JeezLouise91

The band is very high risk for complications. I'd never consider the band. My surgeon doesn't barely do them now due to the poor success rate.

If you're from the uk the anesthesia and pain appointment will be to talk over with you what you have to do on the day of the surgery and what to expect in regards of pain relief afterwards. Also to make sure someone will be able to take you home!

The surgeon then spoke to me briefly about the different types of biactric surgery and to confirm I definitely wanted the sleeve before then getting me to sign the documents and giving me some instructions for pre op.

Hope this helps!

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Thanks for telling me about your experience, glad it's going well!

Yeah my BMI isn't the worst. Not the best but certainly not the worst lol. I worked out that I need to drop around 4/5 dress sizes to be the right size for my height. Thinking about it it's really not all that much.

Since being accepted I've been going haaard on eating healthy and exercising. I decided not to bother calorie counting or even go on a diet. Just cut bad habits like takeaways, big portions, forgetting Breakfast and ofcourse sweet and fatty foods and get off my arse more lol.

Its been going well I've lost around 4lbs in just over a week which makes leaving the surgery more tempting however how long before it piles back on? Chance it could just be Water that I've lost too

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The fact that you have battled with depression and anxiety and still went through with the surgery is amazing.

My anxiety is what's stopping me from taking the plunge, and I'm 26!

Be proud of yourself, remember that you won't be stuck indoors forever. This stage is only temporary, soon you'll be going out having fun again AND be slimmer, healthier and more confident all round.

It must be hard but keep visualizing what's to come.

Well done you! Be proud of yourself!

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Hi, i just wondered if anyone else on bariatricpal is from Great Britain? Thinks are slightly different for us brits, for one - I haven't found a British support group and some of the procedures are slightly different. In Britain we tend not to tell anyone if we have had any surgery (stiff upper lip) Plus you guys eat foods I've never heard of! 😂
Im not complaining, your support has been great, but sometimes I feel very alone.

How possible is it to overeat with a sleeved stomach? Has it stretched out or you’re eating constantly?
just reminds me an anecdote "I’m eating once a day - start early in the morning and till late night..."

Hi. I am 36 hours post-op. Before I had the surgery I advised my husband he'll have to fend for himself for a few weeks. We are older ( no more kids at home) and he was a bachelor for a while before we got married a year ago so he's pretty self sufficient.
I'm just wondering how everyone else does it. I'm just afraid to be around food that I know I love when I'm only allowed this liquid diet portion of recovery. I don't want to get into a position where I might be tempted to cheat and ruin my new stomach.
Is anyone else making their significant other fend for themselves? What about those with children at home. How are you managing meal prep and not being tempted?
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The biggest thing I don't like is that notifications don't seem to work right. I'll get a push screen notification that somebody "liked" something but when I open the app there's no way to find out what it was. There are no notification highlight numbers like in Facebook or many other apps. I go to the menu in the upper right and find that there is an item listed there called "notifications" but when I click on it, it is always empty.
I see a thumbs up under other people's posts that I can click to "like" something, but it won't show me who else has liked it. And, there is no such thumbs up symbol under my own posts at all to view who has liked the post.
I'm fine without having to add "friends" like in most social networks as we are a unique community. However, it would be nice if users could have their own page or "wall" to post their stories, , their procedures, their stats and progress updates. You would think a bariatric surgery app would make it easy to do that and to track. It would be nice to go to other people's pages and just see that, if they choose to enter it. Or to see the macro stats of all users.
I think the app administrators would do well to make some upgrades and invest in a re-design.

Can I ask why you wouldn't recommend it?

