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Surgery Regrets

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  • DJRonnieLINY
    DJRonnieLINY Posts: 475 Member
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    No regrets but I did go through the emotional process of making such a drastic change. Still have not completely wrapped my minds eye around how different I feel and look. There is a lot of information to process and early on you are recovering from surgery. Hang in there, follow the program and in about 4 months your only regret may be waiting so long to do it.
  • homerismyhero
    homerismyhero Posts: 204 Member
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    No regrets, but the first 21 days are tough. I remember not feeling well, and being food obsessed. it gets better. My hormones were all over the place, my body was adjusting- and my brain was getting over having it's EAT NOW command ignored. It really will get better.
  • capecodgirl50
    capecodgirl50 Posts: 111 Member
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    I had a lot of regrets! I also had issues with a stricture that set me back many weeks. Ended up in the hospital for 18 days. right not I still have issues with eating slower and getting in the food, but I am looking forward - not backward.

    I hope I have done the right thing. but this is a totally new way of living. I guess I didn't expect it to be this rigid.
  • dezbie
    dezbie Posts: 19 Member
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    Experiencing lots of regret, I'm completely food obsessed and miss eating, I'm having a hard time swallowing liquids no matter how slow I sip it's causing me pain, surgery was 2 weeks ago and I'm just wishing I could go back in time :/ Trying to reassure myself this was for my own good and things will get better
  • relentless2121
    relentless2121 Posts: 431 Member
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    I wish I could encourage you based on my own experience of having my surgery but I haven't had it yet. :smile: :heart:
    Based on other people's posts that I have read it sounds like there can be a time of exhaustion, healing and for some depression following the surgery.
    Please don't give up Dezbie. In a few days, when you are thru the worst of the healing you will probably feel a lot better.
    And when you see that scale move south you will feel even better.
    Hang in there my friend. Things are gonna get better soon. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
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    For the first few weeks I had a weird feeling because I had done something that couldn't be un-done. I knew in my head that I had made the right choice, and physically I had a very easy recovery but still there was a finality to knowing that 75% of my perfectly healthy stomach was rotting away in a Mexican bio-dump.
  • DeweyRN
    DeweyRN Posts: 18 Member
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    I haven't had any regret but I can honestly say that I have had my share of intense junk food cravings and many mixed emotions. I have gone back and forth with feeling anxious, restlessness, anger (at not being able to eat junk), and fear of failure. All that to say, all of these things that you are feeling are so very normal. As someone else said, you have just made a very sudden and drastic life change. What I am learning to do is to find the very center of all of the bad thoughts/feelings and just sit there in it, trying to allow myself to be uncomfortable without turning to food. I have to learn to allow myself to feel my feelings and realize that they do pass. I just want to encourage you and anyone else struggling. I am 5.5 weeks out from my sleeve as of today and down 33 lbs. I know that this decision was do or die for me, I had no other option. I have to believe this will get easier with time.

    I just wanted to share two great books that I discovered that discuss all of the emotional aspects of bariatric surgery and how to work through them..."The Emotional First + Aid Kit" by Cynthia L. Alexander PsyD and "Through Thick & Thin: The Emotional Journey of Weight Loss Surgery" by Warren L. Huberman Ph.D. So far these books have been so very helpful and I highly recommend them for people in all phases of the process.

    It is one minute at a time, one day at a time. Hang in there!
  • priceless97
    priceless97 Posts: 27 Member
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    I've had them and I'm still having them. I was sleeved on May 19th. I'm down 30lbs and while it's fine--I have discovered the love affair I had with food. I felt like I had no friends and I didn't want to do anything because everything revolved around food--let's go for drinks--let's go to happy hour--birthday dinner parties and I just didn't want to go. Well I went to one and I was able to have a chicken wing..and 30 mins later I drank some water--and I didn't throw up--so I kept drinking water and spent more time talking than eating and had a grand time. lol I'm actually taking myself on a trip to Dallas tomorrow because I NEED TO GET AWAY..just me and the road for 3 1/2 hours so I can think and talk to myself. I've got a good weekend planned for myself because I think the regret of the surgery, etc is all in my mind and I've got to change my self talk. Why not start with a nice little trip away?! It will get better as my girlfriends who've been sleeved over a year have told me.

    Now I'm sad cause nothing fits me and I just can't go out and buy a ton of clothing...but I will say.. I don't regret having a good night sleep without my cpap machine--or taking insulin every day. :-) And I'm almost 2 months out.
  • SKRPY
    SKRPY Posts: 12
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    So sorry you experienced these difficulties. I have had a good first 3 weeks but am frustrated because I am not off insulin, which I had hoped would happen. I am also at a stall as to weight loss at 14 pounds. I know this happens but it's a little soon I think. Anyway, I know it will all work out in the end and I will get off the insulin and start losing weight again.

