Hi, Lynda! This is my first post, too. I am having gastric bypass on Monday. Your post caught my attention because I, too, took years to wrap my head around "surgery." It is finally the right tool for me. I hope you have all the success in the world with this!!! I have been so fortunate to have two people in my life, one close friend and another recent work friend, who have both had gastric bypass (over 4 years ago and 18 months ago). They, like anyone I have ever personally met who has had GB says the same two things: "It's the best thing I ever did" and "I wish I would have done it sooner." The nurse who did my pre-admission labs this past Monday had GB 14 years ago from my surgeon!! She looked amazing, felt amazing, and said the same two things. I look forward to visiting this board when we can all say those two things together! The advice I have from my friends is to 1) do everything the surgeon and his office say to do 2) exercise 3) do everything the surgeon and his office say to do 4) exercise and....well, you get the picture.???? I will start out around 313 (a little less by Monday with the preop diet ongoing), and I can't wait to get on the other side of this operation to start my new life and be able to do everything with my kiddos and husband, too!! All the best to you all!!