Worried about regrets

[lauraellen80 855]

Thanks Lauren! That's very helpful. So you worked up to the surgery as well? I am only taking 1 full week off work. I do therapy part time and I teach at community college part time. I just can't take 2 weeks off teaching and cover the material so the second week I will be teaching, which just means 2 days from 8 to 3. I probably won't be as animated at teaching as usual, but I think I can get through it.

Yes, I actually worked the weekend, and my surgery was first thing Monday morning. In fact, on Saturday we had a special event at work that I coordinated, involving tastings from a local distillery and fabulous catered food. It was tough, but I made it!

Two days of teaching should be doable--just know that you will probably need to go home and take a nap afterwards!

[Daisee68 2,493]

Totally normal feelings. Seek out a therapist as you prepare. Best tool in the arsenal

[KathyRS 29]

Thanks Lauren! That's very helpful. So you worked up to the surgery as well? I am only taking 1 full week off work. I do therapy part time and I teach at community college part time. I just can't take 2 weeks off teaching and cover the material so the second week I will be teaching, which just means 2 days from 8 to 3. I probably won't be as animated at teaching as usual, but I think I can get through it.

Yes, I actually worked the weekend, and my surgery was first thing Monday morning. In fact, on Saturday we had a special event at work that I coordinated, involving tastings from a local distillery and fabulous catered food. It was tough, but I made it!

Two days of teaching should be doable--just know that you will probably need to go home and take a nap afterwards!

[KathyRS 29]

Oh jeez! A catered event?! Now that's bada**!

[joatsaint 2,814]

AmyNLaynie6, it's perfectly normal to have misgivings about WLS. It's a drastic step, but some of us needed to take that step to get our lives back. It really boils down to: are you ready to take the steps necessary to get control of your life? And only you can make such an important decision. Take your time deciding and researching, go to WLS support groups if there are any nearby and listen to their stories. Watch Youtube videos and read the forums. Learn as much as you can before deciding.

[KathyRS 29]

I'm on day 3 of Protein Shakes only. I just had a marathon work day. I work as a therapist, and finished up my last session at 10pm. Apparently, I was worried about nothing, because I did good work all day. I got a little dizzy right before it was time for my 3rd shake, but afterward I was fine. Even felt better than Day 1 & 2.

[BeagleLover 1,020]

@@AmyNLaynie6, you are losing the extra baggage, NOT your brain, personality or soul.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

IMHO, you should be scared. It's major surgery. It is a change in your life. It will change your relationship with food. Your weight loss will probably change some relationships with key people. As part of my research into having the surgery I watched videos of people who regretted their decision. I wanted to know the worst case.

When you watch them, you may come to the conclusion that I did, most of those people were not compliant and didn't follow their doctor's instructions. There are people who have GIRD, and can't tolerate certain foods. I looked at the worst things that could happen and balanced that against the worst things that could happen to me if I stayed at 305 pounds. Once I did that, the decision was easy. The health risks of being fat were very real and going to start happening to me soon.

So do your research, I think it was a major motivator to learn as much as I could and made me very compliant. I learned a great deal on how to be successful from the people on this site.

And I have to tell you, I have no regrets. Glad I freaked myself out before the surgery, glad I had the surgery, and I have had none of the problems that were possible. But I was careful, and I respected my sleeve.

Edited August 18, 2015 by OKCPirate

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

Like many, i had severe doubts preop. In fact, I spent a miserable year wrestling with the decision to revise from my failed band to the sleeve. I was so sure I would fail... AGAIN. I also feared having horrible complications (like I did with the band) only in the case of the sleeve, removal is not an solution. I was scared I was sentencing myself to a life of obese hell.

Turns out to have been an amazingly good decision and thankfully no horrible complications. In fact, a sleevie stomach feels like a normal/why didn't I have this stomach all along type thing.

I will be 4 years from my sleeve in Dec this year and I feel like I saved my life with this decision!

When I read your original post and then this reply, I was thinking your deeper fear is of changing into a person you don't recognize/want to be? I am not sure, but if that is the case, I strongly recommend DEALING with those feelings not pushing them away.

My reasoning is that it is pretty easy to lose weight the first 6-18 months, the "honeymoon" period. You are light enough you are even quite likely to make it to goal before having to deal with this.... but it is very easy to self sabatoge once your appetite and eating capacity "stablize" at your new normal. Yes, it is NORMAL for us to be able to eat more and often to have desire to eat more a few years out. If you have emotional doubts about it, might make that more complex. i have NO emotional doubts and I work pretty hard at maintenance at this point. I was a morbidly obese person for a long time and my body definately wants to return to that state due to the "disease process" and so I have to stay focused even now to stay trim.

Only you can answer this - no need to reply to me, but I think listening to that inner voice and deciding if it is a real concern or just normal nerves is important.

Wow thank you for the replies everyone!You guys are truely awesome . I think I to work harder to push away these self sabotaging thoughts.

[sweettea 300]

So as you see, you're not alone. I was sore and tire the first two weeks. I had a very understanding husband. I've never regretted my decision. I'm at my goal weight. Now I have to be careful not to fall off the wagon. It's a life changing decision. It can be difficult to change bad eating habits, but with the sleeve, it makes it much easier.

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@CowgirlJane Truth, but damn well said