I see tons of posts saying it is the best thing they ever did and that they would do it again. I would be interested in hearing from people with regrets and maybe who wished they hadn't had wls. I am going for my consult tomorrow.

I am also pre op and have never met anyone *****grets their surgery. There is, however, a book called "I Want to Live: Gastric Bypass Reversal" by Dani Hart. She had the surgery and had a series of painful, life threatening complications. She then had her surgery reversed. I still plan to have my surgery, but it's good to understand the complications you may have to live with.

Hi All, I don't have any regrets so far. I am 52 and breezed through my surgery 01-13-04. So I am post op only 3 weeks and 2 days, but so far so good. No more insulin shots and cut out all but one of my diabetic meds and so far have lost 22 lbs. I have not vomited one time. No nausea. I have had no problems to speak of. I came home from the hospital 2 days post op and have yet to take a pain pill of any kind! Good luck to all. Diane

ty diane, i too am 52 and pre op am also diabetic on insulin, your post gave me hope ty so much love cee

I had my surgery on 8-19-03 and have lost 90lbs. If you had asked me in my first month if I had any regrets I would have said yes, but now I think it is the best thing I have ever done. The 1st month will be the hardest but it is worth it. Good Luck with your surgery.

i agree 2 months out 45 lbs down , yea first month very hard it gets better

Hello Kristin, I read your reply about regretting your surgery in the first month and I totally agree with you. I had my surgery 8-29-03 in Valley Al. by Dr. Fernando Sanchez. I have only lost 71 lbs. and I saw where you had lost 90 already. Please tell me what you are doing that you are loosing that fast. My doctor said that what I had lost was good, but that it could be better. I was on obesityhelp.com trying to find other people that are having the same problem as me. I can eat anything I want and it doesn't bother me. I try to stay away from sugar because that's why I needed surgery. If you don't mind to share with me what you eat in a normal day and how much so I can compare, it would be great. Oh by the way my name is Greta Norton and I live in LaGrange Ga. I will give you my email address so we can talk that way if it's ok. raywgc@charter.net. Thank you so much for any info you can give. Greta Norton

I'm one of the few who had complications. I ended up back in the ER 6 days after my WLS surgery, and had to have a 2nd surgery for a leak. At the time I would not have been handing out recommendations to have surgery -- I was out of work for 2 months instead of 2 weeks, had no energy, the wound became contaminated while I was in the 2nd hospital so I still have an open wound 3 mos. out (but it's almost closed!!). That said, I've been back at work over a month now, my energy is returning slowly but surely, and I've lost 50 lbs. (started at 252). I'm now inclined to say go for it. The struggles were unpleasant, but they don't happen to most.

I wouldn't go so far as to say regrets. But I do have second thoughts. This is despite the fact that I have done very well. I am down over 100lbs since September 2nd. My second thoughts are probably related to a wound problem. My incision is still not completely healed. I have a three times weekly nurse come and clean the wound and I have been back to surgery. It has been really annoying and time consuming. I think its the permanence of the whole thing, it is the rapid lifestyle change and it is the continued food obession I am still left with. My mind has not kept up with my body. I am still wishing I had the ability to eat my way to comfort. However dysfunctional this it, the fact is it was a way of life. I am working on these changes but they are hard. So I guess what I am saying, if you want an instant relief from food and body image issues, there is none. Not even this drastic surgery does it for you. The bottom line: Do I regret this ? Not really. Do I wish i had the insight I have now. Absolutley. Kelly

Hello Kelly, I can relate to your wound issues. This is the second surgery that I have had issues with the healing process. I was in need of a hysterectomy in 2002. It has taken 18 months for that wound to heal yes that’s right 18 months. I had to have the dying tissue cut away in the doctors office 3 times a week and then finally a second surgery. The area is awful. I have thankfully been more successful with my WLS wound it has opened in a few spots but the difference is that these are little holes. They drain all of the time this is very incontinent but it’s much better than a gaping hole in my belly. Unfortunately these wound issues are common because of the pressure from the abdominal weight and in some cases diabetes prevent quick healing. Lyda Oaks Open RNY 12/10/03 -63#s May I also add that in the beginning I would have said hell yes I regret this. I had complications on the operating table. I had a sever reaction to the anesthetic. My heart stopped and lungs filled with fluid. I woke up 2 days later in ICU on a vent. Spent a week in the hospital and then when I came home and was finally cleared to begin eating I vomited allot. I had to relearn how to eat my food CHEW CHEW CHEW. I/We have to relearn what we can tolerate and what your pouch can't. This process is truly a life-changing event. It is not a quick fix. It is not the easy way out. I'm almost 3 months postop and NOW I do not regret having the surgery. The hardest part is the recovery.

