anyone REGRET the sleeve?

[elpasovet 83]

What exactly makes you regret your decision? Please be specific as I am taking in all this information to make an educated decision on my own surgery. Thank you so much for taking the time out to respond...

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

What exactly makes you regret your decision? Please be specific as I am taking in all this information to make an educated decision on my own surgery. Thank you so much for taking the time out to respond...

i have noticed that most people who say they regret this surgery fall into two categories... those who regret it because of complications, and those who have vague regrets about being unhappy or feeling like its just too much work.

my MIL would fall into this category. she sincerely believes what would make her happy would be to never have to think about food ever again. she finds thinking about and making decisions about food incredibly stressful. she has lupus and went and saw a doctor who put her on a special diet a few years ago. it made her more miserable than i have ever seen her. she hates cooking, hates shopping, hates planning meals. she lives on non fat yogurt, fruit and take out, now that she is retired. she keeps asking me about my surgery (since she is overweight, her mom was morbidly obese, and her boyfriend too), but she would be incredibly unhappy having to think about every single thing she put in her mouth.

i also think there are a lot of people who sincerely believe that they would be happy if only they lost weight. and when they find out this surgery doesnt make you magically happy, they are very disappointed. and maybe regret their decision.

and then there are the people who trade food addiction for another addiction.... i imagine they have regrets too.

[teshadb 203]

I have absolutely no regrets except that I wish it was an option back when I did lap band cuz I would have done the sleeve in the first place. I had a rough beginning too. I spent 8 days in the hospital and it was rough and I got an infection and had to go in or a second surgery while I was in house. But even though that happened I would do it again. It's very freeing to eat very little and feel full. The surgery gives you better control over cravings and hunger. I love it and now that I am 3 months out and feeling great it just gets better and better. The beginning I shards I'm not gonna lie. Your weak and tired and u get frustrated trying to eat and drink but it gets better everyday and easier and easier. I recommend it to anyone who is tired of struggling with their weight. Good luck to you. :-)

[vegasneon 181]

I don't ever regret having surgery. However I don't really encourage my friends and co-workers to have it because none of them seem willing to put the work in. I feel like they would be blaming me for the hard times and since this is a change for forever I don't want that responsibility. Maybe I'm not giving them enough credit.

[SherB 220]

I will admit there have been many times I have regretted the surgery but I am just now 4 weeks out. I had an unusual amount of swelling, could not drink anything and had to stay in the hospital for 5 days. Still cannot get in the required amount of Water. I have lost 23 pounds so far. I had a lot of pain and still have quite a bit on my right side. I was supposed to be out of work for 2 weeks but today is the end of week 4. I am slowly getting better so yes, I have felt like crap and wondered WTH did I do. It is over and done so now I am going to make the best of it. I can eat, just not too much. I have lost all cravings for sweets, which is a bonus. Can no longer eat eggs. I did this to get healthy and had a few curves thrown my way but it does get better.

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

sherB, i had similar issues... i had a longer than normal recovery period. it was 5 months before i could get all my Water and Protein in. now at 13 months i am doing well. hang in there!

[shorttyjax 1]

The first 8 weeks I totally regretted getting the sleeve. I wasn't prepared for how much of a mental role was involved with having this surgery. I was mad I couldn't eat what I wanted, I felt sick everytime I ate, I burped so much, had alot of gas pains the list went on. Then at about 8 weeks without even me noticing my life starting being normal again. I wasn't having the indigestion problems, I could eat with my family again and didn't look funny doing it. Then by 10 weeks my life was totally normal 100 % and now there is no way I would say I regret it. I love that I made this descion to get sleeved

[hrhlaurie 185]

I don't ever regret having surgery. However I don't really encourage my friends and co-workers to have it because none of them seem willing to put the work in. I feel like they would be blaming me for the hard times and since this is a change for forever I don't want that responsibility. Maybe I'm not giving them enough credit.

I agree, the sleeve is a smaller stomach and helps you commit to losing weight. You can fill your little pouch with carbs and sugar if you aren't serious about being healthy and in shape. While this is working for me, someone else may not give it the same effort.

I knew head hunger and eating habits could sabotage my efforts so in the weeks after surgery I began retraining my brain to think of Pasta and breads as unappetizing. Before surgery, I ate crap and gained back every pound I would lose on a diet. Now I eat Protein, take Vitamins and have lost enough weight that I feel good and even jogged a bit on a treadmill yesterday! I admit that I usually only wait 15 mins after drinking before eating and I still eat too fast probably but I take in 3 - 4 ounces of Protein in a meal and I try all different types of meat and cheese combos to make it interesting. I think people have problems because they feel deprived and are still focused on foods they shouldn't eat. I just look at bowls of Pasta, pizza or whatever and remember that I used to like them but now I love being healthy. My reward is looking better, not shopping in plus sizes ever again, improving my health and accomplishing a goal.

