Buyers Remorse?

[uglyduck16]

At some point in the first month after gastric bypass surgery, nearly everyone has at least one moment of “oh, my God what have I DONE?”

When I woke up from my op, that is exactly what I thought! I had all these thoughts wondering if I had done the right thing.....

I’ve mentioned this elsewhere, but it bears repeating. You will be amazed at how much thought and effort you are now putting into consuming 64oz of water, 60+ grams of protein, plus daily calcium, multivitamin and iron supplements.

When I went for my consultation, they told me that I could eat anything in monderation and that I didn't need to follow any special diet - I beilieved them and after the op I followed thier advice. I then lost a lot of muscle tone because I was loosing a lot of weight so quickly and not eating the correct nutrition. It ended with me spending a month in hospital after hurting my pelvis. I saw a dietician there and she advised that I should be eating 60-100g of protein every day in my diet --- I did not know this and had not been doing this, I am now though. I am having to think about the foods that I eat so much more, and eat foods that are high in protein. I do not regret having the op done though, even though I have had a lot of these thoughs when I was in hospital!! I have lost 8stone and am now nearly at a healthy BMI - it has totally changed my life for the better.

But if you’re still on the other side of the knife, I hope this has opened your eyes. Gastric bypass surgery is NOT the easy way out. It’s NOT all sunshine and roses. It’s an incredibly huge life change, and it can be downright traumatic.

I agree - Gastric surgery is definately not the easy way out, and should only be considered it if you have tried all other options but it can change your life for the better. Not all people understand, and think it is 'cheating' but that is just a load of cr*p and makes me really sad and angry when they don't understand and say that they think it can be done through healthy eating and exercise especially when they have seen me struggle half my life with my weight and try every diet that is out there and fail them. This is the only thing that has ever worked for me and it has totally boosted my self-esteem, as well as being good for my health. It is so good to be able to walk into a shop and have a choice of trendy clothes - it just rocks!!!

 

[phatgirl]

This post is a good reality check for those who are only thinking about the end result and not the difficult journey that gets you there.

That said some of us do have a relatively easy time of it, some never get sick, some never feel post-op blues, some never dump, some don't battle with emotional eating, etc. Every journey is different but I will say this one thing, I rarely if ever find someone who wishes they had never had their bypass. I have come across many people with various different struggles and complications, and mostly even they say they are not sorry they had their bypass. They mostly wish that they had been better prepared emotionally or better informed about nutrition.

Thanks for the post Kat, it is a really good one for people to read.

Nic

 

[Katastrophe]

It may also be worth showing to ur nearest and dearest to help them understand a little of what u r going through/ gonna go through and that u r vreally not an alien!

Funnily enough i sent this to a couple of my closest friends and family yesterday, hopefully it'll help them understand a little more and in turn help me to cope with it.

Uglyduck:

It's so disappointing when people think this is classed as "cheating" ... What are we cheating at ? Trying to make our lives better, longer, healthier and happier?

And who do they think we're cheating exactly -certainly not them and definately not ourselves

 

[uglyduck16]

Uglyduck:
It's so disappointing when people think this is classed as "cheating" ... What are we cheating at ? Trying to make our lives better, longer, healthier and happier?

And who do they think we're cheating exactly -certainly not them and definately not ourselves

Thank you... I think my aunt is actually jelouse because I am slimmer than her now and have found something that works for me and she is still struggling with her weight, but her comments did still hurt tbh. xxxxx

 

[ChefClay]

Really interesting post, during the last 12 months I have met many 'Banders' who regret their Wls choice, but not one person who has had the 'Bypass'!! Regards - Paul x

 

[petshell]

fabulous article. Food for thought x I know I am going to be on a rollercoaster ride. But I also know that as time goes on now matter how long the rollrcoaster ride is, I will be slimmer xx
Shelley

 

[emergingbutterfly]

This is an excellent thread, thank you for posting the article. Whilst I am one of the very lucky one and have so far experienced very little problems I still was nodding my head reading the article. I had dreams of eating an egg a few weeks after the op and yes I too was sick. I also couldnt wait to drink a cup of tea but it just made me gag and still does 10 weeks post op.

It took me to this week to stop feeling so shattered and drained and I miss sparkling water like mad but all in all I never had one single second of regret. Not even when I had to drag my very patient friends to three different restuarants today before I found something I could eat safely. I researched the op so much before hand that I think I was expecting the worse case scenario in everything so any little blips along the way have been nothing compared to what I expected. In fact at the moment I am still very excited about my wonderful bypass and every day I experience something new because of it.

