New here... are doubts normal?

Hi! I'm new here and have been scanning through and reading, but I think I may have read too much.  I read a report on long term problems and fatality percentages.  I went to bed convinced last night, to cancel my surgery. (scheduled in 1 week 6 days).  Is this normal???? I'm trying to find out if the problems are because someone didn't follow dr.s orders or something else???? I wish their was more info. on wls patients that are 20 years post-op? Anyway, any help to ease my worry would be great.  I live here in the BIG town of Memphis, In.  Thanks, Penny  (255lbs. @ 64in)

My sister had her RNY 8 years ago.. she had 1 problem that put her back into the hospital but she snapped out of it and is doing fine. She had gone from a size 32 to a 12 then gained back up to an 18 but at 61... she is happy.. I had mine 3 years ago April 26th.. I had 1 scope and had to go back in and move some intesines around a little but hey I wouldn't go back to before for anything in the world. I was also in a 32 and now in a 16. Worth everything to me. It made it possible to have my knee operated on and made it possible for me to play with my grandbabies.. walk in a shopping center and I can live my life happy now..  It is normal to be fearful..this is a MAJOR operation and a major life change..But I don't know many people who would tell you not to do it if they have already been there. The people who try to scare you out of it are the ones who just think they know.. or have heard from a friend of a friend.. you were right to just come ask us!!  Sherri is the one on here the most who has had them most problems I think, but she would also tell you that she is happy with her choice.  Noone can make the choice for you but if you have done all that you can do and it hasn't worked for you.. then what you need to consider is WHAT do YOU want out of life.. and then go for it! Best wishes, Linda Kay

Penny- My suggestion for you is to find a local support group and attend a meeting.  Then, ask this question is two parts......  Who here had problems and what were they?  And, would you do this surgery again?  I think you may find a variety of answers but, they should also help you make your decision. St. Vincents has support groups all over the state.  I know the one in Ft. Wayne is tonight at 6:30.  And, YES it is normal to have doubts. Smiles - Lisa

Penny, First off welcome to the IN boards. You will get a lot of helpful advice here and kicks in the butt if you need them...lol What you are going through I think is very normal.  When I first started my journey, I thought an awful lot about the death statistics and all the what if's, but after coming here and reading a lot and everyone's helpful advise I overcome that. I think it is a combination of both people not following their orders and some people just not healthy enough. I had my WLS almost 6 months ago. I am down 86 lbs and I have gotten an ulcer but that is treatable.  If I had to go back and do it, I would do it in a minute.  I feel a lot better, I get a lot of compliments and I can do a lot more things that I wouldnt have done 86 lbs ago.   It is a big life style change that you really wont realize until you get going with it.  Follow the Dr & nutritionist's orders and you will be fine.  Good luck to you and remember post here for any question, we will try to help as much as we can.

Hi Penny, It is normal to have doubts and be a little scared before any surgery.  But you have to remember why you started this process.  You want to be healthier.  I am almost 2 years post op and I've probably lost the least of all the people who post on here regularly (down  70 lbs).  I was in 24-26's and I'm down into size 14-16's now.  I would still do it all over again.  I lost some blood after surgery, but they put it back and I've had no real complications since.  I'm off my diabetes meds, on reduced blood pressure meds and I'm healthier now than I have been ever in my life.  I agree that you should go to some support groups.  The Clarian Bariatrics group will be meeting on Wed. March 19th.  They are a great group and it is a good place to ask questions.  You should also keep in mind that any surgery has risks.  This one is no different, but the success stories far outweigh the bad ones.  You just tend to hear about the bad ones more often and from louder voices!  No one can make your decision for you, but maybe by asking others about their experiences, you will feel more comfortable with your own decision.  I know you will make the best decision for you.

Welcome to the IN board! You will find all sorts of info here. Having doubts and fears is SO very normal. I did the exact thing, I even had a couple of panic attacks a few days before my surgery. I have a 2 yo little girl (who wasn't even 2 then) and the thought of leaving here with no one scared me to death. The day of surgery they didn't even have to give me anything to calm my nerves. I was good to go. I think when you see something about people having severe complications or even death a lot of times it is because they did not follow the doctor's orders. A friend of our family had WLS and he is over 7' tall and got down to like 164 lbs. He had ulcers and all sorts of problems BUT he wasn't eating like he should AND he was drinking ALL the time. HELLO! LOL I will be 6 mo out on the 13th and the only real physical issue I had was my gallbladder went kaput, which is common. I am having issues with anxiety/depression but was pre-op as well. Only you know what's best, but the percentage of complications is very low these days. I wouldn't compare something to someone who had it done 20 yrs ago just because it was done differently and was so invasive. Good luck next week on your WLS!!

Don't do it alone.  Go to SUPPORT GROUPS OFTEN.  Yes you can gain weight back.  Yes you can have problems.  Yes you can die form the co-morbidity you have now. I have lost 150 lbs in 11 months and have gone from 54 inch waist to a 34 and feel great. I wish i had done it years ago but my time was April last year. Your time is when you can surrender to a lifestyle change that happens because a tool was used to restrict food.   SUPPORT GROUPS keep you where you need to be.  Could I eat bread probably could but I am not eager to try.  I have one or two tortilla's a day and that is as far as I want to go. Could I eat a Big Mac probably but I am not going there.  Do I see bariatric people eating this type of food?  Yes I do and I pray for them to remember what they went through. Do it because you are ready to surrender control and eat to live not live to eat. E

Penny, I would be concerned over anyone who said that they didn't have any doubts. This is a major surgery. It does pose risks, and those risks should be considered very carefully. That said, not having the surgery also pose risks and the more you gain weight, the more risks you gain. To have the surgery, the best thing you can do is to do EVERYTHING that the surgeon & dietician tells you to. Does that guarantee you a complication-free post-op life? No. But it helps. Some complications ARE caused by people not doing what they are told to: they won't drink the water, won't get in their protein, won't take their vitamins, will eat whatever they want. Some however, happen just because they do. Those who do have complications tend to be heard more than those who are fortunate to go through a complication-free post-op. I am one who has a ton of complications...all with me doing as instructed by my surgeon/dietician. It just happens. Period. Would I do it again? You bet your life I would! Do I think YOU should though? That is entirely up to YOU. This is a very personal decision but I do try to encourage everyone to go into this with their eyes wide open.  Complications (including death) are not as prevalent as they were when weight loss surgery first came about...but they DO still happen. Of the deaths, most of them, ANY type of surgery probably would have killed them...including non-elective ones such as gall bladder or appendix. For some, by the time they decide to have WLS, their health has already deteriated to the point that they are lucky to even be alive. I, personally, would not worry about those who are 20 years out. As with any surgeries, there have been so many improvements in that time period so you would not be comparing apples to apples there. Best of luck... Sherri