If I could just say to all that are about to have their surgeries, and to those who are just starting the process, please read what others have posted about what happens AFTER the surgery. I read so many posts about depression, hair loss, relationships turning sour, mourning of food, loose skin, complications of surgery......... Just read, get informed, BE PREPARED for what could be the wildest ride physically and emotionally of your life! It is a rough road, and sometimes it gets even rougher. Do NOT go into it thinking it is easy, painless, simple, and a cure-all to obesity. It is a long road, an arduous road. You may lose friends, you WILL lose weight. You may gain weight back. You WON'T get your stomach back. You more than likely will get depressed. You WILL have hormonal changes. You will have struggles that seem Never-ending.

BUTTTTTT.....these things pass. You need to TRULY have the strength and diligence that is mentally REQUIRED to do this. Before you go into this process, this surgery, read the list above that I have made. Look in the mirror and ask if you can handle this. CAN you handle this? I don't write these things to scare people off, but to PREPARE you for what is ahead. And it IS AHEAD! I wish someone would have made me read all that folks have written about their experiences. And I'm sure others feel the same way.

I wish you all the best, the safest of surgeries, and hope you find the support you will need to go through this AWESOME adventure!

Before I went through sleeve surgery, I wrote a response to a post that, "I just want to get this surgery quickly out of the way and get on with my normal life.". Man, was I clueless.

Now that I am six months post op, I feel like it is starting to not CONSTANTLY be on my mind. There were times when the post op process seemed so mentally exhausting. After losing over 100 pounds, I am only now starting to reap in the rewards of this surgery and my hard work.

Wow, my surgery was easy, started eating real foods within ten days, drove after three, went back to work after a week (in a very remote locations far from any towns or my home), carried on with my normal life exactly as before. The only side effect I've encountered is hair loss, and it started around month three and now at month seven, it's still coming out. My weight loss has been slow, 60 pounds in seven months, but I only have another 18 to go. I drink pop when I want one, which isn't often but there are times I crave one, especially with pizza, but I stick mostly to sparkling Water with lemon as my choice of beverages (that and wine and ceasers). I don't eat a lot, but I enjoy what I eat (two yorkshire pudding the other night smothered in gravy was way to fatty and rich, but didn't get sick). I wish the cravings would go away, but I've just got to learn to fight them. I still think this is the best thing I've ever done, dispite the hair loss. To me, it was inexpensive and easy. I live alone, and went by myself, and never had a problem, never needed any help. Sadly there are others who've suffered a much different experience, but the six of us that all had surgery together have all managed about the same, no depression, no sadness, or anger, just happy to be losing!

@@CanyonBaby, great post! So much truth and I hope people read and absorb it. It can be a real struggle, but I think it's worth it.

I want to elaborate a bit on your: "You may gain weight back." a little. I've seen so many people online and off who say thing about weight loss surgery being PERMANENT weight loss. No damned way. SO many people lose considerable amounts of weight and yet gain back every pound and sometimes more because they go right back to eating the foods they did before and sometimes nearly the same amount.

I have a friend who had surgery six months before me and she had less to lose than I do. She was 10 pounds from her goal around Christmas. A piece of pizza turned into three. A piece of pie at Thanksgiving had turned into trying a piece of each pie at Christmas along with Cookies and fudge. After the holidays it kept going and it continues to as of this month.

This story also touches on your "you may lose friends" point as well, because she blew up at me a week ago because I wouldn't go out for pizza with her. I offered to have her over for something else but she insisted we get a pizza. Pizza is a food I used to love but I haven't had a bite of it since I started preparing for surgery last March because I know me and I need to focus to stay on track. She's gained back 40 pounds since December and shows no signs of stopping. She told me I'm obsessed with my surgery and my weight loss and that it isn't healthy for her to be around me anymore. It made me a little sad, but I can't afford to let anyone or anything knock me off my track. I used to weigh 450 pounds and I never want to be there again.

I'm telling this not for pity, but to illustrate how even people who've been on a journey like yours, it isn't exactly like yours. We all arrived at the decision for surgery for myriad reasons and our weight loss paths are going to be different a well. There isn't one way to do it right, you have to do what's right for YOU to keep yourself moving in the losing direction. It's too easy to stumble and go backwards.

@@une nouvelle vie

You humble me, and I THANK YOU! Your intestinal fortitude is a force to be reckoned with, and I am proud AND glad you responded as you did. So many just WON'T get it. YOU DO!!! Thank you, again.