 

[rambo]

a truly interesting read for all especially pre opp certain to get the mind in gear for the road ahead, i,m sure we should all know this is no walk in the park and there will be bad days ahead ,but myself i believe its a journey i have to make come hell or high water i need this opp and will take each day as it comes,
great insight to what living with a bypass can be like

 

[ladylite]

Thank you for that it really has helped me get things into perspective and seems a really honest account of what can or may happen.

Still want to go through with it. Got my daughter to read it too just so she knows what will happen to me after.

 

[Katastrophe]

Thanks Ladylite.. Just to let you know i'm a week post op now and haven't regretted it for a second...Still early days i know though

 

[Eamonn]

OMG What have i signed up for ... very interesting read thanks for posting, but i think no matter how hard the journey the destination will be worth it, I've always been big, so any weight loss will be good but the thing that i am most looking forward to is being healthy, and not having to take a handful of pills every day with all the side effects they bring, and having to jab myself umpteen times a day with Insulin. being able to walk my dogs with getting out of breath after a few yards, fitting in a airline seat and not having to ask for a seat belt extender.
I am quite lucky as i have a very happy disposition and always find the best in any situation, and although i enjoy food i don't think I'll have many problems with the changes, well i hope i wont, BTW when the physiatrist asked me what i saw when i looked in the mirror, i said Good Looking Fat Bloke, made her smile, and i am the ideal weight if i was 11ft tall lol as in life mind no pain no gain, I've already made my mind up that the long term benefits far outweigh the short term risks and problems, but I've printed the article out for my wife and family to read.. just in case i get Grumpy lol..
Eamonn

 

[blueeyes]

This is a really great post! Thanks for sharing it with the rest of us. I am pre-op and I strive to have a complete picture of what is to come, warts and all!

I went to a 'Streamline' surgery seminar (Shaw Somers' company) the other day and it was ALL positive! Now I know better than this because I've been doing a lot of research, however I did take the surgeon aside afterwards and told him that it's a little too blueeyed (pardon the pun) for my liking. They don't need to 'sell' the operation, they shouldn't anyway. People who show up at these information seminars are probably quite aware of the benefits of having bariatric surgery, so it is most important to let them know about the risks and the possible complications that can arise after surgery.

There were three former patients present (all 20+ months post op) and again, everyone was only focusing on the wonderful journey they've had and how happy and thin they are now. Not a single 'bad' event or complication was mentioned. That's just unrealistic.

Reading this post doesn't make me feel differently about the operation. I'm quite prepared for all this and more, knowing that ultimately I am doing the right thing for myself, even if my body puts up a bit of protest at first! We'll both get used to it and hopefully we'll be healthier eventually.

What came to my mind straight after I read this post was that I could write a post just as long about the trials and struggles that I go through every single day of my life, being at this enormous weight. It affects every single area of my life, my relationships with friends, family, my job, my self esteem. I suffer mentally, physically, emotionally and have been for about 20 years. I would easily say that this is a lot worse than what I will go through after the operation. A lot worse. And I've been feeling so helpless. Sometimes it's just too much to even think about.

This operation, I believe, is exactly the help I need. And yes it comes with side effects, big changes in eating habits, pain and discomfort, changes in relationships, but it also comes with improved health and self esteem which will have a positive effect on my entire life.

It's a no brainer.

 

[smilergem]

Hi blueeyes, just to thank you for a fantastic post to this thread. It is very good of you to be so honest, and I am sure many of us can identify with the problems you have with every day life. I am due to have a bypass in the next couple of months, and yes I feel scared and worried about the pain afterwards and how my life will change and my eating habits, but I just can't go on at the weight I am, my life is miserable, I don't go out, I hate socialising, am in pain etc etc so I know this op is my only option for a better quality of life.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts xxxxx

 

[blueeyes]

@smilergem: You're very welcome! Good luck!

Hi blueeyes, just to thank you for a fantastic post to this thread. It is very good of you to be so honest, and I am sure many of us can identify with the problems you have with every day life. I am due to have a bypass in the next couple of months, and yes I feel scared and worried about the pain afterwards and how my life will change and my eating habits, but I just can't go on at the weight I am, my life is miserable, I don't go out, I hate socialising, am in pain etc etc so I know this op is my only option for a better quality of life.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts xxxxx

 

[ladylew]

blueeyes, great post, wondered if you could PM would like to ask you something if poss x