like, but I think it needs to be something of equally hi flavor. Water wouldnt work for example.

I also found mixing the berry flavored protein shot with OJ was not too bad and I could drink a small glass that way.

The first time you try any new real food it is important to only take one small bite and wait 5-10 minute

s or so to see how it sits in your tummy. Then repeat. Doing it this way I have never gotten ill. I think it also helped me because I never over ate, I was very careful to only eat 2 oz at a time. The main reason for liquid diets after surgery, is to prevent vomitting.

I advanced my own diet after reading this from Cornell Universtiy: http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf

[GetInMyBelly 80]

Whats ppi?

[MegInNOLA 531]

Y'all, a PPI is a proton pump inhibitor--a particular type of antacid (Prilosec, for instance). There are different types of antacids, and if one type doesn't work for you, there are others that might, so you may have to experiment a bit until you find a good combination.

I should say that I stopped the Prilosec gradually around my 5th month and never have acid issues now. I guess for my stomach it was just part of the healing process. Crop Queen, I think that egg-white stuff is what is "fondly" referred to as "the slimes," and it's just extra mucus and gastric juice. It's gross. Yes, the PPI did cut that down, as well, but again, I rarely am sick these days--last time was probably a month ago from eating way too fast--so all of my stomach issues have disappeared with time. I think that's pretty typical. And I'm still losing and still loving that I can only eat tiny amounts!! It's so freeing!!

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I had the "slimes" the first week after surgery once or twice... I'm pretty sure its from eating too much-too fast...

[DoOver 17]

I think the best way to answer this is to say that when I think much about being sleeved, it makes me cry to think how much better and different my life would have been if I'd had this solution 25 years ago. The key is to find a good surgeon and follow the rules. And within 3 months, your new life will begin to emerge. I "look back" about once a month. And then it passes. Compare that to how often food rules your world right now. And decide.

Good luck to anyone considering this choice. It's saved me.

[EJStorm 13]

I have never regretted the surgery for even an second. I knew going in that there would be pain and boring, yucky liquid phases and exhaustion and all that other stuff that comes early on. But, during that time, I stayed positive, just saw it as part of the process and looked forward to each healing day and stayed focused on how great things would be down the road. I was excited during those early, physically miserable times because it was proof that I was on my way. My journey had begun.

I'm now 6 months out, 124 pounds down. I can go out and eat with friends and family, enjoy my food and never feel deprived. I savor my little bit of food and take as much time and probably enjoy my food more than others at the table eating ten times as much while wolfing it down and hardly tasting anything. I consider my to-go box ( that will make me several more meals) to be like a trophy.

I think that a huge part of dealing with the early parts is attitude. This is a journey. The early parts of the journey are rough, but the road gets less rocky and the scenery gets more beautiful as you go along. And, in the end, the trip is well worth any struggles you have along the way.

BTW, I suffered from severe IBS for many years. I had diarreah and cramps many times each day and usually had to plan meals around where the nearest bathroom was. I have had zero IBS symptoms since surgery

[EJStorm 13]

BTW, if you don't like the "journey" analogy, consider this one: you have a rocky, clay and weed field back yard. You want a beautiful oasis with lots of green plants and flowers. In order to have that beautiful garden, you have to dig up all the rocks, tear out sod, get all dirty, break your fingernails....and all of that sucks. But, you keep imagining that beautiful garden and how it will look when you are done and at the end of each exhausting day, you know you are one step closer to that goal. The more days you work at it, the easier it gets .You are no longer doing the back breaking grunt work, you are visiting the nursery and picking out plants. It gets easier and easier and you see the garden taking shape and you keep working at it. Before you know it, you are sipping lemonade in your beautiful back yard garden and you reflect back on all the hard work and you know, without a doubt, that all the hard work was worth it.

This surgery, recovery, adjustments, weight loss and goal are exactly like turning that lifeless back yard into a beautiful, relaxing sanctuary.

[EriMonae 17]

I'm 3 weeks out and still regretting it! I have prancreatitis and the DR's just continue to make me NPO for a few days untold my pancreas deflat a bit. If I would've know that this could possibly happen I would've skipped out on the surgery and looked into a personal trainer. The pain has gotten better however I'm still in pain and my inflamed pancreas flucuates every time I drink something. I have not been able to start my purée stage due to this. So YES I absolutely regret it and still may even after this passes. I personally don't feel that you need to kill yourself this way.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

So sorry you are having such a hard time! I sure hope you feel better soon, and come to see all the awesome benefits of the sleeve that so many of us are experiencing. If sleevers regret the sleeve, its almost ALWAY the first month, then they LOVE it! I hope it all works out for you.

[Tenna38 17]

So sorry you are having such a rough recovery, I pray that things get better for you. Definitely food for thought, as I have not had surgery yet.

I'm 3 weeks out and still regretting it! I have prancreatitis and the DR's just continue to make me NPO for a few days untold my pancreas deflat a bit. If I would've know that this could possibly happen I would've skipped out on the surgery and looked into a personal trainer. The pain has gotten better however I'm still in pain and my inflamed pancreas flucuates every time I drink something. I have not been able to start my purée stage due to this. So YES I absolutely regret it and still may even after this passes. I personally don't feel that you need to kill yourself this way.

[christin 54]

I'm 3 weeks out and still regretting it! I have prancreatitis and the DR's just continue to make me NPO for a few days untold my pancreas deflat a bit. If I would've know that this could possibly happen I would've skipped out on the surgery and looked into a personal trainer. The pain has gotten better however I'm still in pain and my inflamed pancreas flucuates every time I drink something. I have not been able to start my purée stage due to this. So YES I absolutely regret it and still may even after this passes. I personally don't feel that you need to kill yourself this way.

I had pancreatitis 3 years ago in conjunction with having to have my gall bladder removed. It obviously had nothing to do with WLS, but wow do I remember that pain. It was worse than childbirth. I really hope you get to feeling better soon!

[GetInMyBelly 80]

The past two days, especially right now, I wish I hadn't done this n don't know what the helll the point is cuz I'm not losing any f-ing weight n just so damn frustrated!

[mikef 0]

I wanted to bring this back up to the top again.... I have been reading here for a while and this thread is interesting...

Some of you that posted regrets in this thread after only 1 to 6 weeks....... Some time has now passed. I would like to hear from some of you in this thread and see if you changed your mind now. Do you still regret it?