I was 100% sure about the gastric sleeve until I read some of the posts on this site. Now I'm scared shitless and I'm meeting with the surgeon in 3 days. Anyone else back out after reading some threads here???

I actually felt more reassured after reading the threads. I feel like I have a good idea of the risks, the behaviors that will set me up for success and how to deal with the inevitable stalls/slow downs. For me, I have to weigh the possible complications (which are statistically small) with the almost certain diabetes, knee replacements and so on that are in my future if I don't get the weight off. Having said that, if you need to meet with the surgeon and then take more time to make your decision...please take it! You have to be sure for yourself.

:-( I have 4 small children and my husband is active duty army. I want the surgery but scared about the risks...seeing the threads here it seems to be a lot more then 1%

I've thought about it a few time's after reading certain thing's here and I'm really nervous about my upcoming surgery September 8th, But the thing to really get my by was Instagram lol. As funny as it is There are a lot of young people on Instagram who have has WLS including Sleeve and are doing great I love going through and seeing all the success. If a 15 year old can go through it so can I. With that all being said, I think someone here had said something along the lines of "Most people who post here are going to post about the bad side of WLS because they need help and are looking for advice, People who are doing well are less likely to post about their success and have less questions so you rarely hear from them" So your more likely to see the negative/scary stuff in other words...

I read most threads and simply shake my head at some of the complaints posted. I am a little more than 3 months post op have soooo many reasons to complain. (Sarcasm) I hate the fact that I have lost 65 lbs 2/3 of my goal, and have lost much of my appetite. I hate that now I can walk 18 holes of golf, work for 6 hours and still have the energy to chase my wife around the house.

And I hate the fact that now, rather than simply wearing clothes to cover up my size, I wear clothes that make me feel good about how I look.

Go for it and don't waste your time reading negative threads.

:-( I have 4 small children and my husband is active duty army. I want the surgery but scared about the risks...seeing the threads here it seems to be a lot more then 1%

you should speak with your surgeon about what his/her complication rate is. each doctor is different, each facility is different, each patient has different risks based on his/her medical status at the time of surgery. you should speak directly and frankly with your doctor and only sign the papers if you feel like the risks of surgery are less than the risks of remaining obese. do not rely on what you read here to make your decision, rely on what your doctor tells you.

You should take what you need and leave the rest! for sure, there are a lot of people who need to vent and very few people that have complications. I have not had any complications or issues and I had surgery on July 3rd. No issues for me, I am not saying there are not risks or those individuals didn't follow the rules. Just keep on track and pay attention to your body as you go through phases. I followed the rules my Dr. gave me and researched the risks and new that the risk for me not having it was much higher. Good luck, it's okay to be nervous.

Scared me too. My surgery is Monday.

As the time gets closer the "what if's" really kick in. The fear of failure, complications etc. but it's normal! Anything that we aren't 100 percent sure about brings in doubts. I know for myself I was like a rollercoaster; reading too much information on too many sites. The bottom line is, can you afford NOT to do the surgery. FOr me that answer was NO. I wasn't going to lose this weight on another diet and I wanted to be healthy. The complications from high cholesterol, diabetes, blood pressure etc. should scare you as much as the surgery because the reality is those things can kill you. So......search your heart, talk with YOUR surgeon, and make your decision based on all of the statistics and outcomes. I know for me I am SOOO glad that I made the decision to get the surgery! Good luck!

I was 100% sure about the gastric sleeve until I read some of the posts on this site. Now I'm scared shitless and I'm meeting with the surgeon in 3 days. Anyone else back out after reading some threads here???

Absolutely! But, I had to consider that the recently diagnosed diabetes and high cholesterol was going to be worse for my body. In my mind both avenues were hard-I had to pick my hard. I'm 5 days post op. It does get better-and my diabetes meds have already been cut in half!

Absolutely! But, I had to consider that the recently diagnosed diabetes and high cholesterol was going to be worse for my body. In my mind both avenues were hard-I had to pick my hard. I'm 5 days post op. It does get better-and my diabetes meds have already been cut in half!

Thank you for responding everyone...

I have fatty liver, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, PCOS, and BMI is 40. I know I really need this surgery but I am so scared. I have issues with anxiety too and after reading horror stories and watching numerous YouTube videos I am feeling depressed. I feel either way I am doomed and a feeling of hopelessness has set in. Going to see my primary doctor tomorrow and surgeon on Thursday and I hope someone talks me through this...

Your just scaring yourself by doing that..

There are way more success stories with this surgery then there are complications/horror stories. You can not let fear drive you away from a healthier life.

treat your anxiety. you dont need to live in fear.

there is a great blog i love called megsanity. google it.

you wont be successful with this surgery if you dont deal with your anxiety anyway. so you might as well start confronting it now. there is lots you can do in addition to medication. you are not hopeless or helpless, help is available, you need to be open to it though. its your choice how you want ti proceed. but dont try to push through with this surgery without addressing your anxiety. it will bite you in the ass.

My BMI was 48, and I had high blood pressure, and I have really bad anxiety, too. I got totally freaked out and depressed during the last week or so before my surgery. I was convinced I was going to either die on the operating table, or have massive complications. It was really, really stressful, and I admit, I totally read through every single complication story I could find. It does mess with your head. I hope you feel more calm and you can have a good talk with your doctor.

BP is a support group, NOT a scientific study on bariatric surgery. Most people that have this surgery do not have complications, but the ones that do are very vocal. Go do your homework using peer reviewed studies. Google Scholar is a good place to start. Your odds of dying are about the same as getting a tooth pulled. There are however risk that come with any surgery. That is why you do a thorough check on the surgeon. If you in the Seattle area I can put you in touch with an excellent group of Docs with a great record. They have had only one minor leak in many years and they do about 500 sleeves a year. Great odds in my book.

I did a lot of research about the sleeve and was feeling very overwhelmed also. But then I started to hear all the success stories. There are far more cases of success than complications. I also talked with my doctor and he can not even remember the last time he had a patient with a leak. Just remember to stay positive. If your near JBLM let me know. I work at Madigan and will be having my procedure there also.