What if I fail?

My surgery is November 6th but I am leaving to go there on the 5th (ONE WEEK AWAY) I am not having second thoughts about this surgery becasue I feel very confident in who I am working with...but I am worried that I might fail. I have listened, read, and watched so many people become successful with Lapband but what if I'm not? I have put so much time, effort, and money into this and what if??? Am I just having jitters or are my thoughts valid?

With all the research you've done, have you heard of anyone failing?
I'm sure it's just nerves, but I understand you feelings. I'm having RNY soon and I know it's only a tool. I too am afraid to fail. I know I'll lose weight, but it'll be up to me to follow the rules so it doesn't come back. I'm afraid that the hold "junk food" has on me will still be there.
I've even started stalking up on "good snacks" the Atkins bars I know I'll be able to have at some point in the future. But what did I get? Chocolate. Right now I make meals out of these things. I still have it in my head that I'll need chocolate and those kinds of things.  Am I setting myself up for a fall?
But really and truly, I think it's just our fear of the unknown that's making us feel this way.  I really believe we will be great successes. We will lose our weight and live our lives the way we were meant to.
Lets try to set aside those fears and what ifs and focus on our recoveries and what our goal is for each day as they come. We won't worry about failing.

So, to answer you questions, yes you have the jitters, and yes your thoughts are valid but your thoughts can be changed and I believe you will change them with experience of living with your new lifestyle.
I'm going to try taking my own advice LOL.
Thanks

Maybe try visiting the revision board to see why some surgeries were not as successful as hoped, and that way you can fool-proof your surgery and guard against that?

I find myself thinking the same thing, so many other things have failed it's hard to have hope sometimes.

Kelly

almost everyone gets pre-op jitters - its perfectly normal! Surgery is a big step - as long as you have done your research, been honest with yourself and and your doctor and have realistic expectations - you can and will do it.  Good luck! Cant wait to see you on the losers bench.

i think we all feel that way because we've failed at every diet imaginable to man, that's why we resorted to surgery because we've never been a success. i think we can all say that we've tried everything before surgery. Im definately not successful YET as i was just banded two weeks ago. and it wasn't until finding this message board that i realized how many people are a success with surgery. i look at peoples avatar and profiles all the time and i think to myself that they are probably just like me. they were scared to and they have failed on many levels before surgery but now they are a success. so why couldn't i be the same way. i plan to be a successful bandster now that i have this tool. you have to have very real expectations. i know i may never weigh 120lbs and im ok with that. any loss is good with me. so keep pressin on, and just think, if you dont have the band then you have failed before you even tried. good luck!

Any surgery can fail, but it is up to you to make it succeed.  Many of us "failed" in prior diets and that's why we resort to WLS.  Come to the lap-band forum and learn more than you ever wanted to know.....we are there.

I am extremely happy and have only lost this much weight one other time in my life and I did not keep it off, obviously, but I can only say that this time it is very, very different.  The changes I have made this time are for life, they are sticking, I don't "take days off" or feel the neat to "cheat", food has lost its importance and significance in my life.

Best of Luck to you.   This is a very personal and sometimes difficult decision.   When I got my lap-band 2 years ago, I selected it because my insurance only covered RNY or Lap-bands.    At first,  I was very successful.   I lost weight quickly and I was easily satisfied no matter what I ate.      After I got a few months out from surgery, the edema induced by the surgery must have subsided and it was time to start filling the band.   It seemed to go well at first and  little fill went a long way.   It seemed I needed a little more every couple of weeks.   After the fills started, I began to see more fluctuations in my weight loss as well as swings in the tightness of the band.   I would vomit sometimes with my first bite or two no matter how much I chewed and then later in the day I would be fine.   My hunger varied during the day and I noticed a predictable pattern, a little loss the week after the fill, a leveling period and then some regain.   I would go off for another fill.   Eventually, my band was filled too much and I had the equivalent of a stricture - only it was band induced.   I spent 1 night in bed drowning on my saliva.   I would get up every 20 minutes to cough to clear my lungs and try and get some sleep so I could drive to the doctors in the morning.  I had the band fully drained and started the refill process about a week or two later only to have it happen again on the first fill.  

At that point, I had had enough.   I checked with my new insurance carrier (I changed jobs during this time) and low and behold -  they cover lap-band to duodenal switch revisions.    I too thought I would be one of the successful ones.   I was motivated and highly intelligent.  I was not an emmotional eater, so curbing my appetite seemed like the best way to go.   Alas it was not meant to be.   If you read the research articles on the various surgeries and their outcomes, the DS has the best success rate.   The lap-band the lowest and the RNY is inbetween.  (The DS procedure also preserves your esophogeal and pyloric openings, so no abnormal chewing, no marginal ulcers and no dumping)   The reasons more doctors perform RNYs than DS procedures is simple - Money.   They can do many more surgeries in a day performing RNYs or lapbands than if they were to performe a duodenal switch.    A number of the DS people have extensive summaries based on clinical literature that provide a good comparison of the options.  

There is no right answer, but given my experience, I no longer recommend the band to anyone.   I know a lot of people with both the RNY and DS.  The happiest of the bunch seem to be the DS folks.

Good luck no matter what you decide.    You may be one of the fortunate ones.  I hope you are.

I have heard horror stories about all the different surgerys. Listen to your doctor and do your own research. I wanted the band but my doctor will no longer do them. Other people told if you cheat on a diet you will cheat with the lap band. I figured that would be a problem for me so I decided if I am making a desision to change I might as well go all the way. I am 50 and I believe I can successfully do this with rny, if I were 30 I might not say the same thing. Everyone is in a different place in their life and we all handle things differently. If you go into this thinking you will fail you will. Try to get your head straight and make up your mind you will be successful and you will be. It works great for many people so why not you. Good luck .We will have to compare notes later.