My surgery is scheduled for July 23rd. I am so nervous!!! I just got insurance authorization today. Reality has kicked in. Am I going to be ok?

Congratulations! Yeah, you will.

Congratulations! You will do great! Stay positive!

YES, you will be fine. This surgery stuff is scary, especially if you're like me and had never been operated on prior to this.

The hardest part of all of this for me as the liquid diet because I made the brilliant decision to get sleeved December 23. I had like three holiday functions during my 10 day fast, so it sucked, BUT I got through it and it was totally worth it.

When I look in the mirror at my size 8 body as opposed to my sz 22 body, that's also worth it. Not to mention that my sleep apnea, high blood pressure, painful joints and disgust for my form is gone.

You're going to be fine. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but I promise you will. When I was on the other side, I was 100% convinced something was going to go wrong like I'd die on the table, or wake up in the middle of the surgery because they didn't use enough gas on me. What scared me the most was the thought that "What if I go through ALL this and the surgery doesn't even work? If I don't lose any weight?"

But, l had to make a decision. Stay fat and KNOW I was going to die a slow death from sleep apnea/high blood pressure/diabetes/high cholesterol/immobility or take a chance on a surgery that MIGHT have a complication but would DEFINITELY give me my life back if successful.

The risk of a surgical complication was less scary to me than the definite of dying from a co-morbidity.

Absolutely! I think the scariest part is fear of the unknown. 1)What will it feel like? 2)Will I get sick? 3)Will it be very painful? 4)Will I regret it? And after all that...5)WILL IT WORK FOR ME?? Answers: 1)Uncomfortable at first- give yourself time to heal and don't rush it. Be prepared for some rough days when you'll feel awful, but this is very temporary. 2)Maybe, but probably not too much if you follow the doc's instructions and listen to your body. 3)There is going to be some pain and discomfort from time to time, but it is temporary and you will be through most of it within 6-8 weeks with some residual discomfort occasionally for up to 12 weeks. 4)During the first month you may feel like you might regret it, because you feel yucky and hormones are flooding your system making you extremely emotional but that will pass. I can honestly say that I wasn't very excited about it at first even though I was dropping weight, I still felt blah. 5) YES! If you do what your doc says it will work for you too!! Within 6 months you'll probably be telling everyone you should have done it sooner because you'll start looking AND feeling better than you probably have in years. You will feel like you have been given your life back (and you probably didn't even realize you'd lost some of it along the way) Things that may have been impossible for many years will become possible! Just a few things I could do six months out that I hadn't been able to do for 20 years: Buy clothes at regular stores, cross my legs, fit in stadium/theatre/airplane seats comfortably with room to spare, not have to use a seatbelt extender on an airplane, walk 1- 2 miles without getting short of breath or uncomfortable. I never would have thought this could happen for me and now it has! Every day will be like Christmas morning with new surprises and gifts you never knew you wanted until you got them. You'll do great!

Thank u all so much for the encouragement. It is so comforting to have people to talk to that can relate.