Hi everyone,

I'm waiting for my sleeve to be done in November. I keep going back and forth about it. I wake up in the morning thinking "no way am I going through with this,... it's too extreme..." Then, as the day drags on, I change my mind and think about all the time I've wasted being fat and inactive, letting life go by. I've gone back and forth like this for months while waiting for my official date to be sleeved. I don't know if this is normal or if it's a good idea go through with the sleeve if I'm not 100% behind it. I do know that I'll probably never lose the weight any other way. It's so depressing. I keep thinking what a loser I am that I have to cut my stomach in order to lose weight, that I'm not strong enough or discipline enough to do it the "regular" way. Just need to talk this out...

I'm in November too. I am for sure having the same problem. And now my car blew up' date=' do I need a new car and here I have all this money from this loan in my account and I'm feeling selfish for not using it to buy a new car. But, I am the sole provider for my family of 5 and I walk around like Quasimodo. I need to fix me so I can continue to work and support my family. Tough decisions.[/quote']

Wow that is a tough decision! But I agree with you 100%! If makes you feel good to do something good floor yourself. You should not feel bad for that. Ill keep you in my prayers!

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Hi everyone' date='

I'm waiting for my sleeve to be done in November. I keep going back and forth about it. I wake up in the morning thinking "no way am I going through with this,... it's too extreme..." Then, as the day drags on, I change my mind and think about all the time I've wasted being fat and inactive, letting life go by. I've gone back and forth like this for months while waiting for my official date to be sleeved. I don't know if this is normal or if it's a good idea go through with the sleeve if I'm not 100% behind it. I do know that I'll probably never lose the weight any other way. It's so depressing. I keep thinking what a loser I am that I have to cut my stomach in order to lose weight, that I'm not strong enough or discipline enough to do it the "regular" way. Just need to talk this out...[/quote']

I had absolutely zero second thoughts about the procedure. Once I did the research and saw the positive/ negatives, it made me even more determined. I wish you the same certanty.

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YES, YES, & YES! I go thru this daily!! I'm having my band removed next week in prep for the sleeve in October. One minute I'm excited & the next I'm asking myself if this is really a good idea. My biggest & really only concern is gaining the weight back in say 3 or so years. Maybe it won't be possible to gain it ALL back??? I can be okay with gaining a few poounds back, but not the 85 I need to lose. I also have fears of "failure". My family looks at me as a person who never "follows thru", one who has no motivation for long periods of time. I have to say I do struggle with those areas. However, I really can't wait to get back into smaller sizes, being more active & getting as healthy as I can! I keep thinking if I get to my goal weight, there's no way I'll let myself get this big (& unhealthy) again. I think the key is tuning into why I overeat in the first place. Hang in there....you are not alone!!! This is a major surgery & so of course we're going to question it! I'll be praying for you..pray for me too, will you?

OMG YES!!! I feel just the same way you do and I'm also scheduled for surgery in November... I run through all the "what if's" in my mind every single day, multiple times a day! I know I've tried EVERY single diet out there and it always comes back on and I'm not even a junk food or carb eater! It's the PCOS I have making it impossible to lose the weight. I too feel like this is my ONLY option to get healthy, but I fear it will stop working and the weight will pile back on. I have 3 kids, I go back and forth on what if something happens during surgery... but like everyone here has said.. nothing else has worked and I feel I've exhausted all other options, this is the only thing left to try. I will probably have second thoughts until the moment they put me out for the surgery. My brain never shuts off ever.. and I think and re-think and analyze and re-analyze until I make myself nuts!

We are all in this together so I'm trusting that this is the best and only option for me... even with the second thoughts!

I feel like a kid who is going to disneyland. I'm feeling very impatient and can't wait for it to be my turn. I do worry about how permanent it is to have part of my stomach removed and then tossed in the trash but I've read lots of bad things about the remnant stomach that is left over from the rny and I think it's a good thing that I don't have to worry about it causing problems. As you can tell I'm overly excited about having this surgery and the fact that plastics (cosmetic surgery) is part of the package, I'm stocked

@minkywinks_esposa HOW did you get cosmetic surgery thrown in there too???

@minkywinks_esposa HOW did you get cosmetic surgery thrown in there too???

They will be performing my surgery at the bariatric clinic on the Army base where my husband works and it's part of the package for all people who undergo weight loss surgery. They will be performing a tummy tuck and breast lift on me after I get to my weight goal. My friend had a tummy tuck about 8 months after her sleeve surgery, she weighed about 123 lbs and in a couple of months she will have her boobs done. We don't have to get approval for plastics through our insurance company (Tricare), our Army base makes up the requirements and everyone who has underwent wls can get plastics if that's what they want. They also do other elective procedures like taking the excess skin off your bicep/arms. My surgeon understands the benefits of plastics and the fact that excess skin can cause issues such as infections and plus having excess skin can cause self esteem issues or the need to wear girdles (sp?) or spanks for the rest of your life. I think it would be great if all insurances covered plastics. I think my aunts insurance covered plastics also but this was back in 2003 and I think a lot of insurance companies covered it at the time

WOW that is a wonderful benefit and a great opportunity that is give to folks having WLS and have that kind of coverage! I definitely will need to get a tummy tuck, lipo and something done with these arms of mine, but that will all be out of pocket and not covered so I'll probably have to wait a bit to get it all done after I reach goal. You are very lucky to have such a wonderful benefit! Your date is coming up soon, you must be very excited!

