Hi everyone, I am getting closer to getting all the approvals in place for surgery. The approval I was most nervous about was the Psychological Evaluation but, it went quite well last week. Obviously, this is a big decision that I am not taking lightly so......Out of curiosity, do any of you have any regrets thus far? Are any post op issues you have encountered that have made you regret having surgery or have the benefits have really outweighed the issues?

I am mainly worried about dehydration since today I do chug a lot of water. Thanks for your feedback!☺️

Yes, I regret it 100%. Sleeved 5/28/2021. As of today I am only down 18 pounds since surgery. When I tell people that, I always get a list of how it has to be my fault. Medical intervention that you can't really cheat, but it's my fault? I couldn't "cheat" if I wanted to.

I don't think genetics, hormones, and age are talked about enough pre-op. My weight loss slowed way down in the years prior to surgery. I'd cut carbs and work out hard and only lose 5 lbs in a month. I thought this surgery would help, it hasn't. My biggest words of advice, IF YOU ARE NOT A BIG EATER DO NOT GET THIS SURGERY! Consider all factors first. My mother, sisters and aunts have been on "diets" since Tab and Jane Fonda workout were a thing and the smallest any have ever been is the 170's (all 5'3-5'5). We're just heavier and hormonal with slow metabolisms. Not horribly obese, but in the 200's with big arms, stomachs, and backs. Unless they've been hiding it for decades, they don't gorge on food. We typically gain 10lbs a year that we just can't lose. That's how we are and how I'll be. I'm getting ok with it.

Primary is asking if I'd consider converting to bypass in the future. No thanks, what would be the point. I just never tell anyone I've done this to myself out of sheer embarrassment. Very expensive mistake.

On 08/30/2021 at 22:54, TaraFinely said:

Yes, I regret it 100%. Sleeved 5/28/2021. As of today I am only down 18 pounds since surgery. When I tell people that, I always get a list of how it has to be my fault. Medical intervention that you can't really cheat, but it's my fault? I couldn't "cheat" if I wanted to.

I don't think genetics, hormones, and age are talked about enough pre-op. My weight loss slowed way down in the years prior to surgery. I'd cut carbs and work out hard and only lose 5 lbs in a month. I thought this surgery would help, it hasn't. My biggest words of advice, IF YOU ARE NOT A BIG EATER DO NOT GET THIS SURGERY! Consider all factors first. My mother, sisters and aunts have been on "diets" since Tab and Jane Fonda workout were a thing and the smallest any have ever been is the 170's (all 5'3-5'5). We're just heavier and hormonal with slow metabolisms. Not horribly obese, but in the 200's with big arms, stomachs, and backs. Unless they've been hiding it for decades, they don't gorge on food. We typically gain 10lbs a year that we just can't lose. That's how we are and how I'll be. I'm getting ok with it.

Primary is asking if I'd consider converting to bypass in the future. No thanks, what would be the point. I just never tell anyone I've done this to myself out of sheer embarrassment. Very expensive mistake.

Are you exercising at all? This sounds like it may be something else going on that’s possibly hormonal (ie high cortisol, pcos, insulin resistance, hypothyroidism etc)

I agree to disagree on people who are not “big eaters” having the surgery. I wasn’t a big eater and spent many years with a high level of exercise and closely monitoring my diet and still ended up 340 pounds before surgery. Without getting VSG, I don’t even want to think about where my weight would be now as it would be so outrageous.

Don’t be afraid to go to multiple doctors and asking for different tests/opinions. It took me years and years to somewhat find out what was wrong with me to somewhat understand why I kept gaining weight. I cried, I had complete breakdowns in front of my husband because of the sheer frustration of it all. VSG is a wonderful tool, but if you have something going on that is causing your metabolism to lower significantly, it’s only part of the puzzle.

