2 QUESTIONS for post-op sleevers...PLEASE RESPOND

I have just 2 questions for the people who have had the sleeve:

1. Do you have any regrets/miss anything from life prior to surgery....What are the most negative effect(s)?

2. What do you feel are the most positive effect(s) resulting from surgery?

Therapy is not a requirement is the only downside to this entire process. Obesity and food addiction is the only disability / disease that is not only not taken seriously by society but its laughed at So some of the food additions can't all be remedied with a smaller stomach.

Positive aspects are definitely the relationships we build as happy, healthy, confident people. They all seem so different than the ones most of us had prior t surgery. There is a level of respect that is demanded when we exude confidence and security.

I am sorry to hear that therapy is not required by all surgeons. I had my surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center, it is a center of excellence and psychiatric therapy was required prior and two sessions post, it was all included in their package, and is required for all WL sugeries. I hated at first, but now see the benefit of having those sessions. A food addiction is real, and you do go through a period of questioning to have this drastic procedure dune, you also mourn your loss of your relationship with food. If your primary doctor did not require this, I would seek it out on my own, if I were you. You will find that as you progress in your weight loss people will treat you differently. Some people who were mean to you, will become nice and some people who were comfortable with you when you were fat, will have an issue with you no longer being fat - and these things do warrant discussion from a non biased, unemotional third party. Good luck to you.

I agree that therapy should be required and it is lifelong treatment necessary to treat any addiction. I have a great surgeon and a perfect experience and my facility and all surgeons were rated as excellent and one meeting versus 3 wont even begin to scratch the surface of some of the demons faced pre-op.

It's been a little more than 3 months since my surgery.  I have no regrets about having had the surgery.  Sure there's always some fleeting moments, but nothing I would really call a regret. 

The positives are just too numerous to list, but a few off the top of my head:

-my health has vastly improved
-I am taking a jazz dance class - something I couldn't do before
-I can cross my legs again
-I have lots more energy
-my love life with my husband is better
-my kids are happy with the loss - I can do things with them that I couldn't before
-We're having a family picture taken on Saturday - I initiated it.  Before I very 
 grugingly agreed a couple of times and agonized on what I could wear and how
 I could hide all the fat
-Unless there is another plan in store for me, I will most likely live longer and
 more vibrantly than I could have dreamed possible before surgery

Thanks for asking - answering the questions helps me to reaffiem why I did this and that I have to work my sleeve every day, as I don't want those positives to end.

1. Regrets: The only downside I've found is that I'm spending way too much money on new clothes, because suddenly I look good in them.

2. Positives: How can I possibly list all of them? Of course, the big ones are how much better I feel and how much better I look. I now have so much more energy! I feel attractive again, and therefore self-confident. 

No real regrets. I have had some battles learning to deal with anxiety without comforting myself with "comfort foods" but that's not really a regret - it's something I wish I had learned to do a long time ago. But it has been hard, for sure. Not hard staying away from the food, but hard in feeling my anxiety got worse. I've been trying new things though: aroma therapy, a hot bath, calming music in my headphones, and they do work.

The most postiive effects from surgery have been:

Improved health (high blood pressure, cholesterol, pre-diabetes all gone) and comfort (knee and ankle pain gone, hip and back pain greatly reduced).

More energy (since about month 2 - the first month and a half while my body recovered I had very low energy).

More self-confidence.

A waistline!

 1. I miss being able to down liquids....water, milk, juice, shots, whatever...drinking is a long process of sipping....and fluids get warm before I finish. Same goes for hot food...it gets cold before I can fini****since I have to eat so slow....there are times too when I wish I could eat more like when the food is very tasty and I just can't eat much of it.

2.  The positives outweigh the negatives by a lot! The best thing is my health is improved tremendously and I'm off medications.....but there are tons more.....boundless energy, easy breathing, cute clothes, body doesn't hurt all the time anymore, can wear high heels again, can cross my legs, can jump, run, play with the kids, can move so easily, can squeeze by people, and fit anywhere, don't mind having my picture taken, more outgoing, more interested in life and people.

Any Regrets:  In the very first 2 weeks post op I did, because I love food.  When I changed my thinking and started to learn what moderation meant - I was fine.  Do I have any regrets now?  Yes one... Not doing this sooner.

Positives: 
1.  I can tie my shoes by myself.
2.  I can paint my own toe nails.
3.  No more sleep apnea machine.
4.  I can run, exercise, and walk longer than I have in years.
5.  AND THE BEST fitting into a size 16 which I haven't since I was in my 20's

there are many more to list but those are my top 5

Negatives

*Sucks that I can't eat a 1/2 gallon of ice cream by myself anymore. Seriously, I was a volume eater.
*I have to deal with why I choose food as my personal numbing device/addiction and I can't ignore it anymore.
*The protein shakes suck major ass.

Positives

*Improved labido
*Meds that are gone forever for me - Metformin, Levothyroxine (Thyroid), Simvastatin (Cholesterol).
*More energy
*All around happier person, nicer to be around.
*Stronger
*Stand up for what I need and want more
*Learning to face my addiction and emotional eating instead of ignoring it.