New to board, surgery is on 5/18/-07 and i have questions !

Hi ! I live in Va, but my surgery will be preformed in Tennessee ( i live on border) and was wondering about complications long after surgery. My mind was all made up about having the surgery, I had even purchased small svg cups and baby spoons lol..... then I found a website with a board entitled " would you do it all again" and it was awful, people had been disabled, debilitated (sp?) had neurological deficits, a vast varieties of deficits because no matter how much supplementation that got, nothing was absorbed. Can you you guys ring in on what its like and how you feel ? Are you weak and tired, can you get enough to eat even 1,2, or 3 yrs later ? Please, share good and bad with me. Nice to meet you all !

Lisa- Welcome to the VA board! I'm almost 9 months out, so I'm not sure I'm quite the expert yet, but I can tell you that as long as your surgeon is a good one and you follow the WLS rules (protein, vitamins, water and exercise), you should do well. At 9 months out, I the only major complication I've had is that my gallbladder needed to come out, which is fairly common and some surgeons take them at the time of WLS. Other than that, I just have to be careful with my sugars and fats. I find that I *can* eat just about anything I crave, although, I don't always let myself enjoy because I'm trying to learn a new lifestyle and way of eating. I feel great (other than still recovering from my gallbladder surgery a few days ago!)! Yes, there can be some life-threatening complications from surgery. But, there are complications with any major surgery...especially if you don't have a good surgeon (do your research) and/or follow the requirements for afterwards....heck even then there are complications that just happen. How many open heart patients die after surgery because they continue to eat and not exercise the same way they did pre-op....same idea. So...keep doing your research, keep asking questions. When you're ready to make a final decision, you'll know it. Christina S

Hi Lisa. Welcome to the board. You have some great questions. There are definitely people who experience complications and issues after having surgery. The importance of changing our life style in order to use our tool is sometimes forgotten. I am 17 months out from surgery. My only complication was that my gall bladder went bad and had to be taken out. I don't really feel weak or tired unless I am a little lax on my vitamins. Usually it is the exact opposite and I have more energy than I am used to. I definitely have no problems getting enough to eat. I don't really have any thing that I really react to food wise so I do have to watch myself from falling in to bad habits. Courtney

Hi Lisa and welcome. I had my surgery 10 months ago. I've lost 100 pounds and I'm a different woman. I'm actually healthy. Not one problem with my severe asthma. I have energy, stamina, and confidence. I knew going into this that there were some risks, but I had full confidence in my surgeon and I was desperate to feel better. Good luck to you in your decision. There are risks at anything you do in life. You have to weigh them and be committed to the decision you make so you can live with no regrets. Jennifer

Hi Lisa, As with any surgery, complications are always possible. Do your research and go with the best surgeon that you can find. I too have more energy than I used to...when I am tired, it is usually because I have spent hours running (very long days...longer than I could have withstood before). In 10 months, I have not regretted my decision, not even for a second. I have even met people who have had complications and they still say that they do not regret their decision. Good luck! Christine 253/153/158/134 start/current/surgeon's goal(check)/my goal

Hi Lisa, As with any surgery, complications are always possible. Do your research and go with the best surgeon that you can find. I too have more energy than I used to...when I am tired, it is usually because I have spent hours running (very long days...longer than I could have withstood before). In 10 months, I have not regretted my decision, not even for a second. I have even met people who have had complications and they still say that they do not regret their decision. Good luck! Christine 253/153/158/134 start/current/surgeon's goal(check)/my goal

Lisa - welcome to the Virginia Board!! First of all, there are alwasy pessemistic people on any website and do not see the good on what has happened to them. You need to take what some of them say with a pinch of salt. Before you go into this surgery please talk with your surgeon and go over any concerns you may have. Some people do get ill because they do not follow the plan and do not take all their supplements. You MUST take your supplements and proteins. Some people lose their gall bladder. I am almost 14 months out from surgery and have no issues with mine. I feel very healthy and am doing very well - I have never had any issues. I eat almost anything I want - however I do eat healthily - I do not eat things I should not have. I have never dumped because I do not try to eat sugar, I do not test my limits. You have to go into the surgery prepared to change your eating habits - for life! I do not regret having surgery for one second and would do it again in a heartbeat! I think you will hear that from most people on this board... Make sure you have a good surgeon and a good dietician going into the surgery and if you follow their advice and go to Support Group meetings you will get all the help you need to succeed. Jackie

Lisa, I concur with everyone else. Keep asking questions and doing research. I'm 9 months out and its still the best thing I've ever done for myself. I follow the rules and I don't have any complications from the surgery. I still have issues but it doesn't necessarily mean its related to that. This surgery eliminated my high blood pressure, high cholesterol, its helping with joint problems, raising my self-esteem and giving me back things I haven't experienced in forever that most people take for granted. We each have to make the decision that is best for us. Good luck and welcome to the board, Amber

Thank you all for your responses, I agree that I know alot of people don't "do as they are told", I have heard of some people being so elated with the loss that they WONT eat, because they dont want it to stop or slow down. I can totally handle the eating changes, I am ready for that. I have changed my eating the last 5 mths with incorporating exercise and they good side effect is I lost 39 lbs ! I just want to be healthy most of all, after losing all the weight your health is what your left with ! I see people who are thin, but they dont look healthy.

I am in VA and fairly new to this site and my surgery is scheduled for June 5th! I have great days of optimism and then someone will say some negative stuff and I get scared. I know that it is probably normal to be scared but the number of cases of success that I have heard about outweigh the bad cases but you know how the mind is...it hangs on to the bad. I am ok with the "after" and the life changes, it is the actual surgey itself that scares me. Any advice you all can give me to soothe my fears?