Opinions please
Hello! I started at 387 and am now down to 291 by diet and nutrition. However, I am contemplating the sleeve surgery as I approach my last month. I know this is such a broad question, but I would like to hear any opinions and experiences, good and bad to help me figure this out. Ultimately I am aware that I should make the decision for myself, but I am kinda torn already being an indecisive individual. I am interested in what made you decide to go for the surgery, how you feel in the weeks right after surgery, does anyone regret their decision, has anyone lost a significant amount of weight prior to surgery and decided not to get it, what are some of/if any complications you have had, and what do u wish u knew before or after the surgery ahead of time? I appreciate your help and opinions, thank you.
Hi Lisa,
I had the sleeve about five months ago. Would do it again in a heart beat. Lost about 70+ pounds, started exercising and eating high-quality food.
But there were some rough patches. The first day after surgery was one of the worst experiences. Pain, disorientation, just plain messed up. But the next day, felt 200% better (as if with the snap of a finger). But didn't enjoy the first week either. Was rough for me. After that (maybe 4 days after surgery), things fell in place. Body kinda bounced back. Other set backs: acne, hair loss, mood swings.
If this reads like a negative experience, it's not.
90% of the experience was overwhelmingly positive. Post-surgery, you can easily say no to most foods. That's priceless. Neednew clothes and love what I see in the mirror.
If you haven't already, you might check out the weight loss surgery videos on YouTube. These helped a lot when I was asking the same questions you are.
All the best to you.
I'm five weeks out, very little pain post surgery, a fair amount of nausea in these first few weeks but that has steadily improved. I felt well at the 2 week mark and went back to work.
I'm 51. I want a long, active life. I just didn't think I had it in me to drop a bazillion pounds and suffer the regain, again. About 10 years ago I dropped all my excess weight thru WW. Within 5 years, I had regained plus an extra 80lbs (smh). Before surgery, I lost 55 pounds on my own --- my body WILL lose weight even without surgery. (Must insert that keeping on track MUCH EASIER after surgery.)
But, it isn't the weight loss part of this that is the most important to me. What is most important is that statistics are now on my side to NOT gain it all back. That is worth giving up 85% of my stomach.
It is a very personal decision --- I wish had done it earlier. Good luck in your journey!
~Shel
HW:361 SW:304 (VSG 12/04/2014)Mo 1:-32 Mo 2:-13.5 Mo 3: -13.5 Mo 4 -9.5 Mo 5: -15 Mo 6: -15 Mo 7: -13.5 Mo 8: -17 Mo 9: -13 Mo 10: -12.5 11/3/2015 Healthy BMI Reached! Mo 11: -9 Mo 12: -8 12/27/2015 Goal Weight Reached!
on 1/10/15 2:21 am, edited 1/10/15 2:22 am
Do you suffer with Gerd or have Diabetes?
"The first thing I do in the morning is brush my teeth and sharpen my tongue." --- Dorothy Parker
"You may not like what I say or how I say it, but it may be just exactly what you need to hear." ---Kathryn White
If you have not done so, please post this on the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG) forum too
HW:330 - GW:150 - MW:118-125
RW:190 - CW:130
I had the RYN done five months ago. I have a total weight loss of 86 pounds with 31 pounds lost pre-op. I too thought about if I could just continue losing without the surgery but I realized that I had success in the past but was never able to maintain it. Statistics show permanent weight loss to be very low without surgery. The first month post op I was sure I had made the biggest mistake of my life! I felt horrible (a lot of low blood sugar symptoms, hard to tolerate what I was told to eat/drink, etc.). Since then, I am learning to trust my body and realize that everyone progresses at different speeds. If I can't tolerate something, I put it on my "off" list of foods and retry it in a month. There are several foods I can now eat that I couldn't before. I view it as progress - it may be slower than others but it is progress. I was at 257 and am now at 171. I don't regret the surgery at all. My goal weight is 125 - 140 and I feel I will achieve that. I had a lot of pain in my knee (prior break that was never treated and didn't heal correctly). I will be 60 in February and felt like 100. I hated how I looked, hated I couldn't buy clothes off the rack, had high BP, was worried about becoming diabetic due to a family history. I wanted a VSG but due to acid reflux they could not do it - it would have made the acid reflux worse. I am still very afraid of "dumping" and read labels religiously keeping sugar to under 7 gms/serving. There are times when I miss being able to eat like others or I will want a certain food that I can't have but those cravings pass and I do a lot of positive self talk. There were things I didn't like pre-op and now post-op the things I don't like are different but I am healthier, I no longer have to do steps one at a time (I can walk up and down them normally), and I have more energy. If I have to do an errand, I don't dread walking in the mall. When I went to visit my son in New York I wasn't anxious about walking to the subways. In terms of what I wish I knew before surgery, I think I miscalculated my recovery time. I have had many surgeries before so thought I would "breeze through" this one and it took me a month to be able to get back to work. I also couldn't tolerate dairy and had one episode of being very sick for several hours. I tried so hard to do what the nutritionists told me to do (ie: consume certain foods in the amounts they said) that I forgot to listen to what my own body was telling me and I ended up with issues twice (light headedness, vomiting, uncontrollable diarrhea, shakiness, headache). Since the second episode, I slowed down and trusted myself more and have not had any really bad days. If I eat too fast and food doesn't digest I will get some pain and vomit mucous (AKA "the foamies" - your body produces saliva to break down the food and if it doesn't pass through your stomach how it should because you didn't chew well enough or ate too much, it builds up in your stomach and you vomit - sorry for the graphics but no one ever explained that to me). Having said that, this is in my control and I now pay closer attention. It is daunting to think about permanently altering your body and should be considered carefully but what I kept telling myself, and still do, is that others have done this successfully and I am just as capable as they are. There are always things you wish for in life that could be different and surgery won't change that but it has given me the tool I need to be able to resist poor food choices. I know this is lengthy but I wanted to make sure to share my experiences as we are all here to help each other. Good luck with your decision.
SHARON
