Anybody regretted it, even with no complications?

[melodymouse 196]

No way! Even with post surgery complications

[melodymouse 196]

No way! Even with post surgery complications

I would do it again in a second. I am 14 months out. I did have some mournful feeling over lost food but it didn't last long. It gets better as time passes. I have found comforts other than food. Music, a pedicure, a massage...I let go of the instant gratification food gives and now "save up" for greater rewards. All those new size 6 pants for starters! = D

[gaye jarvis 751]

I was also a self pay, and the money I paid was by far the BEST SPENT MONEY EVER! I got my life back and now after losing 116 lbs in 9 months I feel like a new woman, with that being said, I followed my Drs orders by the book.

I do not now nor will I ever eat pizza again or McDonalds food because that crap is what put me at almost 350 lbs and made me pre-diabetic, heart problems, knee pain, back pain, high blood pressure, low self esteem and just feeling like crap every day.

The one thing I keep telling myself is that there is NO food that tastes better than being healthy feels! And healthy for me is going from wearing a size 28 jeans that were so tight that I could hardly sit without unbuttoning them to wearing a size 14 CUTE jeans that look and feel amazing!!!!

Sent from Gaye's iPad Mini using VST

[Decembersleever 154]

I have no regrets. Loving my sleeve

[moonchild1968 102]

I wish I could feel free to discuss how I am feeling. Maybe it would help someone. But if I did, would I be heard? Would I be ridiculed?

For now ill keep my mouth shut and wait to see how this thread plays out.

I was run off of another site years ago when I started complaining about my band not working and sharing my frustration. Some of the happy campers there didn't want to hear anything but good news. Truth is, no WLS fits everybody. I started feeling like I didn't belong there and left that site and stayed away for years. I returned only recently to learn more about a revision .I wish I had hung in there and not let my voice be silenced. Maybe I wouldn't have waited so long to revise and maybe my story could have helped someone else.

[boobyholes 16]

My first instinct to the sleeve was staples really? Restriction alone didn't sell me. It was the reduction of the hunger hormone. But that didn't happen for me. I'm Really disappointed.

[sittingpretty64 7]

I second that laserskin, wish was 15-20 years sooner.

[feedyoureye 3,087]

I am saying this because I care... we are all in charge of our own "journey". The patient has a huge amount of influence in how this works out. Wildly successful, so-so, or whatever.

This is a good place to "vent" and I recognize much of this is just venting but i worry about nervous pre-ops getting the wrong idea - it is hard to let go of old ways. I was very ready to let go and yet i do recall those early months... feeling a little like the world wasn't as brightly colored. Feeling a little... I won't say blue... but certainly not technicolor bright like it is now! I accepted responsibility for making the choice to have the surgery AND because I listened to people who came before me, i knew it was temporary. The surgery did EXACTLY what was promised. I can eat less, and I am no longer hungry 24/7. Absolutely everything else - following guidelines, working out, working on my emotional challenges - that was all me. Here is the newsflash - really really soon after you heal from the surgery, you are pretty much on your own sisters and brothers. The surgeon has done his/her job, you better have a plan for the rest. Doesn't mean you need to write the plan, it means you need to find the resources, support, education etc.

If you seriously can't afford chicken, cottage cheese and greek yogurt and veggies to eat - i can't fathom why you are getting this surgery.

So, here I am in maintenance living a life I could only dream about before. I do sometimes struggle, but crap, that is real life - isn't it? I mean, I don't know ANYBODY - fat or thin who doesn't have some rough days. Get over it.

I am not as mean as I sound... I am just suggesting to anyone that wants to learn from this conversation thread that sleeve life is still life with all it's struggles. You still drive the bus - where are you heading?

Well said Jane, I noticed that only 4 people posted on this thread that are over one year out... I have to tell you guys, it will change. One way or the other. You can eat more, you will figure out how to cheat the sleeve, you will have your ups and downs, the issues that drove you to eat will still be there if you don't face them, and you will have the means to eat more quantity and types of food. Read the threads here made up of mostly people over 2 years out... regain for many, no regain for some, but I NEVER hear any regret about getting the sleeve. Only determination to keep on trying and building the skill and character to move forward into this new life, stepping up the exercise, dumping some of the carbs that have crept back in...renewing the strength with the support of other here, to go on and not succumb to old habits that got us into trouble in the first place. I myself eat just about everything. I do write everything down, I wear a fitbit to check how much I am expending and I go from there. I get hungry, I have head hunger too, I have gained a few pounds and have managed to level out and stop gaining, and start losing again s-l-o-w-l-y, talk about stalls! The sleeve is great, but it is not the final answer, it is part of the answer as people say over and over again here. I do have restriction when I eat certain foods, not as much with others. I have trouble getting in enough Water.... I am still a work in progress after 27 months. I expect that will be the case for much longer.

