Sleeve operation any regret?

[Andie1962]

Hi everyone I am due to have my sleeve op in August can you tell me whether you feel it was the right decision to have the sleeve ?
Has anyone encountered any major problems? I want to go throughout this process with my eyes opened as I am getting a lot of negativity from immediate family eg my sisters because they really don't understand how having wls surgery is not an easy decision .
They keep telling me how worried they are which is now making me feel not so confident about everything.
Please be honest as your comments will really help.

Thanks

Androulla

 

[emma-louise]

Hi everyone I am due to have my sleeve op in August can you tell me whether you feel it was the right decision to have the sleeve ? Has anyone encountered any major problems? I want to go throughout this process with my eyes opened as I am getting a lot of negativity from immediate family eg my sisters because they really don't understand how having wls surgery is not an easy decision . They keep telling me how worried they are which is now making me feel not so confident about everything. Please be honest as your comments will really help. Thanks Androulla

Hi,
I've had a bypass I'm coming up to 4 yrs post op on the nhs..
Someone close in my family was mortified I was having this done and quite jealous,so they rushed into have a sleeve done privately,I think she didn't want to be the only big one in the family.
Im still maintaining at 12/14,however her weight hasn't changed..
I think with the sleeve,you have to work harder with it to get results.
The bypass is more extreme but in the first year the weight practically drops off,and then the hard work begins when the honeymoon is over.
The sleeve you don't have to be as strict with vitamins etc,the bypass you do,I have become deficient in some areas.
So think about the bigger picture and what you want nobody else matters x good luck

 

[Smallerme]

No regrets whatsoever. I'm 9mths post op sleeve. It's a big adjustment at first but now what I eat feels normal. I am so glad I had it done.

 

[delicateorchid]

Im hoping to be bypassed in August. I am just waiting for a set date. Good Luck to you

 

[purplepansyem]

I'm also having a sleeve in August and my dietitian told me that you have to look at the sleeve as a tool for weight loss. Initially, it will force you to lose weight but you will still have to watch what you eat and become more aware of things like protein, sugars, carbs etc.

Basically, we are changing our eating habits completely with the added help of a sleeve. I believe that you HAVE to go into the op with the conviction that the sleeve is a weight loss aid and not a solution to our weight loss problems.

My dietitian also told me that the sleeve CAN enable you to lose a significant amount of weight - it might come off slower than a bypass and it WILL go back on if we don't eat right and cut out all the crap.

If you go to the gastric sleeve/FAQS section on the site, you'll find a thread called 'Best and worst bits about having the sleeve'.

Hope this helps.

 

[Matra]

No regrets what so ever Andi. I'm 6 months post sleeve and other than an initial blip with a post op bleed i have had an incredibly easy journey. I'm down 7 stone in 6 months but I very much consider this the honeymoon period. I feel that my real journey will begin when the maintenance part starts and I do see how easy it could be to stray.

 

[Madcatwoman]

Hi I had a sleeve 14 months ago and have lost 7 stone. Still need to lose 3 stone and have been stuck for a while however I don't regret it and yes you do have to work harder after the first 9 months but still the best thing I ever did x

 

[Andie1962]

Thank you ladies for your honest and open comments Can't wait to join you all on the losers bench xxx

 

[Wireman]

Hi Andie

I was sleeved only five days ago. It is both painful and uncomfortable at the moment and I do not like the fluid diet. I have been depressed yesterday and today. I went into this with my eyes open and was warned by my surgeon that my long list of illnesses would make this far worse for me than would be normal. Would I have decided different if I knew this would be this painful for me. NO! I would still choose the sleeve. The difference this will make to my life in the long run will be worth it.

 

[marcusbm]

@wireman firstly congrats and welcome to the losers bench. If all goes well I'll join you on Wednesday.

May I ask which conditions caused the problems you describe?

 

[Wireman]

Hi Marcusbm

I have a severe form of fibromyalgia and a lot of peripheral nerve damage which basically gives me a regular daily pain scale of 7 out of 10 coupled with being exausted. I spend most of my time in an electric wheelchair. Just for good measure I have a form of bipolar and Diabetes 2, Insulin Controlled, High blood pressure, Sleep Apnoea, Hard of Hearing / Tinnitus, Orthostatic Hypotension, Pitted Oedema legs hands and feet, Gastroesophageal Reflux, High cholesterol and Low Vitamin D.

 

[marcusbm]

Have hypermobility syndrome (severe fibromyalgia with hypermobile joints) but am not in a pain/fog soju at the moment - a four year spike ended a few months ago. Fortunately I don't have diabetes I apnoea (otherwise NHS would have been an option). As I don't suffer from dislocations I could get about with crutches during the spike (I tried a wheelchair but it was useless as I couldn't self propel and didn't know anyone willing to assist) but now can walk up to two miles post spike. I also have controlled hypertension, costochondritis and some tendon problems.

 

[marcusbm]

I also have low vitamin D but don't have POTS.

 

[Wireman]

we all have a large share of illnesses that demonstrate to the obese haters that being large makes you ill. No one ever seemed to understand; yes I have always been heavy but not obese. My illnesses came first and the pounds pilled on after the 15 or so medications.

 

[Andie1962]

we all have a large share of illnesses that demonstrate to the obese haters that being large makes you ill. No one ever seemed to understand; yes I have always been heavy but not obese. My illnesses came first and the pounds pilled on after the 15 or so medications.

