Got a date, Now I have cold feet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I received my phone call and picked my date,3/8/04. They called me back and said the doctor had not written down what procedure I was having or whether it was lap or open. I told her it was open rny. After I hung Up I realized how uninformed I was with my first meeting with the doctor last year in may. He must of thought I was an idiot. At that time I just knew I had to do something and my pcp had recommended I go and see him. After the visit I just put it on the side burner. Every visit to my pcp we discussed it and finally in November she said, I will give you referrals they are good for ninety days and you can decide. I know the reason I had really put it on the back burner was the plastic surgery issue knowing I could not afford it. I have an overhang stomach already and I know after off and on weight loss what it can look like. Then my pcp informed me that some plastic surgery was being covered. I found out my last visit she has about 10 other patients that have had gastric bypass. I have had second thoughts everyminute since scheduling. I have completed all the requirements except preadmission testing. But now I question whether it should be a band or rny and fuss at myself for doing this thing backwards. I read the questions and answers and the message boards, but now I feel lost with questions? I have proceeded to get my personal life in order with my family and business wise, this kind of pushed me to do it. Where do I start to prepare myself for my surgery date? What do I need to take with me? Are there things at home I need to do to prepare (new groceries, protein mixes) I have only attended one support group meeting, I won't be able to go to the one before my surgery because I am going to have a colonoscopy. (this was already scheduled before I got my date). Well I think this is enough to start with, Any help or comments would be appreciated. Thanks Robbyn P.S. How do you add those little smiles and animated features?

My biggest suggestion is that if you qualify for the LAP procedure -GO LAP!!! Complications and recovery time are considerably less. Va

I am having Open because that is all my surgeron will do - RE: the p.s when you post your message there are two drop down lists on the right side of the winddow title "TOOLBAR" where you are typing - One its for the Title Images the other is where the Message Emotions are - that is where you type "cool" (with a colon on either side) to get . You just type and the website translates for you. You can see them when you preview your message. I have a grocery list and hospital list if you want me to email them you - just go to my profile and email me.

Robbyn, First off, if you are having reservations -- especially since you have every since you went into this -- you may not be ready for this. If you feel like your PCP pushed you into it, then you are not ready. This is a huge step, one that if you are ready to commit and you feel comfortable with your decision can change your life for the better. If you are not ready or comfortable with the decision, then put it off until you feel more comfortable. The healing and the weight loss will be easier if you are at ease with this. Be sure that you have a good support system for yourself - good doctors, family who support you, and friends like us are a good start. Read EVERYTHING!!!!!! I read profiles, web sites, I checked out books from the library - I even watched a replay of Carnie Wilson's procedure so I could see exactly what was going to happen. So if in order to feel more informed and more comfortable, you need to put off your surgery, then there's nothing wrong with that!!! Do it!!! Don't let anyone push you into this -- it has to be your choice (just like for any other weight loss meathod to work, it has to be for you, not for anyone else -- not for your husband, not for your doctor, not for your children, for you). You have to want it. You have to live with the changes and challenges. Nobody should be forced into this. I would pray and make sure this is the right thing for you. If you do have surgery -- check out Sharon Neva's profile on this site for some wonderful information on what to take to the hospital. After: Groceries: Broth, Sugar-Free Jello, Crystal Lite, Caffein-Free Tea, You can also strain broth-based soups -- ask your doctor for a post op diet, that will give you more of an idea of what he reccomends after surgery and you will have more of an idea of what to buy. As far as the cuties go - look to the right of the screen when you post and at the top you will see Toolbar with 2 blue boxes below - one says title images and one says message emoticons - this is where you will find the little characters to put in your post. -- like if you want a horse you would type : horse : (without the spaces in between - just did that so you could see) and you would get and if you wanted a big grin you would type : - D (again without the spaces) and you would get . See, it's not so hard once you get the hang of it. Hang in there -- if it's just normal cold feet, you'll know it. But, if you have serious reservations, then wait and learn more and then reschedule or don't do it at all. It's all up to what you really want to do. You did the right thing coming here. We are here to help each other get through this and sometimes it's hard to talk to people who have not or who are not going through the same things as you are -- they just don't really understand, even if they really try hard too. Whitney

