Hello I am having an RNY on 03/18/04 and Nervous!

Hi I am having surgery, I went to Dr Larson in Louisville, to have a VBG done but he recommended to me and my insurance company to have an open RNY, so this is a totally different procedure, I am really nervous, I have already been approved by my insurance company, I am just scared by having the RNY, can anyone give me some input about the RNY and VBG, is it normal to be nervous??? One minute I want to have surgery and the next I want to cancel, thank you for any input. Tori

Hi Tori. Welcome to the March surgery board! In my understanding, both RNY and VBG are restrictive procedures. They work by limiting the size of the stomach. RNY also has a reduced absorption aspect which I believe is missing from the VBG. This helps to maintain the loss. RNY has the longest track record and is the most effective of all the WLS methods. Like all WLS, there are associated risks, but for those of us who NEED a permanent solution, the benefits outweigh the risks. If you are comfortable with your choice of doctors, ask him your questions and make sure that you are making the right decision. You can't choose this for anyone else, even your doctor. Good luck to you! Joy (3/1)

Hey Tori, it is so normal to be nervous. I am also having RNY on March 18th. Trust me it is a great day for surgery, there will be tons of prayers going out for all of us that day. I think if your Dr. thinks you are a better candidate for RNY then he probably knows best as far as successful outcomes are concerned. Don't cancel unless you are completely happy and healthy the way you are now. Just dream about the "new you" and check out the photos page and NOT the memorial page!!!! Good Luck. AMBER WEBER

Thank you for your help and prayers!! Tori

Hiya, Tori!! It's normal to be nervous! It's normal to question what you're doing, why you're doing it, do you really WANT to do it, etc. But once you've come to the point where you know you need to do this, you need to re-adjust your thinking and start contemplating other things: preparing for your surgery (supplies you'll need, etc), and the miracles you're going to experience after the surgery. A lot of pre-ops are going thru the up-and-down thing. But after a while, they're levelling out and MAKING themselves leave the worry and stress behind and MAKE themselves change their thoughts to productive ones (yes, you can change your thoughts...). They're getting more accomplished that way, and they're getting EXCITED instead of stressed! We're always here to help everyone through those rough times...we'll slap some happy into ya and send you on your way! Welcome to the Marchers!! Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to all Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles Zero-minus-21 and counting!

Yup, yup, yup, I was one of them. I was scared to death, crying all the time. And now, Guess what? I'm not scared!!!!! I fought the fears and put nothing but good thoughts in my head and now I feel SO much better. I am so excited and so ready to do this! Remember, "God brought us to it, He WILL bring us through it." That phrase has really helped me. I just kept repeating it as much as I needed to, and finally, I believe it. We will all be fine, and we'll be here to share all of our experiences! Tori, I wish you the best of luck! You will be in my prayers for an uneventful surgery and a safe and speedy recovery. Kelley 23 days and a wake up! "God brought us to it, He WILL bring us through it"

..and that lobotomy that we all 'arranged' for you helped a bit, too, doncha think, Kelley Hunny? Slapping some happy into those fresh scars on your temples went a long way, too... AND...you can barely see the scars now! GREAT plastic surgeon!! Hey, just a bit of pre-op that was needed. We're here to help in whatever way we can! Kimmer Queen of the Niners, Instigator to all Marchers, High Priestess of Giggles Zero-minus-21 and counting!

Hey Tori I am having an RNY on March 22 and I feel nervous also everyone says It's normal, and I have found lots of support on this site and we can all help each other thru the nervousness!!!!!!! I know that we will do great and be big losers! I will keep you in my prayers. Denise

Hey Tori It is soooo normal to be nervous. We all are. As far as the two procedures, I think that the RNY has a better long term success rate and that you tend to lose more of your excess weight with this procedure. It has to do with the malobsorption that is built in with this surgery. It's the way that I want to go. Whitney

Hi Tori, Welcome to the Marchers!!!! By the time I got the call with approval I wanted to meet the Dr at the hospital that night because by then I was THAT ready...I can tell you it took awhile to get to that point though... Your perfectly normal and so are your feelings.. (this being said by someone not considered even slightly normal) Anways.... the main difference in my opinion of the vbg vs. rny is the vbg is a band that makes your stomach smaller and everything stays in tact and digests just like it does now only you eat less so there's less to digest. RNY is where they cut your stomach and form a pouch and then "re-plumb" your intestines/digestive tract so you absorb much less of what you still eat.. I have seen a lot of "revisions" on here of folks who had to go back and get the band removed and get the RNY anyway The band is less invasive but more likely to stretch and make the whole thing pointless in the end... You should really have the Dr expain this more in detail (Since I am SO not a dr) and be very comfortable with the procedure BEFORE you consent to surgery.. also.. is this an open rny or a lap rny?? That makes a big difference on recovery time as well... Good Luck Kathy Angel to Kimmer