I am a slow loser and I still have no regrets at 6 months out (overall about 60 lbs down). I see others lose faster and I sometimes get bummed because that’s not me and I feel like maybe I could’ve done this on my own. But then I wake up and remember all the time I’ve wasted fighting myself. My biggest advice would be not to compare your journey and trust the process. It is not easy but it is so worth it! Good luck!

Edited August 31, 20215 yr by NiceAnkles

NO REGRETS! It’s an emotional rollercoaster, for sure, but three months out and down 53 pounds, LIFE IS GREAT! You will be afraid, you will mourn food (restricted foods are only temporary), and you will be frustrated. Then that scale starts moving, you start feeling amazing, your health starts to improve, and you realize why you made this decision. It’s not really about other people though. Are your reasons worth the hard work? Only you can answer. Your old self will have to die. That person and those eating habits will not exist anymore. But you know who will exist…the person you’ve been dreaming of. Your goals. The best version of yourself. I am in love with life because of my VSG. Best of luck!

From about the age of 14 I’d routinely skip meals to try to control my weight. I never ate the same volume of food as my friends or my family. All skipping meals did was kill my metabolism & I battled my weight bouncing 60-75kg until I was in my late 40s. That seemed to be my max & min weight range I always gravitated to. When I reached menopause I put on 30kg in about 2 years without changing my diet & couldn't lose an ounce over 4 years.

I think I eat more now then I did before surgery. I certainly eat more frequently then I ever did & that’s how I get my calories & protein in. I reach my fluid goal by sipping throughout the day & at night (always have water beside me). By drinking regularly I never seem to reach that oh my god I’m thirsty point anymore. Nor do I reach that I’m starving point either.

For me the surgery has been wonderful. It kick started my metabolism again & sorted out my hormones. It also made me truely analyse what, how & why I ate. Even though I ate pretty healthily before, I eat even better now. Dropped some food choices that were bad for me, added some that are better.

We are all different. We react differently to the surgery. We have different life experiences. We have different health issues, genetic makeups & physiological & psychological differences. They all influence how we are able to benefit from the surgery.

The surgery isn’t a cure. The average weight loss after about 5 years is only 65% of the weight you were to lose (to put you in the healthy BMI range). Some lose more. Some lose less. Some get to a weight higher then goal & are happy. Some get lower than goal. Some experience small amounts of regain while others regain more. Some maintain. Some causes for this are beyond our control. Some causes are in our control. You can’t predict your outcome but just be aware of the variables.

Best advice is to grab this opportunity & see how far you can take it.

Hi.
looks like I’m the only one with regrets. Here’s my story.
I am 6 weeks VSG post op and 100% regret my decision.
Every single thing has been a struggle. I’ll elaborate.
The hospital stay was a living nightmare, I’m not getting help or support from my surgeon, soft watery foods hurt tremendously, I’m having a hard time getting 60g of protein each day due to pain, and nausea, I’m having a hard time drinking enough water because of nausea, and there are not enough hours in the day to get 60oz of water AND 60g of protein.
here’s an example of what I’m talking about: I stop drinking water 30 minutes before any solid foods, in this case hummus. Using a baby spoon, I eat what’s on the very tip of the spoon. When I say it’s tiny, I mean it’s really tiny. I mix it with saliva, and swallow. I wait 5’ish minutes, and repeat. About 30-45 minutes of doing this I start getting a nasty pain in my left breast and along my left flank. I stop eating due to pain, not fullness or anything else. I’ve managed to consume approximately 1/2oz by that time, and give up because the pain is so bad. I wait 30 minutes and resume drinking water. I’ve read everyone is different so keep that in mind.
Ive tried this process with mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, yogurt, I’m sure I’m forgetting things but those are what I recall off the top of my head.
Anything thicker than watery applesauce hurts. Protein shakes hurt too but my surgeon insets I push through the pain and nausea. He doesn’t seem to want to help with suggestions on what to try, he seems only interested in making sure his work isn’t the cause. He isn’t interested in helping me with the pain. I don’t want pain meds, I want him to engage, listen, and HELP. I have several complaints about him but I won’t go into detail here.

