Discouraged About Surgery....

A couple of days ago my cousin who is a BSN really tried her best to discourage me about getting the surgery....SAD TO SAY SHE HAS ME THINKING....She told me all of these horror stories about people that come into her unit at the hospital that has had the surgery and are now in really bad shape.  It's really starting to get on my nerves because I start wondering if I WILL BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE? Somebody please help!!!!

This is a major life changing surgery.  But it doesn't mean you will have complications that are bad enough to put you back in the hospital.  Could it happen?  Yes.  But if you have a good surgeon (like from a Center of Excellence) who has a lot of experience and you follow all the rules then you have a good chance of being complication free.  

In my support group no one has ended up back in the hospital from complications.  There have been one or two strictures but that's pretty minor stuff.  

Only you can make this decision and this surgery is very safe nowadays. Good luck.   

Thanks Judi. BTW my surgeon is from a really good hospital.

  No you probably won't be, think of it this way when your pregnant nobody talks about the one's who get big have a baby and all goes well end of story no they always want to talk about the ones who had a hard time the things that went wrong when in fact those are the rare ones not the norm so I suggest instead of listening to her horror stories of what might go wrong you talk to to people who have actually had it done find out what they think and say about it I recommend getting into the chat rooms and other sites that discuss these WLS's and talk to people who have been there done that and make up your own mind but be well armed with all the facts and figures before you commit to a life changing surgery.

Thanks PJ...That helps me to feel a little better....Your absoultely right about everything that you said....

duh! I had to look up what a BSN was!  I think it is a common fear before surgery to wonder-what if this happens? what if that happens?  I certainly did!  I just had surgery on this past Monday and I had built up in my mind that I would be so sick and in severe pain for a few days so I sort of prepared myself for the worst!  2 other ladies had surgery that day also (same surgeon).  I was so surprised to find that I didn't feel nearly as bad as I had expected I would when I got out of surgery.  Yes there was some pain when I woke up (more like pressure below my sternum) but the recovery room nurse immediately gave me more pain med twice!  After that it subsided.  I felt pretty loopy from the anesthesia for a while but after I "sobered" up I didn't feel too bad.  There really wasn't much pain when I was laying still but yes some discomfort getting up out of the bed.  The only other bad thing was how dry my mouth was and I couldn't have anything to help that other than they gave me some spongy swabs to dip in water and I could rub my mouth and tongue with it.  I was up walking the evening of surgery.  Felt much better the next day and walked the hall 4 or so times.  I was discharged on Wednesday evening and couldn't wait to get home.  The 2 other ladies that had surgery the same day were discharged also.  I spoke to one of them and the only pain she had was the drain tube was bothering her.  She said the same thng as me about it not being near as bad as she thought it would be. Of course there is no guarantee that I may (or may not) have some complications in the future but I hope not!  The risk to me is worth the benefits I will gain from having the surgery long term.

I think if you feel good about your decision to have surgery & you have a reputable, experienced surgeon and hospital then you have to do what YOU feel is right.  Not what your cousin or me or anyone else tells you. 

I'm going to play devil's advocate for a moment here.  THe people who tell you the hoor stories need to carry just as much weight with us as do the ones with the positive stories.  Otherwise we risk, and it's a serious risk, of going into this without understanding that complications, while rare can happen.  My advice is to listen to both the good and the bad but take it with a grain of salt.  At the end of the day if someone has you scared what may happen then you have to decide what can change your feelings, if anything, and if the surgery and more importantly, the lifestyle change, are a better outcome than the potention risks. 

 Ask her to tell you about the patients she has come in that didn't have surgery and are obese with diabetes complications and stroke and heart attack ect ect.. Far more people come in with complications from obesity than from wls!! Don't let her scare you.. take care of yourself!

Tell her to stop telling your those stories.  Hang up the phone or leave the room if she continues.

As with anything, there is always a risk of complications. Just last a previous poster said about pregnancy. When I was pregnant it seemed like everyone wanted to tell me horror stories. You do need to weigh the pros and cons, and obviously be aware that something bad could happen, though it is unlikely. Weigh that against what your life (or lack there of) will be like if you don't have the surgery. Will you really have a quality of life?

I told my husband that I was having the surgery to save my life. If I died on that table, at least I was going to die trying to save myself. I did have some minor complications, (that seemed much bigger in the moment because I was emotional and in pain), and it was all completely worth it. I live life now. I am active. I can wear cute clothes. I'm healthy. I have a beautiful daughter. Couldn't ask for anything more.