I am ashamed of myself..After sitting in the hospital for hours with an IV in me ready for my Gastric sleeve, I backed out of the surgery..Sitting there waiting for someone to remove part of me forever got me thinking that I did not really think this whole procedure through.. I realized Im simply not mentally ready for it. Perhaps if they rolled me right in and took me to the OR I would have done it, but sitting there for 4 hours left me way too much time to think stuff over..

Perhaps I will regret my decision perhaps I will revisit the surgery, but I want to explore a few more options as of right now. Yeah Im overweight, but Im healthy for now and just couldnt bring myself to pull the trigger..I have been crying all morning and afternoon and am ashamed of myself cause once again I quit myself. But it just didnt FEEL right...

I felt that way when I went to do my endoscopy. If my mom and 8 year old brother weren't beside me, I would have pulled the iv out and ran. I did However still make a scene bc after waiting hours waiting to be rolled into the o.R., I could no longer keep my anxiety and nerves in check. I began to cry and it was embarrassing...I'm 25 years old. Lol. My surgery is scheduled for the first week in February and my biggest concern and fear Is the surgery and making it to the Operating Room. I don't know if it's possible to not have to wait so long before they roll you in and if they can knock me out before the roll me in. Something about being rolled down the hall into an open white operating room just terrifies me and I physically can't handle it. I suffer from anxiety and I will not be able to take my medication that morning so that's my biggest issue right now..

Who is your physician? I can not see them agreeing to do the procedure when you have clinically diagnosed anxiety. That issue NEEDS to be addressed cause trust me, I do not have anxiety and being there waiting was the most stressful thing in my entire life..I developed anxiety waiting there. You will need to be heavily pre medicated IMO, but Im not a doctor...Im 100% ok with getting surgeries, and I was terrified of this..Talk to your doctor seriously..Cause they cant give you any drugs to knock you out until your in the OR being monitored..

Oh wait! Are we talking about fat sex? My husband wasn't complaining. He's not complaining about skinny sex either. Yup. I didn't have to have WLS to have sexy time. I've seen plenty of skinnies that look defeated, too.

Men with bellies are better lovers, proven fact...The extra fat gives the extra energy reserves...

They will give you meds for anxiety before you go in to the OR. The anestesiologist comes and talks to you, at that point, ask for something to calm you down.

Jules you are wrong. Many, many people are anxious before surgery and doctors routinely give antianxiety meds and/or sedatives before surgery.

It is completely normal.

Jules you are wrong. Many, many people are anxious before surgery and doctors routinely give antianxiety meds and/or sedatives before surgery.

It is completely normal.

My doctor told me he couldnt give me anything until I was being monitored in the OR. I guess each doctor has different policies.

My doctor told me he couldnt give me anything until I was being monitored in the OR. I guess each doctor has different policies.

It isn't up to your Surgeon. The anesthesiologists are the ones who administer the anxiety medicine or ask the nurse to give the anxiety meds/cocktail prior to surgery. In all of my 14 surgeries I've never seen my surgeon override, ask, or even interrupt my anesthesiologist. My anesthesiologists come by, say hello, ask how I'm doing, then hit up my IV...in that order.

So I have the experience of not one but TWO WLS. .. the head space component is HUGE

I am a sleever believer ... really. ..knock on doors telling obese people how good it feels to be normal. You cannot begin to understand my degree of hopelessness at one point and then glorious results.

I feel qualified to say a few things.

Anxiety does not equal rational decisions.

Flip side, you need to be "all in".

A week preop I told my super wonderful caring surgeon that I was "all in" but was losing control of my anxiety. He helped me through that and it paid off big time for me.

I have to agree with cowgirljane. Anxiety doesn't bred rational decisions or thoughts, it does exactly the opposite.

Well if they had not left me sitting there for 4 hours perhaps I would have went through with it. The time i sat there thinking I second guessed myself..Im gonna slow down take a step back and see if WLS is an option for me in the future.

I have spent years discussing bariatric surgery with my primary care physician and researching the options. I always chose to not pursue it. Then I found a surgeon, had two consultations and was in the operating room within 3 weeks. I knew I was ready and went for it. I believe you should trust your gut. You can always change your mind to have surgery but once you've had it there's no going back. As long as you feel you made the right decision for you, there is no cause for shame.

I guess it's my training as a Child Life Specialist and experience working in hospitals that kept me cool. I had done my research and taken every precaution there was to take. I probably wait 4+ hours for surgery. I got dropped off at the hospital early because my ride had to go to work. I chilled in the hospital lobby for 2 hours before going up to the surgical center. I chilled there for an hour or two before being brought back. Medical settings don't scare me. I used to give pre-surgical tours to children and their families so I know what the equipment does and what the machines are for. They couldn't start my IV. could find a vein. I was not happy but okay. I knew it would mean I'd have to get a PICC line. I did my relaxation breathing to center myself. I walked into the OR I wasn't wheeled in. I climbed up on the tiny operating table and they once again tried to to find a vein. When they had to tilt the bed back for the PICC line one of the nurse's decided to hold my hand for comfort. I had to tel her to let go. I couldn't go inwards and center myself with her external stimuli. I was fine. My surgery was easy and I was up and walking no problem.

Think about how to relax yourself instead of freaking out. Once you develop those relaxation skills, it doesn't matter how long you wait.

Im meeting with my surgeon on Thursday and putting myself on the schedule for the Lap Band, but for 2 months from now, this way I have time to think about it, but the insurance stuff is all approved If I decide I want to back out, I can do it within the 2 months. I honestly believe I just need a little help to get this going but dont think Im ready for the Sleeve, but i do need a little help..

Edited January 17, 201511 yr by JerseyJules

Good for you. I wish you luck.

Wishing you all the best!

I hope this works for you. Fingers crossed.