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)

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.

I did 10 days pre-op liquid diet. It is absolutely nothing like the post op liquid diet, or anything else post op for that matter. The healing phase is more about the healing process of just having 85% of your stomach removed, plus the fact that you have around 5 incisions, and stiches, etc. Any regretful feeling that I woke up from surgery having, as the sheer fact that I was in total misery. As such, one would have that feeling after ANY surgery. I know when I had my hysto, I had the same "wtf did I do" feeling. I'm now entering my 3rd week post op and I am feeling much better. I think of my digestive tract as that of a new born baby. Things have to be introduced slowly and if it doesn't work the first time, give it a few and try again.

:lol:

You're a good sport so soon after surgery.

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

This is actually part of a larger site which has sections for each type of WLS. Alex Brescher runs it. He had lap band and when he was doing research he realized there was very little info on the net. So he started a website about it. He now maintains the overarching site http://www.wlsboards.com/ which hosts all the child sites. He does this in his free time and pays for the site costs with the ads. I honestly think he must be a good deal out of pocket and I'm so grateful to him for doing this in his spare time.

You can see posts from Alex every day in the Gastric Sleeve Surgery News section of VST.

When you reach certain posting milestones (like, say, your 100th post) sometimes you'll get a nice PM from him that says something like "You're awesome!" And then you'll be like, "Thanks! I don't know who you are! But thanks!"

You're a good sport so soon after surgery.

I love to laugh, even if it's at myself.

I almost feel guilty. I haven't had the horrible experience some people have had and I wish everyone could have the smooth sailing I've had since surgery.

I did the pre op liquid diet but I agree it is not really like what you will experience post op. Yeah you will drink liquids for a bit post op but the amount you can drink is not the same, and neither is the feeling of fullness. Also there is an odd connection that you have to adjust to rather quickly when you see a regular amount of food vs the amount you will eat. Right now, I eat about the same as a toddler. There isn't any way possible I could have prepared and lived off of a pre op diet in that manner. I would have gone crazy and starved.

Honestly, there is a lot of information out there now. When I started this process in 2005, the RNY and the DS were the standard and the Lap band was just starting to become big. Even looking back at how much info I have collected over the years, there really isn't any way to come to terms with 85% of my stomach being removed other than to follow the guidelines from my Dr. and try to adapt.

I don't have any major complications just yet (I do have a superficial blood clot in my wrist from an IV) and I don't expect any, but if I did, I am guessing that I would accept what has come to be a part of my life and move forward.

A lot of people are also glamorized by what they want to look like, and are often not really thinking about the reality of what to expect. I won't lie, I thought about being healthy but I also thought about being a smaller size. I mean before surgery my husband and I looked like we could fit the image of "Jack Sprat and the wife who could eat no lean". That is embarrassing especially since he has a lot of public functions to attend to. So I also thought of how I would look after surgery, but I imagined myself looking like a sharpei puppy, LOL. So far, I am far from a sharpei

My experience so far has been pretty similar to when I did Medifast. Small, high Protein meals. Not really hungry. Have to drink lots of fluids.

I know everyone's experience is different, but so far mine has been pretty Medifast-ish (sans the one big "Lean & Green" meal per day!) (I'm still in the soft food stage, too, so that's why)

When you reach certain posting milestones (like, say, your 100th post) sometimes you'll get a nice PM from him that says something like "You're awesome!" And then you'll be like, "Thanks! I don't know who you are! But thanks!"

Exactly! I always chuckle at those.