where do you get the courage?

You know my biggest fear wasn't the surgery, or even death, but yet the mere thought of dieing and leaving my family to pick up the pieces. The thought of not being able to watch my boys grow up and become men, and be able to be there when they get their heart broken for the first time.Or just the ability to guide them over and around this obstacle called life. Then there's that burden on my wife, to leave her, and to cause her to shoulder the pain and hardship that would follow was enough for me to proceed with the surgery. The decision was made easy for me, not because of the fear of death, but more the fear of leaving my loved ones behind to cope with what I had done to myself. One's legacy in my eyes is determined by how they live life, and their motivation to do so. For most of us we've been in life just going through the motions until this surgery. But now that we have made these sacrifices(and believe me it's a sacrifice), we are able to live life and appreciate those things that another may take for granted. No amount of food will ever be worth giving that up, especially now, now that life is staring back at us opening it's doors for us to walk through. I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you, and whatever that decision is. You'll do great!!! Mark

You have got so many replys that are so good, and I'm sure my reasons are the same as most of the rest but here they are.....I had tried all the other things yoyoed for years and I could feel myself dying. I was tired all the time, I hurt all the time, my bloodpressure was out of control, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't walk and on and on.

I did my homework, this was the safest and best option for me.......It worked.......here I am less than a year later and am better than I was when I was 15......heck I feel 15 again.....I now have more energy than the energizer bunny and all of my health issue have resolved.  I was to the point that it was my last option.....I didn't have anything else to loose.....If I died in surgery, oh well, at least it wasn't a prolonged slow death that my family and I had to suffer through. Good luck to you and learn all you can so you can make the best decision for yourself.

God led me to this site for a reason. It was my answer to prayer.............

Tammy