NewLeaf2011

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. I am really working on focusing on this surgery as a tool for success in the overall journey. I can do this!!

I've been struggling with severe hypothyroidism for about 8 years. Prior to that, I'd been overweight but it didn't really get out of control until my thyroid went on the fritz. Now we're finally getting a handle on my levels but my metabolism is still shot. All my efforts at losing weight seem to fail. Finally, my endocrinologist told me I would just always struggle with losing weight. At 100+ pounds overweight, I wasn't prepared to live the rest of my life this way, so I decided to look into WLS. To my surprise, I got approved right away (Anthem Blue Cross CA), and the ball started rolling in a matter of weeks. Now I'm worried I'm taking this big step -- a very permanent and drastic step -- and I'm not sure I gave everything else a try. I guess somewhere in the back of my mind I feel like I still could do it on my own if I worked out like a madwoman every day and ate only 800 calories a day. The truth is, I don't want to live that way either! So many of the wonderful testimonies I've read on this board tell about months, if not years, of working toward getting this surgery. Have I given it enough effort? I tell myself that my surgeon and my insurance and my PCP must feel it is necessary and I've done enough since they're all supportive, but I keep second-guessing them. Do the second-thoughts and self-doubts go away or is this a sign I need to step back and rethink this?

I'd love to read this! Thank you for being so generous with your time and energy. You can email it to me at cndgoltz@sbcglobal.net. Debbie