Considering Surgery But Having Doubts

I''m 30 year old married female considering having the surgery for the first time but from reading the posts on here im beginning to have doubts about it. It seems like the last resort for me as ive been on diet after diet, jenny craig, slim fast, dr phil etc with no luck and very slow weight loss

I was led to believe the weight loss with the surgery would be quick and fast, and a lot of apetite is greatly reduced but from reading other people's stories on here it seems that is not the case, so im starting to wonder, if that is not the case is there still a point in going through such intense surgery if im still going to have food cravings, and all the complications i see about people having nausea and having to go back to the hospital seems like a miserable time, maybe id just be better going on another diet?

Thanks for the info

First of all, IMHO, this is not a quick fix and is definitely not the easy way out. Just as with your other dieting experiences this too will take work. It takes committment. Not everyone suffers the bad stuff. I too have had doubts before I really started studying about it, reading the other posts, and learning everything I could prior to making my decision. I am happy to say I made my mind up on 3/26 of this year and will be having my surgery on 6/11. It has not been easy by any stretch of the imagination. But is the old dieting that you have done in the past easy? There are appointments you will have to make and keep. This is a new life style to embrass. For me the rewards outweight the negative. I am going to live a longer healthier life. Maybe some of the veterans here will help you as well. Stay on this board and learn as much as you can. Ask questions. Yes some people will have nausea, and yes some people get dehydrated but not everyone. For me the key is to follow the doctors advise as they know what they are doing and taking it one day at a time. I'm not in denial, there will be some pain involved and yes, I'll probably be nauseated at some point. But my life is worth it. I wish you God Speed and Hope you find the decision that is right for you. Deneen

Who led you to believe that weight loss would be fast and easy after surgery?   I'm sorry, but they misled you.

Weight loss is faster with RNY t han if you just go on a diet, yes.  But it takes many people a year or longer to reach their goal weight.  Some never do reach their goal.

Many people do experience a loss of appetite for weeks or even months after RNY.  Not everyone does, though.  The greatest benefit to RNY, in my opinion, is that I get full on small portions.  I still get hungry, I still crave certain foods (how would an operation on my stomach cause  me to stop craving things?), but now I eat half a sandwich or one slice of pizza and I feel satisfied.  Before surgery, I would have eaten a whole sandwich, an order of fries and a couple of cookies.  Or four slices of pizza and some ice cream.

And no, I don't eat sandwiches and pizza every day.  Those are just examples.

Most people do not have many complications after RNY, but some do.

If a diet will work for you, then yes, you'd be better off going on a diet.  I think surgery should be a last resort.  It's risky, it's expensive, it's not that much fun.  Just like if your back hurt, you'd try taking some Tylenol, then you'd go to physical therapy, back surgery would be the last resort if nothing else worked.

I think before you make your decision, you need to learn more about RNY, what it does and what it doesn't do.  Have you attended any support group meetings?

I just wanted to correct something. I did say fast and quick, not 'easy'. I never thought it would be easy. Thanks

I know you didn't say easy.  I got the impression from reading your post that you thought it would be easy.  I apologize for making that assumption.

I only said that is was not the easy way out because I've heard that from people around me before I even thought about this journey. You WILL hear people say "oh, so and so took the easy way out"... That is the only reason I said that. Sorry if you took offense.

Don't worry I didin't take any offense, thank you for your thoughtful opinions, I really do appreciate everything :)
And yes ive heard a lot of people say  that surgery was the 'easy way out'
But for me even thinking about it, was not an easy thing to consider

Tell me about it! I've thought about this for over a year. I went to support groups for a year. I've read everything I could get my hands on. It was a hard decision for me because I could drop a good 50 pounds really easy. But then I would become lazy and gain those 50 pounds back and then some. Then this year when my doctor told me that my chance of getting breast cancer is greater because of my weight I finally sat down and discussed this with my family and my mother who has breast cancer. I finally have come to realize that I can not become lazy and that I would always have to measure everything and stay in support groups. But this last time of dieting, I just could not get it off and now I'm doing this for a tool. Like Kelly said, sometimes you have to look internally to see what it is that keeps you from keeping the weight off. For me it just simply boiled down to laziness. I need this tool to help me stay accountable. Again, there are plenty of people on here that will answer your questions and will support you. Sometimes, it may not be what you want to hear but what you need to hear. I could not be happier even though I have not had my surgery yet. But Kelly is a good source and so is Cleopatra Nik. Stay positive and keep learning all you can. I'll help you the best I can with what I know so far in this journey.
Deneen

I would just like to say that this experience has been wonderful for me!!!! Im sure it is different for everyone, so I am only speaking from my own experience!!!! I have lost over 150lbs. I did that in one years time. My recover was fast, and I never experienced much pain, but also have a high pain tolerence. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide. The only thing that I would have done different for me is to of done it SOONER...LOL.

You are doing the right thing by researching though. At least you will be ready, and prepared for right it right for you!!!

Based on my experience so far and other people's stories, the weight loss associated with RNY is a bit quicker than what you experience with regular dieting and exercise. 

For example, I had my surgery on 2/29 and I've been a little discouraged that my weight loss was "slow."  However, when I actually used a calendar to track the weeks, I found that I've lost an average of 3.8 pounds per week!  That may be "slow" when I compare myself to some other people, but prior to surgery I was never able to lose that much in 10 weeks, even on Jenny Craig - a program I loved.  So, I'm happy!

In terms of hunger, I think most people do go through a "honeymoon" period shortly after surgery when they're not hungry.  But, that doesn't last.  After all, surgery doesn't change our bodies so much that we no longer need fuel to function! 

I'd like to make a distinction, though, between hunger and cravings.  I know we sometimes use those two words interchangeably, but that's a mistake.  Hunger is a physiological need.  Cravings, in my opinion, are something totally different.  A craving is something you WANT - it's psychological, not physiological.  The surgery works on your gut, not your head - controlling hunger, not cravings.     (You'll feel full with much less food, but it will never make your head stop telling you that you "want" a piece of chocolate cake.)

Regarding complications, not everyone has significant complications.   I haven't... yet.  I was quite sore from the surgery until about week 4.  But, now I feel completely normal.  I've made myself vomit 4 times, I think, because I did something stupid - I ate too fast or ate something I shouldn't have eaten in the first place.   The responsibility for that lies with me.     Could I still develop a complication such as a stricture? Of course.  It was a major surgery and all surgeries come with the possibilities of complications both in the short and long term.

At the end of the day, the only person who can answer the question about whether or not you should stick to dieting is YOU. 

But, I'd suggest that you do more research and view the posts here more objectively and remember that it's in our nature to complain or seek help when things aren't going "right."     How many OH members are mostly silent because things are going well?   I'm betting a lot.