Does anyone regret their surgery?

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I should imagine a brain surgery was not an elective one.

Sucks a bit when you started all this simply because conventional weightloss methods were either too hard or not producing results fast enough.

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So, again, I am going to have to disagree.

For me, WLS was absolutely elective -- but not really. At 5.3 and 264 pounds I was slowly killing myself with food. I had been terribly successful with phentermine, WWs, Jenny, Atkins, South Beach, etc. losing 80-90 pounds with each, maintaining for a few months and then quickly gaining it all back plus some.

Losing weight had never been slow or hard, maintaining it was. I was doing permanent damage to my knees, my back, my feet. I was just on the line of pre-diabetic. My quality of life was great... I thought.

I elected to have a surgery that I believe saved my life and made my quality of life so much better. I know you feel differently, and that is your right, of course, but to me, this is one "elective" surgery that for me, and many other obese people, was a necessity.

I posted this a few years back:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/308645-i-was-a-super-healthy-fat-person-until-surgery-changed-my-life-was-it-worth-it/?hl=%20was%20%20super%20%20healthy

[GinaCampbell 434]

I should imagine a brain surgery was not an elective one.

Sucks a bit when you started all this simply because conventional weightloss methods were either too hard or not producing results fast enough.

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So, again, I am going to have to disagree.

For me, WLS was absolutely elective -- but not really. At 5.3 and 264 pounds I was slowly killing myself with food. I had been terribly successful with phentermine, WWs, Jenny, Atkins, South Beach, etc. losing 80-90 pounds with each, maintaining for a few months and then quickly gaining it all back plus some.

Losing weight had never been slow or hard, maintaining it was. I was doing permanent damage to my knees, my back, my feet. I was just on the line of pre-diabetic. My quality of life was great... I thought.

I elected to have a surgery that I believe saved my life and made my quality of life so much better. I know you feel differently, and that is your right, of course, but to me, this is one "elective" surgery that for me, and many other obese people, was a necessity.

I posted this a few years back:

http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/308645-i-was-a-super-healthy-fat-person-until-surgery-changed-my-life-was-it-worth-it/?hl=%20was%20%20super%20%20healthy

Agreed! For some people, this is not elective.

For me, it definitely was!

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[LipstickLady 25,682]

If I had a magic wand, I'd wave it and you would have your tummy back. I'd make you keep the pink brows, though.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

FWIW - I posted this on a different thread. I never had regrets, I feel I had no choice as obesity was quite literally killing me, but it sure as heck wasn't easy either.....

My personal experience as a sleever can be summarized like this:

• Preop - Terrified and anxious, I had to get short term medication to make it through the last week before surgery. The word "hot mess" comes to mind. It wasn't because I didn't want to be sleeved, it was because I had such a fear of the operation, such a fear of failing AGAIN (I was a failed band patient and there is no feeling of failure like failing after bariatric surgery)
• First weeks post op were very miserable and I was still fat. Struggle to get in enough Water, exhausted, anti-social, diarrea all that stuff. I never regretted it though because I knew this often happened and I just had to "muscle through it"
• Introducing solid  food was another awful experience. I felt like I had to do it perfectly right since I was so desperate to succeed. I feared damaging my sleeve, I felt sick to my stomach, everything tasted weird, Water tasted like it had metal in it.... and I was still fat.
• The next few months were surreal. I didn't feel like myself and I can't even articulate why. While I got the hang of eating properly, it was disorienting for food to taste bad, to eat so little, to have food restrictions, eating FELT LIKE A CHORE. Then, I had an "ah ha" moment - this is the window of opportunity to change my relationship with food. Food is not recreation, it's nutrtion - novel concept for me! I often felt I would be happier just not eating, but I realized that is another form of disordered eating, so I took on the approach that food is like medicine - follow my surgeons and NUTs directions and take it on faith it would get better. Still fat, but down alot.
• By 3-4 months out, people were noticing the weight loss, I was feeling more myself emotionally, I was not as naseaous, I could tolerate a wider variety of food and it started tasting normal. I was in a good workout routine and loving that I could do more. Yes, still fat, but not nearly AS fat. I started thinking that amazing things MIGHT be possible.
• At around 8-9 months my appetite returned, my weight loss slowed and I was still about 40# from goal. I made a conscious decision to evaluate what was important to me and I got my butt back on track with good steady losses.
• At 14 months I made my goal of losing 150#. I could wear cute clothes, people didn't recognize me, I could eat pretty much anything (exceptions are rich ice cream gives me cramps and spicy food can irritate my tummy a bit)
• I am nearly 5 years post op and living a good life as a normal sized, active woman with a loving boyfriend. I am living a day to day life that I could only dream of. Many people dont know I had surgery - I eat small portions of very normal food. My kids are shocked when they see my before pix... but they tell me I changed inside too, not just the weight loss. I wear makeup, I love to dress up, go out, social butterfly all that.

