Unsure About This Surgery?

[reaching high 19]

Great blog!! Thanks for the encouragement!! I am hoping to have the money soon to do this!! But still very nervous. Thank again!!

[Andrea8967 25]

If you think you might not be convinced about if this is right for you' date=' then please read my blog this week. I had a couple of conversations with people who were post-op (and one who is in complete denial at almost 275 lbs) and wanted to share this with the forum.

You can take a look by clicking on my blog. I post every Sunday (often from different places so it's a bit of a Travel/Weight loss blog!). But this week's is an important one I think.

Good luck to everyone who is pre-op and thinking about this or in the queue![/quote']

I LOVE your blogs and look forward to them every week. I was sleeved on 1/18 so I love following your posts. But I especially look forward to your stories about Hawaii. My husband and I have been vacationing there every summer for the past 8 years and we just love it there. We're trying to figure out how to move there permanently.

Keep up the great stories. You really have a wonderful knack for writing.

[clk 3,519]

I think a big fear a lot of people experience but won't admit outright is that fear of being forced to discover ourselves. We love blaming our fat on our childhoods, on genetics, on old injuries, on pregnancy, on whatever convenient excuse we have. Oh sure, all of those things can be somewhat to blame or in very few cases, completely to blame. But honestly, so much of being a fat person is hiding behind that weight, even when we desperately want out from behind it.

Being faced with the inability to hide behind food - the inability to overeat ourselves out of sadness or depression or anger and the inability to snack mindlessly when we're bored - well, that can be scary if you're the type of person that's spent your life in denial about yourself and your habits. It's scary. food is a coping mechanism for a lot of people. Giving up what is essentially a security blanket is frightening for a lot of people.

Denial is a huge part of the problems we have with food.

With the exception of unforeseeable complications there is nothing more difficult about life after surgery than life as a person who is so overweight that it impacts your overall health and quality of life. I am sorry, but the need to take a PPI or limit my portions or to need to get off my rear and actually move around a bit more - these things PALE in comparison to life prior to surgery. My life is far easier now than it was when I was embarrassed to be out in public or when I had to take medications for diabetes before I was even thirty! What is ten thousand dollars to me when it's bought me back my life? I'd pay it twice over to be where I am now because it would still be worth every penny.

Anyone that could talk themselves out of this surgery simply isn't ready for the changes they know they'll have to make. And I feel sorry for that person, honestly, because once they do make the choice the only regret they'll have is that they didn't do it sooner.

Thanks for your post and for your blog - your insight and information will surely help other people make this journey for themselves a successful one.

~Cheri

[Queen of Crop 1,103]

Mahalo to everyone for the great responses.....and to Jazzie and MrsNate.....welcome to the club!!!!! So eager to follow your progress as well......

Andrea....I so appreciate your compliments on my blog; as I have said many times, I write it because I was so inspired by another person's blog last summer (which I can't find any more sadly as I would really like to thank her). I have no other ulterior motive....so comments like yours mean a lot. Hard to believe I only have 5 more months to write it....

And @ CLK....right on! Love your well thought out response.....I am going to forward it to a friend who is in the "can I do this" stage......

I love this forum....it has helped me and so many others.....

[Queen of Crop 1,103]

Have I thanked you for this yet? Not sure; I'm getting a little behind here......but I SO appreciate your offer of help for my friend. It's a slippery slope as you know; I don't want to hurt her feelings but I want her to be happy again. Her name is Linda and she lives in Alaska. I will ask her to contact you but it may take a while.....thanks again!

Queen of Crop

dr. Ponce de leon in Tijuana Mexico. It's $5,500 plus the flight to San Diego California. He has been a surgeon and teacher of many surgeons for over 20 years. I would more than happy to talk to your friend and give her/you more info. You might also want to watch my video on YouTube. Feel free to ask me any questions.

[besquared1426 49]

Thanks queenofcrop for your great blog this week. It really hit the spot!