It's so true illness usually comes first then the weight piles on . I am hoping that by losing weight I won't be in so much pain as I have very arthritic Knees. Hats off to you though as you have more than your fair share of pain .Your very brave to go through the operation knowing that your recovery time might take longer. Good luck to what will be a healthy and hopefully less painful future for you .

 

[Wireman]

Thank you Andie

today was slightly better for me. I have not kept any nourishment in me since the op. after talking to the nurse in charge today I was told to add water to the formulas not milk.
It seems to be working and have kept liquid food in me today. first time in nearly a week. Also the only pain relief they gave me was calpol I find it to sweet. I have been given another type of liquid painkiller today. Still paracetamol based. They have stopped my Tramadol which i took for several years because of a possibly contra indication. My gp knew about as did I but we just kept an eye out for the problem.

 

[Andie1962]

Any regrets

Was wondering if any of you have any regrets about having the sleeve or is it the best thing you have done. I am having my op soon and I am wondering if I should give it one last shot to try myself as I have lost a stone in 2 weeks on the pre op diet and I feel then maybe if I carry on eating healthy I can get down to a healthier weight myself.
The reason why I am feeling like this is I am very worried of not being able to enjoy food the way I have all my life. It's not even about eating loads it's more about not being able to enjoy the different types of foods.
I am so confused because although most of you on this forum are very positive I have read on other forums about people having various problems after surgery and that scares me more than being fat.
My sister has lost 7 stone on slimming world and she looks amazing and she said to me that how do I feel about not being able to eat normally ever again?
Please can you give me your honest opinions about your own wls experience and if you could turn the clock back would you have tried harder to do it yourself
I am 19 stone and 5/6

Thanks for your support everyone I am so confused

 

[Stacey83]

I'm a total foody and I love food and 3 months out although I'm having a few issues I don't regret a thing. It's the best decision I've ever made. I can eat most things and for me it's about flavour and texture rather than quantity. A mouthful of something delicious and nutritious can taste just as good as a giant bowl of something average. It's hard to explain but my tastes have totally changed too.
Things I used to love now seem a bit gross and I'm not onto them at all, for example I've gone off eggs completely, can't even look at scrambled eggs! How strange is that?
I know from my pre op dietician talk I was a little worried but last night I had cucumber with skin, tomatoes with skin and on Saturday evening I had tuna sweetcorn and I've been fine.
I guess you need to ask yourself if slimming world or whatever diet you've tried in the past was going to work for you why hasn't it? How have you got to 19 stone if these diets could work for you? Sorry to be so blatant but for some of us we need a little help from surgery - it's not the solution, it's part of the journey and it's by no means an easy way out. It's hard work, commitment and determination. The thing is though, you lose most of your appetite and 3/4 of your stomach is gone forever so it is a long term solution with no reason to ever go back to food.
For me my sleeve has given me freedom from food - the fridge doesn't talk to me begging me to eat at 1am, I don't comfort eat, I can't boredom eat. Now food is about fuel for my body and making sure I have the right combo to keep it up and running.

I started a webpage which has some of my post op kitchen creations as well as an honest post about my sleeve you might find it interesting as someone who loves food

www.staceyinthekitchen.wordpress.com

As you'll see I am now about nutrition and making it work for me.

I hope my ramblings have helped a little, I know it's terrifying and scary but imagine being free of food and never being obese again - that's quite an awesome opportunity!

Stacey xx

 

[Andie1962]

I'm a total foody and I love food and 3 months out although I'm having a few issues I don't regret a thing. It's the best decision I've ever made. I can eat most things and for me it's about flavour and texture rather than quantity. A mouthful of something delicious and nutritious can taste just as good as a giant bowl of something average. It's hard to explain but my tastes have totally changed too. Things I used to love now seem a bit gross and I'm not onto them at all, for example I've gone off eggs completely, can't even look at scrambled eggs! How strange is that? I know from my pre op dietician talk I was a little worried but last night I had cucumber with skin, tomatoes with skin and on Saturday evening I had tuna sweetcorn and I've been fine. I guess you need to ask yourself if slimming world or whatever diet you've tried in the past was going to work for you why hasn't it? How have you got to 19 stone if these diets could work for you? Sorry to be so blatant but for some of us we need a little help from surgery - it's not the solution, it's part of the journey and it's by no means an easy way out. It's hard work, commitment and determination. The thing is though, you lose most of your appetite and 3/4 of your stomach is gone forever so it is a long term solution with no reason to ever go back to food. For me my sleeve has given me freedom from food - the fridge doesn't talk to me begging me to eat at 1am, I don't comfort eat, I can't boredom eat. Now food is about fuel for my body and making sure I have the right combo to keep it up and running. I started a webpage which has some of my post op kitchen creations as well as an honest post about my sleeve you might find it interesting as someone who loves food www.staceyinthekitchen.wordpress.com As you'll see I am now about nutrition and making it work for me. I hope my ramblings have helped a little, I know it's terrifying and scary but imagine being free of food and never being obese again - that's quite an awesome opportunity! Stacey xx

Thank you Stacey I feel so scared all of a sudden (cry)it's probably just nerves and you are right in everything that you said
Thanks for the link to the website xxx

 

[Stacey83]

When's your surgery? Feeling anxious is totally normal - I had a freak out walking to theatre but made myself keep walking xx