Hello.. I will be putting forth a consultation to be seen by a physician to start my process to getting the gastric sleeve. How long does the process take from initial consultation to surgery date? Did anyone feel that people in their environment judged them for having surgery vs 'trying to lose weight' the natural way? (Which I am sure, most of us who come to this point have tried for years..). How long was the hospital stay? How long does recovery take? Any info would be good. Thank You

How long does the process take from initial consultation to surgery date?

It really depends on your insurance, your surgeon, and you. Could be anywhere from a couple of weeks to a year, but for most people it seems to be about 3 - 6 months.

Did anyone feel that people in their environment judged them for having surgery vs 'trying to lose weight' the natural way?

I've told just about everyone who has asked about my weight loss about my surgery. Only one person has said anything negative to my face. Other people may be saying things behind my back, or thinking negative, judgmental things. I really don't give a rat's patootie what anyone thinks about me or how I lose weight though. That may be one of the benefits of doing this as a not-young person (I am 49 now) -- my IDGAF bone has definitely gotten stronger through the years. It's a medical decision, I made it in consultation with my physicians, anyone who feels like they have the right to an opinion on my medical decisions can bite me.

How long was the hospital stay?

My surgeon's standard hospital stay is 2 nights. Others do 1 night, 3 nights, or on an outpatient basis, it varies a lot.

How long does recovery take?

Again, this is all over the map. We are all such individuals when it comes to healing, plus different surgical techniques may result in longer or shorter healing times, some people may have complications, others may have hiatal hernia repair or gall bladder removal done at the same time as the sleeve. I was off work for two weeks and pretty much exhausted for four weeks after surgery. I've seen posts from people who bounced back a lot sooner, and others who took longer. But to be clear, during the two weeks off work, I was tired, napping a lot, and in occasional pain, but not bedridden or unable to care for myself and my household. I just needed to be able to take things slow and rest a lot.

Bufflehead provided an excellent response. I recommend that you read the following books which will greatly assist you in your decision making process:

The Sleeved Life by Pennie Nicola

The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients by Colleen Cook

Skinny Jeans at Last! By Clifton Thomas, MD

There are lots of great books on WLS that will help you make a great decision.

@@Bufflehead , thank you for your response.. you made me chuckle..

So I sent through my referral today... am nervous, excited, and full of emotions.. I think its just the unknown of it all.. scary in any situation.. Thank you!

Congratulations on your decision to take your health into your hands, regardless of your ultimate decision regarding WLS.

How long does the process take from initial consultation to surgery date? My first surgery (LapBand) was within a week of the consultation and paid for in cash. My second (Gastric Sleeve) took about 2 weeks to schedule since I used my health insurance.

Did anyone feel that people in their environment judged them for having surgery vs 'trying to lose weight' the natural way? Honestly, the only response I've ever gotten is, "Good for you!" and "You look GREAT!" I've never had anyone that didn't agree that I needed to do SOMETHING drastic and since I'd always been overweight, I don't think it took anyone by surprise. However, if they didn't agree, they never let me catch wind of it. I think mostly they were happy I'd be around more than 10 years or so.

How long was the hospital stay? How long does recovery take? Hospital stays varied - LapBand was 45 minutes. Gastric Sleeve was 90 minutes. I had complications with the Sleeve and ended up hospitalized for a while about 6 days into recovery but it's generally an outpatient surgery. Actual recovery time - I'd say on the average 2 weeks 'til you feel good - 3 weeks before you feel like yourself.