Question:
Has anyone seriously regretted having the surgery?
I'm considering surgery and wonder if any of you have really wished you never had it done. I'm especially wondering about anyone who REALLY misses the eating they used to do, or is disappointed about not losing as much weight as they hoped. I'm self-pay, so this will cost me a bundle as well as being a big life change. I think it's just jitters, but I have thoughts about never again eating 10 kinds of sushi at one sitting, or cooking a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Am I nuts? — sjwilde (posted on February 19, 2003)
February 19, 2003
NOT ME, I eat what other thin folks do. Watched others on a cruise. I can
eat one or two chocolate chip cookies, before surgery I would eat the
entire box. All that needless worry about I will never be able to eat XXX
again. Just wish I would of done it sooner. Why not get a job at home depot
or something like that covers WLS on their health insurance. Self pay if
you have complications it could bankrupt you.
— bob-haller
February 19, 2003
Nope, don't regret it. I LOVE food, and I'd still do this again in a
SECOND! I'm a slow loser, but that's ok too. I was scared about never
having this or that after surgery, but I don't miss much. I can eat a
couple of cookies too. I eat anything I want, actually, just a fraction of
what I ate before. :) Don't NOT do it because you'll miss food. Most
people are able to eat just about anything within a year's time.
— Diana L.
February 19, 2003
I do not regret having my surgery, I still love food, just in smaller
amounts. There are wonderful sugar free things out there that help with the
sweet cravings. I have to tell you it is a wonderful feeling having control
over how much you eat and actually feeling full when your done. So it may
take you ten days to eat your sushi, but you will still eat it.
Best of luck
— domestic G.
February 19, 2003
The first couple of months I was wondering what I had done to myself but
then things got better. Do I regret having the surgery - no. It was worth
a couple of months of pain and discomfort to finally be thin.
— Patty H.
February 19, 2003
YES, for about 36 seconds in recovery, and its been all thank god I did
this from there.
— MICHAEL Z.
February 19, 2003
Well I am only 6 weeks post op, and although as for weight loss I have done
really well, at this point I am still saying "why did I do this to
myself" logically I know that eventually I will be happy, today is
certainly not that time! I have had many complications, and have a surgeon
who seems less than interested in fixing the problems. He does however
continue to put me on many prescriptions (I am taking more meds now than I
did pre surgery) I am not really missing food so much, as I just want to
feel better. My main advice is to realllllllly check out the surgeon pre
op.
Judi
— Judi S.
February 19, 2003
hi
the first mo i would say i wish i never had it done i should of stuck to
weight watchers as they give you so much more food to eat, but now i am 9
mos out lost 107 lbs and i feel great and yes i would do it again its just
getting thru that first mo that is bad but you get your life back and all
my medical promblems went away. good luck /write back if you would like
— ROSEMARY A.
February 19, 2003
I have not once felt any type of regret for having this surgery done. This
is the BEST thing I have ever done for myself...I just wish I would have
done it sooner!!
— Kelly T.
February 19, 2003
I've said it before and I'll say it again..I would be the first in line to
have this surgery again if I had to. The first few weeks aren't fun and
they aren't easy, but never for an instant did I regret having it done. I
am about 5 and a half months post-op, at my goal weight of 130 pounds and
wearing a size 6. There is no way in the world that would have ever been
possible if it weren't for the gift of modern medicine and for that I am
eternally grateful.
— Samantha S.
February 19, 2003
the first 6-8 weeks were hellish and I regretted it many times, as i was
sipping water and gurgling, hating sf jello with a passion, hurting, having
muscle spasms in my tummy, and soooo tired. then it all turned around. I
have more energy than I have had in 20+ years. i move easier, I am down
>70# in 5 months, I am from a size 30 to a 18-20, I sleep better, my
aches and pains are sooo much better, my back doesn't hurt, my severly
damaged achilles tendon is 80% better. I was taking pain meds every single
day for it preop and none at all now. I am off blood pressure meds. I feel
FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No regrets just gratitude for my health back
— **willow**
February 19, 2003
i forgot to say I had all the same worries, I was questioning if I could
stand never eating a christmas cookie again, (my fav peanut blossoms) found
I can eat one but it doesnt taste as good as it used to. I also found that
with chewing much more thoroughly, some things really are not as good as I
thought they were. I am stuffed after 4 pcs. sushi, and don't feel at all
deprived. It was hard to imagine that I would be satisfied with that preop,
but the little pouch fills fast and since I am full , not hungry all the
time as on diets I really truely don't feel deprived.
