So far it's the biggest regret of my life.

[pieganjane]

I am so thankful for this thread (even with the name calling and whatever). I am starting on week six post sleeve and have also been on an emotional roller coaster. I really miss food, I hate barfing and slimeing. I want to eat what I ate before but it is of course impossible. The idea of no turning back is very scary. I researched the hell out of the surgery before I did it and had a six month waiting period with visits to a dozen drs to get clearance. I was not really prepared for the reality of my new life. I had a good surgeon, no complications, easy recovery but in my heart of hearts in the last few weeks I have felt "buyers remorse". I am mourning what can no longer be in my life and haven't reached the place where I can say "it was all worth it". I hope I get there and honestly I don't know what I would do without hearing from all of you.

[pink74]

At the moment I'm with you. What the hell have I done? I feel off most days, I can't eat anything and worst.... I'm not loosing weight. I hope it all improves because at the moment I'm wondering if I've ruined my life!

[JenniferP]

I had the same feelings the first week and a half after surgery. I am at the point now were when I feel like I am hungry I remind myself that what I am feeling is mental hunger not phisical hunger. I am still on liquid diet I practically live on isopure RTD waters with 40g of protein and 160 cal. I drink two a day and may add water to my consumption. I think everyone in the beginning struggles with this mental hunger. We are use to eating a lot. I remind myself that I did this for a reason. That I will not sabotage my weightloss by eating the wrong things and that every food I loved I will one day be able to have again just in much smaller portion size. Once I got my head around this idea it got better for me. I hope this helps a bit. We all had this surgery for the same reason, to lose weight. The weight will come off in time.

[azladyrider]

I had the same feelings the first week and a half after surgery. I am at the point now were when I feel like I am hungry I remind myself that what I am feeling is mental hunger not phisical hunger. I am still on liquid diet I practically live on isopure RTD waters with 40g of protein and 160 cal. I drink two a day and may add water to my consumption. I think everyone in the beginning struggles with this mental hunger. We are use to eating a lot. I remind myself that I did this for a reason. That I will not sabotage my weightloss by eating the wrong things and that every food I loved I will one day be able to have again just in much smaller portion size. Once I got my head around this idea it got better for me. I hope this helps a bit. We all had this surgery for the same reason, to lose weight. The weight will come off in time.

You have had your surgery for less than a month? Try 6 months to feel totally up to par It was for me at least but it was never the biggest regret I ever had. I knew the first month or two or 3 would be pure hell since I had read that from so many people here.

[SpottedDogMom]

I wanted to thank everyone that has shared their experiences, both good and bad. My surgery date is just about three weeks away. The bariatric center I chose does a good job with education and support, but it is good to hear first hand from other patients what the surgery has been like for them. I have days where I wonder what on earth I am doing and other days where I can't wait to have my surgery. I know at age 50 after a lifetime of weight problems that started as a toddler, that I need help. I appreciate the honesty, support and information offered here.

[niamh]

You have had your surgery for less than a month? Try 6 months to feel totally up to par It was for me at least but it was never the biggest regret I ever had. I knew the first month or two or 3 would be pure hell since I had read that from so many people here.

I have felt absolutely fine since about 2 weeks out. I had some localised pain but it was only on certain movements and completely resolved by week 5, and I was a bit bored in the phased return to normal diet, but physically I have felt much better since very early days. I can only assume that weight loss combined with better nutrients makes for a more well me. I feel very fortunate, and am always sorry to hear that others have a more difficult time.

[sandyfromoz]

Can we all just hug now?
play nice my lovely sleeve family.

[azladyrider]

I have felt absolutely fine since about 2 weeks out. I had some localised pain but it was only on certain movements and completely resolved by week 5, and I was a bit bored in the phased return to normal diet, but physically I have felt much better since very early days. I can only assume that weight loss combined with better nutrients makes for a more well me. I feel very fortunate, and am always sorry to hear that others have a more difficult time.

I have seen people compare their weight loss successes, their pain levels, their recovery times, their times in the hospital, times off from work etc with others. What someone else experiences isn't and shouldn't be a gauge of how you are going to do. I was only in Tijuana for 3 days, I also was working the day after surgery remotely from the hotel (not the recovery, but the regular one) and back at the in house part of my business within 3 days, in 5 months I have lost 63 pounds and gone from a size 18 to a size 2 in misses and a 1 in juniors. Some people have lost far less, were off work for 6 weeks compared to my one day, stayed in the recovery hotel for 3 days and in Tijuana for 6 total days. Why compare yourselves to anyone else? It will drive you nuts if you do.

[pack89]

I think what some people have a hard time with is that we chose to do this surgery. If we have any other surgery, like emergency surgery, or for a life-threatening issue, we do it, and just take whatever comes. I think because this is something we chose, we opted for, we expect things to be easy. No one heals or recovers from surgery the same way. There are some things that will be similar, but most things will be different. People forget that having any other underlying health issues will also affect how we will recover, how successful we will be, among other things.

This is such an INDIVIDUAL JOURNEY! Stop comparing yourself to ANYONE ELSE! I'm not perfect, I don't want to be, perfection is boring. I'm approaching this journey as a roller coaster ride, there's going to be ups and downs, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, it will even throw me for a loop, but it's still a HELL OF A RIDE!

[azladyrider]

I think what some people have a hard time with is that we chose to do this surgery. If we have any other surgery, like emergency surgery, or for a life-threatening issue, we do it, and just take whatever comes. I think because this is something we chose, we opted for, we expect things to be easy. No one heals or recovers from surgery the same way. There are some things that will be similar, but most things will be different. People forget that having any other underlying health issues will also affect how we will recover, how successful we will be, among other things.

