Second Thoughts. Did anyone else feel this?

[mb20mom 9]

For those of you who are pre-op, just know that immediately after your surgery, you probably WILL regret it and that's totally normal. I think many of us had these feelings. I wanted a time machine to put my stomach back and kept asking what had I just done to myself! But after a few weeks of recovery and healing I forgot all about those days. Now, after 6 weeks I feel great, my clothes are loose and for once I feel in-control of what I eat. I just started solid foods this week and feel like I made it thru the hard part and now it's back to a world of normal dieting. I feel like I have the greatest tool in the world to lose weight.

I think the reason I didn't experience the mourning of food like some do, is that I had my surgery thru Kaiser, and they required a minimum of 6 mos of dieting and weight loss classes every week. If you didn't lose 10% of your body weight you didn't get approved for surgery. Fortunately I got into it and lost almost 30lbs by following a balanced 1500 calorie meal plan. Now with the sleeve I can be even more successful because my portions and hunger are controlled, and it's easier. I think for someone going right from gorging mode to sleeve mode, you couldn't be prepared for your new way of life. I highly encourage anyone to take their time and get used to the idea and try to diet as long as possible.

[ryansgirl 1]

i too wonder all that and the frist two months were hard but as of today there not one ounce of regert and i will do it over in a heart beat if i had too i'm down 117 pounds. what to regret?? Plus i was never an emotional eater but if it was there i eat it you cook i eat it. now it feels good to say no thanks and mean it because i'm not hungery.

[AJW 18]

No regrets whatsoever. I don't think about food in the same way I thought about it before. Actually I didn't "think" about food, I just ate too much of the wrong food and gained 100 pounds over 10 years. I was just getting bigger every year and finally I said that's enough. I was not overweight all my life like some folks here; that wasn't my issue. So when it came time to wanting to get rid of the weight, it was time. You have to be ready to do it. I researched WLS for about 3-4 years before I became so fed up with myself that I was definitely ready for a change. Now instead of thinking about food and what I'm going to eat, I'm looking at clothes to buy online. If I traded one thing for the other, that's OK, I'll take buying smaller sized clothes any day over a pizza, know what I mean? It feels a lot better.

[Heather 0]

OK. At least I know I am not alone. I have a VSG surgery date coming up and I have the same concerns that all of you have mentioned. One big one (no pun intended) is that overall about 90% of weight loss surgeries do result in weight loss in the 2 year period following. But, less than 26% have 10 year success in keeping more than 1/2 of the weight lost off. Is that still worth it? I have lost weight and gained it most of my life. I too like food but somehow either through genetics, or metabolism along with eating habits I have gained weight and need to lose 100 pounds. I don't see many people on the forum who have done weight loss surgery and kept it off for 6 or more years. Everyone who responds seem to be in that 2 year honeymoon period. I hope this isn't peeing in anyone's Cereal I just need more input too and advice. I am scared and don't really know if it is the right thing to throw away most of my stomach. The thought that only 2 shrimp could fill me up is just mystifying to me-- I swear some chinese buffets :drool5:would want to ban me from cutting into their profits ( just kidding but some of you know what I mean)

Any thoughts are welcome???

[AJW 18]

Heather, check this out: WASaBubbleButt Lost Weight: Is Weight Loss Surgery For You?

[Heather 0]

There isn't too much info on that blog but thank you.

There are many different views-

I fear that I am not able to find many people who are 5 years and out who have done the weight loss surgery and are still happy and keeping the weight off.

If anyone has info on that please forward. The surgery has been around since the 1950's so there must be people who are blogging who are long term weight loss success stories but I can't find any who are not trying to plug some surgery clinic.

[AJW 18]

Actually there is a lot of information from the links on this page:

WASaBubbleButt Lost Weight: Helpful Links For WLS Folks

and I've asked the author to post in response to your inquiry above. Hopefully she'll be around to comment.

[Tiffykins 672]

OK. At least I know I am not alone. I have a VSG surgery date coming up and I have the same concerns that all of you have mentioned. One big one (no pun intended) is that overall about 90% of weight loss surgeries do result in weight loss in the 2 year period following. But, less than 26% have 10 year success in keeping more than 1/2 of the weight lost off. Is that still worth it? I have lost weight and gained it most of my life. I too like food but somehow either through genetics, or metabolism along with eating habits I have gained weight and need to lose 100 pounds. I don't see many people on the forum who have done weight loss surgery and kept it off for 6 or more years. Everyone who responds seem to be in that 2 year honeymoon period. I hope this isn't peeing in anyone's Cereal I just need more input too and advice. I am scared and don't really know if it is the right thing to throw away most of my stomach. The thought that only 2 shrimp could fill me up is just mystifying to me-- I swear some chinese buffets :drool5:would want to ban me from cutting into their profits ( just kidding but some of you know what I mean)

Any thoughts are welcome???