Life is pretty damn good and I am thankful for the help of the sleeve to get me here.

[GinaCampbell 434]

If I had a magic wand, I'd wave it and you would have your tummy back. I'd make you keep the pink brows, though.

I wish you had that wand!

I am thinking about bleaching my eyebrows and then dyeing them electric pink! Or rainbow colours!

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[GinaCampbell 434]

FWIW - I posted this on a different thread. I never had regrets, I feel I had no choice as obesity was quite literally killing me, but it sure as heck wasn't easy either.....

My personal experience as a sleever can be summarized like this:

• Preop - Terrified and anxious, I had to get short term medication to make it through the last week before surgery. The word "hot mess" comes to mind. It wasn't because I didn't want to be sleeved, it was because I had such a fear of the operation, such a fear of failing AGAIN (I was a failed band patient and there is no feeling of failure like failing after bariatric surgery)
• First weeks post op were very miserable and I was still fat. Struggle to get in enough Water, exhausted, anti-social, diarrea all that stuff. I never regretted it though because I knew this often happened and I just had to "muscle through it"
• Introducing solid  food was another awful experience. I felt like I had to do it perfectly right since I was so desperate to succeed. I feared damaging my sleeve, I felt sick to my stomach, everything tasted weird, Water tasted like it had metal in it.... and I was still fat.
• The next few months were surreal. I didn't feel like myself and I can't even articulate why. While I got the hang of eating properly, it was disorienting for food to taste bad, to eat so little, to have food restrictions, eating FELT LIKE A CHORE. Then, I had an "ah ha" moment - this is the window of opportunity to change my relationship with food. Food is not recreation, it's nutrtion - novel concept for me! I often felt I would be happier just not eating, but I realized that is another form of disordered eating, so I took on the approach that food is like medicine - follow my surgeons and NUTs directions and take it on faith it would get better. Still fat, but down alot.
• By 3-4 months out, people were noticing the weight loss, I was feeling more myself emotionally, I was not as naseaous, I could tolerate a wider variety of food and it started tasting normal. I was in a good workout routine and loving that I could do more. Yes, still fat, but not nearly AS fat. I started thinking that amazing things MIGHT be possible.
• At around 8-9 months my appetite returned, my weight loss slowed and I was still about 40# from goal. I made a conscious decision to evaluate what was important to me and I got my butt back on track with good steady losses.
• At 14 months I made my goal of losing 150#. I could wear cute clothes, people didn't recognize me, I could eat pretty much anything (exceptions are rich ice cream gives me cramps and spicy food can irritate my tummy a bit)
• I am nearly 5 years post op and living a good life as a normal sized, active woman with a loving boyfriend. I am living a day to day life that I could only dream of. Many people dont know I had surgery - I eat small portions of very normal food. My kids are shocked when they see my before pix... but they tell me I changed inside too, not just the weight loss. I wear makeup, I love to dress up, go out, social butterfly all that.

Life is pretty damn good and I am thankful for the help of the sleeve to get me here.