It IS a difficult decision.. but I guess I'm confused. You've gone all the way through the process, and now that you get your date, you're thinking of backing out? Was "backing out" always a possibility in your mind? Was it one of those.. "well, I'm not sure I wanna do this, but just in case I decide to, I'll go through the process and decide at the end"?
That kind of open-ended decision is fine, IF that's what you did. On the other hand, maybe you decided early on to do it, there was no question that it was the right thing.. and these are just last minute cold feet...
When you started the process, did you make a list of reasons? Many times, if we get nervous, we can refer back to all the reasons we wanted to pursue the process in the beginning.
There IS a bit of a leap of faith required. I know for me, once I set my mind up to do it, that was it, I didn't let my mind carry me away from the decision. Sure, it's scary, but then I'd remember some show or movie (or real life) that I'd seen where someone has an accident, and their life is changed forever. Things can and do happen all the time, and if something were going to happen to me from the surgery... well, who is to say that something wouldn't happen due to me NOT having the surgery? Maybe if I wasn't safely tucked away in the hospital, I'd be out driving on the highway and get into a terrible accident.
It may seem like a weird way to look at it, but our perceptions that we can control anything.. that's the illusion.
Get the surgery, don't get the surgery.. the choice is yours. Which way leaves you with the fewest regrets?

I have to agree about the age. I had mine done on 10/17. The excess flab, is a huge issue. I wish I would have done it earlier in life, because when I was young and lost 100 lbs, my skin didnt sag really at all. Now it is a huge issue it doesnt want to go back where it belongs. Also I didnt do it until I was diabetic. I already had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and many other things. My Neurologist told me I would never be able to lose it fast enough, and suggested gastric surgery. I thought long and researched. I talked to close personal friends who have had it done and what it was like. I also have pcos and the hormones make a mess of your metabolism.
I understand the getting cold feet when it gets close. I kept telling myself you need to do this.. not for me, but for my family who has bern my biggest cheerleaders, the best support system I could have ever dreamed of having!
I also have a counselor. She is there to listen when I vent or give her opinion on whenI ask her something. Sometimes a fresh set of eyes outside the box is helpful. Good lucky. It is scary, but I do not regret it at all!


SW:350 (11/2015)
BSW:260 (10/17/17)
CW:248 (1st official weigh in post op)
GW:175

It’s a difficult life altering decision and at the end of the day you need to do it for you and no one else. It’s your body and your life and ultimately you will have to live and deal with the consequences. Today I am glad I did it but would I recommend it to anyone else? My answer is no. I agree that you should speak to a psychiatrist and your doctor and then make the decision that’s best for you. I once spoke to a man before my surgery who lost his wife 5 years after the surgery he said that she was not following her doctors post surgery advice and not taking care of herself and that’s why she died of complications. However he said if I cannot change the way I think first in other words my mindset then don’t do it but If I could then go ahead and it’s true if you can’t change the way you deal with food before surgery then you are not ready. Take care and again don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, you do what’s best for you[emoji6]

I would go through with it were I you. Weight problems tend to worsen with age or so I am told. You do not want to be in my position. I am 40, have to lose 176 pounds, have high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and diabetes. So, in essence, yes, the older, bigger, and more unhealthy that you are, the greater the risks. I have already been told that I will need 3 days in the hospital before the surgeon would consider me for discharge. If you think you're scared, walk a day in my shoes. I am fearful that I could have a heart attack or stroke even prior to surgery. Hell, it's entirely possible that the strain of the surgery could cause problems. But, as Yoda from Star Wars would say, "Committed, I am. For better health, to have."
I won't call you chicken and won't pass judgement but I think by dropping out, you will regret this in the long run. Also, we are now in Republican-dominated times so you can fully expect for it to get harder to qualify for surgery and coverage uncertain. Your insurance company might even use the fact that you dropped out as a strike against you and might require more scrutiny in a future attempt at qualifying. That letter you got is worth its weight in gold. Show up, complete your mission, live better. Don't put yourself in a situation similar to mine.

I did it at 39 and man I wish I had done it earlier .

Hey there! I felt EXACTLY the same. I avoided answering when the surgeon’s office called and would send it to voicemail. Honestly the main reason I went through with it was because I’d been talking about it so much, I felt like I’d seem like a coward.

