The worst part for me was the 4 day pre-op liquid diet I had to do. Also the weeks right after surg are not really fun, since you are relearning to eat. I am only 3 months out but I have lost 50lbs since surg and feal excellent! I would do it again in a snap. It has deff been a life change but SOOOOOOO worth it. Good Luck in you journey!

I have had no negatives that would prevent me from doing it again. I had to have my gall bladder removed at 3 months out. Apparently it did not appreciate the rapid weight loss. My hair thinned..but the thinning has stopped now and I have tons of new growth coming in. I am starting to resemble a melting candle and I definitely see some plastics in my future...but thats ok too!

If you think you only dump on "prohibited foods", you are wrong!! I have dumped on greek yogurt. Yes, you can MINIMIZE your chances of negative side effects and complications by following the program, but it is NOT a guarentee. It's easy at 2 months/6 months/one year to say "I will never eat xyz again" or "I will never do abc again" but that is not realistic. You have to learn how to eat relatively normally again without gaining...no one can live on protein shakes or chicken breasts or whatever the "high protein/low carb" trend of the day is for the rest of their life. You will want to eat pasta if you visit italy; your favorite dessert on your birthday....YOU WILL. The key is learning how to do it in moderation, for treats or special occasions, without gaining weight.

I have had my ups and downs; two complications requiring additional surgery (internal hernia and bowel obstruction) but even with those I would do it again. I am ELEVEN years post op and I am here to tell you that WLS will not cure your obesity; that requires diligence every day. It is easy to regain your weight, all or part, even eating the right foods. Over time you WILL be able to eat like a normal person; not like your pre-op self, but in such a way that those watching you would have no idea you had WLS.

If you think you only dump on "prohibited foods", you are wrong!! I have dumped on greek yogurt. Yes, you can MINIMIZE your chances of negative side effects and complications by following the program, but it is NOT a guarentee. It's easy at 2 months/6 months/one year to say "I will never eat xyz again" or "I will never do abc again" but that is not realistic. You have to learn how to eat relatively normally again without gaining...no one can live on protein shakes or chicken breasts or whatever the "high protein/low carb" trend of the day is for the rest of their life. You will want to eat pasta if you visit italy; your favorite dessert on your birthday....YOU WILL. The key is learning how to do it in moderation, for treats or special occasions, without gaining weight.

I have had my ups and downs; two complications requiring additional surgery (internal hernia and bowel obstruction) but even with those I would do it again. I am ELEVEN years post op and I am here to tell you that WLS will not cure your obesity; that requires diligence every day. It is easy to regain your weight, all or part, even eating the right foods. Over time you WILL be able to eat like a normal person; not like your pre-op self, but in such a way that those watching you would have no idea you had WLS.
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Nothing is a guarantee. So I just do what I can to minimize any adverse reactions. For me, that means following the recommendations. I realize that I'm just getting started in a lifelong journey but I still wouldn't change my decision for any reason!

What is the honeymoon period?

I am a food gulper. I eat fast and as a result have had multiple episodes of puking up my food. I hate it. So when I am having one of those episodes, I am cursing the fact that I ever got banded. But it was so worth it. With the band I have lost less weight but for me the slower gradual weight loss is best.

What is the honeymoon period?

It is the time right after your surgery, usually up to 1 year.
It is the time when you are diligent and work hard toward your weight loss, it is the time before you learn how to eat around your surgery or develop any bad habits again.

For me, I consider dumping a blessing. I can no longer eat like I used to, and I hope this lasts FOREVER. It's pretty much trial and error in the beginning. I can't eat really spicy stuff anymore, but I'm OK with that. Here are some of the negatives I have experienced so far:

1. 3 week post-surgery liquid diet. That sucked.
2. Hair loss, which freaked me out, but it is growing back now. (Biotin has helped tremendously.)
3. Gas
4. Constipation
5. And last but certainly not least, intestinal blockage due to adhesions. Now, this REALLY sucked, especially considering it happened almost exactly 6 months after my surgery, on Christmas eve. I needed an emergency surgery because I had scar tissue (from the original surgery) in my small intestine that caused it to twist and block. This is potentially a LIFE THREATENING situation. If you feel pain in your intestines the first thing you tell the ER to check for is INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE. Had I not known that, I could have died. Oh, and FORCE them to give you a CAT scan. If they don't offer to do it when you get there and are in excruciating pain, DEMAND IT. It's the quickest and most accurate test they can do to detect a blockage.

