Biggest regrets about getting the sleeve?

[Memily 86]

Not doing it sooner. Not giving people who did it before the credit they deserved for making such a lifestyle change. I am only 8 weeks out and soooo happy. My hubby admitted to my family he was really worried on how it would effect our house dynamic. He told !y mom it has been the best thing that could happen cause he has lost weight, we can still do or normal meals just modified, and I am happier with myself.

[Victronica 5]

I hope my feeling of regret passes ..

[danaevett 179]

I would have gotten it done sooner. No kidding. I'm 26 days out and have lost 21 pounds since surgery. 21 pounds makes a huge difference. I also lost 19 pounds on the 2 week liquid diet before surgery for a total of 40 pounds. I feel great. I'm only 54 pounds away from my goal of 215 now. I predict it will take another two months or less to lose that.

[heykiddo 4]

I'm about 7 weeks post-op and still waiting for all those good feelings to come flooding in. I can't say I regret it but it has been much harder than I ever thought. Many of the people I knew who had the sleeve didn't tell me all the problems you can encounter and, unfortunately, I didn't find this website until after my surgery. I had a hiatal hernia repaired along with the sleeve surgery and it is still so tight that it makes getting food and/or Water past that area difficult. I can still only eat maybe an 1/8 of a cup of food at a time. I've lost about 32-33 pounds (including the pre-op diet) and that number in my head is good but it hasn't affected they way that I feel physically yet. I keep holding on to all the success stories I read here but must say (as others have) if anyone tells you this is an easy way to lose weight, they are nuts. For some it is a breeze and for others, it is not.

[cejiogu 182]

You will be happy. Change is hard and it's not all happy fast! But you need to knock down that wall of fat that you have been hiding behind. Become the person you know you can be. Is food in large amounts more important then your health? I was type 2 on oral meds and maxed out. I did not want to die from something stupid. So I made the change I am down 135 lbs in 9 months. And mind you I am not Ms. Workout. You can do it by not using food as your drug. It's still your friend because we all have to eat. It's just not my reward. My reward is seeing my face that I haven't seen in 10 years. The reaction of several people who I work with but where off for several months. Many did triple takes. Come to the light guys! If you can lose without WLS go for it! I couldn't I have hypothyroid work overnight, etc. I have done it and my live is better.

[gaye jarvis 751]

I'm 2 yrs post op and I have not one regret! How could I regret anything that helped me lose 135 lbs!

[Ariella 73]

I'm about 7 weeks post-op and still waiting for all those good feelings to come flooding in. I can't say I regret it but it has been much harder than I ever thought. Many of the people I knew who had the sleeve didn't tell me all the problems you can encounter and, unfortunately, I didn't find this website until after my surgery. I had a hiatal hernia repaired along with the sleeve surgery and it is still so tight that it makes getting food and/or Water past that area difficult. I can still only eat maybe an 1/8 of a cup of food at a time. I've lost about 32-33 pounds (including the pre-op diet) and that number in my head is good but it hasn't affected they way that I feel physically yet. I keep holding on to all the success stories I read here but must say (as others have) if anyone tells you this is an easy way to lose weight, they are nuts. For some it is a breeze and for others, it is not.

Just remember 2 months is not as long as it seems. That weight loss is AMAZING! You don't feel it yet because you are still recovering. It wasn't unil I was about 10 weeks out that I felt like myself, and felt better, and lighter.

Hang in there, you're gonna turn a corner soon!

[Miss Mac 6,261]

I wish I had gotten my sleeve before I had a stroke in 2010. My weight was 185 at the time and I had gained up to 235 by August 2013. My blood pressure was crazy. My primary set me up with the bariatric program at Loyola University Medical Center for a lapband. During the orientation process, I found out what a sleeve was. The bariatric physician said I was a good candidate for that, so we set the process in motion. I had my seeve on 12/23/2013. I will be honest....it is a lot of work and the committment has to be 100%. I am so happy for my progress so far and am looking forward to meeting the new me.

[EarthyGoalie 253]

My biggest regret is the lack of energy. I have orthostatic hypotension (dizzy when I stand up fast) due to low blood pressure. I find that I'm having it way more often. And yes, I drink all my Water and get my food in. As far as eating is concerned it's a bit wasteful to eat out at times. I would LOVE to have leftovers the next day, but some things just don't keep. I find that a "side" of something holds me over. I also kind of miss the length of the meal. Does that make sense? Umm..I'm done eating in 7 minutes and have to wait for everyone else to finish. It's weird, I know, but it kind of changes the experience.

Yes! We are in the same boat!

I get dizzy all the time when I stand up too fast. it doesn't last long, but it's still unpleasant.

Also, i don't like finishing up my food before everyone else and just waiting on them. It's a bit weird.

Lastly, I used to be a person who liked very hot food and ate very quickly. It is SO annoying to me, eating so slowly. Before I'm done, I have to reheat the food at least twice. Ughhh.

But needless to say, all of these little details are nothing to me for all the benefit this surgery brought upon my life. So instead of saying "things I regret", I'd rather say "things that are a bit annoying". But no regrets. I love my sleeve and my new life!

