I just scheduled my surgery for Sept 10 with Dr Ortiz. I was reading through all of the paperwork and noticed he requires everyone to get an endoscopy between 6 months post surgery and 1 year post surgery. I don't know why but the thoughts of this are sending me over the edge. I suddenly had second thoughts - I don't know if I can handle an endoscopy. Also I suppose this means I am going to have to tell my doctor here that i am having the surgery so he can schedule it when the time comes.

Thoughts - is it really that bad? I am 5'2" and weigh 192. I know I need this surgery because I have tried everything from weight watchers to medifast. This endoscopy is making me very fearful.

You'll be sedated, if not asleep, for the endoscopy, so it's not a big deal. I suspect that your brain is just in panic mode right this second and is focusing on the endoscopy because that's what our minds do to us. They play games with us!

Everyone goes through some form of doubts and second thoughts, especially at BIG moments in the journey. You've just set a date and made a big decision, so naturally your brain is reeling from trying to absorb all of that.

Give it a few days and see if you don't calm down some about the whole situation. if you still have worries, do all you can to minimize the risks from them, then turn the rest over to your higher power if you have one.

Good luck!!

Ditto for Lissa. Today I am a tag team with Lissa, LOL. Just take 1 day at a time. Discuss with the doctor the reasons for the endoscopy. It won't be for 6 to 1 year post op so I really wouldn't even think about it. Remember, just take 1 day at a time and you will do fine. Let the anxiety go.

LOL, Dorrie! Sometimes tag team is how it goes!

Thoughts - is it really that bad? I am 5'2" and weigh 192. I know I need this surgery because I have tried everything from weight watchers to medifast. This endoscopy is making me very fearful.

It's really not that bad at all. I had to have one before my sleeve and to be honest I didn't know what to expect. They brought me into the room showed me everything, explained what everything was for and then I was put under.

20 minutes later I was waking up in recovery with a very dry and a little bit of a sore throat, but it was fine. Word of advice is do not drink very fast right after the procedure though! LOL

Trust me on this, this is a piece of cake.

Eric

I'll take the endoscopy any day of the week over the colonoscopy (sp?). Had them done on the same day last year.

Thank you! Thank you!

I wonder if my fear has to do with committing to the surgery and not really the endoscopy. I will take it one day at a time and worry about that procedure when I have to.

I am going to have to move on - I have paid my deposit and will have surgery on the 10th of Sept. I just arranged all of my babysitting and time off work, so it is a "go"!

question for you experienced sleevers -

Is it realistic for me to plan taking the week of surgery off and then going back to work half days for 2 additional weeks? I am a nurse but have a desk job - don't do any patient care.

I just had my endoscopy on Friday at it was soooooo easy. To be honest the worst part was getting the i.v. before hand and waiting for them to take me back. I had myself worked up into tears and it really was quick and painless. They put in my i.v. on the first try (I have notoriously difficult veins) and by the time I had my procedure my mom and I were laughing and joking. It really wasn't as big a deal as I was thinking.

Don't let a little thing like the endoscopy scare you away. I fully thought on Friday morning that I couldn't go through with it, but I am so glad I did. It made me feel more mentally tough and prepared for surgery.

YOU CAN DO IT!

question for you experienced sleevers -

Is it realistic for me to plan taking the week of surgery off and then going back to work half days for 2 additional weeks? I am a nurse but have a desk job - don't do any patient care.

Granted, I'm only a week post op, but here's what I did and it seems to be working fine. I'm a desk jockey (software engineer) and I took a half day off on Monday, had my surgery on Tuesday, off Wed and Thurs, and I am working from home (one of the luxuries of my profession) from this past Friday to when I return on July 2nd to the office.

As long as you are able to get your post op diet in while working, and you're feeling up to it (sometimes there is a fatigue factor as my wife experienced after she was sleeved), you would probably be able to do the half days for that time period, but if there's anyway to work from home at all, that to me anyway is the best solution.

I went back to work 1 week later and it was no problem.

I felt the same way about the endoscopy! You will be fine. Your asleep for the procedure and the worst part is the iv!! Lol. I had a sore throat after the procedure. But it wasn't that bad. Don't be scared! I went to work the next day. It's no biggie! You'll be fine!

I had to do both the endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time as part of my pre-surgery requirements. They were not able to get my knocked out so I was awake for both procedures but they were not nearly as bad and I had thought they would be. Because of issues found I now have to have the colonoscopy done yearly and the endoscopy done every two years and it doesnt bother me now that I know what to expect.