for anyone having nervous thoughts

I like the idea of a wish list. One of the members here named Kevin made up a wish list for himself on his profile. He had surgery just over a year ago and has lost over 300lbs!!! As he accomplishes his wishes, he puts the date beside the wish so he has a running tally of all the great things that have come from WLS. I will have to put that on my profile next...profile keeps getting longer and longer!! LOL I am with you with the rollar blading....the image of people having to help me off the floor...OMG...what a horrible image!!! Looks like you'll be one of the last of us Septembe re-birthdays...keep a look out as to how we did!! Good Luck to you Smile, Donna

hi! i'm being banded next month as well, and it's a great idea to make a list! My date is Sept. 5th and i'm starting to get nervous too! So glad i found this place!

I'll add one for ya - having to use the "disabled" stall out in public places, because it's the only one with enough maneuvering room for you to wipe your behind.

Oh, you are SO right on that! LOL. I'm putting that on my list too! Mary Mc

Great list! I can't wait. I am nervous about a lot of things, but mainly what to tell my family. My sister knows, but my parents do not. They are very elderly and frail. My mom is 85 and my dad is 90. I am not going to tell them until it is over. But I have to come up with some excuse to be out of town. They are going to throw a conniption about it. I became disabled a couple of years ago and I lost my house, my job, my friends, everything in Florida where I was living. I had to move somewhere cheap and my hometown seemed the logical place to come to, but I have been miserable here. And my parents seem to think they have to know everything I do and get a phone call from me every day. It's like I was an adult for years in Florida and now that I'm back, I'm suddenly a child again. My parents use the excuse that I'm disabled so they "need" to hear from me every day in case I'm over here dead or something. It's very frustrating. My mom is obsessed with weight and has humiliated me about my weight for decades. I do not allow her to even mention my weight around me, but she still does. I am having this surgery for my HEALTH...not because I think I look repulsive and need to get myself in shape so my mom will think I am pretty again. But I know when the weight loss becomes apparent that I will hear it every minute of the day. Even though I do not allow her to discuss my weight around me, she has, in the past when I would lose weight, say, "You know that thing I'm not supposed to talk about? Well, I'm not going to talk about it, but if I were going to talk about it, I would tell you you are looking so much better than you were and you're dressing better. Those jeans look so much better than those awful old clothes you WERE wearing." And she considers that a huge compliment. So I am not telling her a thing. Plus, I don't want to listen to all the tales of doom and gloom. And I don't want to hear anyone say, "You're taking the easy way out!" or "Why don't you just diet like everyone else does?" or my favorite...."You realize that's not just a quick fix? You will gain all your weight back if you don't follow the rules." And I am dreading people watching every bite I put in my mouth, so they can make comments like "I didn't know you could eat anything like that! You're gonna gain all your weight back!" People are so stupid and clueless about this surgery. So I don't want to tell anyone about it, but I know I will have to explain a 200 lb. weight loss. But truly...to heck with all those people. I am doing this for ME. I am disabled and can hardly get around. I have fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis, among other things, and if nothing else, even if I am still crippled after the surgery, it will HAVE TO be better with 200 less lbs. to tote around. And I am tired of always feeling dirty, being unable to shave my legs, worrying about hygiene, etc., etc., etc. So, while I am nervous, I am not afraid. If I have complications and die from the surgery, it will be better than living the rest of my life like this. And I am not afraid to die. I am more afraid of dying now and walking around for another 40 years like this. Thanks for listening. Joni

Write a letter to them, explaining what you're doing and that you love them very very much. Then give it to your sister with STRICT instructions that she is NOT to give it to them until you are incommunicado.

Wow Joni!! You sound like an amazing person! I congrat you on being so strong with your family! "Those jeans look so much better than those awful old clothes you WERE wearing." And she considers that a huge compliment." LOL Are you sure we were not sepatated at birth?!?! That sounds exactly like my mom...and she does not ever understand why I get upset! Anyway...Maybe one of the discussions on this board should be to brainstorm responses we can give to people for the very predictable things they will say? What do ya'll think? Anyway Joni...you will do great...you have the right idea about doing this for your health.. Good Luck to you on your journey!! Smile, Donna