I had my surgery October 13. It was so easy— much, much easier than getting my wisdom teeth out! I was so afraid I’d be nauseated forever; I haven’t been queasy once. I was terrified of food intolerances; I’m only 3 weeks out, but I’m eating pretty much anything soft with no problems. Now, I did have pain when I forgot we aren’t supposed to use straws, but I just took a walk and then belched a few times and was good as new.

I can’t make your choice for you, but I can tell you that I was scared too and was utterly unprepared for how NOT hard recovery has been.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

Complications are EXTREMELY rare. Of course there's always a risk, but they wouldn't be offering the surgery if there were extreme risk.

At 33 I can tell you, I wish very much it were something I'd done at 26 instead. The risks are worse down the line, for many reasons -- and your results won't be as good. Mine have been excellent but it's taken work. Almost 10 years ago, I wouldn't have all the loose skin I have now, I wouldn't have to worry about that so much.

However, if you keep freaking out, I think what you need to do is talk to a psychiatrist. This sounds like true anxiety, since it's so extremely irrational -- and that's fine. It's a hard thing to deal with. But if you're serious, you need to actually deal with it, and talking to someone might help with that.

Thank you both so much for your replies @EatPrayLove and @ShelbyMoore!
I know I need to do this. For some reason, with everything I do, I'm always afraid of worst case scenarios. I'm very much a hypochondriac, have been since I can remember. I hate it, sometimes it can be crippling. So, one can imagine how a few days out from an elective surgery is giving me terrible anxiety.
@EatPrayLove, you're absolutely right. I'm doing this for my family so that I can live more fully for them. I want my self- confidence back. It really affects so much. I wish you all the best with your upcoming surgery and I hope you get a date soon!
@ShelbyMoore, I can't think you enough for your detailed account of everything. I read a lot of posts on this forum about terrible recoveries with hiatal hernia repairs, so you've helped put my mind at ease some with that. I REALLY appreciate it. I like knowing what to anticipate, even though everyone is a little different. I'm glad to see you could swallow and keep things down pretty quickly, this is something I've worried about. I hope my situation is similar to yours. I wish you all the best on your journey!

Welcome! The forum you've chosen is correct.
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I have no physical problem, but so far have been just too lazy to start exercising.
I'm 7.5 months postop with a sleeve. I'm 39 year old female. And I've lost 100lbs. (I still have about 50 to get to goal).
So, long story short, you absolutely can/will lose weight without exercise. Will you get to goal? I don't know. But at least I'm proof that a person can lose a substantial amount.
Now, my metabolism is higher than most, and if yours is slower, then you'll have slower results. A good indication of the weight you'll lose postop is how well you can lose preop. I lost 16 pounds on a strict liquid diet in the month before the surgery.

Lol I think I'm the opposite to you. I used to be thin and keep forgetting I'm big and don't even really notice it all that much in the mirror. It's the photos that horrify me and bring me back to reality! So yeah photos sound like the key advice here

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Followed! [emoji108]

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Lol I think I'm the opposite to you. I used to be thin and keep forgetting I'm big and don't even really notice it all that much in the mirror. It's the photos that horrify me and bring me back to reality! So yeah photos sound like the key advice here

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I love my sleeve because
* it has allowed me to be a better and more active mother for my children
* food isn't the center of my world but I can still enjoy all the things I did before, only now I have control on what, how much and how often I eat them
* I finally feel like I fit in better with my slim girlfriends. Now I'm not just the "fat girl" and it has made me feel so much better about social events.
* I can shop in regular sized stores which is a big deal with plus sized options are so limited here

I love my sleeve because it literally changed my life inside and out I'll be forever thankful.. And it made me sexy lol

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I’m wishing you a much better experience!!! Your going to rock it, it sounds like most people are getting great management and treatment. Keep us posted

Good info. Thanks for all your help Jess you've been great [emoji16]

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