Hi everyone, I’m really struggling and could use some honest advice.

I desperately want to lose weight, but I’m honestly scared of surgery. I keep reading about VSG, RNY, pre-op diets, recovery, complications, and also GLP-1 options like Ozempic or Mounjaro, and the more I search, the more overwhelmed and depressed I feel.

For those who were scared before surgery, what helped you finally decide? Did you try GLP-1s or another medical weight-loss option first, or did you feel surgery was the best path after everything else failed?

I’m not asking for medical advice, just real experiences from people who have been in this position. How did you know what was right for you?

I don't have my surgery date yet, or insurance approval yet, but I have thought about this for years and after doing my research I would get scared and not proceed with it. I would try different diets, exercises, pills, and the GPl-1. The shots made me very sick, and the other stuff just worked short term and would come back and then some. Finally, after working with my PCP for a year, I decided I can't keep doing this I am not getting younger, I'm 53 and if I'm going to do it, I need to do it now while I can. My grandbabies are young and I want to enjoy them and be able to keep up with them as much as my body will let me. Right now, my body gives out way to soon and yet I don't' want to stop and pay for it for days afterwards. They are my why, I want to get up off the floor with little to no problem, be able to bend over and reach things easily, cross my legs, so may reasons why I decided to do it. But the final push was I finally admitted I have tried everything and nothing really worked. The shots were my last go to and I couldn't take them they made me violently ill.

My sister had the sleeve done 8 years ago, but because of my health, the gastric bypass is the best option for me at this time. I have horrid GERD and the sleeve can make that worse and I already have complications from it, so surgeon said bypass for me is the way to go.

On 7/23/2026 at 12:38 AM, andrei234 said:

Hi everyone, I’m really struggling and could use some honest advice.

I desperately want to lose weight, but I’m honestly scared of surgery. I keep reading about VSG, RNY, pre-op diets, recovery, complications, and also GLP-1 options like Ozempic or Mounjaro, and the more I search, the more overwhelmed and depressed I feel.

For those who were scared before surgery, what helped you finally decide? Did you try GLP-1s or another medical weight-loss option first, or did you feel surgery was the best path after everything else failed?

I’m not asking for medical advice, just real experiences from people who have been in this position. How did you know what was right for you?

I used Zepbound from February 2026 to just this past Monday. I love Zepbound. It's a life changer, but my insurance would not pay for it in spite of my many health problems. If it was covered, I'd stay on it for life. Since it's not, I am having the duodenal switch bariatric surgery on August 6, 2026. My insurance company will pay for that. Go figure. I'm excited for my surgery. I hope you can make the decision that's best for you both short-term and long-term. Take care.

I had gastric sleeve surgery in 2021. I was scared of all of it as well. However, I was glad I did it. I didn’t make it to my goal weight but I am still glad I did it. I am 62 and living my best life. Just make sure you get a good surgeon that can perform the surgery well AND MORE IMPORTANTLY has a really good post surgery care plan. My surgeon performed the procedure well but was a total dud with post care. Also, if you can get a stomach band/brace to wear after surgery, you’ll be up and around faster with less pain. My doc didn’t give me one but mt sister’s surgeon gave her one and she fared better and faster. Her post care was A+, mine was …..well……

I had my gastric sleeve surgery in 2018. My total weight loss was 105 pounds. My starting weight was 360 preop weight was 311and my lowest weight was 255. I managed to keep most of the weight off for several years but after Covid, I really started to gain the weight back. my highest weight postop was 307.I am now at about 290. I have tried GLP.-1, medical weight loss, and just trying to eat healthier and exercise. It seems like I am at a point where my body just does not want to let go of the weight. I have decided to go ahead and have a revision surgery to a Roux-n-y. I have done all my preop and I’m just waiting to schedule my surgery. Honestly, I wish I had just had the bypass to begin with. While the sleeve seemed like a less invasive option, I did not get the results I wanted. I know that some people do really well with the sleeve. I don’t honestly know why some people do better and others don’t, but my fear of having the more invasive surgery was why I chose to go with a sleeve initially. I wish you all the best in your journey. It is a very hard decision.