How Is Everyone So Happy?

[minniekitty 44]

Honestly.. We won't ever be "normal" again. It does get better. I really enjoy EAS CarbAdvatage Protein shakes. Have you tried those? 17g of Protein for 2 net carbs. It isn't thick and goes down easily and is pretty tasty. The only flavor I don't tolerate in this brand is dark chocolate everything else is very good' date=' convienent, and decently priced. I find them at my local Wal-mart in the pharmacy section. I also found them in an out of state Wal-mart when I went on vacation, so I feel probably, most Wal-Marts carry this product. Also, I was unable to choke down any baritric chewable garbage provided on the market which was a complete waste of my money. My dietitian recommended that I try Flintstones Complete chewables. It's been fine ever since. I take two per day and you will find that it is comparable or even better in the amount you get of nutrients when compared to regular Vitamins..and I don't vomit these. The tiredness gets better. You are only 4 weeks out. Your body needs time to heal. It took me 8 weeks before I totally healed and pain free. I'm still not able to normal portions but I take my time and make sure I get in my EAS shakes. As far as heartburn goes.. I had GERD before surgery and I had it worse after I I take 20 mg of prescription Prevacid daily...this has helped a lot! Talk to your doctor about taking a acid reducer. This may help with the incessant feeling to vomit. It did me. If you need to chat, you are welcome to pm me. Good luck on your journey![/quote']

I am 11 months post op and absolutely miserable. I hate myself for getting this surgery. I was so much happier at 230 lbs. At least I could eat to make me happy. I am completely numb. Not even alcohol or cigarettes make me happy now (bad substitute things for food I picked up). I am so afraid to gain back the weight but I can't stop losing either. I am scared to eat. I hate my saggy scarred body. I am catatonic now. Nothing gives me joy. I just keep thinking about how ugly I am.

I am unhappy too. I see no happiness in my future. 24 and I feel so unhealthy because food makes me sick. I wish I could be happy again. I have been depressed nonstop since my surgery even tho I had my "ups" as I fit into smaller clothes.

It is all my fault. You are not alone. Sorry to hijack your thread but I am completely miserable too at 136 lbs. I wanted to stop being hungry and I abused my body.

[Piplula 709]

Hi Kala,

It sounds like you have clinical depression. Now I am not a qualified professional to make that diagnosis, but I really think you need to get some professional counseling and possibly some medication to help you because if you are catatonic..well that's not healthy either! Perhaps there were undying issues before your surgery that even you may not have known about or used food to cover up and now that is gone ..you wounds are exposed??? Again..I am not a professional..but I know if I felt this way and was 11 months out..I would be seeking professional physical and mental health services ASAP! Please let us know how you are doing if you decide to go to the doctor!

[I_did_it! 33]

Kala,

I am soooooo sorry to hear that. It really sucks, and we can't take it back. I am only 33 myself. We have to live with this for like 50-60 yrs+. I only wish that one person had recommended that I not do this, I might have listened. Instead, every single person I talked to thought it was a great idea, and almost everybody knew somebody... Furthermore, I wish I would have found this site prior to my surgery. I had looked up toooonnnns of you tube videos and everyone seemed happy. Nobody really complained or regretted it. In fact, many actually said they did not regret it. I also went to a support group, where all the people said they didn't regret it. WTF right? I still keep hoping that one of these days I will wake up and it was all a dream, but that hasn't happened yet... I am not holding out hope for the future of medicine...stomach transplants maybe?? Are you married, and/or do you have children? What made you do this at such a young age?

[I_did_it! 33]

That is supposed to be "I am NOW holding out hope...

[minniekitty 44]

I am in counseling and on antidepressants. They do nothing for me. I am not married and don't have kids. I feel so unhealthy from the abuse I put my body through, so I don't see myself having kids in the future. I am so ugly and depressed so no one will want to marry me either.

I had this done because I was so afraid of getting sick after my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. I wanted to get healthier as I pursued law school, well neither of those goals worked out.

I am certain I shortened my lifespan. I made a huge mistake with this surgery. I wish it made me happy like it did for all of the people I heard about and my aunt who had it done (who now gained back half the weight she lost).

A stomach transplant would be amazing even if I end up a fat cow again.

Fyi... I have nothing against this surgery for those whose lives were transformed by it. I think it can be a life saving surgery for many.

[Piplula 709]

I would definitely ask them to change your meds. How many meds have you been on?? The reason I ask is because I suffered with clinical depression and had to try several different meds before I found what worked for me..you need to go back and talk to your care provider and if nothing changes after you have talked to your provider..find someone else! Please keep us updated..I will be thinking and praying for you!

