Bariatric Surgery Doubts

[lp1266 6]

Good afternoon community, I hope you are doing well!

I finally started my journey April 2023 after years of it being put on the table by my primary care doctor. It was hard seeing the scale reach 293 at 25 years old. I have days when I am really excited about the journey and finally being comfortable in my body but there are other days when I have doubts.

My doubts don't usually center around food. I am ready for the lifestyle change and am researching the best Proteins and recipes for when the time comes. I think about how some who have the surgery can't consume Water the same. I think about the side effects, the nausea, the vomiting, dumping syndrome. I'm scared of possibly regretting it and think about the worst happening.

I wanted more information on your journeys if you don't mind sharing. Your pros, your cons, if you had doubts and what helped you get over those?

For those who had the surgery, do you have any regrets? is there something you would do differently? things you wished you knew before the surgery?

On a positive note, what are the milestones and the good things that came with the surgery?

I want to know, if anyone regretted it?

Thank you in advanced for your replies!

[catwoman7 11,212]

dumping happens to about 30% of bypass patients. It's much less common in sleeve patients, so it's very unlikely that you'll have that (since you'll be a sleever). But for people who do have it (both bypass and sleeve), you can prevent it by not eating tons of sugar at one sitting. So I would not worry about dumping syndrome.

nausea and vomiting are not uncommon early on when you're trying to see what your stomach will tolerate. BUT..you learn quickly, and most of the time foods that are intolerable early out you can eat later on. Besides, vomiting after surgery is different from vomiting before. Your stomach is tiny and there's a lot less acid in there, so not much comes up and you don't get that horrible taste in your mouth. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's "pleasant", but I don't dread it nearly as much anymore. I probably don't vomit any more often than I did pre-surgery at this point, and haven't for a long time.

Water - yes you'll be mostly sipping it the first few weeks, but at some point you'll be able to drink it like you probably do now.

I know almost no one who regrets the surgery. The first few weeks can be rough and you may have second thoughts because of that, but after that, no. The only regret most of us have is that we didn't have it sooner.

[Lipman 47]

25 years old? Think about how much longer you will get to enjoy being normal sized if you go through with the surgery. As Catwoman said, it might suck for a while until you figure out what works for you and what doesn't, but that takes at most a couple of months, then you have the rest of your life to look forward to.

As for dumping, my nutritionist said it only happens to 2 types of people: those who go overboard and eat too much/too quickly, and those who have heard about it and do it on purpose to feel how bad it is. She said in both groups it typically only happens 1 time. I think all of the bad side effects are pretty short term (nausea and such) are usually surgery related, so they pass pretty quickly (a week or two). While you are in that two week window, it feels like forever, but it will pass.

That isn't to say there isn't real risk. I had a friend who had a ton of trouble keeping any food down, her esophagus was too small from scar tissue. She had multiple surgeries to fix and nothing worked, but eventually went to a different doctor to revert to a bypass and has been doing great since then. So even some of the worst side effects can be eventually mitigated.

Positives? I am only 3 weeks out from my surgery and I have already had 4 non-scale victories (down 35 pounds):

Walking down the stairs no longer hurts my knees

No longer snoring

Dropped 1 clothes size

My wife's care no longer squeaks when I ride in it (from the side of the chair rubbing against the center console)

And finally, I have been having over 100oz of Water since my 2nd week. I can drink pretty freely now without noticing anything. I don't think I could chug a glass of water, but I rarely did that anyways.

[Jeanniebug 473]

I think doubts are normal, especially if we start focusing on all the possible complications. This is major surgery, it's a big deal, and we really shouldn't go into it lightly.

Just remember, pretty much all the complications can be treated if caught in time.

Though I have developed a couple of little complications myself, I have absolutely no regrets!

I am no longer diabetic. My cholesterol is back to normal. My blood pressure is normal. I'm in the "overweight" category now. I can buy clothes off the rack, no special sizing needed. I have more energy. I'm developing a healthier relationship with food.

I wouldn't change a thing.

[tx2az 54]

Only regret is that I didn't have it sooner!!! I was sleeved at age 70 on September 1, 2022. It has been an amazing journey. Yes, there will be some ups and downs but so totally worth it. I had no problems, even at my age. I didn't need any pain or nausea meds. The only time I have had any discomfort was when eat too much, too fast, or didn't chew food as well as I should have. Before surgery I started eating slower, took smaller bite and then ACTUALLY chewed my food appropriately. I quickly realized how I really just gulped food down! I started practicing mindful eating. Every journey is different, as you can tell from people's stories on this site. Best wishes to you, you will do great. Just remember this is not a sprint, but a journey. A change in your life you will not regret! Best wishes.

[BigSue 1,371]

I first considered bariatric surgery about 15 years before I actually went through with it. I considered it off and on at various times in my life, but kept deciding against it, until 3 years ago when I couldn't keep living the way I was and realized that I had to do something drastic.

Like you, I spent a lot of time worrying about the worst case scenario and I specifically sought out stories of people who have regretted having bariatric surgery. These are hard to find! Bariatric surgery is very common and safe nowadays and serious complications are rare. Of course, that's not much comfort when you are one of the unlucky few, but even when I found people who had horrible complications, most of them still said they would do it all over again.

