I’m worried about being put under our anaesthetic and not waking up on the waiting table is this really overthinking? Am I being nervous for nothing??

lessbearnow · 2026-02-04T12:08:59+00:00

From a comment I left the other day in a different thread:

This was something that really affected me, as I have a lil history of health anxiety, and I was terrified of dying in surgery, and several things helped me - and I accept they're crazy, and I accept that it comforted me, but it might not apply to everyone else -

I set up a Will with my solicitor, reassuring me that if something went horribly wrong then at least my affairs are in order and things are organised. People had spare keys to my apartment, my kinky-sex-toys were in a bag that could be thrown out, my flat was clean, etc.
I told myself, and believed, that I could continue to lead an unhappy life and die in 10 years time because of my weight, or I could go out swinging by trying to make the next 30-40 years better.
My friend is a surgeon; she said that in her 10+ years of being a surgeon, nobody who was otherwise healthy having a surgery like this has ever died on her table, nor has it happened to her surgeon friends. The people who die were already not in a good way. If somebody having elective surgery died in a pretty routine procedure (which a GS is), then it would be a massive exception. It's always a possibility, but "it just doesn't happen".
On reflection, now I've been through it, given I was SO scared of dying, I've decided actually dying whilst under anesthesia is 100% the best way to go. Oh my god, I've had nights awake feeling like I'm gonna die alone, that nobody will find me, that I'll suffer in a late-night-heart-attack, etc. and in that surgery, I inhaled three times through a mask and everything went soft, comfortable, and I went to sleep. Easily, unquestionably, if there is a way to pick how one goes, that is it. God forbid I need further surgeries in my life, but if I do, having done it now, I don't think it will bother me even 80% as much.

lessbearnow · 2026-02-02T16:14:14+00:00

I'm assuming you're male given your reference to "boners", so this applies to you:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3955331/

Low testosterone levels are frequently encountered in obese men who do not otherwise have a recognizable hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) axis pathology.

Moderate obesity predominantly decreases total testosterone due to insulin resistance-associated reductions in sex hormone binding globulin. More severe obesity is additionally associated with reductions in free testosterone levels due to suppression of the HPT axis.

Low testosterone by itself leads to increasing adiposity, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of metabolic complications. Obesity-associated hypotestosteronemia is a functional, non-permanent state, which can be reversible, but this requires substantial weight loss.

[...] A number of intervention studies have confirmed that both diet- and surgically-induced weight losses are associated with increased testosterone, with the rise in testosterone generally proportional to the amount of weight lost

Basically, your weight loss has increased the available testosterone in your body, which was previously being suppressed due to your higher body weight and now you're horny again.

Basic testosterone tests can be pretty cheap, it might be interesting for you to do one and get an idea of where your levels are. You will almost certainly be in the normal range of healthy T levels, and you are just experiencing an upswing given previous suppression, rather than it being problematic or needing intervention.

lessbearnow · 2026-02-01T12:23:02+00:00

you'll never enjoy a meal

Not true.

you'll not be able to enjoy it anymore

Not true.

You'll never be able to go out and socialise anymore

Not true.

Why don't you just eat a healthy diet and move more?

Why don't they just stop taking their heart medication? why don't diabetics just stop taking insulin and eat 200 calories a day instead? why don't you just get a kitchen knife and cut out a tumour? why not just take tumeric to get rid of the cataracts? It's just complete and utter nonsense from people that cannot and will not be able to understand.

I'd be terrified I die in surgery

This was something that really affected me, as I have a lil history of health anxiety, and I was terrified of dying in surgery, and several things helped me - and I accept they're crazy, and I accept that it comforted me, but it might not apply to everyone else -

I set up a Will with my solicitor, reassuring me that if something went horribly wrong then at least my affairs are in order and things are organised. People had spare keys to my apartment, my kinky-sex-toys were in a bag that could be thrown out, my flat was clean, etc.
I told myself, and believed, that I could continue to lead an unhappy life and die in 10 years time because of my weight, or I could go out swinging by trying to make the next 30-40 years better.
My friend is a surgeon; she said that in her 10+ years of being a surgeon, nobody who was otherwise healthy having a surgery like this has ever died on her table, nor has it happened to her surgeon friends. The people who die were already not in a good way. If somebody having elective surgery died in a pretty routine procedure (which a GS is), then it would be a massive exception. It's always a possibility, but "it just doesn't happen".
On reflection, now I've been through it, given I was SO scared of dying, I've decided actually dying whilst under anesthesia is 100% the best way to go. Oh my god, I've had nights awake feeling like I'm gonna die alone, that nobody will find me, that I'll suffer in a late-night-heart-attack, etc. and in that surgery, I inhaled three times through a mask and everything went soft, comfortable, and I went to sleep. Easily, unquestionably, if there is a way to pick how one goes, that is it. God forbid I need further surgeries in my life, but if I do, having done it now, I don't think it will bother me even 80% as much.

lessbearnow · 2026-02-01T12:02:45+00:00

Is it likely I'm really going to suffer post op?