[I_did_it! 33]

_{Part of my decision too was because my mom was diagonsed with Lung Cancer back in November and they said obesity is a huge contributing factor to cancer. I too wanted to be healthier, and I am sure that in the long run I will be. I just hope I get happier.}

_{Kala, just so you know, some plastic surgeons will take payments toward tummy tucks and lypo! That might at least make you feel a little better.}

[MoreganK 164]

I'm only 2 weeks out, so I know I'm "new".... and I reasearched the hell out of this surgery for nearly a year. Talked to 2 friends who had it done, and they too were all talking about how it was the best thing they ever did. I had a co-worker, who had major complications with his, and 3 months after he told me it was the best decision he made, despite those scary parts. So, with all that behind me, I put my fear away, told that nagging voice to shut up and had surgery. I had surgery because I'm 35 and is/was 113 pounds over weight with PCOS. I was told that I was walking down an very unhealthy road very quickly because of my PCOS. I was told that if I didn't lose weight, I would more than likely develop uterine cancer. I weighed how I felt about scary surgery and chemotherapy being a possibility. I went with the surgery. I totally still regret the surgery. I wish I had waited longer. But, I didn't. I'm focusing on my little victories as this process happens. I'm down 32 pounds. I just started the puree stage today. What I really want is a simple smoked turkey sandwich. I have confronted my food relationships. I was not really an abusive eater, I had a medical issue that caused my metabolism to stop functioning correctly. I'm just looking forward to a few months from now, when I can eat real food again, and maybe have some smoked turkey.

[thinoneday 445]

Sorry Kala but the surgery didn't make us happy, we made us happy. The surgery is just a tool. . .i'm glad your in counseling though and hopefully one day something good will happen to you which will make you realize that your here for a special purpose, and that purpose we never know. . . just to let you know I suffered badly from depression myself when i was younger and finally when i had had enough, i took the bull by the horns and swore i would get out of it and changed my entire outlook on things. . I realized that, yes the meds were there to help me, but i was the one who had to change the attitude and behavior, not the meds, not the doctors or the hospital was going to do that for me. . I was blessed enough to be strong enough to change and now am off the meds and am livin a good life. . .I wish all the best to you and good luck hopefully things will change for you as well one day.

[4ALongerLife 329]

Hey Caren,

What you have posted is so true. I was one of those "rare" %s. I DID get pneumonia after my initial surgery then a leak and abscess after that. I was a month in the hospital. And I just got pneumonia again, IDK how or why, but I've never had it before all of this.

But your second post said it correctly. WLS is kinda like having a baby. Everyone tells you how awesome mommyhood is, you see all of those cute pix of babies smiling and being sweet... they don't tell you reality is you function on 4 hours to 6 hours of sleep a night, etc etc.

WLS is not a magic "cure"... it's just a tool. And it's a hard one to adjust to. I DID feel just like you several times. I have thrown up a handful of times from eating too fast or too much olive oil in a dish. It sucks. I used to love food, but my relationship with it has changed and alot of what you are feeling (I believe) is just that. Many times too our bodies are catching up with our weight loss so we are overcome by hormones. I hope that is all you happened to experience and that it's passed. If not, please feel free to reach out to me anytime. WLS is not easy... but it just takes time to adjust. It took me years to become as overweight as I was, so I have had to remind myself that it will take time for me to adjust to this new life - because it is just that, it's totally new how we approach dealing with things, interacting with others, etc etc.

As for Kala, I do agree with what Piplula said about seeking a counselor out and possibly antidepressants. I worry about you as it sounds like you don't have much for a support system ... or did I misread that? I have my hubby and kiddo, but I'm also seeking out support groups at local hospitals regarding WLS. It has helped, knowing the roller coaster of emotions are experienced by others that you can touch and see and listen to.

Kala, I did this surgery too as I have a family history of massive heart attacks (women) and my father died of cancer of the lungs and liver. I choose to believe that I have added years to my life, but have I added life to those years? Since this society is so big on "getting together" over food as a way to bond, perhaps not... but instead I'm finding now I cook and feed it to others (and hey it's low fat, low carb so I AM adding years to their lives w/o them knowing it). It's again learning to adjust because it is a different life now. I miss my relationship with food sometimes - it was an easy comfort, very familiar from the years I abused my body with food. But I choose to believe that this WLS decision will give me years of benefit. Not an easy adjustment from what I was so comfortable to do before... but I can say, I lost my mom and my dad early on in this life. And my health screens were not looking good at an early age. My #1 reason in doing this surgery was for my son. I never knew how much I would miss my mom and dad until they were gone, and 56 years old and 63 years old is too young IMHO for anyone to die.

Has it been easy? Heck no.... but I choose to believe I made the correct choice, even if it has been sometimes a pain in my assets. I hope you choose to believe in it too, if not now, in the future.

[Seemebetter 24]

I did it , I agree I am miserable . I was sleeved on May 29th and I am not happy ...food hates me.

