:scared2:Hello. i am scheduled for banding on the 21st. I'm self pay and am afraid that if I have complications I'm not going to be able to deal with it. I'm at the low end of the BMI but have struggled with my weight for 8 years. I am almost ready to cancel. HELP!

Deal with what? Being nervous before embarking on anything new is perfectgly normal. What kind of complications are you expecting? Talk girl..that is why we are here!

Deal period. with all of it. My husband is trying so hard to encourage me to go through with this. I'm afraid of disappointing him and then myself if this doesn't work. I haven't found that to be the case with most of the people who have this surgery but maybe I just haven't found them. I'm scared. I don't do well after surgeries. Am I just being unduly anxious? When all the money is coming out of an already tight budget I'm weighing things carefully.:tt1:

ok...you are winding yourself in to a tizzy. stop and breathe. The surgical issues arew worrying but no doctor would approve you for surgery if he did not think it was physically safe. You cannot disappoint your husband. you are not doing anything to or for him. It will only faid if you want it to. I won't say you are worrying needlessly but I do think you need to take a step back and stop obsessing about it. Go for a walk, see a movie watch the sun set. If you already know you are not great after surgery then you know what to expect and you also know it ends. Talk to your best friend. Talk to someone who always makes you feel good. read some happy endings.

We have a very similar situation, except that you have a husband that is very encouraging.....you are lucky.

I too am on the lower end of the BMI scale. I am 5'3" and weigh about 165-170. So, I am not obese in the eyes of my insurance co. but I am obese when I look in the mirror. I am self pay in Mexico (next Monday 7/14) and I have been terribly concerned about possible complications.....and how I will pay for that. I have also drained my bank account and maxed out a credit card to get this done. But if I wait til I hit the lottery or get a big bonus check, I'll never get it done. My husband was totally against it at first and quite angry with me, mostly because of the cost of the procedure, but he has finally started to accept it.

So, here is how I have been handling my fears. First, and most important, I pray! Try to remember that complications are possible, but NOT probable, this surgery is minimally invasive. Most people can go back to work on day 3 or 4. I have been overweight (or plump) my entire life and I NEED this tool to help me get to a comfortable weight. And I have 3 people in my life (my mother in law, my aunt, and a friend) who have gone through this surgery and say it is the best thing they have ever done for themselves. I just saw my mother-in-law a few weeks ago and not only does she look incredible, but her personality has changed too. I have never seen her happier and full of energy. In my heart, I know that this is the right thing for me to do.

Follow your heart! Focus on the new you. But if you need someone that is in the same boat as you to chat with, I'm here for you :biggrin2:

Good luck,

Jane