Pittsburgh in May Anyone?

OK, so my surgery date is also the 27th- only one week away. Yesterday I had my pre-op at the hospital and at the DR's and it was awesome. I love the staff at both places; my thing is I am getting so freaked out. Is this something God really intended for us to do to our bodies? I have the full support of my family and a few of my friends but my co workers and other friends all think I am crazy for doing this. Right now I have a lot of family issues that we are dealing with right now i.e. sick father in law, death of my best friend/grandmother, a husband with a few health issues and a 17 y.o. stepdaughter who moved out to be with her boyfriend! Am I being selfish for doing this for myself, I started this ball moving in September of 2004 and am now actually doing it. I am always doing for everyone else, I run the booster club at school, I am the volunteer drama club leader who just put on 3 plays with a cast of 21 students, I am always giving to everyone else never to myself. Right now I am feeling selfish for even venting but does anyone else have this feeling. Should I do this, when other things "might" happen while I am at the hospital? I feel stupid even writing this- lord knows if I don't do it for myself nobody will! Any words of wisdom for the last minute "should I's, can I's" Thanks! Jenni

Hey everyone, I was just wondering who all was going to be at the Obesityhelp East Coast National Convention in May on the 12 th. and 13 th.? I was going to be there and would really like to know who I'm going to get to meet!! I only live 60 minutes away from Downtown Pittsburgh so I know I'm going!! Who else??? http://www.obesityhelpevents.com/may2006-pittsburg.htm Kirk Thompson -450 # Member Services Representative ObesityHelp.com My Website: http://www.92inches.com

Jenni, you wrote "Is this something God really intended for us to do to our bodies?" Here's my 2 cents on this.... God has given the surgons the knowledge and the power to perform this and any type of surgery on humans.. so in my opinion God really does intend for us to do this to our bodies... It's ok to do something for yourself, you will only be down a little while and then you'll have more energy and mobility and the new you can do even more for others. {{HUGS}} Darla

Hi SP They were great gifts. Everything I can use. If you have any questions that you need answers, just let me know. I hope your SP is as good to you as you are to me. Hugs, Anna

You are not selfish! You're just putting yourself first for the first time. I felt very similar, but then realized if I don't do this for myself, I may not be around long. Take care of yourself now. L Wynne

You deserve this. You need to do this for your health or you won't be able to help others, as it sounds like you enjoy doing that. Eventually, your health will fail, if you have the surgery, you will give yourself life. You get your surgery.

Hi jenni, Be prepared ... I'm a long winded writer! I can SO relate to how you are feeling. I went to my first seminar on March 4th. I had my surgery on April 10th ... a week and a half ago. In the VERY beginning I put the whole thing in God's hands and left it there ....... TOTALLY. I have done this before yet I seemed to think God needed my help because I always hung onto a thread of it. NOT THIS TIME!!!!!!!! On March 17th my mother, who lives with my husband and I and whom I am the primary care giver had yet another epileptic seizure episode. She has epilepsy and Alzheimer's. She has lived with us for over 10 years and has been hospitalized because of seizure activity many times but this time, she was transferred to a rehab center for the first time. We have 4 children ... 2 boys and 2 girls. (I say "boys and girls" even though their age range is 30-36.) The boys seem to just accept everything as it is and let it roll off their backs like water off a duck BUT the girls are a totally different story ... the youngest being the worst. She knew I had gotten my date and was absolutely APPALLED that I wouldn't even consider postponing it until everythng was right with Grandma. She flat out said that I was being selfish and it didn't seem that I cared about my mother. I WAS concerned but I had put everything in God's hands and wasn't about to take any of it back. Whatever happened was for a reason and I wasn't about to question Him! I told her that I have NEVER put myself first in ANYTHING but this was that important to me. She said she knew that and that was why she was so shocked that I planned on going through with this. She fought me up until a day before my surgery but I didn't give in. I had asked God for a sign if this was right for me and the right time to let me know. Let me tell you .... I got sign*S* .... day after day after day that this was mine to have. Since Mom's seizure, they had discovered a "mass" in her pelvic area. She has not been able to urinate since then so they took x-rays that led to a CT Scan which led to a Ultra Sound. There is a solid mass in her right ovary but unlike we first believed, it's not blocking her bladder .... they are 2 totally separate issues ... neither of which would have been discovered right now had she not had the seizures, been hospitalized and released to a rehab facility. Needless to say, she had several appointments and I had several for my surgery but not one .... NOT ONE ever conflicted with another. That, in itself, is amazing to me. To bring you to the present. I am 1 1/2 weeks out, have not had a single solitary problem .... no pain from surgery or otherwise (I have been in pain every day for over 20 years from one comorbidity to another but it's gone now ... not a twinge), no ... no nothing. I was prepared for just about anything that might go wrong from the surgery but not from what I have had .... NOTHING!!! It is like I had surgery but it was more like having 20 years removed from my body rather than LAP RNY. It is soooooooooo incredible!!!!!!!! On Tuesday, I was told that Mom will be released from the rehab center on Saturday. I made an appointment for her to see a urologist but the soonest I could get her in was May 16th. Yesterday I told the doctor assigned her case while in rehab about it and before I left, she had an appointment with the same doctor for this coming Monday at 3:00. So now is the time to concentrate on her. Mine was on April 10th. Selfish? No!!!! Answers to prayers ... yes!!! By going through with your surgery as scheduled, you are not only doing the best thing you can do for yourself but down the road, it will be proven to have been the best thing you could have done for everyone that you love. You will be able to share in their lives personally and more important, be able to live to see their lives. NEVER feel selfish for doing something good ... even if it is just for you ... YOU are what really matters right now anyway. The rest of the world will still be there when you get to the losing side as well as the laundry which I am sitting here looking at all sorted and ready for the washer (it's been there for 2 days and will get done when I'm good and ready!) Rest assured that you are in my prayers. May God grant you a smooth path to, through and after your surgery. {{{{HUGS}}}} Sandy I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed to be disappointed!