What were (or are) some of the barriers holding you back from getting wls?

[miamomma 23]

I was wondering what are some of the barriers that held some of you back from going ahead with WLS and how did you overcome it? I guess I'm not asking about financial or insurance barriers, those are hurdles that are part of the process, but mental or physical hurdles? I want to move forward with this so badly, but I'm afraid to and just wondering how to get past it. I'm afraid I'll fail, afraid of how to explain it to family, coworkers, afraid I won't be able to make the necessary lifestyle and mental changes to be successful LONG term, afraid I'll have a leak or complication (I'm most likely going to mexico as self pay), afraid I won't have enough energy to do my job or take care of my family after surgery, etc etc. Thanks!

[Pillar2butterfly 391]

The only thing that ever held me back was the thought of altering my stomach in a manner that was not reversible. I got over that mental hurdle fairly quickly though.

[magtart 603]

Nothing really held me back. I've never been one to worry or expend a lot of energy on being afraid of things. I just forged ahead once I finished the research phase.

[Sophie74656 1,572]

Before I was really uneducated about the surgery. I honestly thought it was for people who were so large they could not get out of bed. For a while I thought I could loose weight on my own if I just really put my mind to it

Once a person on radio show that I listened to every morning talked about his surgery I started to do some research and it was about the time I hit my "straw that broke the camel's back" and decided I needed the surgery

[livvsmum 2,368]

For me the biggest thing was getting it covered by insurance. Once that was in order it was full speed ahead!

[Sophie74656 1,572]

it's funny, my insurance said they cover the insurance as long as it's medically necessary. Who would do this if it wasn't medically necessary?

[glitter eyes 1,398]

For me it was fear of complications/and or death. I didn't want to die from the surgery and leave my girl motherless or my husband without a wife.

Finally, I got where I felt so bad I didn't care if it killed me I was getting the surgery. I knew that my family would eventually lose me if I didn't get surgery because I would probably die early from an obesity related problem. I was getting short of breath with activity and had zero energy. It was no way to live...

Fast forward 17 months and I am a new person- just wish I had done it sooner. I feel fantastic.

[miamomma 23]

Thank you glittereyes for your reply. Your response was really powerful. I had never thought about how my family will most likely lose me anyway or sooner if I don't go ahead with the surgery. I was feeling kind of selfish about considering the surgery and selfish to put my family through it, but it's more selfish to keep living this way - no energy, avoiding activities/social events, facing an early death, passing my unhealthy habits on to my daughter by my terrible example....

[VSGAnn2014 12,992]

Like "they" say: Not making a decision is a decision made.

[The Candidate 3,215]

The only thing that held me back was insurance. Without that obstacle I would have done this years before.

[redvet 39]

Miamomma, I totally understand, I have had those same thoughts but if we don't do it we continue to be in pain, on medication and not live the life we were meant to live, I want to be around for my children, grandchildren and myself so I don't have a choice, I won't get my surgery until Mar/April because of BCBS but I just want to get it over with. Hang in there, you are not alone.

[miamomma 23]

Miamomma, I totally understand, I have had those same thoughts but if we don't do it we continue to be in pain, on medication and not live the life we were meant to live, I want to be around for my children, grandchildren and myself so I don't have a choice, I won't get my surgery until Mar/April because of BCBS but I just want to get it over with. Hang in there, you are not alone.

Thank you Redvet. I am going to move forward with this, regardless of my concerns and fears because I am really at the point of no matter what happens, it has to be better than doing nothing. Thanks for all the support. I am hoping to be end of January or early Feb, and hopefully I don't talk myself out of it before then .

[Nibbler 71]

My hurdle in getting the surgery done was fear of anestesia. Fear of not waking up....leaving my family without their mother. But the realization that if i didn't get the surgery I would be dead soon enough. So morning of surgery the anestesia dr. comes in and introduces himself and tells me he was going to give me something "just to relax you" thinking ok...well he then takes my bed and gets it through the doorway on the way to the surgery suite....Thats the last thing i remember. I have had other surgeries where they tell you its time to put you to sleep and put the mask on or give the injection.....made the entire event so much easier. I came close to bolting out of the hospital for my knee surgery several years prior. This way I was so much more calm.