My surgery is next Monday 2/6, and I just finished writing a letter to my children in case something goes horribly wrong and I don't make it. Did anyone else do anything like this? I know the odds are pretty slim that something will happen, but I really felt led to put some of my hopes and desires for them down on paper.

And now I'm sitting at my desk blubbering. How strong were everyone else's fears before surgery?

Elisa, you're perfectly normal. I did the exact same thing. Still have the letter sitting in my husband's desk upstairs.

By the time they wheeled me in for surgery, had my legs not been jelly, I would have gotten up and ran lol ... but today, I'm soooooooo thankful I didn't.

You're going to be fine! We all get nervous before hand. If you weren't nervous, that would be cause to worry.

Elisa, you're perfectly normal. I did the exact same thing. Still have the letter sitting in my husband's desk upstairs.

Thanks so much. Question for you -- did you write one to your husband, or just your kids? The way the one to the kids wrecked me, I don't know if I can handle writing another one!

I am having my surgery done next week and I intend to do all the last letters! I went one sad step further. My daughter will be making her first holy communion NEXT YEAR so last weekend I went out and bought her dress and headdress just in case I don't pull through. This coming weekend I'm going out for the last supper with my family. I think everyone feels nervous about the op.

Anna

could have been me starting this thread i done all the letter writing too, at least it got me to write my will something i had been putting of for years,

I wrote to my kids, husband and my parents before surgery, I also got a hefty life insurance policy just in case I wanted to know they would be taken care of, I got my living will in order, my will and my trust all in order as well and I was still scared. Knowing my surgons have never lost a lap-band patient helped but it was still a scary thing to do. I looked at it this way, I could die because of surgery or I could stay as big as I was and die a slow misrable death at a very early age. Or I could have the surgery, work my ass off to make it successful and have many many more happy years with my kids and family and thats just what I have been doing.

I don't have kids so I didn't do the letter thing, but I talked with my sister who is the executor in my will and told her where all my paperwork is. All my stuff is pretty well spelled out in my will but I made sure she and I were on the same page.

This kind of fear is TOTALLY normal.

What I did was at each step along the way, I told myself "I don't have to do this, I can leave". I mean, EVERY step I was SCARED but there I was putting on my gown going "you can leave" and waiting in the staging area "you can leave and go home" and even as I was laying down on the op table I told myself "I don't have to do this, I can leave and go home and have a nice snack"

Being scared is part of being alive. I think it's beautiful you love your family so much you took the time to write up some stuff. I suggest you pull it out and read it on the one year anniversary of your band!!!

Big hugs from your LBT family!!!!!!

Big ((((((( hugs))))))) to all you future bandsters!!

You are all in the right place and it is normal to have all these feelings. I did both... my boys are in their 20's so when they came to visit I sat and had a face to face.... it was great to say those MOM I LOVE YOU'S in person : - )

Chances are everything will be fine and think of it this way.... all that getting your affairs in order "stuff" should have been done anyway so one thing you can check off your list when you come to in band land : - )

I have my worries too, but let me ask something -- and I really don't know the answer b/c I've never had surgery before.

Why does this surgery scare people so much? I know lots of people who have surgery under general anestheisa, and never thought tiwce about dying, and certainly never drafted living wills or wrote out final farewells.

I had never had surgery either and I wasn't scared of the surgery itself. My fear came from afterwards..... what was going to happen to my best friend.... the one who has seen me through the good and bad

M Y F O O D!!!!!

The getting things in order is just common sense..... I think parents handle things a little differently then single people... No offense to anyone : - )

Hey Gadgetlady... I too am from Orange County However, I don't qualify for surgery in the US... so on Feb. 3rd.... Friday I off to Tijuana for my surgery. You want to talk about scary! I also feel bad that I am not telling my children or my parents or inlaws where I am going or why... I guess I am just afraid that everyone will try to talk me out of it. I think the letters is a wonderful gesture... although most likely not necessary... even so... I think you should keep the letters and give them to the children when they are older... so they know how much you thought of them. Anyway, nice to have someone so close going through the same experience:) Good luck!

:hippie: I think that alot of everyones fears (including mine) is because we are having a WLS and everyone thinks of the complications involved with gastric bypass. I understand surgery is surgery. The other reason is that we made a choice to have this done to us and that we could live without the surgery unlike many other surgeries, but we are a brave strong few that want to make are lives a life again and will risk our lives to achieve this. I too had these fears, but I cannot express the happiness that I have gotten back in my life because of this surgery. Today I was going through my closet to make room for my new summer clothes I will be getting and I found a pair of shorts that I had before I was married and had kids and I tried them on. I expected the shorts to be a little tight and you could not imagine how I felt to find them very baggy:> This surgery was the BEST BEST BEST thing that has ever happined to me (except my kids and husband of course). I now have the power to take control over that evil monster and actually win with weight loss. You guys will be fine, good luck to you and God bless.

I think people are concerned in general about Weight loss surgery and dying because... look at the people they are operating on. In general we have not been the healthiest of bunches, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, cholesterol problems, diabeties all raise the risks involved. But even though I was scared I am 100% glad I went through it and i would do it again in a heartbeat.

Hey GadgetLady - I have surgery on Monday, too.

I don't have kids, either - but I think I will jot down a little last will and testament - just so the state doesn't mess with my DH too much should the worst befall me...

But I really don't expect it. I am just so excited about the whole thing.

Good Luck to both of us!! I will see you on the other side (of the SURGERY, Silly!).

:]

My fear is not the op itself and I am quite happy with the statistics that show a teeny weeny minority of patients have died due to complications........my fear is the general anesthetic. Any overweight person having this has a larger risk of not pulling through.

Anna

my fear is the general anesthetic. Any overweight person having this has a larger risk of not pulling through.

Yup. Exactly right. It's probably less about the surgeon than it is about the anesthesiologist.