Does anyone regret getting sleeved?

[MeMeMEEE 206]

I am almost 3 months out. Up until last week I felt off, couldn't eat what my NUT wanted me to in calories or Protein, even my Vitamins started to make me sick. I kept wondering and asking when does it get better? I kept passing by when everyone said it got better for them and it didn't get better for me. Nothing terrible, just feeling off and thinking I was failing at the eating thing. Then they accidentally discovered I had an abscess in my abdomen. They were shocked I wasn't very ill from it and scheduled me for surgery last Friday. Well my body decided Thursday if they said I was supposed to be sick I would be and I woke up with pneumonia. It was a very scary day for me. They didn't do the surgery that day but did move me up several hours on Friday. I woke up with a feeding tube and drain. But I felt so much better by Friday afternoon. I have had some up and down days since then, I don't like being sick and have never been this sick in my life. On those down days? I was definitely regretting. But now I have been home 3 days and eating the foods I was before this - I can eat more, closer to where my NUT wants me calorie wise. I feel better in general (still lack the energy but I think that is because of the surgery). I don't think I have regrets. Things are beginning to be how they were supposed to. I am still scared, I have a drain hanging from my side that I empty infection from and a feeding tube I am using to give myself protein a few times a day. I don't like it. But I think the regrets are fading quickly.

[SLL 6]

I'm really glad you asked this question! I am scheduled for my VSG on Nov. 15th. I cannot believe all the emotions I have been feeling & the strange dreams I have been having. I am so afraid that I will be one of the few with serious complications. I have been feeling nervous, scared, sometimes excited, but mostly just very cautious. It's happening so fast & my surgery is only 2 weeks away. So, I will be on liquids through Thanksgiving and on my wedding anniversary, which is not helpful. I am a 35 BMI, 5'6" & 214 lbs. So, I am a lower BMI & get the response from people that I don't need WLS & "you won't get approved". I have been approved already & insurance is covering 100%. I know I am soooo fortunate for that. But I just started this journey in September, so the progression has been very fast. My mind is trying to catch up with the process:-) What have your emotions been like & do you mind sharing when your surgery date is?

Best Wishes,

Stacey L.

[LindaS 316]

My sister is an RN, and when I called to tell her I was having the surgery, she stared asking me questions. She is now considering WLS. My sister-in-law is also a nurse and very supportive of me.

I am almost 12 weeks out from surgery. I feel good. I am thrilled about the weight loss, the inches lost and the GAIN in energy. I also feel better about myself. I didn't have low self esteem before surgery, but I love the energy and ability that I now have to do things.

I didn't realize my size was keeping me from doing things. For instance, my girls sleep upstairs. I have arthritis in my ankle, so I rarely went upstairs. In the morning, I'd yell from the bottom of the steps to wake them up. Now that I've lost weight, my ankle feels better, and I am going upstairs several times a week. I love that.

[Sassygirl06 962]

i had a case of buyers remorse for a period of about 2 weeks. that was between week 2-4 post op. i am 2.5 months out now and i am sooooooo happy that i changed my life. food is no longer an overpowering thing to me. i can eat to feed my body, and stop thinking about it like i did before the surgery. it is really a life changing thing not to be entered into lightly, but if you are asking this question then obviously you are not just jumping into it. good luck!

[Sassygirl06 962]

