First off welcome. Secondly just know everyones ability to cope with things are different. Thirdly most of us here are GBS or RNY however there are several sleeve ppl.

The truth. Phase one (the first couple of months) can be a nightmare if you're illtrained before surgery and or don't have a clue what to expect. But this is where most of the fast fat melting takes place, so while it can be a nightmare, typically it is balanced by rediculous weight loss.

Phase two is way easier if you've hung out the whole time and learned. Your weight loss now is based on your ability to follow the program and begin to Cinda sustainable repeatable daily exercise routine.

Phase three is all about exercise and knowing what protiens work and don't work. Your weight loss is strictly a result of your effort to work the program.

Somewhere at about 9 mo out you should be down 100+ lbs min if you worked the deal honestly.

So you want a no bullshit answer?

If your not going to follow the diet (ie protien and NO shit food) plus exercise one hour daily and commit to a lifestyle and lifelong diet change don't waste your time or a perfectly good stomach. Remain a fat fuck and get all the co morbidities that go with it. Don't worry because while you'll be a fat fuck the rest of your life, the good news is you'll be dead soon enough! To harsh. Get over it big boy!

I wish you all the wisdom to find all you want in life. I wish you peace of mind. But most of all I pray that you choose life!

Love
Lucifer

Absolutely all said above. I had RNY ... the best thing I have ever done for myself. NO regrets!

Welcome, I am gonna be a sleever, but I am in month 4 of 6 month Nut classes, I already eat like I had surgery, look listen to the leaders they will guide you thru and listen to "LU" hes got a lot of good information. Good Luck
:)

THE only bad thing I have done is NOT having this done years ago!!!
4 weeks out 38 pounds down!!!
RNY march 25th...lovin it!

There are bad sides to the surgery.

Obviously pain after the surgery - everyone's is different, but rest assured it's going to hurt.
Painful hiccups and belching if you eat too much or too fast.
Dumping if you eat too much sugar.
Constipation or diarrhea.
Hair loss
Saggy skin
Social issue - fear of people getting too close now that your not sheltered by fat. Or of them treating you differently.
Psych issue - breaking the old habits of eating when you're not hungry.

Lu hits the nail on the head when he says don't waste your time if you will not listen to your dr. and stick to the program. The surgery will only help you in the beginning to give you a jump to break bad habits and form good ones.

But just like with so many good things you really don't care about the bad, because they are far outweighed by the good stuff.

You have to be committed to doing this program - to not giving in. I was going to make some sugar free cookies (i was a big baker pre-op), but after thinking about it i thought what am i going to do with all those cookies? i found myself thinking i can have 10 of those and still be under the dr. recommended 10gm sugar limit (sugar alcohol). Then i caught myself and thought NO that is the old mentality - i am not ready to bake those cookies if i am thinking about how many i can eat.

Baking was a really big part of my life that i did with my kids 3 or 4 times a week. But i would rather do a million other things with them than eat junk!

Be prepared to give up a lot, but gain so much more!

Good luck!

I think its important to realize what WLS is and is not.
Its not a magic bullet and won't make you prettier, smarter or more friendly.
It will accelerate weight loss like nothing I have ever seen.

For me its been really important to work with a food-issue oriented shrink to work on the head pieces of why I got fat as a house. If I don't fix those things then I'm doomed to be back to jumbo size... people out eat WLS all the time..

Welcome! This is the best place to come for great info!

The bad side? You could die. You could have all kinds of complications. If you have a good dr, she/he will thoroughly cover all the possible complications with you. The bad side? You could die sooner if you don't get surgery and make changes now!

Actually the worst part of this process wasn't surgery for me. It was the sleep apnea testing. Hell!!!! Claustrophobic much? And I reacted BADLY to the adhesive tape to the tune of burns, welts and weeks of healing.

As far as the surgery goes, I researched off and on for over 6 years and was totally prepared for making changes. I have not had any complications from my surgery. I'm out 8 1/2 months and only 11 lbs to goal. I haven't regretted this once. Of course it hurts, it's major surgery! Has it been worth it? Absolutely!!!