I think I’m dehydrated but like I said there aren’t enough hours in the day…I suppose I could stay up late to drink more water but then I’d have to extended that time to stop drinking before laying down otherwise I get reflux. I work and all of this is weighing on me at this point. My job performance is starting to suffer.

Sorry for the book, and sorry for not having better news to report.
I sincerely hope you have a better experience.

That's terrible! I'm sorry.

One suggestion: at Sprouts they sell NOW brand whey protein isolate. Orange tub with 25g protein per scoop. If you put it in water or diet juice (you know, the 5 calorie stuff in the juice aisle at Publix) and STIR it, it mostly dissolves, it's not very thick at all. If you shake it it will foam up like crazy, then you have to either stir it back together or wait for the foam to pop.

Maybe it's time to go to your PCP and ask for a referral to someone else? You shouldn't have to be 'stuck' like this.

SEVEN YEARS post op and I don't regret it. Surgery quite literally saved my life. I would do it again in a blink. This is a TOOL and like any tool in your garage, you must keep it sharpened and well honed. Myself, I will always identify as a WLS patient and it is constant work every single day. I'm not one who had surgery, lost my weight, went back to eating all things in small amounts, and kept it off. I TRIED eating all things in small amounts and had BIG regain.

I'm glad I did it. The only down side is that at 7 years out, there are very few of my OG forum folks still around from that long ago!!

Hi @MerelyMichelle. You may have a stricture. They occur because scar tissue forms & narrows your tummy. Symptoms include difficulties swallowing, nausea, vomiting, inability to eat certain foods, discomfort/pain. A simple endoscopy will discover if that is the cause of your problems & can be easily repaired endoscopically (balloon dilation).

Ask (demand) your surgeon explore this as a possible diagnosis. You shouldn’t be experiencing what you are.

14 hours ago, MerelyMichelle said:

Hi.
looks like I’m the only one with regrets. Here’s my story.
I am 6 weeks VSG post op and 100% regret my decision.
Every single thing has been a struggle. I’ll elaborate.
The hospital stay was a living nightmare, I’m not getting help or support from my surgeon, soft watery foods hurt tremendously, I’m having a hard time getting 60g of Protein each day due to pain, and nausea, I’m having a hard time drinking enough Water because of nausea, and there are not enough hours in the day to get 60oz of water AND 60g of protein.
here’s an example of what I’m talking about: I stop drinking water 30 minutes before any solid foods, in this case hummus. Using a baby spoon, I eat what’s on the very tip of the spoon. When I say it’s tiny, I mean it’s really tiny. I mix it with saliva, and swallow. I wait 5’ish minutes, and repeat. About 30-45 minutes of doing this I start getting a nasty pain in my left breast and along my left flank. I stop eating due to pain, not fullness or anything else. I’ve managed to consume approximately 1/2oz by that time, and give up because the pain is so bad. I wait 30 minutes and resume drinking water. I’ve read everyone is different so keep that in mind. 
 Ive tried this process with mashed potatoes, cream of wheat, yogurt, I’m sure I’m forgetting things but those are what I recall off the top of my head.
Anything thicker than watery applesauce hurts. Protein Shakes hurt too but my surgeon insets I push through the pain and nausea. He doesn’t seem to want to help with suggestions on what to try, he seems only interested in making sure his work isn’t the cause. He isn’t interested in helping me with the pain. I don’t want pain meds, I want him to engage, listen, and HELP. I have several complaints about him but I won’t go into detail here.

I think I’m dehydrated but like I said there aren’t enough hours in the day…I suppose I could stay up late to drink more water but then I’d have to extended that time to stop drinking before laying down otherwise I get reflux. I work and all of this is weighing on me at this point. My job performance is starting to suffer.

 Sorry for the book, and sorry for not having better news to report.
I sincerely hope you have a better experience.

I agree that this is not normal. I too have regrets about getting the sleeve, but what you are experiencing sounds like a fixable issue. I would try to seek a second opinion if your surgeon is not willing to help you get an endoscopy scheduled.