[Emarie07 47]

You will be happy. Change is hard and it's not all happy fast! But you need to knock down that wall of fat that you have been hiding behind. Become the person you know you can be. Is food in large amounts more important then your health? I was type 2 on oral meds and maxed out. I did not want to die from something stupid. So I made the change I am down 135 lbs in 9 months. And mind you I am not Ms. Workout. You can do it by not using food as your drug. It's still your friend because we all have to eat. It's just not my reward. My reward is seeing my face that I haven't seen in 10 years. The reaction of several people who I work with but where off for several months. Many did triple takes. Come to the light guys! If you can lose without WLS go for it! I couldn't I have hypothyroid work overnight, etc. I have done it and my live is better.

"Come to the light guys!" OMG I love this!!! And I needed to read your post! I struggled today. I'm only 6 days post off and am not having the best time right now. I'm committed to changing and making this work and rocking my sleeve to it's fullest advance though! I'm coming towards the light!!!!! Lol!

[scootergirl 118]

Love my sleeve and the new life it has given me. My only regret is that I waited so many years before considering it. The years of excess weight did a number on my skin. As the weight comes off the loose skin left behind is no fun. It is a constant reminder of the unfortunate state I used to be in. I would not trade my sagging skin to be heavy again but it seems that younger folks seem to have more "snap" in their skin and less "waddle" after weight loss. I wish I had younger skin to go with my sleeve.

[Savedbygrace22 28]

I'm just over 3 weeks out (sleeved 4/16) I did totally regret my decision at first. It was very hard to cook for my family or smell food cooking knowing I couldn't have any! I wasn't physically hungry at all... It's tough to get over the head hunger!!! It is getting easier, but it's still hard. But I'm not that hard on myself because I'm still new at this huge change and learning every day!! Everyone I spoke to prior to surgery said it was the best thing they ever did... But not one of them said anything about how hard (emotionally) the first few week are!!! I've had people tell me that I'm weak and I'm taking the easy way out.. I assure you, IT'S NOT!!!! My sister won't speak to me anymore because I'm "weak & took the easy way road!!"

Best of luck to you on your journey!!!!!!

Is it possible that your sister does not understand the importance of your decision? You made a life changing decision . You will have better health and be able to better enjoy your life as you age.

I was recently on a cruise whose population was mostly mid 40's and up. There were so many 70 and 80 + year olds; I just sat and observed. They were on the dance floor, tearing it up. They were active, dressed up in formals for dinner hand in hand, it was amazing. You might think that the ship was overrun with walkers and wheelchairs. Not so. They were mobile. I remember one little lady in a wheelchair being pushed by her husband , and one gent on a cane. I realize that I didn't survey the entire population, but the people I did see we're mostly mobile. The food for thought is that none of these seniors were obese. I was the one in the wheelchair ! They were walking, shopping, partying, drinking; having fun.

[ I had fallen and my sports doctor found that the cartilage in my knee (from an old injury) is almost gone. I was determined to not have knee surgery just yet. I am 2 wks out today and down 34 lbs since surgery, and am not having those knee problems at the moment. ]

There are many ways to live a happy life, one of them is to age gracefully by exercise, eating a healthy diet and keeping the body weight down. Those seniors in my opinion; were able to have such fun because they were mobile and did not have excess weight pulling them down. Each time I passed my reflection and saw myself in that wheelchair, I thought " dear Lord, please let my surgery be successful. "

If your sister won't speak to you, I can understand that you may have some regrets. But you deserve to have good health. You have done something wonderful for you that can help you maintain wellness for the rest of your life. Please use your tool without regrets that you did something good for yourself. Only regret that your sister doesn't understand and try to educate her on all of the pitfalls you can avoid like heart attack, stroke, edema, and diabetes which is often cured by this surgery.

Sisters share such a special relationship and life is so short. Try to explain that this surgery could be life saving for you. Ask your sister If there was a person who collapsed and someone did life saving CPR; did the victim cheat by continuing to live? Of coarse not. We all deserve to live a healthy life.

I wish you well on your journey. God Bless you.

[brenduski 7]

I had many regrets during the first days of my post op diet, I even went through a short phase of depression, I have always been a hard worker and not being able to do anything was getting to me. I am 4 weeks out, learning what I can and can't eat... My regrets have vanished completely.

[brenduski 7]

<p>I regret upsetting Sleevie J by eating french fries last week. Sleevie J no longer likes french fries. </p> <p>I regret the very expensive size 18 dress I brought in September. I'll never be able to wear it again.</p> <p>I regret the time I have spent wondering why I'm not losing weight faster. Slow weight loss is better than no weight loss.</p> <p>I regret second guessing my decision in the days leading up to my surgery. This was the best thing I could have done!</p>

Love this you just reminded me of the reasons behind my sleeve, I had 2nd guess myself so many times!!!

[Movinon 33]

I am a pre-op. I have been watching all the videos, and very few say they are in a lot of pain, however, it is major surgery.

Can anyone weigh in on the level of pain post op ?