I think the main reason you don't find a lot of bariatric surgery veterans on this forum or other WLS communities is that the first year or so is really rough and requires a lot of lifestyle changes and attention, but eventually, you get used to the changes and find a new normal (plus, most people can gradually return to a relatively "normal" diet) and get to a point where your life no longer revolves around your surgery. One of the biggest factors that made me hesitant about getting the surgery was that I didn't want my life to be ruled by my pouch. But I got to a point where my life was severely limited by my weight, so I took the plunge and had the surgery.

I've lost 200 pounds and the world has really opened up to me. I'm 3 years out and have completely changed my diet and lifestyle, but I can eat a "normal" portion (not as much as when I was 300+ pounds, of course, but I'm not limited to half a cup of food anymore). I can drink Water as much and as quickly as I ever could before surgery. I haven't told anyone, even my family, that I got surgery. Like a lot of people I wish that I had lost weight earlier because my weight was holding me back in so many ways, but it was probably a good thing that I wanted until I was really ready to change my lifestyle before I had the surgery. There are people who gain back all the weight, and I suspect that this is because they rely on the surgery alone for weight loss, and once the effects wear off, they are able to go back to their old eating habits and regain the weight.

I do not experience dumping and I have only had one day of vomiting since my surgery. I kind of wish I would get dumping syndrome because it would be a good deterrent to eating things I shouldn't. If I eat something with too much fat and/or sugar (e.g., a slice of cake), I get super sleepy and feel like garbage for the rest of the day. I actually have had a serious complication, not directly from the surgery, but from the rapid weight loss, and that is bradycardia which required me to get a pacemaker. That's a bummer, but I'm sure my overall health is better off now than it would have been without the surgery.

[Arabesque 7,240]

I have a sleeve and have never experienced dumping. It is as others have said not common with a sleeve and it is easy to manage - avoid a lot of sugar or fat. Some who have dumped with a sleeve say over time they can eat small amounts without an issue.

Vomiting is different after surgery. I describe it as regurgitating whatever caused the problem/gets stuck. It’s generally described as the foamies - lots of thick saliva you spit up before you may bring up your last bite or so. Again this can be managed by not eating too large a bite, not eating too fast, not eating food that is too dry or coarse.

Certainly at first we’re advised to wait 30 minutes before & after eating to drink but you can reduce this wait time as you get closer to your final weight. At first when you’re eating so little it’s to ensure you don’t get too full to be able to eat your vital nutrients or to flush the food you’ve eaten out to quickly for the nutrients to be absorbed.

Nausea usually passes once you’re more fully healed though some Vitamins can cause nausea. Most are given something to take for the nausea. If you weren’t ask for something if you experience it.

Many/all of your concerns are things you will learn how to manage if you do experience them or they’re temporary. We all have our own digestive idiosyncrasies post surgery but you likely have some now before your surgery. I know I did. Personally I seem to be more susceptible to the foamies - stress or just my tummy deciding nope this is irritating me today. I also can’t gulp lots of Water anymore. Two large mouthfuls & no more. Others can guzzle down gallons. But these are nothing. I deal with them if they happen.

Rather be my weight now than what I was before. Rather have a low risk of diabetes, blood pressure, heart issues, etc. being than the high risk as they were before. My feet don’t ache - can wear my heels again. I have more energy. I’m more active. I feel generally healthier. I’m more confident. I have become more vain & have lots of beauty treatments. I loved clothing, shoes & bags (the designs, textures, fabrications, etc.) before & always dressed well but now my style has changed & I have so much more choice … & an even larger wardrobe. So much fun!

Don’t get caught up with the number on the scale or the rate at which you are losing your weight. We all do this in our time & what is best for us & our bodies. You’ll see averages & stats but they just give you an idea of what you might experience not what you will. Sometimes it takes time for our head to catch up with our changing body. It takes time for other people to come to terms with our changes too. Give them & yourself time to see yourself in your smaller body.

Enjoy all the opportunities ahead of you. All the best.

[idiaz130 0]

I just had the lap-band procedure done less than 2 weeks ago. I struggled a lot with doubt prior to my surgery, especially since everything happened so fast for me. I had my consultation May 3 and my surgery May 26. I worried a lot about the side effects too. But i did a lot of research and talk to a few people who had the procedure and they said they had zero regrets, they feel so much happier and healthier and confident. I wasn’t severely overweight, i was 204lbs at the time of my consultation and i had only been gaining for months. I’m only 24 and told myself I’m too young to be letting my health go down the drain like this and thought about my future and the things I want to do one day. How weight loss will improve my every day life. The last time I felt healthy was when I was 135lbs, fit, and didn’t deal with acid reflux or achy joints or elevated heart rate and take meds for it. The first couple days were rough for me, but from the gas pressure in my body post op and not necessarily from my incision sites. But it’s all temporary. I’ve been drinking Water and fluids and eating popsicles and Jello, and so far so good. I move into phase 2 of full liquid diet later this week. Since the start of my journey on May 3, I’ve lost 19lbs. I am currently 185lbs. I was 192lbs at the time of my surgery, so I’ve lost 7lbs in the last 9 days. I already see a difference, and my reflux has already improved. So far, no regrets. Just staying patient and trusting the process.