Scheduled surgery date....really questioning the decision

KelcieMcCarthy
on 12/22/11 11:52 pm - AZ
I have my surgery date scheduled for January 5th and today was the first day of my 14 day liquid diet. I am really starting to question my decision to have the surgery. With all of the possible complications and struggles that can be associated with the surgery, I am really worried. I am only 21 years old and making this decision that will effect my life forever is really scary. I am wondering if I should postpone the surgery to see if I can lose the weight the normal/healthy way, with diet and exercise??? I feel like if I am questioning the decision so much maybe I'm just not ready...would love any advice/input that anyone has about my doubts/reservations! 
marianacc
on 12/23/11 12:58 am - Mexico
 Hi girl,  I had surgery when i was 22  years old .....almost 4 years ago.

girl i tried every diet is out there and did not work, If you have tried them all and u have not succed WLS is a good option for you. if you havent diet ever! i recomend you start dieting and excercising and see what happens. but i bet this is not the case, i'm sure that now that you have even concider surgery is cuz you have 

It's normal to be afraid/nervious before any kind of surgery. 
seriously i thought I was gonna die. i remember going into the OR  thinkin OMG i'm gona die!! you're so stupid for doing this blah blah, n then I had a suicidal thought lol.... i said ok i rather die than being this fat all my life LOL. 

I survived! I'M SUPER Happy with my WLS. it has brought so many good things to my life
i'm more healthy, happier in every aspect, outgoing I enjoy excercising (not gonna lie i've been bad on this lately i gotta get my ass back to the gym ASAP) I've found love cuz of surgery. (not cuz i'm not fat now, i met him on here lol)
I seriusly thought i was those happy overweight girl, but then i came  to realize I wasnt that happy.


I don't regret it not even for  a second. I'll do it every day if i had to!. 

hugs! 

smiley_k
on 12/23/11 2:57 am
Like the other poster said, most of us our here because traditional forms of diet and exercise hasn't worked for us, at least long term anyways. If you feel that you haven't tried enough, then decide from there, but for most of us, we've been on several different diet/exercise/med programs that didn't work or didn't have the success we needed. 

I kept having second thoughts throughout my entire 9 months process. I knew that I could say no right until they put me under so I continued with the program. I found for me, that what I was most afraid of was really out weighted by the number of benefits this surgery has. I had to think logically and weigh out the pros and cons and this was difficult but helpful in saying yes I need this. While going through pre-op testing I found I had very mild sleep apnea and high blood pressure. I am 23 and have problems that shouldn't really come until I'm double that in age, if at all. I knew that without loosing weight, these would get worse. Within a couple weeks after surgery I was off my bp meds and I can feel my sleep apnea has significantly improved, if not gone completely. 

Yes it was scary going into the OR. Yes, I had minor hiccups post-op that required a visit to the ER but nothing major. The only major things are I'm off my meds, I can shop in regular size stores, I don't have to breathe in when I get into a restaurant booth, I can bend down at the waist to tie my shoes, I can walk further and up stairs without getting winded, I'm not as warm as I used to be (used to sweat a lot, now I'm cold frequently), I don't miss any of the foods I used to love because I'm not hungry and if I get cravings I've found ways I can have them, and I feel really confident in my body and the way I look. I attribute this all to my WLS and so far am very happy with it.

I hope you make the right decision for you. Just don't make it until you can think clearly from both sides of the arguement. It's difficult, but helps in taking the best step for you. All the best!
 
Katie  ♥     
  
      
kate789
on 12/23/11 8:49 am - Colorado &, NY
 Weight loss surgery should never be an immediate substitute for diet and exercise. That being said, I think the reason people choose surgery is because those traditional methods didn't help us.

I could not be happier with my decision to get wls and would not change a thing. I got my surgery at a time when I had really just hit my tipping point and after a lot of research knew it was definitely what I wanted to do. I had no serious reservations so I got it. Sure, there have been ups and downs and a lot of stuff I had to deal with but ultimately I realized it was improving my life and that was enough.

Before my surgery I was worried about the outcome and the changes that came with it. I got my Lapband just a few weeks before my 21st birthday (Yup! I spent my 21s****ching everyone else get drunk.) I also got it as a sophomore in college so I had to revise my habits in a big way. As far as complications I've had none but emotionally and physically I have struggled with some of the changes. Your hunger and diet will change and that is something you have to become accustomed to because sometimes your eyes will be so much bigger than your stomach. You also have to get used to what the new sense of "full" is because it's different than pre-surgery. At the beginning it was really hard being young and social while also having to achieve success with such a life change but it became easier and easier. I made accommodations for my band and slowly that routine just became who I am and I don't really think about it. 

I am a normal 22 year old now because I've gotten used to what I can do and what I can't do. With weight loss came so many positives like feeling more confident, becoming more active, doing better in school, become a lot more social and feeling happier. I literally started to feel an improvement in every part of my life and I am at a place now that I thought I could only dream about before. 

Everyone is different. Was I totally ready for the surgery? Yes. Was I totally ready for the changes that came with it? No, but no matter how much others try to describe it you must feel it for yourself to truly understand. I got my band because I needed that extra push to have a constant reminder to change my ways and be more healthy. I can't really say "Yes go for it anyway" or "No don't do it" because ultimately, that is a decision you must make. I will tell you that no matter when you do get the surgery, there will always be things that make you nervous- it's normal. And no matter when you get it, it will still be a bit of a shock afterward. If you truly believe this is NOT something you are ready for then you should trust yourself but also think about why you feel that way. It is normal to be scared but it is not normal to be thinking "This is wrong, I shouldn't do this." 
This surgery is a life change and you must be ready to accept that.

Remember, if you decide you're not ready now that doesn't mean you may not be later. This path will always be here and the positive side is that with time, surgery techniques only improve as Drs learn more. If you need support or a place to complain or people to listen, we are all here to do that so please keep us updated.
I wish you good luck with everything! 
 Kate 
      
LaToya S.
on 12/25/11 3:19 am - Edwardsville, IL
The reason you should be having this surgery is because diet and exercise did not work in the past. If you have not tried diet and exercising first then of course give it a try. I had my surgery weeks ago and still have break downs (but my husband makes it all better).
Which surgery are you having? You do not want to go into this not committed 100%.

LaToya
www.youtube.com/user/lmscrogg

Twitter: @ScrogginsFamily  
  
    

KelcieMcCarthy
on 12/27/11 6:27 am - AZ
I decided to hold off on the surgery because I know in my heart of hearts that I am in no way 100% ready for this huge decision. Like most of you have said I have tried normal diet and exercise before without success but I sort of feel that it is because I also wasn't 100% commited. It isn't that I don't lose weight through those means, I usually just get off track and go the other direction. I am going to give it another shot and I feel that I am more commited than I have ever been to proper diet/exercise so I am confident that I can do it. I want to start having a family in the next couple years so that is also a huge motivating factor. If I still continue to struggle or start having medical problems (so far other than being overweight I have no diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apena, ect) than I will go back and reconsider the surgery options again. Surgery will always be an option and in the future it might be for me but right now I believe in myself that I can give it one last effort to try without such extreme measures! Thank you all for responding :) 
laylasmome
on 1/4/12 11:16 pm - OK

I'm proud of you. it takes a really mature person to realize that you weren't ready. Maybe you'll end up getting surgery later, but at least then you will know that you did EVERYthing possible first. Rushing into such a life changing decision, in the state of mind you're in; most likely you wouldn't have had the results you wanted anyway. Best of luck! 

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