Oh No... Not the "What if''s"!!!!

[Can'tweight 41]

My surgery is this Wednesday. Yikes!! Extremely nervous!!! More NERVOUS than excited! I got the whole, "what if's."

What if my liver is to large?

What if something goes wrong?

What if I have terrible pain?

What if I am very nauseous?

What if I can't keep anything down?

What if I can't take my medicines?

What if I continuously vomit?

What if I am still hungry and never satisfied?

What if all my hair falls out?

What if I hardly lose anything?

What if...? What if...? What if...? Kind of scared that it's so close...I here "Sting" singing..."sending out an S.O.S!!...I hope that someone finds my....MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE."

[bugwitch 37]

Here's the kicker for ya'...

What it everything is just fine?

[mjb123 3]

I had all these questions just the other day, so I'll try to give you the answers I got, from here, and from the staff where I had my surgery.

What if my liver is to large? Usually, if you gain weight, they will re-schedule your surgery, or they can do it as an open surgery rather than laproscopic. MY nutritionist told me that I shouldn't GAIN anything. I didn't think I lost any, but ended up losing 13 before. I still have 7 incisions so maybe they still had to work around my liver. An expert surgeon, will know how to handle these cases.

What if something goes wrong? I can only speak for the staff where I was, but they were on top of every little thing. It is their job to make sure you get through this process successfully, and the clinic I was at only did bariatrics, I was a priority. PLUS, in the big picture you have to think of what will go wrong with your body if you do not take control and lose weight.

What if I have terrible pain? You should probably expect some pain. WIth any surgery there is gona be some. The nurses called me a pain virgin and I still made it through. I am 4 days out, and jsut uncomfortable, but only in pain when I try to get myself up out of bed or something. Expect some pain, but also know they should be able to medicate you well to control your pain and will ask you often how you are feeling.

What if I am very nauseous? What if I can't keep anything down? What if I can't take my medicines? What if I continuously vomit? You may be nauseous, but they have meds they can give you for that, and they will monitor what makes you sick and figure it out. I got nauseous, from the narcotics, once they took them away, and I was on nothing, I was able to start holding things down and start walking.

What if I am still hungry and never satisfied? Trust that this tool will be what it takes to satisfy you and if not, know that it is only a tool and you have to be devoted to a lifestyle change as well.

What if all my hair falls out? Get your Protein intake up as soon as allowed by following your diet. Don't skimp on the Protein. Take your Vitamins. If you lose a little hair, they say it grows back.

What if I hardly lose anything? Remember you have to be in the mindset to lose weight. This is only a tool. If you want to lose it you will, you have to follow the lifestyle changes, for the rest of your life.

It is overwhelming, I am still overwhelmed just a few days out, but stick to your plan. Research till you are blue in the face and then just have a little faith and trust in your decision. Trust your surgeon and staff that they will take care of you. Know that there will be some hard times, but nothing we all aren't getting through together. Stay close to these boards for inspiration.

[ldydrgnkpr 49]

Don't worry. I had that happen to me a month before I just remembered why I was doing this and the what if's turned into the what if I don't. But hey I made it through and I'm doing just great five days out. You will do fine!

Deb

[sunnyd 32]

I'm definitely in the same mind frame as you. I have four days left and am freaking out about a lot of the same things. I'm up at night worrying. Someone on here wrote that she made goodbye letters to her loved ones and I was thinking about that last night. Should I do the same? Then I started crying thinking about it. Now I'm sick and double worried I might not even be allowed to have it done this week. I keep trying to reassure myself it will be ok- but that's hard to do. So I guess we can try to think positive and pray that everything will turn out ok and lead us to a healthier life!

[SouthernSleever 228]

I had the same "what if's" as you. It's hard, I admit it. But it's so easy too. It's great and it's impowering.

What if you didn't constantly think of food

What if you didn't feel like white knuckling it to lose weight

What if you didn't recognize yourself in the mirror

What if you woke each day with a spring in your step

What if?

[Can'tweight 41]

You guys are so right! Gotta put my big girl panties on and focus on the prize. Thanks for reminding me who I want to be.

[Billy363627 15]

What if you die being overweight and never see your kids have their kids. This is what made me look at myself and be determined to do this and not to look back ever. You just have to make that first step and never look back.

[kpbrighton 1]

You guys are so right! Gotta put my big girl panties on and focus on the prize. Thanks for reminding me who I want to be.

Hey and don't worry too much about those "big girl panties" - pretty soon we'll all be in pretty "little panties"!!!!

[t-salt 1]

My surgery is tomarrow. My Surgeon just called as I was reading this and assured me that if you didn't have these questions and anxiety, your not normal. All I know is I'm getting nervous as hell. The surgery doesn't scare me it's the after surgery what if's.

[SouthernSleever 228]

T-salt you will be fine! Do what the Dr tells you to and enjoy the ride!

[MissyG 1]

I had my surgery on Wednesday and I definitely feel like a wimp compared to some here. I did have nausea which resolved with meeds. I have been in pain, especially the first couple of days and it was mostly from gas, which has not yet fully resolved. Iam working to get my fluids in and it is very hard. I can have full liquids but the thought of Soup even injury chicken soup is gross to me. I say have realistic expectations and don't compare yourself to others. I have felt a bit like a failure because I am not bouncing back as quickly as others, but know that everyone is different.

[Estella 11]

You neglected to mention one "what-if":

What if I stay obese for the rest of my life?

It's riskier than many of the dangers you mentioned.

All the sleeved people I met at my doctor's waiting room say that they wish they'd done the surgery 10 years ago and hadn't suffered all their mature life being so overweight.

While being scared of undergoing the procedure myself (heck, I signed up as an organ donor!), their happy faces shoo away most of my fears.

[Can'tweight 41]

Thanks guys for your support! I feel much better today...but still a bit nervous. One day to go! Yee haw!!!

[Tiffykins 673]

Lisa, you'll do great. All of these "what ifs" are pretty normal. One thing I did was only focus on the positive, and believe me, I had plenty of negatives that I could have dwelt on with my complications and extensive recovery. BUT, I also knew that thinking negatively would simply breed negativity. I was hellbent on being successful, and refused to allow anything stand in my way. Surgery is scary, losing the majority of a major organ is scary, NO DOUBT, but what is scarier is living a life tied to obesity-related diseases and conditions.

Best wishes on your surgery ! ! ! We've all scooted over on the loser's bench for ya ! ! !