Any Regrets Post Op

[bndjones]

I am very committed at this point and have read many posts on this forum about many topics. One topic I have not seen regards any sleevers that post op have regretted the decision??? Everything is generally very uplifting and positive but can't help but believe there are some folks that due to post op problems or whatever wish they had never had it done. My wife and I (she's not overweight at all) spent almost 5 yrs after retirement traveling full time in RV and we have laughed that we ate ourselves across America. We both love to eat and cook so I am a little apprehensive about the realization that I can't sit down and enjoy a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner again.

Any thoughts???

[Mags2113]

I have not had surgery, and I have the same thoughts. I love food and everything about it. But I know that I need this surgery. I have searched Pinterest for recipes. Search "gastric sleeve" and there are many ideas that will help you through the post-op stage. There are many foods you can "substitute" ... (i.e. the mashed potatoes). There are plenty of recipes out there that sound and look good, so I am not all that worried about it anymore. I love to cook so I am looking forward to trying new things...in moderation of course :-) Good luck!!

p.s....and traveling America in an RV is what I want to do when I retire :-)

[Pam G]

Google "VSG regrets" and see what pops up.

[cbrydges7]

only regret i have is that i didn't research enough. and for slacking off and eating in my old ways.

[Sandra3]

Hi Bill, I'm only at six months post-op, but no regrets at all! Of course, relation to food is different, and those first weeks post-op have been a little difficult, I was nauseous all the time, it only got really better last month. First month I couldn't cook, couldn't stand the smell. I used my pressure cooker a lot to make soups or stews, my husband or daughter would come and open it when it was done...I do love to cook too. But that was fine with me, because feeling lighter, not in pain all the time is worth it! Plus I knew I would feel better soon!
Having a sleeve will not change any Xmas dinner for me, it's only the portion size that will change....and a few choices of food. We go out often, last night we went to a Thai restaurant with friends, it was a lovely dinner, I was eating almost the same as everyone (minus ...smaller portion...a lot less carbs! and not too spicy!) but there's always something on the menu that will be good for me. I travel a lot, was in a plane at six weeks (12 hours flight), back one month later, then an other flight (14 hours) in May, back in July. Traveling did require some more planing, but nothing really complicated. Life is easier now. In a plane I can fit in a seat without an extension belt... you should not worry about family gatherings, it will be just fine!

[Pam G]

I regret not going through a bariatric center. I chose a surgeon close to my home, which was dumb. He's a good surgeon, but there's no education or follow ups or support.

[LaffeyTaffey]

I've been throwing up lately. Sometimes from drinking regular coffee and sometimes from eating sweets. Before my surgery it was extremely rare for me to throw up whereas I threw up 4 times in a week about 2-3 weeks ago. So I've stopped drinking 1-2 cups of regular coffee and have switched to decaf. And I do my best to have rich desserts only every once in a while now. I have quite the sweet tooth so sometimes I really have to control myself :P I've come so far in the past 10.5 months that I'd love to keep the weight loss rolling.
Every single thing in life has pros and cons. You just have to decide what's worth it and what's not worth it to you. At 355 lbs, I was miserable and uncomfortable. I was almost always the biggest person in a building (not just a room). I couldn't walk up the 4 steps of my porch without having to hide that I was out of breath. I'm at 212 lbs now and can easily go on a 4 mile hike in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and not be tired or sore afterwards. I wasn't LIVING my life before I checked with my insurance company to find out if my surgery was covered. I'm very healthy and happy. I researched this surgery for over 3 years before I was FINALLY lucky enough to get it. It's like having a second chance at life.
I don't care that I now have acid reflux and throw up sometimes. I'd take that over dying many years earlier than I should any day.

[cathbas]

I am over a year out..and i will tell you that you will be able to sit and enjoy food again..but you cant eat the same..or you will gain it back..
like an alcoholic..i know that i will always have a food issue especially if i eat the same way i used to..but the difference today is that i have a tool..it tells me when i am full..and i am often surprised at how i am not as hungry..or how full i actually get with things..which is wonderful..
i definately had regrets after surgery..i thought i was crazy to be so extreme..but i am so absolutely glad i did this..i feel so much better and feel so much more normal..
so dont think that the beginning of your travels on this journey will look like your life later..you will be able to eat again..just not as much..and that is for you to figure out..if you want to eat the same, or eat as much..you can keep the weight you have..
or you can work to change your life..
which by the way..you will have to keep working on even after the sleeve..this is a tool...a helper..but it is still you that puts the food in your mouth...

[sraebaer]

No regrets, and you will be able to enjoy your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. You will just eat less of it. Who says you have to stuff yourself to enjoy food? I would say I enjoy food more now than I did when I was fat, probably because I'm eating quality food rather than junk. Last night hubby smoked king salmon which we put on a salad full of veggies and toasted almonds. The night before it was Filet mignon with onions and mushrooms. The night before that shish-ka-bobs (spelling?!?) with chicken and veggies. YUM!

[Flgators23]

I am one month out of surgery and so far everything is great. Having troubles with vitamins they are making me kinda sick to my stomach but other than I'm good. I make sure to eat clean and everything should be low fat/no fat or sugar-free. If you can't change the way you eat then there is no point in having the surgery. I tried once to eat a chicken nugget because we were out and about but that made me so sick. So no more high fat foods, which is actually a good thing. When I go out to eat with the family or someone I just eat off of someone else's plate. I eat so very little that it makes no sense to order a whole meal

[Numbers]

It's a trade off, give up big meals and joint and back pain, diabetes, being fat, etc, or not.

I'm 21 months post op, I eat ANTLYTHING I want, just not EVERYTHING I want.

I'm happy, glad I had it done.

[ITACAT465]

Have you ever tried Kyani liquid Vitimins? Would love to send you some samples and see if that works better for you. Or you can order straight from website. cathydeleon.kyani.net. I absolutely love them and so easy to take.
Thanks
Cathy

[bndjones]

Thanks so much for all of the really great comments. I am very sure that if I don't do this, I won't watch my new granddaughter grow up so that's my primary motivation at this point. I'v already lost over 30 lbs and freely admit I feel so much better. After surgery, I'm looking forward to another 100+ and I will not have weighed that for almost 20 yrs.

[girlwitharosetattoo]

Google "VSG regrets" and see what pops up.

Out of curiosity, I did just this- googled it. Surprisingly, there were few to none who regretted it! I know that it's my brain and food addiction that will be my biggest hurdles to overcome. I did not always use food to comfort me. I did not always eat my feelings, so I think I can get back to a healthy way of looking at food again- as fuel for my body. I'm not naive, though. I know I will struggle with this.

[Ann2]

The real question (I think) regarding your long-term success is how committed you are to changing your lifestyle long-term.

Yes, many people lose weight post-op. And that's quite exhilarating.

But not everyone maintains their weight loss. The long-term "success rate" is about 50/50 -- defined this way: "Successful WLS patients" are those who long-term maintain at least half of their excess weight loss. "Unsuccessful WLS patients" are those who gain back more than 50% of their excess weight lost.

As you will note, both of those groups describe a range of long-term results.

And obviously, your satisfaction with WLS long-term depend on YOUR goals for WLS.

Finally, there is some research that supports the conclusion that those whose goals are primarily health-related are more successful long-term than those whose goals are more oriented toward improving their appearance.

Keep reading, keep researching. Get really clear on your goals and your commitment level.