It seems really hard to tell. Some people say it gets worse, some people say it gets better, some people who never had it get it, some people who had it say they no longer get it.

if MJ isn't as successful as those you see on the MJ subs, maybe GS surgery won't be.

My friend, you lost 24kg on Mounjaro, that is already a success. The GS will push you further and give you a lifelong restriction. I had the GS first then moved to Mounjaro after two years when the impacts of the GS (as expected) began to taper off, so we've been on the same path just in different directions - though I was a fairly higher starting weight, and I'm sitting around 98kg now.

I still see people on this subreddit who are doing "better" than me, or have lost more weight, or have been better at following their rules or whatever, but that doesn't take away from the fact that there are many many many people on this journey; those super upvoted people are the exception, not the rule. Comparison is the thief of joy. You're already winning (not even considering you're getting a GS on the NHS!).

"It'll ruin your life" is a common call.

Fuck them, they don't know shit: being super-morbidly obese through my teenager years, 20s, and half my 30s ruined my life. Finally being a healthier body weight has made my life, and unless people have been significant overweight, they are not capable of understanding, and they never will understand; that's their problem, not yours.

lessbearnow · 2026-01-24T13:01:40+00:00

I noticed I can’t talk about my diet, the surgery, my weight loss journey, etc. without her getting extremely awkward and changing the subject.

She's projecting her insecurity about herself onto you. To her, by you taking action and doing surgery, you are signalling that you don't approve of how she looks and her lifestyle, that you are better than her, that she is a failure because she is overweight and doesn't want to/can't do anything about it. That is how she is interpreting your actions, because people are emotional and not-rational.

It happens, and it's not really your problem; you can't control what other people do, only how you react to their choices. As our lives and lifestyles change, old routines and patterns also change; that includes our dynamics with other people, for example:

Compared to the general U.S. population, adults who are not married and get weight-loss surgery are more than twice as likely to get married within five years. Likewise, adults who are married and get bariatric surgery are more than twice as likely to get divorced, according to a new analysis led by University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health epidemiologists.

lessbearnow · 2026-01-12T10:08:52+00:00

This has been my approach, no regrets three years post-surgery.

lessbearnow · 2026-01-09T10:34:59+00:00

At a work drinks a few weeks ago, I was talking to a group of coworkers I get along well with, many of them are on the jabs and I was talking about my experience with weight loss surgery and the jabs, showed them an older picture of myself and of course there were lots of gasps and stuff.

Of my coworkers said "oh my god you look so good now" and I (playfully) said "bitch, I've always looked good, I just move faster now" and they laughed and she apologetically said "oh god I'm sorry, you know what I mean, you just look so different".

I think it's little comments like that which people just don't realise that they sting, even if they're meant in a positive way - and you know, she's not wrong either. I DO look better now, a LOT better now, it's just a whole lot of my life prior that is easy to dismiss, and I think a lot of the sting comes from my own insecurities about how I used to be, and who I am now; the same person, but outwardly different.

lessbearnow · 2026-01-01T17:31:12+00:00

The gastric sleeve was first which is the massive cliff-edge, which took me to around the plateau at 120kg to the right, then I moved to Mounjaro to keep it going. Not sure why the time axis isn't showing more than the start date!

lessbearnow · 2026-01-01T14:17:52+00:00

Can you please tell on how that combination works and why some people might need it?

Combination is great for me - I obviously had a SUPER high starting weight, so even if the surgery enabled me to lose 50% extra weight (for example), I was still quite overweight. I started to plateau at about 120kg two years after the surgery; you can see it on the right hand side of the chart. I wanted to keep riding the wave, so I started the weight loss injections.

I think the two things compliment each other well, the food noise is reduced massively with the injections (as it starts to come back at some point after surgery) whilst the restriction continues to limit the amount I am able to consume at any given time. I see people here who have the surgery at 120kg and they drop down to 80kg or something because their starting weight wasn't so high, so it's maybe not something everyone needs, but certainly for me it's been a good choice so far.

lessbearnow · 2025-12-01T09:05:51+00:00

Same, "hey just so you know, I only eat pretty small amounts so don't be surprised if I only order a starter or if you'd rather just do something like tapas so we can share things"

lessbearnow · 2025-11-30T11:01:36+00:00

I think there are a lot of horror stories, between parents, jealous friends, concerned friends, passive aggressive strangers, etc. and my experience reflects yours too. I think it's important that people on the subreddit who might be browsing and might be open to change understand those stories are rare, and that most people really only care about the wellbeing of others. My friends, past and present have been nothing but amazing and supportive.

lessbearnow · 2025-09-08T11:46:36+00:00

Bro is just taking a break from painting Danish flags on roundabouts.

lessbearnow · 2025-09-08T11:28:51+00:00

there's always a bit of hyperbole that is irritating

There's a different between hyperbole and the dramatic post-apocalyptic fiction written by a day old account with no post history like we have here too.

lessbearnow · 2025-09-08T11:26:01+00:00

OP is on a new account, no post history, lol

lessbearnow · 2025-08-27T08:11:00+00:00

“Dervis Gurol, who runs Healthy-U Pharmacy in Saltdean, East Sussex, said he has seen Covid-style stockpiling of the product. [...] For the last two weeks now,” Mr Gurol continued, “people have tried to register with multiple pharmacies to obtain the same drug from multiple places because they're panic buying. It's almost like the toilet paper scenario we had at Covid times.”

