Are You Happy That You Had The Sleeve Procedure?

[MichiganChic 3,262]

I am a year out, and I would definitely do it again. I wish I had known that hunger will return, and that it's still a lot of work. I have to track everything I eat, and I have to keep really low calories to lose. I'm still so happy with my success so far, and I have made lifestyle changes that I think are permanent.

[Nurse_B 270]

To answer your first question in the heading, no I am not happy I have the sleeve. Before people get upset by that, my meaning is I am mad and sad it had to come to this. I am mad that I can't control my weight on my own, can't control myself to eat normal portions. I am mad that I have to eat liquids only right now, that my stomach is sore, that I can't sleep very well at night. I am mad that when I sit down to dinner, I want so badly to eat what everyone else is having, I want TACO BELL. I know I sound whiny, but this is the truth. Every single day I have to wake up and make the decision to do what I can to make the best choices for myself. The surgery will help me to lose weight, but it doesn't fix why I eat or the fact that I want to eat SO BAD. Those things are right in my face every day since surgery and I have to deal with them. Cry at the dinner table like a 2 year old because I can't eat chicken and mashed potatoes. I mean I am 28 years old crying over food!!!! I am fortunate I was able to do this surgery, and I am thankful for the people who lift me up every single day to feel better. The sleeve will allow me to reach a weight goal. But one thing about the sleeve people don't realize until after you have the surgery...you have to deal with why you are obese and overweight. Those problems don't go away as the weight comes off, they only become more blinding. I am sorry to sound like a debbie downer tonight, but I am dealing with this stuff right now and it isn't fun! I wish you all of the best in your sleeve, and please don't let me scare you, that is not my purpose. I just wish I understood better the non weight loss part of this before hand. I wouldn't have changed getting the surgery, but I would have started to work on some of this stuff!

[_imgood_ 63]

<p>To answer your first question in the heading, no I am not happy I have the sleeve. Before people get upset by that, my meaning is I am mad and sad it had to come to this. I am mad that I can't control my weight on my own, can't control myself to eat normal portions. I am mad that I have to eat liquids only right now, that my stomach is sore, that I can't sleep very well at night. I am mad that when I sit down to dinner, I want so badly to eat what everyone else is having, I want TACO BELL. I know I sound whiny, but this is the truth. Every single day I have to wake up and make the decision to do what I can to make the best choices for myself. The surgery will help me to lose weight, but it doesn't fix why I eat or the fact that I want to eat SO BAD. Those things are right in my face every day since surgery and I have to deal with them. Cry at the dinner table like a 2 year old because I can't eat chicken and mashed potatoes. I mean I am 28 years old crying over food!!!! I am fortunate I was able to do this surgery, and I am thankful for the people who lift me up every single day to feel better. The sleeve will allow me to reach a weight goal. But one thing about the sleeve people don't realize until after you have the surgery...you have to deal with why you are obese and overweight. Those problems don't go away as the weight comes off, they only become more blinding. I am sorry to sound like a debbie downer tonight, but I am dealing with this stuff right now and it isn't fun! I wish you all of the best in your sleeve, and please don't let me scare you, that is not my purpose. I just wish I understood better the non weight loss part of this before hand. I wouldn't have changed getting the surgery, but I would have started to work on some of this stuff!</p>

I think you need to see someone who can help you through this.

[Nurse_B 270]

I think you need to see someone who can help you through this.

I was waiting for someone to point that out to me! My post was simply to show that this is hard work, these are the things we have to deal with, it's not all weight loss and wonderful feeling. She wanted to know my reality, this is what it is. I wanted to be brutally honest because people who want to know about surgery need to be prepared for all elements, this whole thing has a very important mental element.

Now let me be clear. I wake up and make the decisions I do because I am blessed to have this opportunity, and I understand how important my hard work is. Do I regret it, hell no I do not. This was the best decision for me completely, but it doesn't mean I can't be mad, angry, disappointed in myself for letting it get this far.

And that is what working with a professional has made me realize.

[gomekast 559]

I am thrilled yes.

As a nurse B points out, it's only a small part of the whole process tho.

I've been in therapy for 8 years before the surgery even came into fruition. I've worked threw most of my issues for sure..had I not done all that before hand tho, and I very well might have a different answer for you. Probably not tho.

It's not all easy and awesome weight loss each day. It's hard work day in and day out. I'm 7 weeks post op tomorrow. I love what I see and how I feel.

But so many here don't deal with the mental aspects of this surgery tho. If your not prepared to deal with those things then the surgery will be very very difficult to cope with..but that's just my opinion too.

Would I do it again? Yes I would. Would o do it without the therapy first? No stinking way.

[reading mom 85]

I have not had one second of regret. I was so ready to have it done. Now I do have moments of disappointment and struggle. The mental aspects have been harder for me than the physical ones. But I still say it is the best thing I have ever done just for me.

[Seela 1,187]

I don't regret it... ever. It's been so much easier and so much harder all att the same time. I have some type of bug right now and was throwing up earlier. .. sigh.. the only difference for me is before sleeve throwing up sucked. Now its kinda scarry. And believe me the Constipation thing is very real! I was sleeved 10/21 and still in the learning prosses. It takes time. Sometimes I too get mad when my body is hungry or thirsty but I just can't get anything else down. But it's honestly the very best thing I could have done for myself and my family and I feel blessed everyday to have been given this gift and blessed to have the support from the folks on this forum. Good luck

[_imgood_ 63]

I think you need to see someone who can help you through this.