That is wonderful! I am pleased that it worked out for you!

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[Tssiemer1 549]

Well. I think I finally no longer regret my surgery!!

[GinaCampbell 434]

Well. I think I finally no longer regret my surgery!!

That's fantastic news.

I wish you continued contentment.

It's great to hear that you are okay.

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[ella37 455]

I would never go down that avenue. Yes, I think that they should stop the program and spend all their time healing us until we are well. I think that we should be their priority but the NHS doesn't work that way.

I am really suffering. And they don't seem to know what to do now.

I would like to be referred to a gastroenterologist asap but it seems I just have to go through the system.

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In America, legal action would get you what you want. Don't know about NHS in England. I tend to expect the worse from the government...

Now that I have Clostridium Difficile, and may have infected my family, I am re thinking my stance regarding legal action. If this drags on for months or if I wind up with even more serious problems such as bowel surgery, I may have no choice but to look into this.

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I've read about C Difficile several times lately. Is this something related to gastric sleeve surgery?

[GinaCampbell 434]

I would never go down that avenue. Yes, I think that they should stop the program and spend all their time healing us until we are well. I think that we should be their priority but the NHS doesn't work that way.

I am really suffering. And they don't seem to know what to do now.

I would like to be referred to a gastroenterologist asap but it seems I just have to go through the system.

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In America, legal action would get you what you want. Don't know about NHS in England. I tend to expect the worse from the government...

Now that I have Clostridium Difficile, and may have infected my family, I am re thinking my stance regarding legal action. If this drags on for months or if I wind up with even more serious problems such as bowel surgery, I may have no choice but to look into this.

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I've read about C Difficile several times lately. Is this something related to gastric sleeve surgery?

Not really. I think any surgery or heavy duty antibiotic use can expose you to this infection.

I am no expert. All I know is what I learned on the internet.

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[theantichick 2,204]

I've read about C Difficile several times lately. Is this something related to gastric sleeve surgery?

No. It's a rare infection that people sometimes get. You can be more susceptible to it due to antibiotics, your immune system being depressed, or a number of other factors. Unfortunately, it can be very hard to get rid of in an environment, so there have been a few situations where people pick it up in hospitals. It can be very hard to get rid of.

[Crochet Queen 16]

@@Crochet Queen I am so sorry ! Just reading your story gave me a feeling of trauma! I hope you are able to move on and enjoy the success of weight loss. What a nightmare scenario, thinking you are getting a safer procedure only to realize that may not be true.

I have never even heard of this - I am curious why this is even called sleeve?

I don't know thelesson to be learned, since we trust the experts, but I feel strongly about finding surgeons with proven track records of both safety and results and then following their program.

Believe me research was done! Track record excellent.

[Crochet Queen 16]

I would never go down that avenue. Yes, I think that they should stop the program and spend all their time healing us until we are well. I think that we should be their priority but the NHS doesn't work that way.

I am really suffering. And they don't seem to know what to do now.

I would like to be referred to a gastroenterologist asap but it seems I just have to go through the system.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

In America, legal action would get you what you want. Don't know about NHS in England. I tend to expect the worse from the government...

Now that I have Clostridium Difficile, and may have infected my family, I am re thinking my stance regarding legal action. If this drags on for months or if I wind up with even more serious problems such as bowel surgery, I may have no choice but to look into this.

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Omg I had c diff for 3 weeks. Finally tested negative today!!

Had c-diff also. Caused by the numerous antibiotics to treat the sepsis. If this was my biggest problem I would have been thrilled!!

[Crochet Queen 16]

"@@Crochet Queen" Your type of surgery is "new" and not yet covered by insurance, correct? If you were to do this again - would you have gone with the traditional sleeve?

No, I wouldnt have done anything at all.

[GinaCampbell 434]

"@@Crochet Queen" Your type of surgery is "new" and not yet covered by insurance, correct? If you were to do this again - would you have gone with the traditional sleeve?

No, I wouldnt have done anything at all.

How are you feeling?

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