Hi Robbyn, I agree with Whitney. You have to be doing this for you and shouldn't let anyone push you into it. There is so much out there to read on the internet though that you shouldn't have any problems finding stuff to read. When I first started reading about this I put "gastric bypass" into the search engine and got TONS of stuff to read. Get some more information about the surgery and then you can make an informed decision about whether or not this is the right step for you right now. You still have time do so some reading before your date gets here. If you want some links to information that I saved email me at [email protected] and I will send you some links. The other suggestion that you got to attend a support group is one of the best suggestions you could get. It is so different to actually meet people who have had the surgery and even with complications say "I would do it again tomorrow". And then to be able to see their before picture and see them now (at whatever stage they are in) is one of the best things you could do for yourself. It gives you hope and it gives you someone to talk with who knows exactly where you have been. It's a lot different then meeting people online. While that is a great thing and I wouldn't give it up for anything, it is so much different to be able to see with "your own eyes" and hear with "your own ears" that it just makes it so much more real. So I hope you will find a local support group and utilize that tool. You will make so many local contacts to give you support and share recipes and ideas with. Good luck and I will be praying for you Carrie Carrie Quite Contrary

Robbyn, First step: put on socks for those cold feet! Second step: read as much as you can from this site. There are threads here on what to take. More importantly, go to other months surgeries and click on names. Many will have journals of their experiences. READ, READ, READ. Go to your state board and read every profile you can find for patients of your doctor. Ask him about the complication rates he sees in his practice for the two types of surgeries. Contact other patients of your doctor (there is an email button on the profile page) and ask them questions. This is not a surgery that you can do for anyone else. It is something you must decide for yourself. We all feel some panic as the date approaches because we had to fight so hard for it that we often have not had the opportunity to look at it objectively. I hope you find some peace about this. Joy (3/1)

I felt very apprehensive until I finally got my flight schedule and motel/hotel reservations done (I'm going to Mexico for this). Once I did that, I felt so much better. I think for me it was making peace with my follow-through. Before I spent the money on tickets, I felt like I could back out at any moment and not be out anything. Now that I have gone to the point where I know I won't go back, I'm just absolutely excited to get this done! I am absolutely certain I will be shaking in my boots when I actually leave and for sure when they wheel me into surgery. But right now all I can do is plan for my future thin self where I get to run and play and jump and roll around with my son (who is 2 1/2). Maybe if you did do something to move yourself toward this finality it will help you feel less anxious. Good luck! Dina

Robbyn -- Pay heed to what Joy, Whitney, Dina and all have told you. This is a life-altering decision you're making. It's not like going to the hairdresser's and having a new hairstyle done that will grow out if you don't like it. Your organs will be altered, and unless the result is life-threatening, there's no turning back, no "un-doing" it. This is for the rest of your life. This is one thing that you don't want to do unless you have a fully-informed rational decision that YOU have arrived at to go forward with it. Don't do this 'cuz someone WANTS you to...it should be done because it's a last resort for your life. It's very serious, and not to be taken lightly. We're all here to help each other. Sometimes helping is saying things that aren't easy. But IMHO, this WLS isn't for everyone, and if you're not a million-percent positive you want/need this, then I'd rather talk you OUT of something that's not 'right' for you, than talk you INTO something that I believe in, but that won't be good for YOU. Go to the "library" and "Q&A" links at the top of this webpage. Read, read, read. I think it was our wonderful Joy(ous C.) who said to go into past months'/years' sites and read the profiles of post-ops. Yes, that's a must. You need to realize exactly what you're facing. This is NOT going to be an easy trek for any of us. I've HAD challenges all my life, and this may just be the challenge to put all the rest to shame. Anyhoo, we're here. We're always here. We're gonna BE here. 'Kay? Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to all Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles Zero-minus-21 and counting!