Gastric sleeve is like a lotto ticket. Sometimes you win big sometimes you lose big and everything in between. I'm going to say this as my final answer. If you have insurance go for it. If you are cash pay like me go camping with 1000 Protein shakes. Have up to 5 a day And by the time you come back you will have had the same or better results. Its a whole lot cheaper.

Getting it off is not as much of a problem as keeping it off.

I wish it would of worked for me. I will find out what went wrong when I can. My extreme appetite and little restriction is what is messing me up. I don't think my surgeon got the hormone producing area of my stomach. Make sure your surgeon removes the fundus. I'm going to have to see a local doc and get some xrays and scans.

best of luck to you.

My first instinct to the sleeve was staples really? Restriction alone didn't sell me. It was the reduction of the hunger hormone. But that didn't happen for me. I'm Really disappointed.

How far out are you? You really don't get restriction until later on...It's true that some are hungry right out of the hospital. Perhaps when the hormones thin out of your system it will be better for you. Eating well and lowering the carbs a bit help with the hunger too. When I eat sugar I want more sugar. Protein, helps bring about real physical satisfaction.

[SpaceDust 585]

To those who are posting their less than stellar experiences:

Believe me, most of us who are pre sleeve need to hear your journey as well. There is rarely a one size fits all solution to any health issue, and we need to hear the ugly as well as the good to make informed decisions. We hear you and take your experiences into account as well, even if we decide the risks are worth it and move forward with our plans to have the surgery.

Please continue to post. It does matter.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-T989 using VST

[pinkpeonies 42]

I'm not so sure I regret my revision to sleeve (god knows the band did nothing for me) but I didn't understand how excruciating the recovery was going to be. I bounced back from two babies and the band in the blink of an eye, but dang, I am really struggling with the sleeve.

The swelling is so bad that getting any fluids down - incl pain meds - is very difficult. And, I started getting hungry today. I'm not allowed to have any Protein for four more days. Never thought I'd be craving a Protein shake this badly... I'm sip sip sipping though the nausea, hoping I don't end up back on IV fluids.

[swampdonkey 36]

My first instinct to the sleeve was staples really? Restriction alone didn't sell me. It was the reduction of the hunger hormone. But that didn't happen for me. I'm Really disappointed.

I herd you mentioned the staple line a few times , I was just wondering if you were so concerned about the staples why would you go thru with it. I know if I had any doubts what so ever I wouldn't of went thru with a major surgery.Please be carful on whAt your eating you could wind up with a leak.I wouldn't hesitate any go talk to your Doc and figure out what's wrong and what's going on internally .

As far as going camping with just Protein Shakes that is not a permeant solution it just another crash diet and i wouldn't recommend that to anyone. You would have to be camping for a long period of time!

I really hope everything works out for you. Good luck!

[swampdonkey 36]

I'm not so sure I regret my revision to sleeve (god knows the band did nothing for me) but I didn't understand how excruciating the recovery was going to be. I bounced back from two babies and the band in the blink of an eye' date=' but dang, I am really struggling with the sleeve.

The swelling is so bad that getting any fluids down - incl pain meds - is very difficult. And, I started getting hungry today. I'm not allowed to have any Protein for four more days. Never thought I'd be craving a Protein Shake this badly... I'm sip sip sipping though the nausea, hoping I don't end up back on IV fluids.[/quote']

Is there any reason why they wouldn't let you protein? I started it as soon as I got home, protein speeds up the recovery.

Iam sorry that you are going thru so much pain, when I was sipping and sipping on the couch i would start nodding out from the pain meds I caught myself phantom chewing!iam not sure if I was hungry or just missed chewing. Once you get thru this stage trust me it will be worth it , hang in there, stay strong.

[k8ee 131]

I had the same question about regrets. I'm booked in for the 7th May and scared and excited at the same time.

But what really gets my mind ticking is the thought of how hungry I'll get after the op. I know when I was banded I was still hungry all the time and had absolutely no success with weight loss.

I'm worried that when I have the VGS that ill still be hungry and won't lose weight.

How does everyone cope with hunger?

[PaperBullets 53]

I had the same question about regrets. I'm booked in for the 7th May and scared and excited at the same time.

But what really gets my mind ticking is the thought of how hungry I'll get after the op. I know when I was banded I was still hungry all the time and had absolutely no success with weight loss.

I'm worried that when I have the VGS that ill still be hungry and won't lose weight.

How does everyone cope with hunger?

I know I'm still a total newbie, but I've yet to feel hungry. It's weird, though as I can feel "empty" but it's more of a noticing thing if I stop to pay attention to it.

I know that this sounds cool, but it's a pain! Because I'm never hungry it's super easy to forget to eat and you can't do that. It also makes food less fun if that makes sense. Like it's just another chore!

[pottergirl 261]

i too had regrets. i hope you will begin to feel differently as you grow healthier. i miss my addiction food but am willing to let it go for a freer life. was sitting outside my boutique enjoying the Spring and two people walked by...i said hello and they did not recognize me at first....it felt great! i like not feeling cumbersome and fitting in smaller spaces! blood pressure is perfect !