Kelly, thanks for your insight on any regrets. I just had my first visit to doctor this past Monday and I am fairly certain that everything is going to be a go. I can honestly say that I had not thought about the food and body image issues. After reading your reply it has given me a whole new avenue to consider, not that it is bad, just more to think about. I honestly don't think there is any way I can prepare myself mentally for all the changes that will take place, but I do keep trying to focus on the final destination. I now weigh 350lbs and I just feel it is time for a drastic step. But again I honestly appreciate you sharing your insight, it helps. Connie

Hi, I had a very easy surgery, easy time healing, etc. The only thing that really bugs me is the problems that many Dr's do not know about with the vitamins, etc. For instance, my Dr. says to just take 2 Tums a day for Calicum.....well,. come to find out, there are 2 kinds of Calcium and Calcium Carbonate is in Tums and is not easily digestable. So for 4 months now I should have been taking Calcium Citrate instead of Carbonate!!! No wonder my bones crack and creak so badly! One must also take a certain amount of Vitamin D in order for the Citrate to be soluable. Who knew? There is Vitamin D in the 2 chewable vitamins I take a day, but I don't think it's enough. However, I am ordering now Calcium Citrate online to make sure I get the right kind of calcium. As far as the food, it has been a nightmare also. I can't eat one bit of regular meat, or I'll get sick as a horse and throw up, once even got a piece hung and had to go have it taken out. It wasn't because I don't chew till it is pureed, for some reason, I just can't eat anything solid. Tried the other evening to eat some noodles, stayed sick for 3 hours, bad sick. I can't eat eggs and I guess in my lifetime, I've eaten 3,503 eggs...lol. The only thing I've been able to eat without pain or discomfort is Cottage cheese with yogurt, protein milkshakes, pureed meat with V8 juice with bouillion and make a delicious soup out of it. I have Fibromylagia and bad headaches and had been taking about two Fiornials every day for that.....welll, not anymore....they have aspirin. So now I either take them(they're the only ones I can take and still function), and prehaps have a bleeding ulcer, or go around in pain all the time. Thanks for letting me vent.....would I have the surgery again....YOU BET!!!! I've lost 60 lbs, getting into clothes I haven't been able to wear for years and some are too big now! Everyone is saying how fantastic I look, why I might even find me a feller on down the road....tee hee! So all in all, life is still good, even with all the little aggrevations. I'm just not a patient person, but this surgery is teaching me to be!!!! All the best to you in your upcoming surgery and let us know how you're doing. Eve

hi there... i am pre-op... looks like end of april/beginning of may... i was so taken by your posting. you remind me a lot of me. in all my 37 years of life this is the first time i've really had to learn to be PATIENT... i started this process last year and everything takes forever. i appreciate your comments about the negatives because i too like to know everything before i jump... my bmi is 43 and i am soooooo ready for this surgery but at the same time i am scared to death... it's gotten to the point that i'm in therapy again because i have such bad nightmares. you are wonderful and God bless you on your journey... if you ever want to talk, my e-mail is tagwest@comcast.net... thanks again for your input your friend, jeana west

Melanie you didn't say how long it has been since your surgery, but it has been alsmost 5 years since I had the surgery and for the first 18 months I could not eat meat or bread, made me sick every time, but after about 2 years I had no problem eating meat, just try to eat only meat that is moist if you have to use gravy and cut it very thin, you will see a big difference as time goes on, you will be able to eat more and sometime that can be a problem, because you can also start to regain weight, so you still have to watch what you eat, and yes I still get sick from time to time and sometime I don't really know what makes me sick one thing I can eat today I can't eat tomorrow, well anyway hope you lose all the weight you want to. Dianna

Dianna-You are one of the longest post-ops I have seen post anything. After 5 years how has the weight loss been, and have you had trouble not gaining it back? Also, after that long how is the head hunger? Thanks for your post.

on wednesday i will be three weeks out of surgery and I have regrets. My surgery went well but its the side effects that are giving me so much pain. I am not able to drink anything with out it being painfull, I have to put all my liquids into a blender and cru**** with ice and then i have to use a spoon to drink it I cannot drink out of a cup like normal people I have to spoon feed myself liquids and sometimes that does not even work I am still taking my liquid pain meds that they gave me at the hospital, I talked to my doctor and he just says it takes time to heal but i am always so thristy. I dont feel normal anymore I keep thinking did i really try to lose the weight myself? I think I thought this was the fastest and easy way to lose the weight. Its so hard to see other people eat what they want to and you cant its very depressing.

Denise, It's been almost a week since your post. Are you doing any better? RNY 3/15/04

Yes I am feeling better I went to the doctor's and he told me to take prilosec (antiacid) and i have been taking it for about a week now and I dont have to use a blender anymore I can drink out of a cup like normal I still feel some discomfort but its not painful like before. But know i have so much stomach acid that the doctor is having me go in for an upper GI today he thinks i might have an ulcer. I have been vomiting since friday. Have you had the surgery?

I am 2 weeks post-op. At my week check-up my doctor asked me if I was happy with the surgery, and I said 'no' without hesitation. He just laughed and said that nobody is happy with him the first few weeks. I don't think I really REGRET having the surgery, but if I knew how hard the beginning was going to be I probably would have backed out. Yet, as crabby as I get with the lack of energy I have, I do honestly believe that someday I will be glad I had the surgery. I'll take the pain for the outcome ahead.

I had an Open RNY 3 weeks ago, and I am still in the "regret" stage, but it is getting easier. I have lost 23 pounds, and I am able to eat just about anything. The pain has been minimal, and I can now sleep on my side again. As to whether or not I would recommend WLS--I honestly have to say NO, only as a last resort. In my case it was a matter of life and death. I am so looking forward to the "good" times that are to come. Good luck. Beth