I have about 7 days till my final appointment. I will finally find out when I can get my wls. I am starting to feel nervous. At first I was just ready to start my journey.. Now I will admit I'm scared outta my mind. I've never spend the night in the hospital. But at the same time I'm super excited. I have anxiety which has been pretty well managed but lately it's been at an all time high. Its been hard for me to fall asleep at night. I'm sure it will be late nights like this till its over with. What are some things you all have done to keep calm?

I've had three abdominal surgeries including the VSG so I'm an old hand at it. The best part about surgery is, you don't even know it happened. You wake up and it's been done Every time, I remember getting myself positioned on the operating table and they get my arms stretched out and BOOM...next thing I know, the nurses in the recovery room are saying my name and trying to wake me out of my drug-induced stupor. When the fog eventually clears, you start the process of recovering...and it doesn't take that long, if there are no complications. I was under the knife in the morning, and I was walking the halls of my recovery wing that evening, trying to work the gas out. The surgical gas is the worst part, and it usually takes me 3-4 days to get it all out. Actually...drinking was the hardest part for the first day or two. I didn't want to put anything in. But it gets easier...you just have to do your best.

But to keep calm, just remind yourself that what you're doing is among the most common surgeries being performed today, and serious complications are extremely rare. By the seventh day after the surgery, I was ready to get back to work, no problem. Try not to worry about it. The surgery and recovery are actually not as hard as the mental war you will fight with your old self...because you'll heal up fast, but that battle will keep raging in some form, as you re-learn how to eat and how to think about food.

Getting the surgery done is stepping across the threshold. When you wake up, you will have achieved a major victory for yourself and the journey begins in earnest...and you'll be right there with the rest of us, marching forward to our new, healthier future. Congratulations on taking this step, and just focus on making the most of it. Follow the doctor's instructions and you will do great

What a wonderful response it's very comforting to read that all can and will be okay. I'm hoping for a December surgery and although I'm afraid, I'm so ready to get going.