More negative forum posts lately??

Hey sister greek, ZPB!

I think it is good to read these boards as much as possible. I have been stalking this place since I decided back in November that I wanted WLS. I have gone all the way back to the oldest posts so I could understand what I was getting myself into.
I think it is human nature that people bark loudest when they have something to complain about. I enjoy seeing the before and afters and I really enjoyed the recent posts by those in maintenance regarding how they got to goal. I tend to appreciate the hardcore, no nonsense advice. Some of the handholding and babying is what got many of us fat to begin with. How often do you see people giving kids candy and cookies to console them or stop them from crying!.

I often wonder if "some" of the whinning is because folks are not doing due dilligence in researching this procedure.

Hi my sister Greek!

So good to see other NPHC people on here! Stalking to the 10th power is what I've been doing! lol The before and after pics are the best! They really inspire me to want this even more. Girl, some people have major changes like 6 and 8 weeks out! That is just amazing... I agree about the handholding and babying. Sometimes, tough love is what works! TELL me to get my butt up and go for a walk! Make me drink my water and eat my protein... LOL Don't excuse me when I decide I'm too tired to do this.... WILL POWER!!

But yes, I'm excited about a new me! I plan to work this sleeve to the best of my ability!

Hi Soror ZPB here.  I have been reading the post also and learining from everyone else.

Good for you - you're doing your homework! The more you know beforehand the better prepared you'll be. I wanted to know what to expect, too. I've had smooth sailing but if I had run into problems I wouldn't have been too surprised because of this forum. When I had my 2 week stall I was expecting it and wasn't upset. I knew it was coming. I knew about issues to watch out for - like the sip walk rest repeat. 

I think most people post when they need help, encouragement, or comisseration. Some post fun stuff. Some post success stories. It's all here and it's all good.

All the best to you. It's nice to know this group is here when we need someone, isn't it? 

Yup, I'm working on extra credit! LOL From what I've learned, I hoping to avoid unnecessary problems and work this tool like I should. Sip and Walk.... Expect a stall or two, but don't give up! Don't fret if I can't get all of my proteins and liquids on the first few days...(But I probably will... lol) I love this forum for all of those reasons; the information, the fun stuff, the encouragement, the updates, before and after pics! Best of all, the people on this forum are the *******ways willing to lend a hand and a word! So glad I'm on here!

As long as you are agreeing to make the commitment you will do great. You know what you have to do (ie getting in water, protein) because you have done your research and read through posts so just do your best.

None of us is perfect, some days I forget a vitamin or am low on water. But I vow to do better the next day and I do.

Remember, your journey is your own, no VSG experience is the same.

Good luck.

Thanks so much. I know that I am responsible for using my tool. If I don't do it, IT WON'T WORK. I want this too badly. Plus, seeing the success you all have had....All I can say is WOW and I WANT THAT TOO! I'm like a kid in a candy story! LOL But please keep posting your success and not so successful stories, and after my surgery, I'm looking forward to do the same!

Thanks again!

The thing is the first 2-4 weeks (varies from person to person) can be a bit rough. It is a major surgery after all! I had an extremely easy recovery (which I attribute to my pre-op diet shrinking my liver and great surgeon) but others not so much. There are a lot of newly sleeved folks, and those people are posting about experiences very early on.

So when you see a post from someone less than a month out, take it with a grain of salt. There are a lot of adjustments that go on throughout this process, but you only have to go through the beginning (and sometimes most difficult) part ONCE.. thank goodness!

It only gets better from there, and then you will be out living life and not posting! Plus the further out you are, the less questions you have like in the beginning, because you are in the groove. Right after surgery I think you have so much adjusting and so many questions, that is the time most people post, and usually their questions and experiences sound more negative because of the phase they are in.

Remember that most people use this board as a SUPPORT board.. you don't often need support when everything is going great. I didn't post most post-op because there was nothing I needed help with. So I guess what I am saying is that what it appears like on these boards is not always representative of what people's experiences are truly like.

Hello Amanda:

I was like you, thought I was going to do Lap Band (bypass didn't interest me at all****il I went to my first orientation and intro by my surgeon. SO GLAD I CHOSE THIS VSG!

I may be lucky or persistent or a beyotch or determined or whatever, but dang it, I wasn't going to let anything get me down, change my mind, let me have a complication, or have regrets. I had enough regrets being fat.

I was also self pay, so this HAD to work. My line of thought was that I was putting the size of my stomach into my doctor's hands because I wanted restriction and obviously, I hadn't done a bang up job of it thus far.

BINGO! My life is soooo different. I'm almost two years out. I've lost 98 lbs (and could probably lose another 20 if I tried a little, but am pretty content right now), I eat whatever I want but please note I HAVE and I DO always choose protein first. I drink water ALL day long. I still have an occasional handful of Sun Chips, a bite of cheesecake, a spoonful of pasta. But for the most part, carbs are out of my life.

I went from busting out of a size 22 (at 5'3" and age 52) to wearing a 10 comfortably. NEVER have I been this size, even at my smallest weight (140lbs at age 19-25 was always a 13/15). I have also lost 1/2 size shoe.

Let's face it, life for fatties isn't very nice. People are not nice. You are treated completely different as a thin person. That was never my reason for wanting the surgery. I am a confident and often brash, social girl who never was a wallflower. I'd much rather be a skinny beyotch than a fat one, that's for sure.

Amanda, have you ever had counseling or preop support meetings, anything with a nutrionist? I find it hard to grasp that soooo many people just go under the knife completely unprepared for what's ahead (but knowing they want the weight to go away), and that surgeons don't do much more than tell you how they do the surgery and how much it will cost. That isn't enough. We have lots of baggage, emotional and physical to deal with, and this new change is sometimes 180* of change for some people. Women especially who have always been obese find it very difficult to take the external changes when people, especially men, treat you completely differently once you lose weight. People that you know and complete strangers as well.

Facing the fact that food is no longer a social or even personal event in your life, is not something you might be able to handle right away. Our whole human culture revolves around food. We eat when we die, get married, get engaged, get promoted, have a birthday.....and those of us who have struggled with it for ages, decades, find it A) hard to beleive that so little food will actually be often too much and B) that you won't die from not eating, and C) that yes, this is your new life.

You've probably seen this on a zillion other posts, but now you will EAT TO LIVE instead of LIVE TO EAT.

Never more true.

Congratulations for taking this important step, the best decision you could have ever made in your life. Sometimes the unknown that could be BETTER for us is scarier than the HORRIBLE current lifestyle. I KNOW you'll be fine because your head seems to be in the right place, you're
not chickening out and not willing to let the bad stories (and we know there are bad experiences) get you down and change your mind.

If you ever want a private email, I'm here for you!

PS: sorry about the rambling...I get interrupted (at work! pffft!) and often forget my super important train of thought!)

Some people are babies, can't take any kind of pain, have serious phobias and fears about hospitals, anesthesia, etc, and I kind of feel that those types of personalities have a little tougher time postop. JMO of course. I'm not saying I'm a tough old bird, but perhaps I am after hearing some stories?? To me it was totally worth being uncomfortable for a few days. I had surgery on a Wednesday morning, discharged Thurs 2pm, back on work on Monday. No biggie. I've gotten myself hurt way worse than this ever did to me! ;-)