    Hang in there - it is all for good. You will see.
  • Mangopickle
    Mangopickle Posts: 1,509 Member
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    So sorry you experienced these difficulties. I have had a good first 3 weeks but am frustrated because I am not off insulin, which I had hoped would happen. I am also at a stall as to weight loss at 14 pounds. I know this happens but it's a little soon I think. Anyway, I know it will all work out in the end and I will get off the insulin and start losing weight again.

    Hang in there - it is all for good. You will see.

    That happened to me. I worked with my nut and here is what we discovered. The food I was eating was too salty, I was constipated, I wasn't weighing and measuring my food and I was way off on my calories. Since I had trouble getting food down my meals were turning into 2 hours of grazing - I had to finish my 3/4 cup of food in 30 min or put it away for the next meal. No grabbing bites between meals. I wasn't getting enough protein. Ever since then I have stuck to the 1 cup of 70% protein, 25%veg- no potato5% whole grain carb in a 30 min meal 3x a day with one snack and the scale moves down regularly every 8-10 days
  • relentless2121
    relentless2121 Posts: 431 Member
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    AubreyDewey, :smile:

    Thanks very much for the book recommendations. I'm not much of a leisure reader but I think I will look into them. :flowerforyou:
  • DeweyRN
    DeweyRN Posts: 18 Member
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    You are very welcome Relentless212!! I am finding these books so insightful and helpful, even better for you to arm yourself with all of the information before surgery!!

    Aubrey:smile:
  • juliebccs
    juliebccs Posts: 233
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    Experiencing lots of regret, I'm completely food obsessed and miss eating, I'm having a hard time swallowing liquids no matter how slow I sip it's causing me pain, surgery was 2 weeks ago and I'm just wishing I could go back in time :/ Trying to reassure myself this was for my own good and things will get better
    The first several weeks were painful for me eating and drinking. It will get better, I promise.
  • ankinray
    ankinray Posts: 13 Member
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    I've had them and I'm still having them. I was sleeved on May 19th. I'm down 30lbs and while it's fine--I have discovered the love affair I had with food. I felt like I had no friends and I didn't want to do anything because everything revolved around food--let's go for drinks--let's go to happy hour--birthday dinner parties and I just didn't want to go. Well I went to one and I was able to have a chicken wing..and 30 mins later I drank some water--and I didn't throw up--so I kept drinking water and spent more time talking than eating and had a grand time. lol I'm actually taking myself on a trip to Dallas tomorrow because I NEED TO GET AWAY..just me and the road for 3 1/2 hours so I can think and talk to myself. I've got a good weekend planned for myself because I think the regret of the surgery, etc is all in my mind and I've got to change my self talk. Why not start with a nice little trip away?! It will get better as my girlfriends who've been sleeved over a year have told me.

    Now I'm sad cause nothing fits me and I just can't go out and buy a ton of clothing...but I will say.. I don't regret having a good night sleep without my cpap machine--or taking insulin every day. :-) And I'm almost 2 months out.
    Awesome post!
  • ankinray
    ankinray Posts: 13 Member
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    I regret mine. It's been over a year, and I have no restriction.

    Why?
  • DixieD79
    DixieD79 Posts: 16
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    Things will get better! The first 3-4 weeks, as I was learning what I could and couldn't do, was a true test for me. And sometimes I got really depressed. I'm almost 4 months out and couldn't be happier with the decision. I wish I had done it sooner.
  • gardengirlnp
    gardengirlnp Posts: 3 Member
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    Just beginning my journey. Sincerely appreciate the book recommendations.
  • lsirmon7758
    lsirmon7758 Posts: 4
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    Holly, I had my surgery last Thursday, July 10. I went to sign consents on Monday and he worked me in for Thursday. That only left me 1 1/2 days to eat. I felt like I'd gotten cheated and thought of all the things I didn't get to say "goodbye" to....The night after my surgery I thought, "Lord, what have I done!" I admit, I cried a little!! I'm still on clear liquids and the thought of only liquids for 14 days seems impossible. The good new (maybe?) is when I talked to 3 of my friends who'd had the surgery, 100% said they had said the same thing. And like you said, the weight loss does provide some comfort. I'm down 11 lbs today. The whole experience is overwhelming!!!
  • candacet36
    candacet36 Posts: 353 Member
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    I didn't have regrets because I had 2 friends that went through it before me so I had their experiences to lean on.

    I do like that you have accepted that fact that it is done.....now make the best of it

    I would suggest you reach out and find support groups! You can do this. Use this tool to be as successful as possible. BEST OF LUCK!!!
  • lsirmon7758
    lsirmon7758 Posts: 4
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    Did your dr prescribe Levsin? I take it ever 4-6 hours and it stops stomach spasms....

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