QUESTIONS!!!

Does anyone regret having the WLS? How do you work thru the depression afterward? Is it really true that you can not have coffee afterward? I am working my way thru the process but have yet to set a date. My husband is against me having WLS. He says he is afraid of losing me. How do I address his concerns?

Hi Pamela, I will try to answer a couple of your questions. I haven't had surgery yet so I can't address the first and second questions. I can tell you though that I have been to MANY support groups and talked on here to a LOT of people who have had surgery and I haven't met one yet that has regretted having the surgery. I also personally know several people through my church who have had this and everyone says the same thing. That they would lay down on the table again tomorrow to have it done. It's not true that you cannot have coffee afterward. You are supposed to change to decaf though because caffiene interfers with you absorbing your nutrients properly and you really need to absorb nutrients after this surgery. As far as your husbands concerns go my thoughts are this. From the research I have done, the risks of dying from this surgery are not any higher than dying from a surgery to have your appendix out, or your gallbladder or tonsils etc. or even having a baby. ANY surgery you have where they put you under carries risks of dying. They are from anesthesia, blood clots, pneumonia etc. All the normal risks. There is some risk of mal nutrition AFTER the surgery but a lot of that depends on which surgery you have and mainly on whether or not you follow your Dr.'s instructions for taking your vitamin supplements and eating properly. You actually have a higher risk of dying from being obese than you do from having this surgery. Simply because being obese causes or contributes to so many other problems like diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea etc. Did you know that you have a higher chance of getting a blood clot and dying from it simply because of obesity? That is a risk whether you have the surgery or not. The best thing you can do for your husband is to start showing him information about the surgery. Research it really well and then talk to him about what you know. Maybe even take him to a support group with you where he can actually see and talk to other people who have the surgery. Let him see their before and after pictures and tell about how much better they feel. I understand his fear of losing you during surgery but he has a bigger chance of losing you if you are obese. I don't know if any of this helped or not but I hope something here helped you. I will be praying for you. God Bless. Carrie 5 days and a wakeup to go!

Pam, I have coffee every day.....decaf....I have not missed caffiene at all. I gave up diet pop (effortlessly) about 2 months before surgery and haven't missed it. As long as I'm drinking my tea, decaf coffee and water, I'm fine. I absolutely do NOT regret having WLS! I'm off 4 meds....I don't have to take a nap every day like I did before, and as of today, I am wearing size 20 jeans down from a 26!! I admit to being a bit of a basket case prior to surgery....the people on this board were great in helping me get through it....but it was in my top 5 best life decisions I've ever made...the others being completing my education prior to getting married, marrying my husband, having my "babies" (including the infertility surgeries) and quitting my full time job and starting my own business. Now that I've had WLS, I can enjoy more fully my other life decisions....including my "babies" that are now 11 & 13! As for your hubby.....education is the key. My hubby was supportive but nervous. He once told me I could back out and I think at that point he wanted me to but he stuck it out with me and prayed for me before we went into the hospital....(other times too, but that was just special). I wish you the best on this journey....it is quite a ride! Jenni

I'm three years out, I drink a pot of regular coffee a day with absolutely no problems. My labs are perfect. If I want more than that one pot of coffee then, and only then do I switch to decaf. I LOVE my coffee. I drink 100 ounces of pure water daily, without fail. I have no regrets, this has been the best thing I have ever done for me. I have not touched anything with over 5 grams of sugar for three years. I rarely eat any fruit and I avoid all dairy products. I am very happy and satisfied living this way. I used to drink a 6 pack of diet dr pepper every day, I have not had any diet soda and I do not miss it, never have. The only thing, I truly miss is a sandwich, I can't eat bread, rice or pasta. Sometimes, it would be so nice to just stop at a fast food place and grab a sandwich but... I can't...small price to pay for feeling soooooo GREAT! Best wishes to you (((hugs))) and smiles =)))

Hi Pamela...I think I will address the question about addressing your husbands' concerns first. Let him know this is something you are doing for your health and not for cosmetic reasons. Let him know that you want to be able to have a longer life with him, since the surgery will by far, give you a chance at a longer life than without the surgery. With the comorbidities that goes along with being obese, the obese person has a very short term life span compared to a person of normal weight that is in good health. Let him know he could lose you anytime due to you being obese and that is something that you want to try to prevent. The coffee question...I think that is totally up to the surgeon. Some recommend no coffee and others say you can have it but drink it black. I was never a big coffee drinker, so not drinking coffee isn't an issue for me. Regretting the WLS...NOT AT ALL!!! I would do this surgery over again today if I thought that I needed to. I have gone from 322 lbs to 167 lbs. I wore a size 32 pants and 3-4x in blouses. I am now currently in a size 14 jeans and size large in blouse/shirts. Just remember that this is not a miracle surgery, this is a tool for weight loss. If you follow the pouch rules and the dr.'s orders you will do great and accomplish the weight loss you want. Depression...I try to keep myself occupied. I never was one for using food as a comfort as I know some people do. I get on-line and chat, make quilts, getting ready to learn to work with polymer clay and work. Not to mention spend time with family and friends. Deb