How have you know whether to have surgery or Not?

[Devine Debbie]

HI all , I am new to this group and WLS I am under L & D and saw my consultant on Tuesday after a referal for gastric sleeve surgery from my GP.. so i was asked what do i feel about surgery, at present i feel a failure that the dr has referred me to them but also felt it was a easy way to loose weight (i know its not really) but how do you know if surgery is the best thing for you, how do you decide to say Yes thats what i need to help me? only wondering as right now i am pretty scared at the thought of 3/4 of my stomach going, but also have no idea what the surgeon will suggest for me as not seem him yet, as to early on back in 5.5 weeks to see Nurse for Milk Diet

 

[Andy74]

Welcome to the forum.
For me the decision was easy. My weight has yo yo'd all my life. I was sick & tired of fighting a losing battle. I was in constant pain due to problems with my back & joints. I was at the point that I'd rather not be here anymore than continue as i was.
The relief I now feel after my surgery is overwhelming. No more diets, no more obsessing over food, no more binge eating.

 

[TiaLi]

For me it was not an easy decision, so I completely understand how you are feeling. Accepting, and eventually embracing, the thought of having surgery was a long process. Deep down I knew I needed it, but emotionally it was a very difficult fact to face. Like you, I felt like a failure at first. While we all complain about the long waiting times on the NHS, I do on the one hand think that that is actually a good thing in a way when it comes to this particular surgery - because you really do need to prepare your head before rushing into it.

Waiting times from referral to surgery differ greatly from hospital to hospital, but roughly speaking they tend to be around a year. So if you have just had your first meeting I am assuming the milk diet they are putting you on is for tier 3 weight management rather than the pre-op LRD kind? If so, you still have plenty of time to process everything and make a decision on whether this is right for you or not.

For me, this forum helped a lot. None of my friends have gone through anything like this, so it was difficult for me to even conceptualise what having surgery meant. The more you read about other peoples' journeys, the more information you will have to make an informed decision. Talk to people, ask questions, and have an honest conversation with yourself about your weight and habits. Nobody really wants to go under the knife, what we all have in common is that we have come to realise it is the only thing that will work for our particular circumstances. We have tried and failed at everything else over and over again, and are doing this for our health. Whether or not you also fall into the category of people who need surgery - I don't know. There are people who can do it on their own, and I really wish I had been one of them. Unfortunately I am not, I needed the help. It would not be right for any of us to tell you what to do - only you will know what is right for you. What we can do, however, is share our stories and experiences. I personally had a gastric bypass rather than a sleeve, but there are plenty of sleevers on here who I am sure would be happy to answer any questions you might have x

 

[Barbara5]

Welcome to the forum.
For me the decision was easy. My weight has yo yo'd all my life. I was sick & tired of fighting a losing battle. I was in constant pain due to problems with my back & joints. I was at the point that I'd rather not be here anymore than continue as i was.
The relief I now feel after my surgery is overwhelming. No more diets, no more obsessing over food, no more binge eating.

 

[Barbara5]

Hi all,

I too am a new member and contemplating a sleeve.

Thank you Andy74 for posting. Your last line was interesting for me & summed up my feelings.
I'm frightened of losing 3/4 of my stomach but want to be free of obsessing over food, binge eating & diets! I too feel a failure for not being able to do it by healthy, sensible eating etc.

One thing I'm worried about, is the fact that I enjoy eating so much that I'm worried about missing that feeling! I know that might seem strange but food as been so important to me for a long time. I'm told after surgery, you don't feel hungry and you don't have cravings. Is this really the case?

How easy is the restricted diet after surgery? I've been on liquid diets before (Cambridge) and craved a different taste after about two weeks.

Has anyone felt depressed after surgery? Does anyone feel it was a big mistake for them and if so why?

My BMI is on the lower end for this type of surgery and I would be particularly interested to hear the experiences from anyone who also had a relatively low BMI.

Thank you. X

 

[_Victoria_]

I feel exactly the same way as Andy. So it was easy for me to decide what i wanted. I'm extremely overweight and came to the conclusion that i had two choices. i could either die like i am now, overweight, lonely, almost a recluse and completely unhappy... existing. or i could take a chance at having a life that I'm happy really living!
I understand what you mean about enjoying eating @Barbara5 and that is hard to come to terms with when its something you rely on for emotional support. All of my family are overweight so we have always used food to celebrate everything. If we have a treat of any kind it revolves around food. But for me its come to a point where i'm missing important events in my families lives because I'm not able or don't have the confidence to go along. BIG events! My nieces first birthday, my brothers wedding.. I feel like its about priorities. Whats more important for me? Eating a McDonalds (my total weakness) or being able to spend quality time with my family and sharing their happiness.
If you're not happy and you feel like this is the option that could really make you happy then go for it! If you have doubts or think you can lose weight under your own steam then take all the time you need to decide. there's nothing stopping you coming back to this at a later date if you wanna try all other avenues first

 

[Barbara5]

Thank you for taking the time to reply Victoria. I'm researching more, gathering information and am giving myself one more determined try at losing weight under my own steam before making the decision. Xx

 

[ItsmePaula]

Hi @Barbara5 & @Devine Debbie you are both in the right place for information. The best thing about the forum is everyone is at different stages of their journeys.

I decided that surgery was my last hope. I had tried multitudes of diets, pills and even hypnotherapy. They would work for a bit then not. Over the years I've ruined my body. Like Andy. The pain was so bad. Life was a continual cycle.

I researched forever and decided to see some consultants. I actually felt there is a light. I'm due surgery later today. So now I'm very nervous.

Don't for one second feel a failure. This journey is not for the faint hearted. It's hard. You will go through emotional turmoils. You will be battling your old self. But, it will pay off in the long run x