I have my pre op appointment in a couple days. They are shooting for April 30 or May 1 for surgery. I am very aware that this is going to be a lot of work. I am hearing all these stories of weight gain after bypass surgery that I am so afraid I will be one of the statistics that do gain it back. As many of you all know the feeling of diets not working, I can't help but keep asking myself what will make this any different? I know me getting the sleeve is different then bypass, but I am still very scared. Any advice would be so appreciated.

I had alot of those same doubts. the doc I see for sleep apnea gave me the best counter argument.... he said "so, lets say in 5 years you gained back some weight and in 10 years all of it - you still had 5-10 years of a much higher quality of life! 10 years of less pain, of being able to do the things you want to do. 10 years of having your life back."

I couldn't help but think he had a good point.

Even post surgery, I saw the NUT a month post op and had lost 30 pounds. I can remember telling her that I was still skeptical and I would know it is really working once I lose at least 50#. Well, I am at almost 70# off and even though I am still obese, I feel soo much better. It is hard to describe the incredibly good it feels.

As i have headed down this journey I am becoming more convinced that long term success is possible. I am not naive, anybody can regain after ANY weight loss surgery. I guess I am just starting to think that it is really possible to get this weight off... and keep it off permanently. The journey continues...

That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you for the encouraging words. You are absolutely right. Also I would have to ask myself is it fair to myself not to give it a try? It is not that I have no faith in myself, it is just that I know how diets go. They don't work and if this like another diet, I don't want to go down this road once again and set myself up to fail. I can not believe how many emotions I have been feeling with this surgery coming up. I had no idea it would be like this.

Excellent on the weight loss! Please keep us updated and I will do the same....

I know how you feel. I have had many of those same "conversations" with myself about this very thing. I am very lucky. I have a wonderful gal that I see who is actually a social worker. She has worked a lot with addiction, teens, etc. No, I am no teen, but she has a wonderful way of helping me work through things and giving me options to see what will work for me. She has never said "you need to do X". It is always, you can try this, or this might help, and there is this. Give those some thought, see what works for you and when you come back we will discuss how it went and what if anything helped and where we go from here. That is an approach I can work with. She has helped me out so much in the last 5 years. I know that I will probably end up going back to see her once I have the surgery. I have stopped beating myself up over my "failures" and started celebrating my accomplishments. She really helped me to see my successes in life and not get stuck focusing on this one aspect of my life. Not easy since it effects so many things in our lives, I know.

You can do this. We all have so much negative self-talk that I don't think we give ourselves a chance. Remember that you are not alone. We are also here for you. You have support, so don't be afraid to ask for that support. Who better to understand than those who have gone before us. I know I will be here asking for support. My surgery is not until the 16th. I know I will have a lot to learn and it is a lifelong journey. It is not a diet. I think that is also what makes this different.

If I can share one other thing with you that helped me get my head in the right place... a positive place for this procedure. When I had to do that 6 months of doctors’ visits, any time I got a food craving, I really sat and thought about it. What triggered it. How did I react to it (yes, I did still eat when I should not have at times). What would I change. How could I make it different in the future once I had the sleeve if it happened again. I kept notes so that I could refer back to them. I also read a saying in a weight loss surgery book that really helped me: "You can do anything afraid that you can do unafraid." and it is true. We may be afraid, but we should not let that fear stop of us from reaching our goals. Hang in there.

Sleeve Guru - Congrats on your weight loss. Way to go. Seeing posts like yours really puts me in a positive frame of mind for my upcoming surgery. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much for the wise words. I have a wonderful counsler who will help me a lot after too I have my post op app tomarrow. I think getting that out of the way will help the nerves some.

So is ur op the 16 of may then?