But I have to say, after 94 Lbs lost, I feel great now and I would still do it all over again - even with the things that sucked about it. :bigsmile:

Wow. Regrets? None. Only that I didn't do it sooner. My pre op diet was only for a week and I got to drink 3 very delicious orange cream shakes each day and eat a very healthy dinner. No problem there. Bonus--I lost 14 pounds that week. Surgery was a breeze (roux en y) and zero complications after. Home the next day and recovery was also a breeze. Have never vomited, no nausea, no dumping. No hair loss either. I learned the diet and practiced it all before the surgery (for months) and it's all a piece of cake. I have an awesome surgeon who takes all the time in the world I need with me and my dietitian is absolutely great. The health benefits of the surgery--type I diabetes very improved--insulin use down from155+ plus per day to about 25, cholesterol and blood pressure perfect. No more sleep apnea--cpap is packed up and gone. Down 7 pant sizes in 5 months. Kidney function is up from 52% to 88%. I see no negatives here. I guess if you are a person who can't handle daily moderate exercise and giving up those "old" foods that got you fat in the first place, surgery might not be the way to go. Me, I only regret is that I got fat in the first place.

I had the sleeve done 3 years ago. Lost all the weight in 10 months and have been maintaining ever since. No negatives. I'm thin, I'm an avid runner, I have a closet full of really nice clothing all of which fits me season after season and I'm healthy. What's not to love?

Everything else...the initial getting used to the small stomach, the fake protein foods...all that stuff...just phases not negatives. I don't even think the negative people are negatives...you know the ones..."I knew someone who died..." WHATEVER. My life, my choices, couldn't care any less than I do now if others approve or not of my decision.

Like someone else said, now I'm just a normal person controlling my weight. And...I was self pay too and am still paying it off. I'd do it all over again.

For me, I consider dumping a blessing. I can no longer eat like I used to, and I hope this lasts FOREVER. It's pretty much trial and error in the beginning. I can't eat really spicy stuff anymore, but I'm OK with that. Here are some of the negatives I have experienced so far:

1. 3 week post-surgery liquid diet. That sucked.
2. Hair loss, which freaked me out, but it is growing back now. (Biotin has helped tremendously.)
3. Gas
4. Constipation
5. And last but certainly not least, intestinal blockage due to adhesions. Now, this REALLY sucked, especially considering it happened almost exactly 6 months after my surgery, on Christmas eve. I needed an emergency surgery because I had scar tissue (from the original surgery) in my small intestine that caused it to twist and block. This is potentially a LIFE THREATENING situation. If you feel pain in your intestines the first thing you tell the ER to check for is INTESTINAL BLOCKAGE. Had I not known that, I could have died. Oh, and FORCE them to give you a CAT scan. If they don't offer to do it when you get there and are in excruciating pain, DEMAND IT. It's the quickest and most accurate test they can do to detect a blockage.

But I have to say, after 94 Lbs lost, I feel great now and I would still do it all over again - even with the things that sucked about it. :bigsmile:

I, as well, had this exact complication (#5) - but mine was three years - almost to the day - post op gastric bypass. Because I was so far out I never would have thought that this was the cause of my excrutiating pain. My fiance was 4 months post sleeve and immediately voiced concern to the ER Dr that it could be a complication of RNY. Even after a week of HELL and the worst experiences of my entire 34 years of living - would I have Bypass again tomorrow and take that risk again -- YES YES YES!

Yep all the bumps in the road were worth the weight loss and changed life!! I too would do it again!

I am just a year post op from sleeve and didn't experience anything negative. Yes the first couple months post op were rough but things got better. I can eat about anything but just in small portions. It isn't a magic wand but a tool and if used correctly it works! If I sit around eating ice cream all day I will gain bak the weight. If I don't move my butt doing exercise I will gain also. You have to learn to eat the right foods, get 80 grams of protein in, at least 80 oz of water in a day and exercise daily to be succesful. You also have to log all food that passes your lips and be honest with it too.
Good luck!

Mainey65,

The main benefit of the surgery is to lose the weight fast and then it is up to us or you to keep it off. It has almost been 9 years for me and I have kept off 240 pounds even though I have gained some back. It would have taken me forever to lose 300 pounds on my own. Even though I am still morbidly obese I am still much better off than I was 9 years ago. I saw my surgeon the last Thursday and he told me once again I am doing great and he is proud of me. Sometimes I need to hear that because sometimes I forget how far I have come.

I investigated the surgery for 3 years. The one thing I said afterwards is I hated how long it took me to do the surgery and many feel this way too.

Good luck to you dear and keep up the good work! Congrats on 20 pounds lost too!

Thank you to all those who have posted so far. I have not had the surgery, but my dr. has suggested it may be the way to go for me. I am scared to do it, so I am trying, once again, to lose it on my own (going to WW - have lost about 20 lbs in 3 mos.) I need to lose over 100 lbs, so I am still considering surgery????? I have not seen 1 person who regrets having the surgery - even if there were complications. Again, Thanx for the info!

Just as a side note -- I think you must try all other options as many times as you need to in order to feel satisfied in your own mind. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I had ried (and failed) at every attempt, every diet, every exercise plan... etc. It was not the right time in my mind for me to consider surgery until I knew I was just out of options. And, when they wheeled me into the operating room, I had the biggest smile. I was not scared. I knew, in my heart this was my last option and I was thrilled to finally be there.

If you decide surgery is right for you -- come back and seek advice, support, love and encouragement from those of us whao have been there. Best of luck to you!!