Fears wls

[shanshan 175]

Any fears before WLS? After? What did you fear the most. How did you overcome them? Did any actually come through? I'm so excited for this opportunity to change my life for the best but honestly I'm scared as hell. I reside in nyc have a great medical team working with me but still I'm scared. The closer I get to surgery date the more I think about it. Not knowing the outcome 5-10-20 years from now is killing me. I played out my life after surgery about a 100 different ways in my head. LOL I'm scared of the unknown.

HW 278 (three weeks ago)

CW 266.5

Surgery date 4/19

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[Briswife15 890]

Hi, shanshan. During my 6 month period of nutrition visits I was afraid of the huge lifestyle changes and not knowing if I could do it. However, as the time approached, and I got my head in the game, those fears went away. Day of surgery I wad totally ready, vool as a cucumber, and had mo fear or nervousness at all. That was 2 weeks ago. I'm happy I had the surgery and confident I will be successful. I think this is 90 percent mental!!!

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[Briswife15 890]

Sorry for typos!!

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[elcee 3,341]

My biggest fear was and always will be surgery and anaesthesia.

[shanshan 175]

My biggest fear was and always will be surgery and anaesthesia.

Mines too I'm scared of surgery

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[shanshan 175]

Hi, shanshan. During my 6 month period of nutrition visits I was afraid of the huge lifestyle changes and not knowing if I could do it. However, as the time approached, and I got my head in the game, those fears went away. Day of surgery I wad totally ready, vool as a cucumber, and had mo fear or nervousness at all. That was 2 weeks ago. I'm happy I had the surgery and confident I will be successful. I think this is 90 percent mental!!!

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My fear is complications with surgery & Vitamins deficiency which can lead to all kinds of things n even D

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[Danny Paul 761]

I had heart by pass surgery and compared to that laparoscopic surgery should be a lot easier. I was on pins and needles prior to my weight loss surgery. I thought of all the worst case scenarios and finally the surgery was done. My friend who had a major life saving operation a few years ago went through the same feelings prior to his recent WLS. It's only natural to feel concerned when it comes to major events like surgery. Good luck and look forward to better health.

[shanshan 175]

I had heart by pass surgery and compared to that laparoscopic surgery should be a lot easier. I was on pins and needles prior to my weight loss surgery. I thought of all the worst case scenarios and finally the surgery was done. My friend who had a major life saving operation a few years ago went through the same feelings prior to his recent WLS. It's only natural to feel concerned when it comes to major events like surgery. Good luck and look forward to better health.

Thank you for sharing your experience and you're right I'm sure everyone who did any form of surgery had those thoughts. Because it's surgery.

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[KCgirl061 1,532]

I worked with an anesthesiologist that would occasionally remind people that they are statistically more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the hospital than from anesthesia. So when I would get nervous I just tried to put things in perspective. There are no guarantees in life. I could have complications from the surgery, I could also get cancer or get in a freak accident. There are so many things out of my control I just try to focus on what I can control.

[ms.sss 15,719]

Funny how a lot of us had/have the same fears about wls.

First, I too was afraid of going under and never waking up. When I did wake up afterwards, the first thought I had was "YES! I'm alive!!'.

Second, I was apprehensive about the lifestyle changes and that I would miss food/going out, or not be good about exercise, etc. Turns out it just came naturally. I don't have that longing or intense craving to eat. I still go out with friends and family and am completely fine eating very little or not at all (it's their company I really want, anyway). Even the non-drinking/very-little-drinking is fine with me too. As for exercise, I find that I actually want to do something instead of force myself to. This may be because exercise is easier now because I'm not so big, or it may be because I just like how I feel when I do exercise. Before when I was bored or antsy, I would go into the pantry to look for something to eat. Now I get outside to go for a walk, or go to the gym or basement gym, or do some house-cleaning, or anything at all that has me up on my feet and moving.

Getting this surgery is one of the best things I have done for myself.

[GradyCat 3,695]

My biggest fear was death, and it didn't happen. LOL! I never had the first complication, pain, problem or anything, so it can be possible for surgery to go off without a hiccup.

[Greensleevie 451]

Ironically, complications from obesity related diseases and the possibility of dying from them is much higher statistically than the complications of the surgery itself, which is about 1%.

That being said, it’s completely normal to fear the unknown. I think each and every one of us had the same thoughts and fears. But in the end, you have to weigh the risks vs benefits, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. At least for me it did!

If you keep a positive attitude, strive for change in your lifestyle, manage your expectations and have a grateful heart, you’ll be thrilled you did it .

Edited April 11, 2019 by Greensleevie

[James Marusek 5,244]

Good luck on your upcoming surgery. Most people feel fear before a major surgery.

At your stage, I would recommend three things, if you haven't done them already.

1. Take a good before photograph of yourself, so that you have something to compare to after surgery. Many times we are blind to our obesity. We do not see ourselves. Therefore when the weight begins to drop off rather dramatically, we question if this is really happening. Photographs are a good visualization of our success. Many people carry a before and after photo with them, just to remind themselves of their success.

2. Walk 30 minutes each day, every day until surgery (or equivalent exercise). Walking helps the recovery process go smoothly and minimized the pain levels from surgery.

3. Wean yourself from caffeine and carbonated beverages now. After I gave up my 6 diet coke a day habit, I suffered from a week of severe withdrawal syndrome consisting of severe headaches and body aches. I was miserable. You don't want to combine the effects of caffeine withdrawal with the effects of surgery.

[shanshan 175]

I worked with an anesthesiologist that would occasionally remind people that they are statistically more likely to die in a car accident on the way to the hospital than from anesthesia. So when I would get nervous I just tried to put things in perspective. There are no guarantees in life. I could have complications from the surgery, I could also get cancer or get in a freak accident. There are so many things out of my control I just try to focus on what I can control.

Thank you so much I appreciate your reply and you're so right[emoji173][emoji173][emoji173][emoji173]

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[shanshan 175]

Funny how a lot of us had/have the same fears about wls.
First, I too was afraid of going under and never waking up. When I did wake up afterwards, the first thought I had was "YES! I'm alive!!'.
Second, I was apprehensive about the lifestyle changes and that I would miss food/going out, or not be good about exercise, etc. Turns out it just came naturally. I don't have that longing or intense craving to eat. I still go out with friends and family and am completely fine eating very little or not at all (it's their company I really want, anyway). Even the non-drinking/very-little-drinking is fine with me too. As for exercise, I find that I actually want to do something instead of force myself to. This may be because exercise is easier now because I'm not so big, or it may be because I just like how I feel when I do exercise. Before when I was bored or antsy, I would go into the pantry to look for something to eat. Now I get outside to go for a walk, or go to the gym or basement gym, or do some house-cleaning, or anything at all that has me up on my feet and moving.
Getting this surgery is one of the best things I have done for myself.

Oh thank you for sharing I know it's normal to have these fears & I'm glad you're doing well on your journey[emoji173][emoji173][emoji173]

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