[Miriam 50]

I have literally seen hundreds of people now that are sooooo happy that they have done this. They believe that the VSG is the best thing that has ever happened to them and they seem to be so happy. And to tell you the truth that is what helped me make the decision to do this in the first place. Everyone seemed so happy they did it...every single doctor I spoke to thought it was a great idea and the whole thing was posed as a truly positive experience. Oh sure I knew there might be some side effects, but those were gonna be rare, and probably wouldn't happen to me cause I was actually pretty healthy before the surgery. Everyone I spoke to thought it was a great idea, and I was totally envisioning a skinny, healthy and happy me.

I am not happy! I am four weeks out and I have heartburn everyday and throw up almost every day. I absolutely hate the Protein shakes, and even the fact that I have to force myself to get in all this Protein everyday when I can barely eat! And if I don't I'm ggnna lose my hair :0( The Vitamins make me puke, and I have absolutely no energyI I don't have a problem with getting in my liquids though, because Water is the only thing I actually want. Frankly I would drink Water all day long and never eat again, if I didn't know it could kill me, lol...which is totally contrary to the fact that I get depressed and angry when I watch other people eat, knowing that I cannot even come close to what they are eating, and that I don't even enjoy food anymore. (Crying as I write) When I eat with my family, I force down 3 or 4 bites (that don't even taste good) and they still eat for 10 minutes...and in that time I run through a whole host of emotions and have even left the table crying a couple of times now. I have lost 34 pounds already, but I feel like, 'at what cost'. I feel sooooo unhealthy and unhappy, that I really wish I hadn't gotten this surgery done - but it's too late - I can't take it back - so how do I cope?

I just don't know what to do...I am miserable. Everyone keeps telling me that it will get better - but when? Am I alone in these regretful feelings I have? When did you guys feel 'normal' again? And how do you stay positive? Please help!

In many ways I was a lot like you a few months ago (I'm now four and a half months post-op): I vomitted a LOT (there were days when I literally got in no food or drink because it all came up and I realized that I'd better stop eating and drinking till the morning) and this was with prilosec, could not get in my protein (the difference is that my NUT, strange but true, does not feel that it's so important to get in the full amounts of protein at this stage), had no energy, couldn't get down Vitamins, etc., etc. And yes, it was very hard for me to cope with not being able to eat - I LOVE food (yes, even now, but in much smaller portions), and as much as I had tried to prepare myself for the change in eating habits, it's impossible to understand what it's like until you're actually going through it.

BUT things did improve - and improve a lot. At around week six post-op, my energy returned. That was already a huge relief. At around the four-month mark, my vomiting decreased from an average of ten times a week to almost zero. (I did make a conscious effort to slow down my eating and be careful of overeating, but it also helped that my capacity for food got slightly bigger at that point.) I can usually get down vitamins without a problem (but I'll admit that I'm not 100% with that yet - that's just my own issue with pills stemming from a long-ago bout with cancer when I had to swallow so many pills that the very sight of pills psyches me out). And since I can eat a little more, and pretty much eat any food I want (other than hot cheese) as long as I'm careful not to eat too fast, I don't really mourn the loss of food. In short, it really, really, really does get better for most if not all.

So I do understand where you're coming from - at four weeks out, I was happy that I had done it because my weight was such a big issue for me, but I was definitely struggling on a lot of fronts. Now, at four plus months out, it's so much easier. Take heart - it will get better!

P.S. I'm also 33 :-)

[MrzSongbird 53]

Okay - you asked...

First' date=' seriously, the forum is thick with people listing the early stages as difficult, the Water issue is common and fades, and there is a protien drink out there that you will like - or make your own. You can even get protien Water, and milk fortified with protien, 12 g for 8 0z.

Every issue, every one that you ever had with any other weight loss tool has an opportunity to arise after the sleeve - especially if you do not prepare in advance.

Now, lets fix this in small increments...

You MUST stop stressing and anticipating your body's response to your foods and water. Try some breathing yoga before you drink, losen up your chest, calm down...

Do not sit down with your family at the beginning of the meal, find something to do before you set down.

Take only small bites of food, smallest, chew thoroughly and ask someone a question - so you can talk, and then another bite - if you are still eating as the plates are cleared, so be it...and that is someone elses job now, too. You are going to take warm bath and let yourself relax and digest.

Read, not just here - there are book out there full of insightful, helpful information. If you are interested I will recommend a few.

There will be other posts with excellent suggestions. Good luck - it gets better (look at my profile).[/quote']

I would love to know what books you recommend...

[butterbean 30]

I hope your doctor appt goes well! Just checking up on ya!

[I_did_it! 33]

Thank you guys soooo much!! I am so glad that I have this support to make it through this difficult time. It is good to hear from others that went through it and got passed it! My doctor's appt. is later this afternoon, and I am really hoping that he closes up this hole in my belly button. It has stopped oozing now, but it is now a big black empty hole...about the size of a dime....ewww. I will post again later tonight!

I love you guys!

Caren