Why do I keep doing this?

O.k. Why do I keep trying to talk myself out of getting the surgery? I keep feeling like I am crazy or something! I want to get it done so bad because I am ready for a new me and be able to do things with my children without feeling like I need an oxygen mask. But,  Yes here is the big BUT, I spend too much time thinking about all the possibilites of what could go wrong and what could happen to me in the future. I sit and think how much time will I have after I get the surgery? What if something happens? I just keep running the same ole thing through my head.  You know just to be plain and simple I am scared of having surgery! Scared crazy! and the bad thing is that I have had three children all c-sections. What is the problem? Is it a psychological problem or am I trying to psych myself out.  I feel like I need a coach to get me through this and overcome my fear of surgery. I keep trying to think of the positive but the negative keeps outweighing it.  Good grief I hope I get over it soon it is driving me crazy.

you try and talk yourself out of it because you are scared! its perfectly understandable. what I did was make sure all of my ducks were in a row....if something should happen to me. the hardest part for me is getting knocked out....but you have to trust that you have picked a good surgeon....which you have!  and if your health is reasonably good you should do just fine. im not saying nothing will happen of course there is always a chance.....but for me a chance to die in surgery was nothing next to the certainty that was facing me at my weight..   I told my mom I would rather go out fighting for my life than laying down and calling it quits at 42 and at my weight at 467 I was basicly a housebound person...only venturing out for special occasions and weekly shopping trips done late at night with the motorized buggy.  good luck making your final choice it is a hard one to make because it is a total lifestyle change....but in my case its LIFE.

nutti

 

It took me a long time to decide to have the surgery. I had heard so many horror stories and as a nurse, I knew all of the risks... However....and this is a huge However......my risks for staying fat far outweighed the risks for having the surgery.  My children are 18 and 9...ya know, I NEVER got a chance to sit them on my lap...why? bc my lap is consumed by my stomach and has been my entire adult life. I didnt get to take them to the park and run around the yard with them. Its too late for all of that with my 18yr old..but my 9yr old, I stil have a chance to do something fun with her....not to mention show them both that I am going to do something positive for myself! Facing surgery is never easy....but then again, life isnt easy either. I could crawl out of bed tomorrow morning and die of a heart attack just as soon as I could die from this surgery. You just have to do what is right for you and your family. Im still waiting on the surgery...its so hard getting to that point of getting a date....but Im going to do it no matter what! Good luck..

It is perfectly normal to feel like this.  I was scared before my surgery, but I kept busy while I was waiting for my surgery day so I wouldn't dwell on it.  You have picked a good surgeon, put your trust in God and in your surgeon.  Dr Baker won't do your surgery if he even thinks something could go wrong.   Weigh out the good and the bad, make a list.  I am sure the good side will outweigh the bad side.  And the risks are getting lower and lower with these kind of surgeries.  Especially with there always being new and better ways to do the surgeries.  Baptist is a Bariatric Centers of Excellence, which means they have past rigid tests and have proven that they are among some of the best hospitals for bariatric surgeries, they are the only hospital that is a Bariatric Centers of Excellence in the state listed on the Surgical Review Boards website (www.surgicalreview.org/) This is what they have to say on eligibility: Hospitals and surgeons qualify for designation as an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® (BSCOE) by participating in a rigorous evaluation process designed to document that they have a comprehensive program and meet the established program requirements for providing safe bariatric surgical care with excellent short- and long-term outcomes. the evaluation not only documents process, i.e., equipment, supplies, training of surgeons and staff and the availability of consultant services — but emphasizes results. Dr. Baker (and Dr. Gibbs) have also passed these same requirements.  That should put some of your fears to rest knowing that your surgeon and the hospital have done everything to make sure that you have a safe surgery and that you don't have any surgery-related complications later on.  Also feel free to call and talk to your surgeon about these fears and ask him questions about things you feel might could go wrong.  I am sure he can give you answers that will also put any fears to rest. Good luck and I hope you are able to get your surgery done.  Feel free to keep us updated.  

You can probably tell from the responses so far - we've all had that same issue. I read my youngest son a book the night before my surgery and just cried and cried for fear. But my faith was stronger than my fear and that was what I relied on. I struggled the most with the anesthesia-most people do. The dr that did my anesthesia was top notch (at Baptist) and I really knew I was in good hands with him and Dr. Gibbs.

I tell you though - I would go through all of the fear, all of the post-op struggles again in a minute to enjoy the success that I've had. There is NOTHING that can compare to being able to run with your kids - yes that's right RUN with your kids. I couldn't even hardly walk with them before, now I run with them - all the time. Folks in the neighborhood think I'm a little off but I don't care - we run down the road and to the mail box and around the yard because I can. It's amazing.

You are strong enough, you have the courage and you have the need so believe in that and know that you are worth it.

I appreciate everyones comments. I think the more I am sitting around doing a lot of nothing is when my mind starts thinking about it and dwelling.

I know that it is for my own good and I would love to be able to run around with my kids and with their parents. I would love to be able to be in the "IN CROWD" if you know what I mean.  Don't get me wrong I have been  blessed to have a good life and was popular in school but I was also a couple of hundreds of pounds lighter. I want to regain myself and be able to be happy for once about myself. I would love to be able to buy off the rack and be able to go to the gym and not have people saying in the back of their head "Yep she definately needs to be doing more of that"! I think that I will make it I just need to get my better half to believe in it and stand by my side. He is still skiddish and doesnt like to talk about it much. I have two hand and I feel like nobody is holding them. Atleast the people who are suppose to be.