I am almost 3 months out. Up until last week I felt off, couldn't eat what my NUT wanted me to in calories or Protein, even my Vitamins started to make me sick. I kept wondering and asking when does it get better? I kept passing by when everyone said it got better for them and it didn't get better for me. Nothing terrible, just feeling off and thinking I was failing at the eating thing. Then they accidentally discovered I had an abscess in my abdomen. They were shocked I wasn't very ill from it and scheduled me for surgery last Friday. Well my body decided Thursday if they said I was supposed to be sick I would be and I woke up with pneumonia. It was a very scary day for me. They didn't do the surgery that day but did move me up several hours on Friday. I woke up with a feeding tube and drain. But I felt so much better by Friday afternoon. I have had some up and down days since then, I don't like being sick and have never been this sick in my life. On those down days? I was definitely regretting. But now I have been home 3 days and eating the foods I was before this - I can eat more, closer to where my NUT wants me calorie wise. I feel better in general (still lack the energy but I think that is because of the surgery). I don't think I have regrets. Things are beginning to be how they were supposed to. I am still scared, I have a drain hanging from my side that I empty infection from and a feeding tube I am using to give myself protein a few times a day. I don't like it. But I think the regrets are fading quickly.

mememee_ im so glad that you are feeling better and that they caught what was causing your pain, and just overall feeling of yuck! i know we had our surgery about the same time and i was wondering if you finally came out of those hard times. hope you have a quick recovery this time!

[meggiep 57]

Yesterday I shared the news with my boss that I was planning on being sleeved in January. She was so supportive - I was on cloud 9!!

I decided that it would also be a good day for my brother and sister in law to know. I am an open book the majority of the time and wanted to share my special news with them. My brother was worried and asked questions which I happily answered. My sister in law who is a nurse had NOT ONE nice thing to say to me. She asked "Why are you giving up?" "Do you know the risks, my patients almost die!"

I have been a mess ever since the conversation. I know that not everyone will support me - But I do expect that they should respect MY DECISIONS! I have attended my seminar, met with my surgeon and will begin my psych clearance next week. I've been thinking about doing this for months - And one bad reaction scared the crap out of me!!!

I intend to prove her wrong and I will be moving ahead with my process but I do want to know - Do you regret your surgery? Did you ever regret it?

Thanks

Though one of my sisters was and is a total supporter, my brother and my other sister were dead set against my surgery and kept giving me their ideas of what I should do. I finally had to tell them that I am intelligent, did the research, and needed their support. When I saw them this summer at a family wedding they were blown away by not only my weight loss but how vital I was- my sister was really impressed with how good my skin was and how clear my eyes were- and by my energy. They are now huge supporters! Stay strong and know you are doing what you need to do for YOU. Maybe your sister-in-law will earn from this.

I had my surgery May 9th of this year. Like the other's I researched and had lots of planning, classes and testing done (I am a Kaiser patient). Anyway I NEVER had once ounce of regret EVER!!!!!!!! AND being 6 months out now and being so close to my goal weight is something that I could have never done on my own! I also know that I will never be 280lbs EVER AGAIN!

No way do I ever have once ounce of buyer's remorse. I would do it agian tomorrow if I needed to. I love my sleeve!!!!

Kelly

OMG girl! You are so close to goal - HOORAY for my Red Velvet sister! I am so happy for you! xoxo

[Caitlyn_Cat 7]

7 months out and no regrets. I really didn't even have regrets in those first few days when life was pretty miserable with nausea and dizziness. I've kept my eye on the prize, as it were, and I'm now within 7 lbs of goal. This is so worth it!

[lkcraig316 4]

Never had the "buyer's remorse" that I have heard some people talk about. The most negative I ever felt was on my two weeks of thin liquids. And that was only because I wanted something with some flavor. Once I got to have purees, I was happy again. I never had pain and very little nausea . . . usually only when I would introduce certain foods and just the first time I tried them. Even with all the little complaints (some extra Hair loss, sagging skin, etc.), I believe this was the best health-related decision I have made in my entire life. Don't let one Debbie Downer scare you off from the surgery.

