Worried if i should do this

[black25 1]

Have always wanted to be thin .... I have always struggled with my weight .. Tried every diet / weight lose plan known to man .. Finally jumped threw all the hoops and can get WLS ... But am now getting cold feet ... What if something goes wrong and I'm doing this for purely selfish reasons ... Surgery that wasn't necessary .. I should just try harder !! To lose weight the old fashioned way !! ... Am I taking a unnecessary risk????

[julez 32]

Been there... Been thinking about this for 7 years. Now that I am a week away from surgery I wish I did it sooner.

You are not a lone with your feelings. Take some time and listen to your heart

[Chelly 364]

We have all been there wondering and we make the right decision in the end.

Being scared is normal but don't let in cloud your decision or over whelm you.

I waited years too and struggled with health problems on top of health problems and finally the light bulb lite in my head and I woke up to reality that this was what I needed to do.

I don't regret it in the least because my diabetes is gone, no more high blood pressure, no more high cholesterol, no more fatty liver, sleep apnea is gone.

I'm also pleased with my weight lose.

Bypass was a great gift to myself because it helped me get healthier.

You have gone through the requirements to get this far don't let fear stop you totally.

Good luck to you.

[DLCoggin 1,788]

"Tried every diet / weight lose plan known to man .."

• For folks with a BMI of 30 or greater, clinical studies have repeatedly shown that diet and exercise have a failure rate of over 95%. Some doctors believe it is closer to 100%. It doesn't work. It never has. Doctors have known for a long time that it doesn't work. They simply had nothing else to offer. Now they do.

"What if something goes wrong..."

• There are risks with any surgery and bariatric surgery is no exception. The risk factor for gastric bypass is often compared to that for having your gall bladder removed. If you have not done so already, do the research. You'll find that the odds are statistically overwhelmingly in favor of your having a successful, literally life changing experience. Courage is not about never being afraid. Courage is doing what you believe to be the right thing for you and your family, in spite of your fears.

"and I'm doing this for purely selfish reasons ..."

• It is not uncommon for folks to feel this way. If the desire to live a healthy, happy, more fulfilling and longer life is "selfish", then you certainly have a lot of company. What would those you love and who love you say?

"Am I taking a unnecessary risk????"

• Perhaps a more important question is are you taking an "unnecessary risk" doing nothing and living with obesity? Obesity is a progressive, life-threatening disease that is the number two cause of preventable death in the U.S. Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment known to medical science for the treatment of obesity and more than 30 comorbidities associated with obesity. By a very wide margin.

The decision to have surgery is an intensely personal one and one that only you can make. 99% of the folks on this forum fear surgery and the other 1% are in denial. Fear of surgery is a perfectly normal and healthy response. Fear of failing to take action to address the disease of obesity is, or should be, even more frightening.

You're gonna love the new you!!

[Ginger Snaps 1,323]

Nothing much more to add than @@DLCoggin, but I think you are VERY normal to feel some fear and nerves about having the surgery. My only comorbidities were sleep apnea and reflux and I was a relative lightweight (BMI 36) but my fear of the trend I was seeing with my weight was more than my fear of having the surgery. I was not going to lose weight long term without the surgery. If I stayed at the weight I was or gained, I was most likely going to end up with high blood pressure, diabetes, the entire laundry list.

One month out and I have no regrets. I'm down a significant amount of weight from my initial weight and I have had very little pain and other than a little bout of pneumonia right after surgery that got me readmitted a few days, no complications. I have had no nausea or vomiting and so far I've been able to tolerate everything I've eaten (except when I tried half a Protein bar and it felt like I had eaten a brick! lol)

I feel like I made the right choice to gain some health and improve my quality of life. It is a personal decision that only you can make but don't let fear stop you from doing what you know is best for you.

Best wishes!

[itsmekarenlee 129]

I'm SO glad you posted this and SO glad for the responses. 11 more days until our surgeries and I'm feeling the same way but I'm also trying not to THINK about it so that I don't have a nervous breakdown.

[black25 1]

I'm so glad to hear these responses :-) .. Is Making me feel much better about it all

Thank u everyone

[oly1169angel 2]

I am wondering the same thing... Did I make the right choice and Can I do this?? My surgery is in 2 weeks and it has been a fast trip from decision to surgery. I am a self pay and therefore going to Mexico so we can afford it.. I made the decision and researched companies in late April thinking I would have surgery after Nov when hubby home from work for holidays then found out I could do it in July. Its been a whirlwind since... scheduling our time off work ( hubby works out of state and meeting me in San Diego and returning home with me for a week), flights, passports, and of course surgery date and finances. I have a cousin and several acquaintances who have had it and referred me to company and surgeon! Then Started 2 week pre op diet today and it hit me.,.I am really doing this. The excitement of surgery has changed into worry. What if I change to a worse person after surgery... so many things going thru mind. Just remembering to be me, be real and remember why I am doing this to live a happy healthier life.