— **willow**
February 19, 2003
Hi. I am, one week post op. During this past week I have been very
discouraged and worried that I may have made a mistake! (Especially with
girl scout cookies just out!) I have to say though that I think I have
turned a minor corner and don't feel quite so badly. I was able to eat 3
pretzels on tuesday by softening them up considerably before swallowing
but still, they were something 'normal' that I had not had and that made me
feel good. I was feeling sorry for myself because I was missing the cookies
and valentine candy etc. but now I am feeling like things will work out
fine. I don't believe that I am a dumper so that helps too! I know that
things will get better and that I will soon be able to eat whatever I want
only in much smaller portions (2 tbsp. for me now)! Plus... I lost 6 lbs
the first week including 15 lbs on the liquid diet that I was on for 2
weeks pre op!
— Wendi B.
February 19, 2003
The 1st 4 months after my surgery were pure hell!! I hated that I'd done
this to myself. I blamed everybody else and myself for doing such a stupid
thing. I knew life would never be normal again and I'd rather be dead
because of it. I honestly didn't realize how much control food actually had
over me. I was constantly sick in the beginning and all I wanted was my
food to make me feel better and I couldn't have it. I hope to eventually
block those memories. They are the worst of my life. But in my 5th month..
everything changed!! It was like I woke up one morning and everything was
all better! I've lost 160 pounds to date, I have an new man in my life and
sure I still have problems from the surgery(hair loss, tremors, n/v) but I
don't use food anymore. With anti-depressants and therapy I've learned how
to deal w/ my issues. I'm not perfect and I will never be, but each day I
learn something new about myself. Something that was always there but I
never knew about. I get stronger each and everyday. So do I regret it now?
HELL NO!! I love my life right now and it's all thanks to the surgery!! I
have pics on my profile and pics at picturetrail if anybody wants to see!
Good luck and God Bless. You will make the right decision.
— Diana L.
February 20, 2003
Sandra, I am losing slowly after surgery and have no regrets. (I am 47
years old and have been overweight at least 40 of those years, so I don't
expect those fat cells to give up and go away overnight!) You will be very
surprised how this affects the way you react to food after you have
surgery! One of my favorite restaurants is a Chinese buffet! Instead of
loading my plate now, I try a few little piece of chicken and a few
vegetables, maybe half a bowl of soup. A bite of sushi does it (looks
wasteful, but hey, I am paying the same as the next person; they don't give
any price breaks for those who have had WLS.) As far as baking a bunch of
cookies, I've done that. We have 4 birthdays in the space of 2 weeks (and
now my son's girlfriend's mother's birthday is in the same time period - I
made 5 birthday cakes!) I just don't eat the whole cake or a bunch of the
cookies. I savor food more rather than gobbling it down. I have found
that I like to try new recipes - and my family likes that. I do still have
thoughts about sitting down with a bag of Doritos and going to town, but I
just can't do it anymore and I truthfully don't miss that. I can eat a few
and I am satisfied, not necessarily full. A warm chocolate chip cookie
straight out of the oven - yum! One or two little ones will do it, now.
Food is our best friend and our worst enemy. Surgery has given me the
tools to make it easier for me to control. Recognizing you have these
thoughts about food before surgery is good. I think you will do just fine
with surgery. As you lose weight the power of food has less of a hold on
your mind. Good luck. No regrets here at all!
— koogy
February 20, 2003
I don't regret having this surgery, I regret not having this surgery
sooner.
— salymsmommy
February 20, 2003
Sandra, I think you are very smart to think carefully about all these
issues before you make the decision whether to have this surgery. Too many
rush into this surgery thinking that this is the cure-all for their weight
problems only to find out a year or two down the road that they CAN and DO
regain the weight. It is a huge life change, and while most of us are very
happy we had it, those of us who are a year or more out realize that it is
WORK and committment to keep the loss going and to maintain the loss. I am
a year out and very happy I had it but very aware that if I eat too much of
the wrong things, I gain! I have to exercise and eat right for the rest of
my life if I want to keep the weight off. Its a huge committment and if I
don't I will end up like I was a year ago-fat and very unhappy. Yes, I
sometimes miss the eating I used to do, especially when I end up at a
buffet (not by choice) and can only sample a few things and just a few
bites of each. And there are some favorite foods I can no longer eat, like
Chinese food-its different for everyone. But if I wanted some sushi or a
chocolate chip cookie or two I could have it, just not the whole batch! So
think carefully and don't have this surgery unless you are willing to eat
differently and make life style changes for the rest of your life.
— Cindy R.
