50 ex college football player. 5'11" and 260. Two kids 5 &13. High blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol and diabetic on meds Sleeve scheduled with dr Kim on 7/21. I am scared to death.

Oh boy do you bring back memories! I was actually happy when my surgeon was held up in traffic. I saw signs in everything from a sick cat to hold ups in getting my pre op tests taken, then I got a real sign a borderline EKG that is when I knew that this was something I had to do if I wanted to not only live but wanted my health back and not find myself needing joint surgery, or heart surgery, or rehab for a stroke. It has been 10 months now and I can not say enough about how happy I am.

Hey Tex,

I hope to have the same surgery date ast you. Just wanted to let you know there are others out there on the same exact path and we will do just fine.

Good luck to you on the 3 weeks. It will be hard...but so worth it.

Thanks again to everyone for the kind words and support.

I was sleeved by Dr Kim on 5/20. Everything went great. He's one of the best. I think it's normal to have a certain amount of apprehension when you are getting ready to have surgery. But you really are in the best of hands. Good luck to you!

Good luck Tex. Being morbidly obese is hard on the old pride... Remember, you didn't win a solitary football game by yourself. It was a team effort...everyone working their man, running their routes, following the ball. I think you have your eye on the ball and you know the play. Now it's time to execute. You got this. WLS is not for the weak and it won't solve every thing...but it does give us a second down to convert!

Eye on the ball.

Susan

Tex:

A lot of folks go through this fear. I thought it was perfectly normal. Yes, there are those who argued me and said I should only be excited but you can't fake feelings. But here's the one thing I knew that is absolutely true: Of all the future surgeries you are looking at, this is the least risky and the one that will have the most positive impact on any future surgeries.

I decided I'd rather have one sleeve than 2 knee and 2 hip replacements. Or one sleeve that would make any future open heart surgery so much easier to survive and survive well. A friend of mine's Mom needed open heart. The doctor gave her 6 months to get ready. She was not fat but she, at 74, used that 6 months to lose 25 pounds and get herself lean and strong. I've never seen anyone breeze through open heart the way she did. Three weeks out she was going out to dinner in the evenings! My Mom, on the other hand, was about 40 pounds overweight and it was a struggle from day one for her.

This one surgery can have more positive impact on you than anything else. I work for a very large company and know a lot of people who've had WLS and none of them have had any serious problems. And the issues they do have are due to being non compliant. You won't be an exception. As others have said, you've done your research and teamed with someone you trust. You wife will be very happy with the new you. And this surgery will probably mean you'll be with her many extra strong years!

Good luck. You'll do great.

My surgery is july 20th with Dr Barker in dallas too. I feel the same way you do. I have a loving husband and an awesome 3 yr old boy. There are times that I'm like what the heck am I doing! But then I think about my health and what's to come 10yrs down the road if I don't do this. HBP runs on my moms side and diabetes runs on my dads side. I know by getting my sleeve I am avoiding both of these. Plus I will be a better wife and mom to my boys and that's what makes it so worth it. I just started posting on here a few weeks ago and it has helped me tremendously! Apparently we all have the same fears and hopes and then doubts, then excitement and all the other emotions that go along with this journey. I'm sooo glad I have this site to rely on when I get the "what ifs". Good luck to u. Keep us posted.

So what's your story/stats grease if you don't mind me asking?

I've read every post at least twice. Glad I decided to get involved. Thanks to everyone.

Hi Tex! I also wanted to chime in to wish you luck. It's already been said, but most of us have the same fears. The morning of my surgery I could not believe I was actually doing it. I am three weeks out tomorrow! I still can't believe I did it! The first day or two are the hardest because you are under medication and things are settling. It's expected. But nothing insurmountable. I'm sure you've checked out youtube as well. There are lots of folks who record their journey. Something that helped me immensely. I think of this option as a blessing, a technological advance not unlike say IVF for infertilily without which many would not have their families. We are among the lucky ones that this new science is available to help us - It just wasnt here for those before us a few years back. In the begining these things do seem scarrier because they are not as well known to the general public so the reactions tend to be crappy LOL. Anyway, I know lots of good people have already posted some wonderful things that I am sure have inspired you. So, I will just say once again, best of luck. I look forward to hearing more about your progress and, like I was told at my begining, we'll save you a place on the looser's bench!!!!!

Preop diet starts Thursday. One more day of eating as I wish. I'm not gonna sugar coat it. I'm second guessing myself. I feel depressed, alone, hopeful, determined and a mix of about 10 other emotions. I'm a successful guy. Self made and used to getting what I want. I've earned everything I have with years and years of hard work and risk taking and I don't like the idea of giving up control over anything. This is going to test every fiber of my being. Took the family for Mexican food tonight and was so depressed I couldn't eat. I know I know I'm whining like a big baby. That's how I feel right now. My 5 year old smiled at me during dinner and I damn near started crying. This is nuts.

I don't look at it as giving up control. I look at it as taking control over my life. I am learning how to eat to be healthier, how to exercise to be healthier, etc. Before this journey, there was no exercise, and my eating was out of control as I would eat anything and everything that I wanted. How was that in control? Now, I'm learning to control my urges and eat only to live - not living to eat.

It's a major change in mindset - but it's a change for the better. It will be hard, no doubt about it. Change is always hard - especially when social situations all have unhealthy foods that we are expected to eat. But you can do it!

One of my best friends in high school was in a different social situation with me and got very angry with me and stopped talking to me when I was cooking a dinner and made it a healthier version that what was normal. I actually had a lot of people come to me after the dinner saying it was one of the best they had in that type of situation. I think she was just jealous that I was making the meal my own instead of the unhealthy versions that everyone else had been using because they were following the ancient recipes. Well, I followed the recipe too - I just made some healthier substitutions. It still tasted very similar. This was a few years ago, and it upset me at the time, but now I know it was probably just jealousy and frankly, I'm better off without her in my life. I hate to say that, but it's true.

You are not losing control, but gaining control. Do not be depressed. Thursday is the first day of your journey to permanent weight loss. You can do this!

PS - food still tastes great,. I can eat what I wish now at 9 months out, just a lot less volume of it and I am satisfied and full. Eating is no longer about how much I can cram in but slowing down, like enjoying a fine wine.

Tomorrow starts the countdown to my goals of a longer and healthier life. This forum is a blessing.

Tomorrow starts the countdown to my goals of a longer and healthier life. This forum is a blessing.

First, know that you are never alone. Second, all these emotions are totally normal. I went from Moaning Myrtle and crying a lot to Evil Renee / stark raving mad biatch in the blink of an eye. I was scared, nervous, terrified and second guessing myself thinking "omg this is STUPID! I can do this on my own! I'm strong enough, right?! Wrong. I've had many chances and I wasn't strong enough...I wanted it bad enough, I just couldn't do it. I just made a video on Youtube about this actually, the many emotions I went through before it all. Because one of the hardest parts for me was admitting that I needed help. I don't know why but that was very hard for me to admit.

I went into surgery thinking 'omg I could die!' and then thinking 'i'm dying anyway...the weight is killing me' and once I got my head wrapped around that, I knew that I had to have the surgery and that I had to give myself another chance at really living. I'm now down 37 pounds and feel so much better. I have a long way to go still but I know now that I'll get there. I have hope and that's something that I haven't had in a very long time.

I know you can do this! You owe it to yourself and your family to give yourself another shot at really living!

Renee`

p.s. I used to live on Galveston Island...loved Texas!