Hi All!

This is my first post, however I am not new to this website, I have been searching this site and the web and reading books for months now! I just cannot make up my mind on whether to get the sleeve or not and I am driving myself crazy!! One day I'm all for it, the next day I think there is no way I could do it. I have almost completed all of the requirements set by my insurance company, my info will be submitted for approval in a couple of weeks and I'm still unsure. I'm not scared of the surgery and immediate recovery, I guess I'm more worried about the long lasting effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, not being able to drink with my meals, no soda etc... Most people seem happy that they did it. I just really want to know what the lasting side effects are, aside from the obvious of eating less and exercising more how will my life change after getting the sleeve??

Is this a normal way to feel at this stage? Or am I just overthinking the whole thing? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts in helping me make this big decision once and for all!

Hi All!

This is my first post, however I am not new to this website, I have been searching this site and the web and reading books for months now! I just cannot make up my mind on whether to get the sleeve or not and I am driving myself crazy!! One day I'm all for it, the next day I think there is no way I could do it. I have almost completed all of the requirements set by my insurance company, my info will be submitted for approval in a couple of weeks and I'm still unsure. I'm not scared of the surgery and immediate recovery, I guess I'm more worried about the long lasting effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, not being able to drink with my meals, no soda etc... Most people seem happy that they did it. I just really want to know what the lasting side effects are, aside from the obvious of eating less and exercising more how will my life change after getting the sleeve??

Is this a normal way to feel at this stage? Or am I just overthinking the whole thing? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts in helping me make this big decision once and for all!

Welcome to the site! Everyone is pretty nice here and really helpful. In 1 week I will be 3 months out, for some perspective; my recovery was TERRIBLE. I was nauseous, SO nauseous for a very long time, I was incredibly, feebly weak for weeks post-op, I got a horridly hideous rash on my stomach that my surgeon, GP, nor nurses could help me with, it is just now going away... You know what though, I don't regret a single THING. I cried sometimes in the beginning because I wanted so badly to eat "regular" food, and it passed quickly. When I stall, I get bummed sometimes but by now you realize it's a pattern, normal, and will pass. Keep doing what you're doing and it'll start going down again. Until about 2 months and a week post-op, I was able to drink while eating. I can't do it anymore. I take small sips if I'm super thirsty when eating, and that's fine.

It's not difficult to separate drinking and eating once you're used to it. I started using a straw at 4 weeks post-op, and I drink almost a gallon of water a day so I started drinking caffeine coffee at 5/6 weeks. I have not found a food my sleeve doesn't like, I drank something that was made incorrectly (with too much sugar) and just had to go number 2 for a while after and was fine. I can eat bread (small nibbles) and I can have carbonation with no issues.

Your life is really not restricted in any way, you just have to get into the groove of knowing how to eat/what to order. We eat out a lot and I have gotten restaurant smart on what and how to order. My surgeon also gave me a card to carry for discounts/or permission to order off the kids menu, I've only been to one place that said no. I have eaten out with people that have no knowledge of my procedure, and they still don't know.

The way you're feeling is completely and totally normal. Everyones post-op experience is wildly different, so there's no comparison. You just have to be prepared to have your goals in a reasonable place, and your mind open and you'll be fine!

I think it's normal to have doubts as your surgery gets closer because it becomes more real. For me, very early on, on my blog, I made a post-surgery "bucket list" post with all of the things I wanted to do after surgery that I couldn't do at that time, and all of the reasons I wanted it. When I had my freak out about 2 weeks before surgery, I went back to that post and reminded myself of why I made the decision that I have made. I've gone back to that post many times since then - mainly to mark thinks off as "accomplished" . I would encourage you to make a list of the reasons you want the surgery and what you hope to accomplish from it. Revisit it whenever you are having doubts.