Im considering surgery-do you regret it?

[HaddocksEyes 205]

You will get alot of replies I am sure! I also suggest you do a "search" for the word regret or regrets to see comments from many on this topic.

Full disclosure - no regrets - I went from BMI over 50 to a normal BMI and am maintaining below my personal goal. I lost over 160# !! - I feel like the sleeve saved my life.

I have been reading these forums for a few years and the regrets generally come in 3 camps:

1. Recently sleeved; struggling with the first weeks or months post op. Vast majority of these people change their minds down the road.

2. Minority of people who have complications. That is an interesting catagory because there are a few people who have gone through really rough time, but generally once they come out the other side they are glad they are sleeved!

3. People who do not achieve lasting weight loss - disappointed with results. To me, that is the tough category. This does happen. I have had great success, but I am nearly 3 years out and i need to warn you - at this stage "maintenance" is more about me and less about the sleeve... I could have never gotten here without the sleeve and it does help me maintain, but you need to have very realistic expectations about what WLS can do for you and what it can't...

At 9 weeks out, I am totally feeling what you are saying, so thank you for verbalizing it so well. I can eat a little over a cup of food and if I am not careful with my choices, I can easily go over 1,200 calories if I choose foods high in fat and calories. With each day that passes, more and more of the responsibility to keep from getting "sloppy" (not tracking food, not exercising, making bad food choices, etc.) is on me and not the sleeve.

[HaddocksEyes 205]

Hi,

I'm Jess and I'm researching the sleeve and am pretty sure I will go ahead, but I just want anyone who has had a negative experience or anyone who fully regrets doing it to tell me why, so I'm fully aware of the negatives as well as the positives.

Please be brutally honest.

Thank you so much!!

X

I do not regret my decision at all. I did not have any serious co-morbidities going into the surgery other than a high fasting blood sugar from time to time. My only problem was being so overweight, so it was a struggle for me to decide to have the surgery. The one thing going through my mind was that I could make myself unhealthy through a life-long complication BECAUSE I had the surgery. However, I knew if I didn't do it, I would either stay morbidly obese or I would continue to get fatter and serious co-morbidities would eventually be my lot.

I did not suffer from serious complications. Just the normal heartburn and Constipation. I don't even feel like I had surgery until I eat and my stomach reminds me that it's not so big anymore.

Good luck!!

[HaddocksEyes 205]

Hi Onthefencejenny - youre right, I want to eat becuase I have to, not because I want to, that is the goal. I dont want to crave food and its taste anymore, I just hope my appetite is genuinly reduced! Congrats on your loss, amazing!

Some people never regain their hunger and then others get it back just as strong as it was before the surgery. It's a specturm really, between the two extremes, depending on each person's individual anatomy, hormones and I am sure a bunch of other things.

I got my hunger back..however..before the surgery if I wanted a huge plate of food and felt deprived if that didn't happen. Now, I am happy with the smaller portions and have a sense of freedom from food that I have never in my life experienced. Food no longer is the focus at family gatherings or social events. I can pass up a donut or cake or any other sweet treat and not feel bad or upset over it. Sure, I look forward to tasting certain foods. i still enjoy eating and still love macaroni and cheese. If appropriate (meaning I have planned for it in my daily meals), I just eat a little bit for a taste and then move on. But it's not like it was before.