Out of curiosity, I'm wondering how many of the folks who've recently started threads regretting their sleeve had a psychological evaluation done prior to surgery? I'm not accusing you of anything, just wondering! (I didn't have one done)

This is truly a topic I don't "get" - I've never for a moment regretted doing this, but I'd like to understand this feeling. I attend 3 or 4 different support groups a month and being this far out, I am always one of a few 'veterans' in attendance. This subject is sometimes brought up, normally by pre-op patients who are curious or recently post-op patients. I want to be compassionate but I do not understand. I am thrilled that I eat less. Dr. D never wants his patients to eat more than a cup of food at a meal. I cannot eat a full cup, I pray it will never change. I hope that at 3 years, I'm at full capacity. Time will tell. I still eat, and at this point, I do not feel like I'm on a diet at all. I just eat less. I sit at a restaurant and see a table of four adults or two adults with a child or two and everyone gets a huge plate of food, and normally they all eat all or most of it. It is disgusting to me, I think it is disgusting because I know that was ME. My husband and I would each get our own big plate....share???!!! Surely you jest!!! I am so glad I don't and cannot eat like that any more. I hated that 'I am stuffed' feeling, now if I've eaten to much it is magnified to really uncomfortable, but it seldom happens theses days. I try and always eat under my sleeve, meaning, I eat LESS than it can hold. Just because I can eat more, doesn't mean I should. I love it that I can nibble and pick like I've seen friends do for years, get full and be satisfied. I wish I could understand the regrets, people have said, they wish they'd never had the surgery but NOBODY has ever said they wish they were fat again; that they'd get their full capacity stomach put back IN, if possible. Would any of you do that, I guess that would be my question.

Maybe we need to send messages to Alex to ask that a sub folder be created. I agree it, it would be good to have a central folder for regrets, so pre-ops can read booths sides and make an educated decision. I had to do this after my neurosurgery when the surgeon told me I repaired your spine the best I could but lose weight or lose your ability to walk. I still may need to have additional surgery but my chances for success have improved greatly.

The thing is this.... with those of us thrilled and the other side, who are not. It's kind of like being pregnant, people can tell you what it is like, some are miserable and sick, others feel better than ever. You can talk about indigestion, feeling the baby kick for the first time, how it is to have a basketball sitting on your bladder when you are 8 months along.....you just cannot understand what it is like until you are pregnant....or in this case, until you have the surgery. That is the bottom line.

Probably freaked out over that damned unicorn - that thing was creepy as f**k!

Actually it sounds like a good idea but my concern is would there be moderators to move "what have I done" posts to the appropriate forum?

Who the h*ll is Alex???!!

Who the h*ll is Alex???!!

Your kidding right??

You know who Alex is ??

Who the h*ll is Alex???!!

I was talking about Alex Brecher who founded the forum.

I was talking about Alex Brecher who founded the forum.

She was kidding right???

She was kidding right???

You know sometimes I'm not sure.

Oh yeah, that thing with its "how YOU doin' " stare and pointy horn - I puckered every time I saw that thing.

Hmm...we could start there with your first issue.

The thing is, how many different ways can you say "I don't regret it"? The before/after stories sure, but the everyday? That's boring to most people. The regret threads seem exciting/ interesting. Success with the sleeve is a return to a level of normalcy that, after the rush wears off, is commonplace and average. And even people who have been at goal 3 or four years? How many times can you post a "yep still at goal" post? Your three-year "after" won't look much different from your two-year "after".

My point is that the regrets are a very small minority with a disproportionately loud voice. And most of the people with regrets (without actual complications) are so newly-sleeved that the regret fades quickly. The ones who are months out with really vague, nebulous regrets, or those who want to eat like before? It's hard to understand.

For me, I want to be free of that primal hunger that I could not reason with. Even when hunger comes back, I hope it will be more controllable. I don't want to go back to how I was before.

Your kidding right??

You know who Alex is ??

No, serious as a heart attack. I've been here since Dec 2009 and did not know there was a "founder" among us!! LOL I do have to say that just last week I contacted somebody that use to be here ALL the time and she said she moderates a secret FB page now, but left this forum because she doesn't like the owner, or had a falling out. Anyway, I have not/did not question her on it. So I'm guessing this is "Alex"???!! Learn something new every day!

Im just wondering for the ppl with regrets....did u guys do a 2 week liquid diet prior to surg??? I just wanna kno I havent had the surg yet im getting it 6/17 but ibwonder if that may have anything to do wit it....I was gonna creat a thread but since I seen this I just posred my question here....I apologize in advance if its already been discussed....

Misty, I'm fairly new to the forum but I've noticed what you said is true. What surprises me is the lack of serious research. I went to support groups and looked up the good and the bad. One can't be guaranteed anything in life, but you can be prepared.

I agree with your comment about lack of serious research. I can't tell you how many people I have talked to during support groups, weigh-ins and just sitting in the waiting room at the surgeon's office that were very uniformed about their chosen procedure. Most of them hadn't done a lick of research.

Im just wondering for the ppl with regrets....did u guys do a 2 week liquid diet prior to surg??? I just wanna kno I havent had the surg yet im getting it 6/17 but ibwonder if that may have anything to do wit it....I was gonna creat a thread but since I seen this I just posred my question here....I apologize in advance if its already been discussed....

That's a very good question! I would think doing a 2 week liquid diet would at least give people a taste of "what they're in for" during the healing phase.

Hmm...we could start there with your first issue.

:lol:

She was kidding right???

No, she wasn't kidding. Now I have a name. I know nothing about this person. Man, woman? Sleeved, non-sleeved?