What is that one thing you wish someone had told you, or are so glad someone did, about WLS or the process pre and post op??

For me it was my cousin openly sharing her weight loss surgery experiences in Mexico. Without that I wouldn't be having surgery on Monday and I'd still be gaining weight. Learning about this site and the affordability of surgery in Mexico led me to my decision to have this done.

That my hair was going to shed for a couple months! That was nice to know so it wasn't a shocker. I wish someone would have told me about the surgery earlier in life but hey I'm living it up now so no complaints

That my hair was going to shed for a couple months! That was nice to know so it wasn't a shocker. I wish someone would have told me about the surgery earlier in life but hey I'm living it up now so no complaints

how long was the shedding?

@@Elode

You look great! Glad you're back!

I, too, wished I would have known about the surgery years ago. I knew about the hair loss, but it is done now and the hair looks fine. I assume it is growing in, as it doesn't appear to be as less as it was, but as long as no more falls out (other than the normal shedding), it is fine as it is. My hair loss lasted about 2 months.

I wish I would have figured out that meals/snacks don't last very long in my system. I need to eat at least every 3 hours or I am in trouble. Fall-to-the-floor trouble. The thing is, I don't necessarily FEEL hungry (tummy hungry) at that point, I just get extremely weak and faint-feeling. I will always be diabetic, just in remission. It reminds me it is still part of me when I feel this way. But on the whole, I am ecstatic I had the surgery.

That my hair was going to shed for a couple months! That was nice to know so it wasn't a shocker. I wish someone would have told me about the surgery earlier in life but hey I'm living it up now so no complaints

how long was the shedding?

To help with hair loss Protein first and hit your protein goals you and you and your doc set out for you. Brian

I am glad my surgeon went into a great deal of detail about the importance of protein and the evils of high fructose corn syrup as well as the physiology of obesity and why it's not a character flaw but a physical problem to be obese.

That being thinner wouldn't equate to happiness. Most of my life I thought that if I just lost weight I would turn into a very happy person.

Haha! Fat was the least of my problems. I had no idea.

It all worked out ok in the end though.

What is that one thing you wish someone had told you, or are so glad someone did, about WLS or the process pre and post op??

I am glad my dr told me it was ok to use Imodium AD

liquids in mean liquid out (both pre and post op)

What is that one thing you wish someone had told you, or are so glad someone did, about WLS or the process pre and post op??

I am glad my dr told me it was ok to use Imodium AD

liquids in mean liquid out (both pre and post op)

Wow, thanks for that because I was thinking the same thing. I start my liquids July 1st and my system is very sensitive, and I'm lactose intolerant to boot.

For me, I just did not understand how fast my wardrobe would become obsolete. I used to live in baggy dark clothes so I could hide my body.

Now, I hate wearing clothes that are too big for me. I want to show off how great I look. Currently I own 1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of black capris and about 5 tops that actually fit me well.

Oh, and by the way for me I lost the weight in my butt first and 1. Your underwear get too big really fast 2. Your darn tail bone sticks out and your butt hurts all the time!

On a good note, I absolutely love that I can walk into Victoria's Secret and buy underwear, bras and pajamas! I secretly coveted that ability for years and now I live to buy and wear pretty underthings. And Lane Brants Cacique just does not compare to the feeling of putting on a pretty VS bra!

My two cents.....

Oh my gosh so many things!

1. You will be cold ALL THE TIME. Invest in hoodies.

2. Loose skin happens, it feels bad, but it's NOT the end of the world.

3. Sometimes you experience 'hunger pangs' that mean you are thirsty.

4. Life is going to get so much better because you are going to feel like a new person. (I guess people tell you this, but seriously, it's not easy to comprehend until you're there.)

Good luck!

I am an analytical type. I reasearched things alot before revising to sleeve from a failed band. I am glad I understood that I might not have as good of results, based on the statistics. That gave me a chance, both preop and in the early months post revision to ask alot of "why" questions. Surgeon, nutritionalist, other revisionistas - anybody I could glean this from. I learned that many people with the band have learned to "eat alot of sliders", graze and most importantly, ignore that "full feeling". It is crazy, that sometimes your body really adapts.

So, since I was armed with knowledge, I was able to be very diligent about those underlying things and i believe it made a difference.

I'm glad my PCP told me if I got the lapband, I'd only lose 40 lbs. Made me even more determined to go with the surgery I felt more comfortable with and not the one that would help me lose the most amount of weight.

And I'm the first to admit that there's something so satisfying when she told me that I weigh less than she does. At this point, I'm probably a good 15 lbs. less than her. Hehehe...

I wish I had known that food would make me barf, almost every day, at least once. I had researched everything...I knew my hair might fall out, I knew that the process of weight loss would be slow, I knew the complication rate and the signs of a leak or stricture, however I had researched the fact that those with a sleeve don't get dumping syndrome and generally don't puke everytime they eat anything bad for them.

If I could go back and make the decision of a sleeve all over again knowing the outcome and that I can mostly easily maintain below goal, I would do it every day. I love my sleeve and all of her hating food nonsense that I deal with everyday. Being thin does actually feel better than anything tastes...just like that quote.