This is such an INDIVIDUAL JOURNEY! Stop comparing yourself to ANYONE ELSE! I'm not perfect, I don't want to be, perfection is boring. I'm approaching this journey as a roller coaster ride, there's going to be ups and downs, sometimes fast and sometimes slow, it will even throw me for a loop, but it's still a HELL OF A RIDE!

EXACTLY!!! I was fortunate enough that I had someone local to talk to about this and I know I was on my pity pot at first too and she told me in no uncertain terms to suck it up - I had just had major surgery! It wasn't going to be easy but it would eventually be worth it and she was right.

[Jnell]

Huuuuuggggzzzzzzz

[PKnorr]

It's too bad being super skinny doesn't equal nice on the inside.
Look there's tough love and telling someone to suck it up buttercup,
and then there's rude and ugly. Lot's of rude and ugly on this thread.

To the original poster, I too hope to see a post in six months on how happy you are.

It does get better.

[azladyrider]

It's too bad being super skinny doesn't equal nice on the inside.
Look there's tough love and telling someone to suck it up buttercup,
and then there's rude and ugly. Lot's of rude and ugly on this thread.

To the original poster, I too hope to see a post in six months on how happy you are.

It does get better.

LOL if that was aimed at me sweetheart trust me I was a happy person at 172 pounds and I am a happy person now. Always have been and always will be as well. Charity work out the ying yang, tons of friends but I don't put up with any attacks - I attack back. Tit for tat. If ya want Marry Poppins, rent the flipping DVD ok sweetheart? Now excuse me cause I have to get back to running my business.

And you really need to learn to read ok? I wasn't the one that told anyone to suck it up - I merely said that someone told me that! WOW!

Have a wonderful day ok?

All of you can stay on your pity pot if you want but I choose to enjoy my life and my friends. Even when I was fat I was never on a pity pot and don't ever intend to start now. Jesus Christ, this is major surgery! What did everyone expect? To get done with it and go back to living their lives exactly as they were? It's painfully obvious that alot of people didn't do their research to expect such unrealistic outcomes. I researched for 4 months and talked to tons of people pro and con so I knew exactly what to expect. Not my fault some of you didn't

[MissouriJen]

I just want to tell you that I think we all have a sort of obligation to be understanding.I mean, we've all been overweight/obese, right? I realize that research should be done before surgery and I did a lot of it. I thought and thought about it and read on here, on obesityhelp, on VST and pretty much any informative website I could find. I went on the LapSF website to read Dr. Cirangle's studies because he has probably been doing sleeve surgeries longer than most doctors in the U.S. and is very well known. BUT I know some people just get excited at the prospect of losing weight and think they'll just deal with everything AFTER that fact. It happens. We can just try to be there for them. My reasoning? Because it's already said and done--they may not have done their research--and WE all know that hindsight is 20/20. We've all jumped into something at one point in our lives.

I PERSONALLY was told on surgery day that I was not very big by the other ladies getting surgery. My weight is evenly distributed BUT they had probably had no idea I was 218 lbs , somewhere between 5'3" and 5'4" and had been in the 230's just a short time before doing a liquid diet pre-surgery with a BMI of 38 and had diabetes type 2. I had to tell them that. A woman who is 5' tall and 183 lbs is a BMI of 35 which is big enough to get surgery--so remember that before you say she shouldn't have surgery. I remember one of the other ladies looking a bit surprised when they checked my blood sugar the day after surgery and saw it was around 250. They had to give me a shot of insulin. So you can't assume by looking at someone or hearing their weight if they are obese or not. A 5 foot tall 183 pound woman is OBESE and obese enough to get surgery in my humble opinion.

And let me just add--the day I found out I had diabetes when my BMI was 38--another lady had just found out herself. We were talking about it. Her BMI was 32! So if you can stop the weight gain before it gets out of hand--then you are doing yourself a favor. That is just my thought on the matter.

I want you to know I feel for you. I didn't have a grieving period after the sleeve but I can understand how it happens. I think the ONLY reason I didn't grieve food is because I was on a high protein diet for a long while before surgery and had to give up a lot of my favorite foods after my diabetes diagnosis. I think perhaps I would have been sadder.

So here is a virtual HUGSSSS going your way and know that we are all in this together. Not everyone is going to be nicey nice or understanding and some people are going to be very supportive. That is the way humanity is and we all have to just accept it. You can accept your new lifestyle with the sleeve and let it be positive. I really believe a positive attitude makes this process so much better. So if you are negative it will reflect in how you feel about surgery and about life. Turn it into a positive :-). You already have the sleeve so I say you've already got it---work that sleeve till you are thin and healthy! :-)

Please, when did your sugars drop and how long did it take? Are they normal now?

[PKnorr]

LOL if that was aimed at me sweetheart trust me I was a happy person at 172 pounds and I am a happy person now. Always have been and always will be as well. Charity work out the ying yang, tons of friends but I don't put up with any attacks - I attack back. Tit for tat. If ya want Marry Poppins, rent the flipping DVD ok sweetheart? Now excuse me cause I have to get back to running my business.

And you really need to learn to read ok? I wasn't the one that told anyone to suck it up - I merely said that someone told me that! WOW!

Have a wonderful day ok?

All of you can stay on your pity pot if you want but I choose to enjoy my life and my friends. Even when I was fat I was never on a pity pot and don't ever intend to start now. Jesus Christ, this is major surgery! What did everyone expect? To get done with it and go back to living their lives exactly as they were? It's painfully obvious that alot of people didn't do their research to expect such unrealistic outcomes. I researched for 4 months and talked to tons of people pro and con so I knew exactly what to expect. Not my fault some of you didn't

I think you're being harsh, I hope you look back through this thread later and see it for yourself.