How Prepared Were You?

[mverges 15]

So I have just heard that my file has been submitted for insurance approval. And I'm so exited. But I also find myself thinking... How prepared am I really? Have I read enough information? Done enough research?

I know this is something that I want to do. But how much preparing have you done? How long did you think it over? Do you wish you had taken more time do think things over?

I'm hoping to hear from them soon to schedule my date. Is it one of those things where you should just jump in?

[kimmy*custis 276]

I had been researching surgery for a year before I actually had my surgery. I read everything I could, browsed sooo many forums etc. I was soooo prepared and ready when it came time. You will be too! Just jump in, the Water is fine!!!!!

[PdxMan 4,292]

I would HIGHLY advise NOT just jumping in. This is a major surgery. You are having 85% of your stomach removed. The biggest challenges, IMO, are the mental ones, not physical. To do this right, you have to completely change your relationship with food. For some of us, that means facing some demons in our closets.

I can only speak for myself, but this was not a quick fix to my eating issues. It helps me to eat right, yes, but it also points out a lot of my flaws in my relationship with food. Finding new ways to deal with stress which I did not have to tools to deal with before.

Take the time you need. Read the forum thoroughly and look at some people's struggles. You can highlight a person's name and view all of their content. This can help you see their path of struggles and (hopefully) resolution.

[Wheetsin 714]

As a revsion, my case is a bit different from most. My responses are below in blue.

So I have just heard that my file has been submitted for insurance approval. And I'm so exited. But I also find myself thinking... How prepared am I really? Have I read enough information? Done enough research?

I know this is something that I want to do. But how much preparing have you done? How long did you think it over? Do you wish you had taken more time do think things over? I decided to have lapband surgery in 2006 and pretty much immediately started planning for contingency - my "Plan B" if you will - because I never trusted the lapband would be forever, although I did think that if it could help me get to goal, I could take it from there. When I had my lapband the sleeve was relatively unheard of. I first started hearing about it around 2008 and started looking into it. 2008 was also when the "first gen" banders started hitting the complication rates of the band. I was diagnosed with my slip in 2011 and was probably 80% sure I'd go to a sleeve revision at that point, because really - as long as there was a "non-rerouting" option available, that's what I would go with. But I had some reservations about the additional revision complications that I needed to acclimate to.

So how long did I think it over? About 2 years as a possibility, about 1 year as a real possiblity, and about 6 months as a strong likelihood.

I'm hoping to hear from them soon to schedule my date. Is it one of those things where you should just jump in? Absolutey NOT. I've heard the argument, "Well if I'd waited until I really understood this, I'd never had the surgery." That's true to a degree - you will never know what to expect completely until you're in those shoes, but you can get a pretty good idea. We see people here all day long who are posting about something that's probably classifiable as "common knowledge" - but it was still something they had not been exposed to. A LOT of people go to an info seminar and that's pretty much all they know until their surgery is done. Coming to a palce like this and putting in some effort to get the "what's it like to live with it?" stories is invaluable.

My bottom line advice - DO NOT do this until you are at least 95% sure it is the right thing for you. Unlike the band, this isn't reversible. I can tolerate a 5% margin for doubt, but any more than that and it becomes worth the time to look into it more.

[topgun 63]

I was really well prepared for the surgery but my innate stubbornness and belief that I was bulletproof led to my own downfall. I knew what to do and what I needed to eat and drink but I threw out all of that info and followed my own plan. Big whoops! Sure, I lost weight, but I was miserable much of the first 6 or 7 weeks because I wasn't drinking enough fluids or eating enough Protein. It isn't enough to be prepared knowledge-wise if you aren't willing to do what you know is right! (sigh..)

[LindaS 316]

I had been looking into WLS on my own for more than a year.

When I finally decided to go for it, it took me less than 6 weeks from the informational meeting to the time I had my surgery.

A big part of that quick time frame was that I was able to get the sleeve. I don't think I would have been able to decide so quickly if the sleeve hadn't been an option for me.

[mverges 15]

Thanks you guys!!!