I've done years of research and I don't think there is anything else for me to learn. I've attended several informational seminars and decided vertical sleeve is for me. But I just can't pull the trigger.

I keep thinking I should just try harder "one mroe time" or feeling embarassed that I'm in this situation and I've been fat forever. What if I'm in the .2% that dies just because I couldn't put the chip bag down? I've got children who depend on me. If something serious happens, well... If I'm here, I'm just unhealthy and fat, but I'm still here.

How did you decide the risk was worth the benefits? I just can't seem to get myself to make the commitment.

Linkybo, what are you waiting for? I've been skinny and I've been fat, and skinny is definitely better. At age 62, I pretty much decided I was doomed to live the rest of my life fat and miserable. I had heard of the gastric sleeve from a coworker, and wondered about it, but knew I could never afford it. Then my daughter did the research on getting it done in Mexico and I was in. Finally a way to beat the demon fat. We scheduled, had it done, and neither of us has looked back except to be glad we are not there anymore.

Benefit versus risk? We take risks every day just by living in this world. The benefits for me are blood sugar under control, high blood pressure under control, eating under control. With this surgery, we can change some of the risk factors and leave the rest of them to God to handle. Good luck with your decision. Only you can determine what is right for you, but there are many, many souls on this forum who would say it is the best thing that ever happened to them.

Blessings in your decision making...Kathe

Hi Kathe,

Thanks for your thoughts. I'm glad you and your daughter have had such great experiences with your surgeries!

Wow! It's good to know I'm not the only one that is feeling like you! I see a counselor who had a gastric bypass 10 years ago and when I told her my concerns about being that 2% that might die during surgery, she said that I take a risk every day when I get in my car or when I cross the street on foot. I never looked at it like that. That helped me to make the decision -- I plan on having the surgery in a couple of months. Good luck!!

What made me decide to have the surgery was when my doctor told me I would not live to see 40 if I did not turn my life around (I will be 28 on 2/9/12). That scared the crap out of me so since then I have been trying to eat healthy and stay active! Anything you do has a risk, just leaving your house you risk getting hit by a bus, struck by lightning, attacked by a wild animal. You just have to look at the good and the bad. How long will you be around with your current life style? Is this teaching your kids to be unhealthy? Just think of how proud your kids will be to see their mom getting healthy and being able to live an active life style. I have been eating completely healthy for 8 days now and have dropped 8 pounds so far (started at 393, down to 385) and I start my liquid diet on Tuesday! Even if you decide against the surgery, the main thing is that you change your life style and say to yourself, I AM going to get healthy. I hope we can help each other with this life changing decision.

You sound just like me! I spent TEN YEARS researching WLS! I would go to info session after info session after info session. But I'd always back out telling myself I can do it on my own.

But the truth is- I can't do it on my own. I had to let go of my pride and admit that I need more help than a dietician or personal trainer can ever give me. Now I'm scheduled to have my sleeve on MONDAY! 3 days from today. 10 years of research and I'm finally so close to this I can taste it.

Thanks for your thougths, ladies. I keep cycling from "I should just have surgery" to "I should just try One More Time." Bedhead - I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one hanging out at weight loss surgery info nights! I feel like a goupie. And the surgery always sounds so good, until they bring up that .2% number. I won't have that risk if I just try One More Time.

And although it may be comforting to think we take risks all the time, this is saying I'm willing to be that 1 out of 500 people who have this surgery and die. I'm a real numbers person and a little research shows your chances of dying in a car accident are 1 in 6,700. If that was the risk with WLS, I'd have done it yesterday. Being struck by lightning is 1 in 3,000,000. Everyone would have surgery if that was the risk of death. But 500 people isn't that many to be the chosen 1.

Secondchance, if my dr said do it or else, that is an easy choice.

Right now, I'm trying to get some local doctors to give me their personal stats: How many gastric sleeve procedures have you done? How many complications? How many deaths? But I'm not having much luck. Most doctors want to quote me national averages or tell me that their hospital is better than average.

Did anyone else have a difficult time getting exact numbers from their surgeons?

Thanks again everyone, and good luck, Bedhead! I'm jealous you have all decided and I'm hanging out on the fence.