My trainer told me yesterday that stalls or plateaus are necessary for the body to adjust to weight loss. Usually, during this time, you will lose inches and gain some muscle. Since I've just been in a 3 week stall, I needed to hear that. Muscle weighs more than fat so you may gain or lose a few pounds but be dropping fat for muscle. I have lost inches even when scale isn't moving so I need to be patient and just keep doing what I'm doing.

If you worry about surgery, check out The World According to Eggface blog to see some awesome recipes and the story of someone who had surgery, changed her life for the better and eats well.

Edited August 14, 2014 by hrhlaurie

[blondebomb 580]

I have some regrets. I was not always overweight, my weight gain happened within the past 8-10 years. I went to an information seminar, really just wanting to find out more about my options. At the end, they asked for our insurance cards. Next thing I knew, the clinic called and said I had been approved by my insurance, was scheduled for tests, and had a surgery date. 3 weeks later, I was in surgery. Besides my weight, I didn't have any health problems, no comorbidities, etc. I wish I had taken more time to make the decision, and spend time on a doctor supervised diet, like so many others on here have done. Of course, without the surgery I might never have put the time and energy in to diet and exercise that I do now. I'll just never know. I think this is a decision that should not be entered into lightly, everyone should do plenty of research and spend a lot of time on these boards before taking this step. I didn't do that and have too many "what ifs" and "maybe I should haves" to put behind me. I bowed to the pressure to move quickly when I should have put the brakes on and given it more consideration.

U mean over the 10 yrs u hadn't considered this at all? That was the first question my surgeon asked. I had contemplated this for 15 yrs an just figured my insurance wouldn't pay for this. Boy was I wrong! If u went to a seminar I would think in the back of ur mind u really were considering this. And maybe u just realy went with ur gut. My 15 yrs of thinking had to come to an end. I'd tried every diet imaginable to man, an just found out with many autoimmune diseases including hashis an insulin resistance I was just going up n weight. 2 specialist I see steared me this direction an I said this is the tool I needed..I was sick n tired of the yo yo dieting. I didn't require no preop supervised diet just 2 wks before 2 liquid an 1 meal then 48 hrs all liquid right before. If u really didn't want to do this u couldn't have just said no but I really think it was ur opportunity to change ur life. They asked me in preop you ready!?? I said most definitely! ! U will be happy with results...just follow protocol ur protocol from surgeon. Everyones I've noticed is different. ..hang in there I'm 40 down an on the mend..:)don't wonder or question the what ifs or question the could haves..it's done..wrk now an go forward leave the rest in past...ull drive ur self nuts. If ur like a lot of us obviously prior attempts we weren't so successful or we wouldn't have even put our toe in the Water to test it...with the seminar it was obviously for surgical wl help...ultimately. it wrks! An if we stick to it an don't cheat an don't do the things we are instructed to do we will b e successful for life. If we don't make the required behavior changes we will ed up right where we were before. ..now I eat to live not live to eat. Yes we slip up here n there..get back on the wagon...we must b mindful of everything. Ok wish u best an chk on here for support an help I luv this...helps a lot an I use myfitnesspal. ..

[marfar7 1,528]

I have some regrets. I was not always overweight, my weight gain happened within the past 8-10 years. I went to an information seminar, really just wanting to find out more about my options. At the end, they asked for our insurance cards. Next thing I knew, the clinic called and said I had been approved by my insurance, was scheduled for tests, and had a surgery date. 3 weeks later, I was in surgery. Besides my weight, I didn't have any health problems, no comorbidities, etc. I wish I had taken more time to make the decision, and spend time on a doctor supervised diet, like so many others on here have done. Of course, without the surgery I might never have put the time and energy in to diet and exercise that I do now. I'll just never know. I think this is a decision that should not be entered into lightly, everyone should do plenty of research and spend a lot of time on these boards before taking this step. I didn't do that and have too many "what ifs" and "maybe I should haves" to put behind me. I bowed to the pressure to move quickly when I should have put the brakes on and given it more consideration.