[LVikingFan 14]

The second day I had hiccups that would not go away, they hurt, nobody seemed to care (at least in my opinion) I was miserable. I thought why did I do this? I took my pain meds and went to bed. I kept hiccuping for 8 hours. Then they stopped. I had survived! Since then I have not had another second thought. My obesity was so out of control I had been forced to go on disability and no longer work. I was taking 19 different medications a day including over 200 units of insulin. I could not tie my own shoes. I couldn't enjoy my beautiful granddaughter. All I could do was sit in a chair and watch TV, my wife was disgusted with me. I wasn't the husband, employee, father or grandfather that I should be. Fast forward 3 months. Now I am 72 pounds lighter, I take only 9 medications, with the promise from my physician that if my labs come out good at the end of November I will be off 5 more. My blood sugar is normal, and no more insulin. I can play golf again and walk over a mile a day. I am enjoying life again. If I had not had this surgery I probably wouldn't be here in a few years. I have no regrets.

[Marie from Michigan 11]

I am six months post-op. I have had no complications whatsoever. Only a few fleeting moments of regret while still in the hospital. When someone questions your decision, turn it back on them. Think about WHY they are reacting that way. What is in their past that is causing that reaction. Don't take their fears on. I will repeat, those same people 1) have no idea what its like to live life 100 pounds overweight - its also a slow death, or 2) are overweight themselves and your decision to have surgery challenges the choices they have made for themselves.

All the best!

Marie

[sasicas 194]

About a week before surgery I nearly chickened out. I started thinking I could do it on my own without having to go through with surgery. Even sitting in the waiting room to go back for surgery I wanted to get up and run. But I went through with it.

I did have complications, though rare, they can happen. I had a small hole in my sleeve, a kink in my sleeve (it's more like an L instead of a banana), I have a hiatal hernia now instead of pre-op like most people, I had increased swelling and did end up in the hospital for nearly 2 weeks between the 5-7 week post-op range. I couldn't eat, I couldn't drink. I was miserable and regretted having gone through with it.

HOWEVER, once I was able to eat food and the weight was coming off fast I was so glad I went through with it. At 8 months post op, I am over 9 lbs below my goal and sitting at 99 lbs lost as of this morning I look like a different person, I can wear normal clothes, I can get up off the floor/couches easily, I can play with my kids in a way I couldn't before, there are so many things I can do now that I couldn't do at 240 lbs. Even if it meant going through with the complications again, I would still do it. The end result was worth the pain and misery at the beginning.

[susnl 17]

As with most of the posts above, I had the WTH reaction the first week. I was lucky, no complications. Now, every day I have little NSV (non scale victories) that I would have never experienced before. It was one of the best decisions I had ever made for myself.

Even in the surgery prep area waiting to go back, I was worried and asked my husband if it was too late to change my mind. The OR nurse came to ask some more questions and asked me why I choose the sleeve. I listed all my reasons and she looked at me and said "Good choice, I had see so many lapband complications back in here". Somehow, that made me feel so much better. This woman was a bariatric surgery nurse and she knew what she was talking about.

My teenage son was against the surgery, I had to tell him that I was doing this for me. Now, he is very happy for me and sees all of the wonderful benefits of a more active and healthier mom.

Also, I went to see my PCP last month, she was estatic. She said "Do you realize you have lost 80+ lbs since you were here in February?". One of the girls in the office had the lap band last november and was not doing as well.

Good luck.

[Purdy in Pink 57]

I have 1 regret.......

I wish I had done this for myself 3 years ago. I had a few naysayers telliing me I wasent that "big" to have this surgery. but I knew this was gonna be the right decision for me, and I just ignored them. Like you, I did my research, i weighed the pro's and con's, and this was what I WANTED to do. I've raised 2 wonderful boys (now 19 and 21). It was time for ME to come 1st.

I had 70 lbs I wanted to shed.....tired of the lose, gain, lose, gain....and all the $$ I've spent on the many diets....I figured over time, I'd be saving money..lol

I was a self pay, as my insurance has a clause that declined weight loss surgery....but it was worth every penny having this surgery.

I had my surgery on May 24th 2011...little over 5 months ago. I have 10 lbs to go to reach my goal. and I feel awesome! terriffic, great, even sexy again..hehehe

Best of luck to you!