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Yesterday afternoon, I scheduled my surgery for January 6. It's been more than a year leading up to this, and all of a sudden things are getting very real.
My concerns:
1) Recovery time. The magic google machine says I should expect to go back to work in 2-3 weeks. My surgeon's office says 6-8 weeks. That's a big difference. I am probably starting a new job (at my same company) on January 1 and I hate to leave them for 2 months immediately after accepting the position, but I really want to focus on new habits and getting healthy and I only have one shot to get it right the first time, so I'm worried. You can tell when I'm worried because my sentences run on and on and on.
2) What if I fail? Since I've failed at every other attempt to lose weight over the past 30+ years, why should this be any different? My need to be fat seems to be very persistent across time and space and circumstance. What if I can't beat it?
3) Who do I tell? I tend to be an open book - sometimes a bit too open - so it would be consistent with my personality to tell everyone everywhere what I'm doing. But I feel very fragile about this topic and am trying to be a bit more reserved in general so maybe I should just keep this to myself until I can't anymore.
4) I blame my weight for a lot of things, from petty disappointments to major issues, but what if my live is not magically better when I'm smaller and I have to deal with my actual limitations and not just knee-jerk blame my size? That'll be a good thing in the end, but could make for some rough adjustments.
My excitement is:
1) My health is going to improve! I have no critical issues, but lots of things that could go bad quickly, and this should address all of them.
2) I'm going to be able to travel and be active and move my body the way I want to. I can't wait to have a body that obeys my wishes.
That's enough for me for now. Geez, ramble much?

I didn't mean to offend anyone. I'm just nervous about my surgery tomorrow and was blowing off steam by joking. I think it was my way of reminding myself that though this surgery will fix my weight it's not going to prevent me from making mistakes in life and it's up to me to work towards the life I want regardless of my weight.
It seems like this site is full of perfect people who are totally committed and following their orders perfectly and having no slip ups at all, just perfect little angels and I just wanted to say- hey, if your not perfect, like me, if your scared like me, and if you are staring real life in the face and know that even post surgery life won't be easy all the time, I'm hear for you. Let's be great, successful, and imperfect together. I would have a hard time finding support in a site where anyone who isn't perfect or jokes around at the hard truths gets shunned.
It makes me happy to make people laugh and not to take life too seriously all of the time because most of the time, it is!! Thank you for your comments, I appreciate them and hope you are all doing well.

My surgery date is January 6. I am super excited but I am so worried that I can't make the needed changes for this lifestyle. I have never been able to stick to any other diet so why won't this be different? I think that, then I pick myself up and remind myself that I need to be healthy for myself and my kids and I remind myself that I can do this. So, yes, I am nervous that I will fail as that is all I have done in regards to my weight these past fifteen years but I also know that I have accomplished more than I have failed at in everything else so I CAN DO THIS. I WILL DO THIS!!

Good morning! I am Amy and I joined a few days ago. I got approval from insurance yesterday morning and scheduled surgery for 1/6. After more than a year of prep, shit is suddenly starting to get very very real. And that's good, I want this, but it's still anxiety-provoking.
I'm 42 years old and live in Wisconsin. I've been gaining weight slowly but surely most of my life, more pounds each year, until I hit a tipping point. I have had sleep apnea for 14 years (or longer for all I know), have mildly high blood pressure, mildly high cholesterol, and mild diabetes that is sure to get worse over time.
Almost as much as the health issues, I just find myself unable to do the things I enjoy. I love to travel and am finding it harder and harder to tolerate long flights and long days of exploring new and interesting places. I am taking my mom to Peru at the end of April and am very much looking forward to being able to wander around Machu Picchu with just a little more ease. Or a lot more ease. I'm still not sure how quickly to expect things to change but I'll be 3.5 months post-surgery and expect to have more energy already.
I made the decision to pursue gastric bypass more than a year ago, but I needed to wait. And wait. I'm a working professional with a good job, and for the past 18 months I've also been working through a full-time Executive MBA program. Taking time off work for recovery is not a problem, but the school schedule is intense with no breaks and no ability to miss even a single class. I am graduating this Saturday 12/6, and will have surgery exactly one month later.
For the past month or so I've started reading all the books I can get my hands on, including the one by this site's founders. I've also been focused on identifying and addressing the emotional and mental issues that have led me to this point, and of course there's books for that too. There's books for everything.
Like many people I am caught up in the immediate issues - who do I tell? what do I say? - but also the longer-term issues like what if I fail at this desperate hail mary play and don't get better? I'll have a lot more to say on the boards as I progress. For now, just wanted to introduce myself. Glad to be here. Glad you are too.

Thank you for your support, Mommabird and Melody Siracusa.
The phone finally rang! The surgeon's office just called with the happy news that insurance approval came in this morning. YIPPEE! Hoping to still hear today with my surgery date, but at least this particular worry is resolved.
[side note: Melody, I love your icon! I have that same image hanging on my wall at work!]

You might try calling your insurance company and asking where in the approval process you are and how soon you can expect an answer. Congratulations on finishing your MBA! So exciting!!

Congratulations on graduating! Your parents may surprise you with their reactions. I was certain mine were going to try to talk me out of surgery, but they told me they had been worried about me, and were glad I was taking this route. Your mom may very well surprise you. If not, show here these forums so she can read the success stories of the people here. That may relieve her anxiety.
I hope your phone rings with good news soon!

I told only my son and my husband. I haven't told my daughter because when I mentioned WLS to her she stated it was cheating. She is 17 and in college so she is oblivious. When I told her I was going in for sugery on my esophagus because of a stricture she suggested I leave it alone because it made me lose weight. Swallowing Water hurt and food was a no no. She seems to think that if I just stop eating and go to the gym I will be skinny. Otherwise I have on told my husband. I am tired of my weight making the choices for me.

I have told very few people and agree it really is your decision to tell or not to tell. Fact is, for both of us, once we begin having extreme weight loss, the questions are going to come. Then, we can lie and be judged, or tell the truth and be judged. I don't know about you but I know people already judge me for being 100 lbs overweight so if they judge me for "taking the easy way out" which this by no means is, to heck with them. I can't worry about it anymore. Surgery scheduled a week from tomorrow - woohoo!!!