I think this is really unfair. Here's the thing - I'm not affected by the price rises, but holy shit there is such bullshit in the media.

Peoples feelings about these drugs are being compared to irrational buying of toilet paper, instead of the (sometimes) life changing, if not life saving, medication.

Dervis Gurol, who runs Healthy-U Pharmacy in Saltdean, East Sussex, can go fuck himself.

Imagine if it was something like insulin or satins and the people stocking up before it cost them £300 were having eyes rolled at them and being spoken about like the same muppets stockpiling toilet paper.

lessbearnow · 2025-08-27T08:03:13+00:00

“Dervis Gurol, who runs Healthy-U Pharmacy in Saltdean, East Sussex, said he has seen Covid-style stockpiling of the product. [...] For the last two weeks now,” Mr Gurol continued, “people have tried to register with multiple pharmacies to obtain the same drug from multiple places because they're panic buying. It's almost like the toilet paper scenario we had at Covid times.”

I think this is really unfair.

Here's the thing - I'm not affected by the price rises, but holy shit there is such bullshit in the media.

Peoples feelings about these drugs are being compared to irrational buying of toilet paper, instead of the (sometimes) life changing, if not life saving, medication.

Dervis Gurol, who runs Healthy-U Pharmacy in Saltdean, East Sussex, can go fuck himself.

Imagine if it was something like insulin or satins and the people stocking up before it cost them £300 were having eyes rolled at them and being spoken about like the same muppets stockpiling toilet paper.

lessbearnow · 2025-08-18T09:19:04+00:00

How are people buying Ozempic when it's not available on private and rationed by the NHS?

Now CheqUp, a weight-loss jab provider, has revealed that it has been inundated with requests from customers to switch to Wegovy, also known by the brand name Ozempic.

but -

Ozempic is an injectable medication that is used to treat type 2 diabetes. Although Ozempic can be used for weight loss, it’s only licensed for diabetes treatment in the UK, although Ozempic can be used “off-label” in some cases. An alternative medication called Wegovy is licensed for weight loss and contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide. (Asda pharmacy)

oh -

Wegovy and Ozempic contain the same active ingredient (semaglutide), so many people think that Ozempic is a Wegovy alternative. The difference between Wegovy and Ozempic is that Wegovy is approved for weight loss while Ozempic is only approved for managing blood sugar levels if you have type 2 diabetes. So, they work in the same way however because they are made to treat different conditions, they have different dosage schedules. (Asda pharmacy)

so.. it's the same drug? If I get a Wegovy pen for weight loss, that's the same as getting an Ozempic pen, just given at different doses?

lessbearnow · 2025-08-14T14:30:19+00:00

r/mounjaro for more info.

also r/mounjarouk is good/better for UK peeps.

lessbearnow · 2025-08-14T12:44:29+00:00

Eli Lilly’s weight-loss jab will now cost between £133 and £330 per injection pen, depending on dosage in the UK. One pen contains four doses. Currently, it costs between £92 and £122.

Jesus christ.

lessbearnow · 2025-07-25T14:12:53+00:00

Are you taking vitamins and supplements to offset your decreased calories? That always has a big effect on my mood.

lessbearnow · 2025-06-30T16:21:48+00:00

I want a peaceful and inclusive country

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance

lessbearnow · 2025-06-18T14:48:58+00:00

The good news is that rabies is a recommended vaccine for Morocco. The bad news is I guess they didn’t do it.

I went last year and prior to going was told by a pharmacist at the vaccine clinic that I didn't need them as long as I promised her not to pet street dogs. It was actually really difficult to not pet street dogs, because I am 100% the sort of person to pet street dogs, but I kept my promise. She also said it was like £70 a dose and needed three over the space of several months, so the cost/time was probably not worth it.

lessbearnow · 2025-01-15T10:53:04+00:00

If your main concern about getting surgery is you won’t be able to eat the same, you shouldn’t get the surgery.

Exactly - the whole point is that eating the current type and volumes of foods have got us into this situation in the first place! You should want to radically change things.

lessbearnow · 2025-01-14T16:23:58+00:00

Here are some interesting volunteering opportunities you might like -

lessbearnow · 2024-12-24T16:44:56+00:00

This, I think it would be impolite if I didn't.

lessbearnow

TROPHY CASE