[lulabelle607 24]

You can do this!

[Wallflower7522 328]

As others have said this is a very normal fear. What if something goes wrong? Well the risk of complications is pretty low. You can make it lower by doing what you're suppose to do. Eating right, moving after your surgery ECT...

Honestly, we can't insulate ourselves from all dangers. Getting in a car is arguably one of dangerous thing you can do, but I still bet you do it everyday. Even if you don't have WLS, at some point you'll have to be in the hospital or have surgery for some reason and it may be weight related. You'll find plenty of people on this board who went through hell with their surgeries. Who had almost worst case scenarios, but you won't find that many people around here that regret their surgeries.

I'm 4 months out. It's cliche, but my only regret is seriously not doing this sooner. 7 years ago when I was 20 and my body could have bounced back easier. I could have spent my 20s so much better and I'd probably even have a better career to show for it.

[terry1118 1,274]

Have always wanted to be thin .... I have always struggled with my weight .. Tried every diet / weight lose plan known to man .. Finally jumped threw all the hoops and can get WLS ... But am now getting cold feet ... What if something goes wrong and I'm doing this for purely selfish reasons ... Surgery that wasn't necessary .. I should just try harder !! To lose weight the old fashioned way !! ... Am I taking a unnecessary risk????

Your surgeon should be able to quote the risk and success rates for his office. Overall rates are out there for anyone to see. Research your doctor before you choose him/her. You would carefully choose a contractor, even more care should be used when choosing a surgeon. A Center For Excellence will have lower overall risks than one that is not. I think the risks at mine were well under 1%. The national average was 3% at the time. Choose a center of Excellence for the best possible outcome, the best education, the best follow-up care, and the best initial and long-term success rate (education and support are key to long-term success). No matter how low the risk is with the team you choose, you could still be one who has complications. Be prepared for the possibility, but with an experienced team even complications only mean a 'glitch' in your journey, not a failure to be successful.

Best of luck to you w/your decision and journey!:-)

[pupichupi 124]

@@black25 I think that still and I am 3-1/2 months post op, sometimes I wish I could have done it all on my own, but I am so happy I did make the choice to have the gastric bypass, cause I know I tried everything that I could have tried to loose the weight pre-op, and nothing worked for me, and I was getting to a very unhealthy weight that I wouldn't have been able to do anything physically. I am now getting to the point that I am comfortable in my body that I can move around more and I can exercise, and I am eating right. I know it's a scary thing and there are lots of things that could happen, but as long as you follow the plan, you will do fine. Being worried about the surgery and if you should have it just shows that you do want to loose the weight but that your concerned about well being which is good cause it means you care about yourself, and you want to care cause that will give you a great start to moving forward and getting to a healthier you!!!

[pik 262]

I was feeling the same way a bit ago and I think it is very normal. One day we talk ourselves out of it and the next day we are all for it. Fear and nervousness kick in.

I had all of that. Now I am in my two week pre-op diet phase and I have 8 days til surgery. I am not nervous anymore, but I imagine the night before and day of the surgery I will be.

I am also having a Hernia surgery that is a must and they will be doing the bypass at the same time.

I put both surgeries on hold for several months while I made the decision whether or not I wanted to have the bypass. I gave myself time to make that decision, but even after that I was fearful. Iposted about that here and got lots of input, just like you are now.

The hernia is causing me a lot of issues and the surgery has become a must, whether it is with or without the bypass surgery.

I would take the time and maybe make a pro/con list. You obviously have the internet, so do your research on the surgery and it's outcome. Read peoples success stories here.

I know that many of my health issues are going to be memories once the pounds start coming off and that was a big thing for me. I know that some of my issues will be life long but the ones that will be going away make the lifelong ones worse.

That was on my pro list.

I am getting married next year. I was thinking of how much better I would look in that wedding dress after losing some weight. Then I thought that that is not a reason for the surgery, and it isn't. When I look at wedding dresses, I do not see a thin me in them, I see the now me in them. My fiance' loves me no matter what. It is a non-issue.

My wedding no longer comes into play but what does come into play is the things I will be able to do with the weight off that I cannot do now. I know I am still going to be limited depending on the day, because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.

I know I will still need to pick my battles, just like now. But my joints will not hurt near as bad with the weight off of them. That is a HUGE deal!!!!

The damage that is already there is not going to go away, but the problems the weight is causing and my inability to exercise is going to change and that is so exciting to me!!!

I wish you well and good luck. You may lose that fear and you may decide it is not the time for you yet, and it may not be. This is going to be a big life change. I would start making those changes now, as far as how you eat. Will you be able to eat differently? Are you ready for that? That makes a huge difference I think, whether you are or are not.