If you have a good dr and a good program, complications are not necessarily the norm. Plus it also depends on your overall health. The more you prepare and start NOW, the better everything will go after.

This is a process and a journey. We are choosing to develop a new relationship with ourselves, food and life when we take responsibility for our choices.

Good luck on your journey!

I will give you a my 2 cents as a newbie to this site knowing that I come to the table with some medical basis.

For me a struggle with my weight since age 8. I tried every diet known to man.....many successes. For me WLS is a TOOL. I needed a better tool to help me to help myself end my lifelong battle with obesity. I looked into WLS years ago and I was not ready because there was not enough long term research studies available on the long term results.

I barely qualified at a BMI of 40 (thank goodness they let me keep my shoes on) with no co-morbidities. My current insurance make me pay $3000 out of pocket, which is not bad. While I am in great health I knew my weight would eventually catch up to me.

Now years later and being a educated researcher I sat down and read the medical journals with the long term success rates, complications, morbidity, mortality and made my decision. I chose the RNY gastric bypass based on all the above factors, heavily weighted on the long term studies.

While the sleeve is looking great in the recent studies and I am sure it is a great choice I needed more long term studies to feel comfortable with it as a choice for me. I am sure the data will be there in years to come. My weight loss surgeon I have spoke with feel strongly it may replace the RNY. Time will tell. Surgeons tell me it is an easier procedure to complete.

My personal experience is fresh, 12 days post op. I believe going to "Center of Excellence" with board certified surgeons is best. I did have a complication of a GI bleed and stayed longer as an impatient and had to be taken back for an EGD. I am on Carafate for one month post op. My surgeon may rescope again and might need colonscopy too. I am doing well, pleased I chose this TOOL. I can't wait for the day to come when I can say I lost 90 lb but I am not there yet.

I started nutrition classes 7 months prior and did not rush through the hoops. I wanted to mentally be prepared as I could so I spent more time (3 months required) in nutrition counseling.

So to sum it up, if you are looking for a quick fix this is not one. If you are looking for a lifelong tool that changes your life forever and you are ready, jump IN.

Welcome aboard Sparkie!
Heidi

Not for everyone. Not an easy or quick fix.

It is elective surgery that should absolutely be a last ditch effort if you don't want to die early.

Ask tons of questions, make sure you can make the commitment to yourself and follow through. Find Jesus, have therapy, make changes now....do anything and everything to prepare and make change pre-surgery.

If you are going to waste the surgery and go back to old habits don't bother.

The phases are to true to what Lu describes. I would add the pre-surgery 6 - 8 month prep Do as much mental work (behavioral changes as well as attitude adjustment) and you will do fine.

This is forever and the journey is a long haul. The surgery is NOT right for everyone.

So much to learn, and thank God for the wisdom and encouragement here.
Relatively new, 2 months after my vertical sleeve last Monday, and having amazing weight loss, 74 lbs as of yesterday, I can attest to the benefits as well as the challenges listed by the good people above.
Do your homework, find out how you got here in the first place, fix and change what you can. If it still doesn't work, look at Bariatric Surgery as a last resort, non-cure-all, highly effective tool.
Once again, twice again, thrice....
It is not the cure! It is a tool. If you can't/won't comply with the program, save your money, stomach, time, and skip it.
If you can/will comply, welcome to the challenge of your life. The risks are real, the rewards amazing.
Blessings, and thanks to all who shared.

I can't add more to what's been said, but I can say that two months out my type II diabetes is in remission and I no longer need to take Metformin. Most of my clothes are baggy or too big...the down side is the worse part of my day is when I have to eat...but I know that in time that too will improve. We take risks every day of our lives...every time you cross a street you could be hit and killed....so regardless of what could have gone wrong I am thankful for following through and having this surgery.

Hi Im having sleeve done in canada ive been told the complications arent as severe as with ruy there is a site at obesity help that is only comprised of sleevers they also have great info but if get get off track talk to doubleb he'll set you straight
love light & peace
Kevin