Thank you all for your responses. I will pray for you tropicalgal and thank you for your prayers. I wish I had the same certainty as WhoozisAnyway -- what a great mind set. I think the determining factor is that if I don't do this, there will be no change in my life. One year, or two or three years from now, I'll still be where I am right now and that's just so sad. How wonderful it will be to be slim and to feel beautiful. To be healthy and energetic. I've always wanted to learn to surf or to kayak, or to salsa. I would love to wear jeans in heels and get a short, sassy hair cut that looks fabulous on my slimmer face. It all sounds superficial but it's the truth. That's what I will keep thinking about...

Thank you all for your responses. I will pray for you tropicalgal and thank you for your prayers. I wish I had the same certainty as WhoozisAnyway -- what a great mind set. I think the determining factor is that if I don't do this' date=' there will be no change in my life. One year, or two or three years from now, I'll still be where I am right now and that's just so sad. How wonderful it will be to be slim and to feel beautiful. To be healthy and energetic. I've always wanted to learn to surf or to kayak, or to salsa. I would love to wear jeans in heels and get a short, sassy hair cut that looks fabulous on my slimmer face. It all sounds superficial but it's the truth. That's what I will keep thinking about...[/quote']

I was just so utterly weary of the struggle to control my weight. Then, in January, I badly reinjured my back and could barely walk. Even developed a bad limp the doctor warned might be permanent. On a trip in February, I had to be wheeled through the airport, then almost couldnt buckle my seatbelt on the plane. I realized I was getting a preview of the rest of my life if I didn't take control. That is why I had no doubts.

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This post have really made me feel better,because I thought I was alone with these scary thoughts.I wake up and go to bed thinking about this surgery,I am now waiting on approval from my insurance company.

OMG YES!!! I feel just the same way you do and I'm also scheduled for surgery in November... I run through all the "what if's" in my mind every single day, multiple times a day! I know I've tried EVERY single diet out there and it always comes back on and I'm not even a junk food or carb eater! It's the PCOS I have making it impossible to lose the weight. I too feel like this is my ONLY option to get healthy, but I fear it will stop working and the weight will pile back on. I have 3 kids, I go back and forth on what if something happens during surgery... but like everyone here has said.. nothing else has worked and I feel I've exhausted all other options, this is the only thing left to try. I will probably have second thoughts until the moment they put me out for the surgery. My brain never shuts off ever.. and I think and re-think and analyze and re-analyze until I make myself nuts!

We are all in this together so I'm trusting that this is the best and only option for me... even with the second thoughts!

Your story is MY story too! Except for the PCOS making it impossible to lose weight. My issue is a multitude of health issues (thyroid cancer, multiple sclerosis, lupus....) I'm eating about 1200-1300 calories a day and cannot lose weight. I'm scared to death this surgery will be a failure and I will have gone through this for nothing. My surgeon told me not to worry -- that the body resets its "set points" after this surgery. I've tried to find more information about this but have only found short and vague references to the new set point theory. I just don't want to be a failure AGAIN. And of course I jump around from saying I wish I could have surgery in the morning to oh no, what if this doesn't work? What if I have serious complications like I've read a few of theVSTs here -- which are horror stories. What if my nausea ( I just know I will have nausea!!) lasts forever? I go from deep excitement to apprehension a hundred times a day. I think deep down I'm ready to take the risks because I realize it may be my only hope of finally being normal ( at age 49! I've been fat my whole life!)

This post have really made me feel better,because I thought I was alone with these scary thoughts.I wake up and go to bed thinking about this surgery,I am now waiting on approval from my insurance company.

I wake up and go to bed thinking about this surgery too! It has taken over my life! Based on posts here, it seems like the first four months or so after surgery becomes almost a full time "job" of managing the commitment, attention, time and just day to day "operation" that is required to be successful.

I think all the emotions you all are having are completely normal. As one post stated, this is an individual journey for each of us and we have to make the decision that is in our best interest. For me, I think the surgery has been like how they say you forget so quickly about the pains of child birth. :-) I am seven months out and down 80 lbs. The pre-op, surgery, full liquid diet, etc. seems like so long ago and I don't even think about that anymore. I'm too busy enjoying my new life with a happier attitude, more confidence, better health and just an overall better ME!

I know there is a big fear of what if something happens to you during surgery or you have a complication. That is a very real fear. But try to remind yourself that most of us if we continued on the same path carrying around the extra weight would possibly end up as a statistic of death by heart disease or other issues related to being overweight. I'm no longer sitting on the sidelines watching my life pass me by...I'm living life!