On 8/2/2021 at 7:22 PM, Maribelle76 said:

I am about 3 weeks out from the surgery, and I don't have any regrets so far. It is an emotionally trying time, because I'm having to learn how to control myself in ways I've never controlled myself. I'm not a disciplined person, so it can be a struggle. But I know that this is something that I have to learn how to do or I will not be able to keep up with my children.

I haven't had any complications thankfully. I was feeling good by day four and pretty much able to do most of my daily life by seven days out with the exception of lifting. I was also worried about chugging Water, but I can get a whole cup of water down pretty quickly now. The only time I have problems is if I let my acid reflux flare up (sometimes I forget my omeprazole because the surgery had helped decrease my GERD so far). If I start to have a problem getting down water, I make sure to get some antacids and that fixes it up the next day.

My thought is that if you've come this far in the process, it is most likely the best thing for you and something that you really want in your heart. Otherwise you never would have put in the effort and time to get this far. A life lived in fear is a life half-lived...

When I got a little nervous before surgery, I started looking back through all of the monthly threads. I think I looked at the March, April, May, and June threads. It was a relief to see that all of the surgeries were safe, and the complications were fairly limited and of short duration. Maybe if you go through those threads, too, that will help give you a good feel for the risks vs. the benefits.

By control do you mean it's terrifically difficult not to eat certain things?

So I actually was also worried about water consumption. In the beginning, I did have to sip water slowly throughout the day. I work from home and parked my water next to my desk and it was fine. I had to remember to keep sipping but I managed. About 3 weeks in, I noticed I was able to do 2.5 sips at a time. At 4.5 months out now, I can take down 3.5 sips/gulps at once. I can actually easily drink 30 ounces in just over an hour.

However, I was traveling a few weeks ago and fresh fruit and vegetables were less accessible on the road trip and I was being less attentive to water and didn’t want to stop every hour to use the bathroom. When I got home, the lack of fiber and hydration landed me in the hospital with incredibly painful stomach pain. Lesson learned.

still no regrets - down almost 70 pounds.

Regrets? Only one: Like many, I wish i did it like sooner. Like when I first got into the 40 BMI range to qualify for WLS (in my case that would have been maybe 5-6 years before I actually got it done).

There are absolutely ZERO issues/side effects/annoyances that in any way outweigh the benefits of WLS (for me at least)

Water? Your experience may be different, but I was suddenly able to chug water around the 2-3 week mark. Found this out by accident when I was super thirsty from a walk and forgot to sip.

I am almost 3 years post op now, and i think I can eat almost anything (and probably have), just in much, much, much smaller amounts. I average probably 1800-1900 cals a day these days. I have been maintaining my weight for 2 years now (with regular exercise) and life is good.

Whatever you decide, I hope that you are content are are in terms with the decision. You may never be completely free of your ALL reservations, but so long as you can manage them, you'll do great.

Good Luck! ❤️

I’m three days post op and I had no idea I was going to have this drain hanging from my body it is the most uncomfortable thing and it’s stitched in and hurts like hell I’m waiting Tuesday for them to take this out and maybe I won’t have regrets then

Two and a half years out, I have no regrets at all. The process has its ups and downs, but at no time have I ever wished I didn't do it. I'm normal-sized for the first time since I was about eight years old. Things that used to be a struggle, I can do without thought now. I got stuck in a middle seat on a five-hour flight and I was REALLY dreading it. But when the time came, it was really no big deal. Sure, I'd rather have a window or aisle, but it wasn't the catastrophe it would have been when I was at my top weight. Because I had been heavy since childhood, I still find surprises every day as I learn to navigate the world in my new body. I even enjoy being able to walk into a room and not stand out because of my size. Maintenance is a learning curve for sure - sometimes I get too relaxed and gain five pounds and then I'll overcorrect and lose eight, LOL. But it's all good and I'm figuring it out.