I did the same thing in 2009 with the lapband. I'd read a few things on the internet, made an appt with a dr and within 2 weeks I had completed my nutritionist and psych appts and was in surgery. Had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not sure why my insurance didn't require at least a time of consideration, but they moved quickly.

While I loved my band - until I didn't and I lost most of my excess weight with it, it finally ahd enuf of my destruction to it. I couldn't figure out how to eat slowly, making me vomit frequently. Causing a slip.

When I was facing a revision, I did alot of research on the RNY and the sleeve. I had gained 30 lbs in the year my band was unfilled after the slip so all I had to lose was 40 lbs (bmi was 28 at 174 lbs). I felt the RNY was a bit drastic for my purposes. But I knew if I just had the band removed without a revision, I would be back up to 250 soon.

So while I did virtually NO research on my first wls, I did tons of research for my sleeve. WHile I'm 13 months out I still have 15 lbs to goal. It's going very slowly now, very slowly. The first 100 lbs is easy peasy compared with the last 15.

But do I regret surgery? Never. Not the lapband or the sleeve. Comparing the 2 would be another whole post so I won't bore anyone with those details. Do ur research tho. U can't back pedal afterwards...

Good luck!

[moonlitestarbrite 902]

i am just wondering where in the heck surgery without any preparation is approved by insurance? where i live surgery is only covered by insurance if you have a long list of requirements that are fulfilled. depending on your specific insurance, it can take 6-12 months for approval. crazy!

[marfar7 1,528]

i am just wondering where in the heck surgery without any preparation is approved by insurance? where i live surgery is only covered by insurance if you have a long list of requirements that are fulfilled. depending on your specific insurance, it can take 6-12 months for approval. crazy!

I have Medicare. The only requirements r the nutrition class, 1 visit to the nut, and a psych eval. Since I lived 3 hrs away, the dr set all 3 up for the same day for me. 2 weeks later, I was in surgery. Took 3 weeks from start to finish.

Do I wish I had a little more time to research? Absolutely. Would I have wanted to be on a "diet" for 6-12 mths to "prove" I could do it? Hell no. I'd already proven over 42 yrs that I couldn't do it. Why would I want another chance to fail? Had I done more research, I might not have chosen the band, however. The sleeve was never offered to me and the bypass seemed drastic. Wish the sleeve had been offered to me in 2009.

[katonaboat 44]

i am just wondering where in the heck surgery without any preparation is approved by insurance? where i live surgery is only covered by insurance if you have a long list of requirements that are fulfilled. depending on your specific insurance, it can take 6-12 months for approval. crazy!

I went in expecting a 6 month wait for approval. Everyone I had talked to had mentioned 6 months of doctor supervised diets, especially with no comorbidities. I work for a public university in Kentucky and have a Humana PPO through the state. When I handed her my card, the med clerk smiled and said "You are lucky, you have Humana State!" The clinic called and said I had received my approval less than a week later. I went in for labs, a psych eval, and an endoscopy less than a week after that and exactly 3 weeks from my informational seminar, I was having surgery. Since my surgery, 2 other employees have approached me to share that they had also had wls (I have been open about it at work) and had a similar experience. They are both doing great and are thrilled with their results. I'm doing well on the program, although I had some minor complications immediately following the surgery (due to a faulty IV) and I've lost a total of 40lbs so far. I'm not unhappy with my progress, I just have some OCD tendencies, normally spend months researching important decisions, and making quick choices go against my nature. My husband is still shocked I went through with it so quickly!

[phatphotog 61]

I'm ten weeks out and 52 lbs down. I have no regrets. My life has drastically changed for the better. I walked/jogged my first 5k last week and im signing up for two more in sept and oct! I'm SO much happier!

Was it an adjustment? Big time! Is it easy to always follow the rules? No! But it's totally worth it to me. And some people do have complications. People considering surgery have to weigh the risks vs benefits. If I hadn't had surgery, I guarantee I'd be 300 lbs by now and heart problems and diabetes would probably be in my future. I personally (thankfully) have had no complications. I really feel for those who have.

[LKG 6]

I do not regret it. I was sleeved on July 17th. I am glad that I am able to eat a little more food choices now. At times I have wondered if I just followed the eating guide, maybe I would still be losing weight without the surgery. But I think again and remember all the cheating that I did. Fast food, sodas. Since the surgery, I do not crave the sugar. I can see everyone drinking their sodas and eating the chips and dips and not be bothered by it. I am glad I did this. Heavy weight runs on both my moms and real fathers sides. I was in a losing battle. I am glad I did this. I started out in a size 22 and was able to purchase a size 18. I am so thankful.