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Stressed And Scared! Am I Doing The Right Thing?



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I'm 11 days away from my surgery and I'm getting extremely nervous about whether I am doing the right thing. I know I need to lose the weight for my health. I think I am reading about too many horror stories and wonder if it's going to happen to me. I know this pre op diet has got my nerves a little on edge too. I was so excited last week and this week I feel like I want to back out. Anyone else go through the same thing?

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Yes i know how u feel i just got approved got medical clearence now waiting for consent appt. Now im more nervous . Now i wonder if i can really do this. But then i think what will happen if i dont do it. Then i smile realize we need this. So im trying to look at positive. Im sure right up until surgery we will have doubts but it will be fine.. good luck to ya let us know how u do

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Hi there. I had mine done on Mar29 2012. I had no concerns going in but when i woke up i started questioning my choice. Talk about poor timing. Anyway,that quickly faded and now 2 weeks out i have no second thoughts at all.

Only you can answer yourself. All i can offer is just be sure it is what you want and NEED and you'll be fine.

As far as to many horror stories, you are right. I watched them too. After a lot of research i found almost every case was an issue of self control. Of course some are not but look at the thousands done and the very few problems encountered.

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I didn't start second guessing my decision until two days before surgery. Yes, there can be complications with the band, but some of those complications are self-inflicted (not eating properly after being banded). The complications that are not self-inflicted can require another surgery, which would be inconvenient, but is generally not life-threatening. The reason I chose lap-band was the fact that it is reversible if I find I can't tolerate it, and of all the weight loss surgeries, it has the least serious complications.

I've been banded about 2.5 months, have lost 24 pounds, my back pain has already been greatly diminished, my BP med has been cut in half, and I'm completely off my ridiculously expensive acid reflux Rx!!!!! BEST DECISION I EVER MADE FOR MYSELF!! If I had a complication today, my goal would be to get that complication resolved and hopefully be able to be banded again!!!

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OHHHHH I know how you feel..My Surgery is scheduled for June 11th, and I go from feeling excited to days of I dont think I should do this.

What I think needs to happen is "I NEED TO STOP RESEARCHING ON THE COMPUTER" For every success story I read, there is a horror story to follow.

So I have to realize that this is going to help me with many medical problems, and I need to stay positive, trust my Doctor, and go forward with the Lap Band.

I wish you the best and hope that you have a speedy recovery. :)

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It's totally nervous to second guess yourself as you near your surgery date. I know I did, in fact I can remember waiting to be wheeled into the ER thinking "holy crap, what am I doing?"

Thankfully I went through with it and I'm so glad I did. Honestly, being banded is the best thing I've ever for myself. I was banded 3 months ago on Jan. 6 and I've lost 65 pounds so far. I feel better than I have in years.

You have to take the horror stories you read with a grain of salt. I look at it like car accidents- once in awhile the the accident is no fault of the driver whatsoever, but more often than not there's some degree of operator error involved. The Lap Band is the same way. There are times something goes wrong by no fault of the banded person, but the majority of the time it's because of something they did(or didn't)do. (even if a great number don't admit it here)

Ultimately, the decision is yours and you must do what's best for you.

Best wishes to you :)

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I'm being banded this Friday. I've spent a year looking into it. Even went to a consultation last year before backing out. I know this is going to help me. But I must admit I'm nervous, more than nervous a wee bit scared. Sometimes more. I'm doing ok on the pre-op diet- hungry but I'm getting in the groove on how life will be after. I'm ready.

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Meant to say, I think it's normal- but make sure you are ready for the changes you are going to have to make in your life. If you are ready go for it!

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Thanks everyone for you comments. I will try to think more positive. I have many health issues because of my weight. I need to lose over 150 pounds...so I know I have to do something. This did seem the safest way after trying all the other non-surgical strategies. I'm going go get through this part. I think it feels almost like breaking up with my best friend...sad isn't it. That I love food that much. But thanks again everyone for the support. April 18th is not far away!

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Stay strong and keep your head up!!! Being nervous is to be expected with any surgery. You have come too far to turn back now. You would have never made the first step if you really didn't want this. The horror stories come with any surgery. Most of the time the complications comes from not following the rules or having too high expectations. You can do this! Good luck.

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    • BabySpoons

      Sometimes reading the posts here make me wonder if some people just weren't mentally ready for WLS and needed more time with the bariatric team psychiatrist. Complaining about the limited drink/food choices early on... blah..blah...blah. The living to eat mentality really needs to go and be replaced with eating to live. JS
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      1. Bypass2Freedom

        We have to remember that everyone moves at their own pace. For some it may be harder to adjust, people may have other factors at play that feed into the unhealthy relationship with food e.g. eating disorders, trauma. I'd hope those who you are referring to address this outside of this forum, with a professional.


        This is a place to feel safe to vent, seek advice, hopefully without judgement.


        Compassion goes a long way :)

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        Seems it would be more compassionate not to perform a WLS on someone until they are mentally ready for it. Unless of course they are on death's door...

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      Question for anyone, how did you get your mind right before surgery? Like as far as eating better foods and just doing better in general? I'm having a really hard time with this. Any help is appreciated 🙏❤️
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      1. NickelChip

        I had about 6 months between deciding to do surgery and getting scheduled. I came across the book The Pound of Cure by Dr. Matthew Weiner, a bariatric surgeon in Arizona, and started to implement some of the changes he recommended (and lost 13 lbs in the process without ever feeling deprived). The book is very simple, and the focus is on whole, plant based foods, but within reason. It's not an all or nothing approach, or going vegan or something, but focuses on improvement and aiming for getting it right 80-90% of the time. His suggestions are divided into 12 sections that you can tackle over time, perhaps one per month for a year if a person is just trying to improve nutrition and build good habits. They range from things like cutting out artificial sweetener or eating more beans to eating a pound of vegetables per day. I found it really effective pre-surgery and it's an eating style I will be working to get back to as I am further out from surgery and have more capacity. Small changes you can sustain will do the most for building good habits for life.

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        That sounds awesome. I'll have to check that out thanks!

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