It seems that most patients that I've been reading about get to 3 or 4 years out, and they are just busy living life. I searched the failed WLS board(just to check out if anyone had shared a negative experience further out) on OH, couldn't find any, and couldn't find anyone more than 3 years out VSG or Revision board.

If you haven't seen this presentation, it's a 5 year study from Lapsf Dr. Cirangle.

http://www.ssat.com/video/2008/SSAT%2049th%20Annual%20Meeting%283%29-Cirangle_files/error.htm

Here's some 3 year VSG experience, good and bad from obesityhelp.com

Three years out

Three and a half years after Vertical Gastrectomy My Story

A quick 2 year and 3 year VSG update

Third Year Surgiversay

Not always easy but always worth it

Very Discouraged 3 years out

These were all posted before June 2009, so maybe you could contact some of these members and get some personal experience from them.

I'm 9 months out and can eat way more than 2 shrimps. Early out, I couldn't eat more than 1 shrimp, but now I could eat probably 6 regular size shrimps without issue. For the first couple of months, I really couldn't eat more than 2-3 ounces. But, now that my sleeve has relaxed, and I've learned how to eat food, I can eat plenty of food. Grant it, the portions are 1/50th of what I ate pre-op, but I can eat a wide variety of foods.

[thinoneday 445]

Hi All!

I have asked loads of food questions but is it just me or did anyone else kinda obsess over all the food and big meals you are going to miss out on? I keep thinking I will be miserable watching everyone around me eat whatever they like and I will be living on Protein shakes and Soup the rest of my life.

I worry about complications and leaving my husband and 2 very young kids alone.

I worry about having the surgery and waking up and thinking what the hell have I just done.

I have asked it before but, does anyone regret having the sleeve surgery? I have searched all over the forums and I cannot find anyone so far who regrets their choice. Nor have I been able to actually find anyone who has dies from it. (In my mind, I'm sure I would be the first)

I could use a little reassurance.

Surgery date is 2 weeks from today.

Hi! I woke up thinking what the hell have i done. . and that feeling went on for about 2 weeks. . .i really didn't like it at all. . . sorta wished that there would have been a trial thing or something. . . but there wasn't. . . my problem was that restriction feeling. . .couldn't get used to it. . .actually hated it. . . but after my first weigh in and saw that in 1 1/2 weeks i lost 32 lbs, i was happy for the loss, still had a dislike for the sleeve, but hated my obesity more. . . 7 weeks later i weighed in again and had lost 53 lbs. . . pretty darn good. . .slowly learning how to manage that restriction. . . then at 11 weeks, lost 63 lbs. . . that was on March 16. . . i now am getting to learn how to eyeball my portions. . . i can eat whatever, however, i listen to my "feelings" about things, i know not to eat bread, spaghetti, rice, potatoes, or cake. . . i have eaten a piece of chocolate, tummy doesn't like it, so i know not to eat anymore, i've had a glass of sherry, went well, am afraid to try rum and coke, so we'll stay away from that. . .i listen to my head alot about feelings about certain foods and drinks. . . won't drink cokes, something tells me not too. . . the sleeve is very different, a very powerful tool, it works very well, would i do it over?????? probably cause i really hate my obesity. . . i reallly hate it. . . i love the idea i've lost 63 lbs so far, have gone from 4XL to XL and dont need my nitroglycerin anymore, nor do i snore (sleep apnea) anymore, my tumor in my breast has shrunk because of the weight loss and I don't need bilateral knee replacements anymore. . . soooooooo this is really really working but in the beginning it's a real pain in the A$$ to get used to. . . good luck in your decision . .

Edited March 27, 2010 by thinoneday

[Heather 0]

Actually there is a lot of information from the links on this page:

WASaBubbleButt Lost Weight: Helpful Links For WLS Folks

and I've asked the author to post in response to your inquiry above. Hopefully she'll be around to comment.

I must apologize because I didn't look at this blog site closer the first visit-- It has many links to other information and I only read the main blog.

I encourage others to check out the blog too it is informative.