February 20, 2003
Hi Sandra. I am self pay also, close to $27,000.00 for pre op tests, the
surgeons, and the hospital stay. Then there are constant blood tests, post
op that are not cheap, not to forget all the costly meds prescriptions the
doc sends you home with! With that said, and almost constant puking, YES, I
would have this surgery all over again!! I am now 4 months out, and seldom
is there a day I do not puke, some times as much as 4 times daily. It is
not the surgery, it is me, after being so used to eating so much food and
in such a hurry, I still can't seem to get it through my head, I have a 2
oz. pouch, that only wants 2 ozs. of food! I feel good, and I look good..
have gone from a tight 22 to a loose 16 thus far.. 5'10"..and lost 65
lbs. The surgery is the BEST thing I could have done for myself, even
though it is not the easiest thing. I have no regrets even though it does
pain me to be around family food gatherings. LOL
— kd
February 20, 2003
I have a friend who is reconsidering surgery because he won't be able to
eat the way he used to. I told him that if he still wants to eat that way
(which is what got him to 400lbs in the first place) then he's not ready
for WLS. It's not just the surgery, but the realization that food will
have a different meaning for us in the future. It has been really, really
hard for me to face my eating issues and my relationship with food. I was
also worried about not getting to have my ice cream every week. But DUH!!
It is this behavior and reliance on food to make me happy that needs to
change. Please think long and hard about what you're about to do to
yourself. I have chosen WLS because I CANNOT CONTINUE to eat the way I
used to. It will kill me. This is a very, very serious thing to do to
your body - it's a life commitment, not a quick way to lose. Good Luck!!
— toolio
February 20, 2003
From the original poster: Thanks so much for all your kind and useful
responses. It made me cry to see so much care and concern. You've also
really answered my question: People DON'T miss the eating they used to do
to an extent that makes them regret the surgery. I know that many of you
have also had eating issues your entire lives and it's thrilling to see the
courage that all of you have shown.
Sandra
— sjwilde
February 20, 2003
I have been getting ready for the surgery my whole life it seems. I am a
huge believer in Overeaters Annonymous. It is a Twelve step prgram for
people with eating disorders. It has saved my life! It has gotten me ready
to take this huge step. The food is not about the food, it is about the
emotions that drive you to it. I have been focused on getting to the bottom
of these issues and then the physical..if anyone wants to learn more go to
oa.com...or contact me, i would love to chat more about it...f
— florence H.
February 20, 2003
I don't have any regrets, but I have a response to someone who stated that
they told a friend that if they were not ready to give up on their old
eating habits, then they were not ready for the surgery. Before I had my
surgery, I definitely did not want to give up eating large amounts of food.
Still, I was on the verge of being an invalid at the age of 35. I might
not have wanted to, but I NEEDED too and that was the point of the surgery,
to make me do something that I really did not want and didn't have the
willpower to do, so that I can save my life. It took months before I can
honestly say that nothing tastes as good as being thin does. That doesn't
mean that I don't sometimes feel bad that I cannot eat like I used to. I
do, but I am also glad I cannot eat the way I used to.
— Lisa N M.
February 20, 2003
To quote a friend of mine - "Nothing tastes as good as thinness
feels" I have NO regrets!
— Shannon H.
February 20, 2003
Hi, I'm a little over 3 weeks post-op and starting to feel better about my
decision as each day passes. Right after surgery I questioned why I ever
would intentionally put myself through something like this but with each
day it gets better. And food is not the main focus in my life, I actually
could care less if I eat anymore. And take this from someone who was
excited to be at home for a few hours by myself so I could eat and eat and
eat without my husband asking what the heck was I doing? I was a food
addict and after the initial shock that I couldn't do that anymore, I am
just fine. I have gotten myself on a schedule now so that I do make sure to
eat three meals a day, otherwise I probably wouldn't be. So, it is a major
life change, but a change for the better. And, one bite of a cookie is just
as good as a whole batch now, you'll see. Good Luck!
— Dee ,.
February 20, 2003
This is the best decision I ever made in my life. I felt exactly how you
do before the surgery. I just about changed my mind at least 1000 times.
Don't think that you will never have any of your favorite things again, it
will just be in healthy amounts. I still bake my kids cookies, now though
I just eat one instead of 10, but I am OK with it because I feel like I ate
10. I am 9 months post op down 124 pounds. I went from a size 24 to a 4
most of that in the first six months. I feel like a new person. I had
forgotten what healthy felt like. I run and play with my kids and I am an
active participant in their lives now. Before I was watching them grow up.
Please read my profile. I think it will ake you feel better.
— Linda A.
July 22, 2003
To be completely honest, I think most people don't regret it until you have
blood transfusions from anemia or marginal ulcers or something. I'm 3 yrs
out and just now really having problems. I've had some regrets but I know
that it helped me more than it hurt me. I won't say it's the perfect
surgery but if your going to die from being overwieght the surgery is well
worth the risk.
— robin T.
October 29, 2003
But to directly answer you, Yes I have regrets. I lost only 60 lbs. and
it has disabled my digestive system to the point that I do not aborb any
iron. Blood transfusions could be around the corner. I know everyone will
get mad for me being honest but it's the truth. I have a 4 oz. pouch and
eat healthier than anyone I know but have become "unhealthy" due
to the surgery. But I am suppose to be a small number of people this
happens to.
— robin T.
Click Here to Return