I was waiting for someone to point that out to me! My post was simply to show that this is hard work, these are the things we have to deal with, it's not all weight loss and wonderful feeling. She wanted to know my reality, this is what it is. I wanted to be brutally honest because people who want to know about surgery need to be prepared for all elements, this whole thing has a very important mental element.

Now let me be clear. I wake up and make the decisions I do because I am blessed to have this opportunity, and I understand how important my hard work is. Do I regret it, hell no I do not. This was the best decision for me completely, but it doesn't mean I can't be mad, angry, disappointed in myself for letting it get this far.

And that is what working with a professional has made me realize.

But from my viewpoint your still living in the past which can easily contaminate you brighter future. I'm not saying your wrong for displaying your true thoughts.....no. I'm say it's time to get to work! I'm not sure how far out you are but excess skin is an issue for me. Go to the gym changes my mindset. We in prison ourselves in a body with little hopes of ever being able to live. How many people get two chances to live? I'm just saying make the best of it. I have been through soooooooooo much in a two year period. There are "moments" when I revert to the "poor me one phase". That sh** only last that moment because I made it through that time in my life. I don't want to relive that dark place. I give myself a pat on the back because whether I came around it, over it or through it......I'm better today than I was yesterday and not even my mind can steal my joy. I wish you the best of luck.

[Gelica 18]

Everyone tells me it will get better but I do regret it. I would rather be at the weight I was then to feel the way I do. Alway dehydrated and hungry vomit bile. I am 3 weeks post op, my husband has become so worried cause I'm not eating enough even the dr wants me to take in morr calories. The last 3 days I have not wanted to get out of bed. In 3 weeks I have gone from 214 to 182. I would rather be 214 and be myself.

[Hidden from view 159]

I promise, it will get better. Do get out of bed. Go for a walk. Try to drink milk (I found milk easier than anything else to get down). Make sure you are taking your Vitamins. Remember you have had part of your stomach amputated. If you'd had a leg amputated you wouldn't expect to feel yourself within three weeks. Give yourself more time and have faith. Having major surgery can make you feel very down. Anaesthetics can make you feel really depressed for weeks. Our sudden change in lifestyle can cause grief for the old lifestyle...

It will get better, but you have to help it. Get out of bed and get some fresh air. This too will pass (Hug)

[Gelica 18]

I try but all I do is get nauseous and end up vomiting I am on a 3rd medication for nausea and seems not to help either. I'm tired of trying to keep from being nauseous. I want to believe it will get better. But when I can't sit up long enough to drink Water before feeling this way makes me just want to sleep all day so I don't throw up.

[Lorie269 392]

There are some days that I have brief thoughts of "why did I do this again?". But then I look in the mirror or step on the scale and reality hits that I have come so far in just 5 months. It is one of the hardest things I have ever done but totally worth it! Just think of where you will be one year from next Monday. Good luck!

I wanted to update my post from yesterday. I hit a BMI of under 30 this morning! I went from morbidly obese to just plain overweight in almost 5 months! When I saw that number on the scale, it confirmed how totally worth it the surgery was.

Edited December 10, 2013 by Lorie77

[Ms.AntiBand 2,984]

I try but all I do is get nauseous and end up vomiting I am on a 3rd medication for nausea and seems not to help either. I'm tired of trying to keep from being nauseous. I want to believe it will get better. But when I can't sit up long enough to drink Water before feeling this way makes me just want to sleep all day so I don't throw up.

Personally, I don't think you should be feeling this way. If your continuously vomiting that's a sign there's something wrong. What does your surgeon say? You need tests done to rule things out. Are you staying hydrated?

Seriously, be forceful and demanding with your surgeon.

[gomekast 559]

Everyone tells me it will get better but I do regret it. I would rather be at the weight I was then to feel the way I do. Alway dehydrated and hungry vomit bile. I am 3 weeks post op, my husband has become so worried cause I'm not eating enough even the dr wants me to take in morr calories. The last 3 days I have not wanted to get out of bed. In 3 weeks I have gone from 214 to 182. I would rather be 214 and be myself.

My program didn't have us start our Vitamins until we were 4 weeks post op. They said it was usually the culprit of nausea and vomiting in their years of experience.

Try milk or sugar free Jello and sugar free Popsicles. Start small. I had a sleeve that was swollen shut for the first week. No fun at all. Try different sugar free drinks...vitamin zero, propel zero, gatorade 2 series..etc. my body could only tolerate people zero for 3 full weeks. Nothing else.

It really is is a game at first to find something, anything that your new sleeve likes. powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken Soup was also my saving grace with the propel zero. I lived off those 2 for 3 full weeks.

I didn't walk much at first. ..I couldn't. But I would walk around the store with my family. That was the extent of my walking.

Take it slow and try all sorts of beverages until your sleeve likes one. Once you find it you'll feel 1000% different.

[Shells_Almost_There 357]

The issue with questions like "Are you happy with the sleeve?" and "Would you do it again?" is that that people might read the responses and expect MY experience to be THEIR experience. I am thrilled with my sleeve, but Gelica's story above is a perfect example of the struggle and regret that some people have post-op. I've been on the sleeve web site for 9 months and have seen a large number of positive stories and a much smaller number of negative stories. Walking through the door of the hospital back on 9/16, I knew that I had good odds of having a positive story, but I had mentally prepared myself for the negatives (including death). That way, I felt as prepared as I could be and as determined as possible to go through with this momentous decision to have most of my stomach removed and live with whatever came after. Only you can decide what's best for you, and your experience could be completely unique as compared to those of us who've answered. That being said, good luck to you.

Gelica, all the best to you - stay strong and keep fighting!