I need a Friend!!!

I need a lot of help, I just do'nt what to do, Friday, My Dr. ask me if I wanted to have that Gastrrie bypass surgery do to my health... "BUT" I'm scared!!!!! I see & hear about all this sad storys on T.V. I'm really nervous......... Please HELP!!!!! Love Tina

Relax..........you have to make up in your mind what u want to do. You have to research the good and the bad with the surgery. It's scary, but you have to think about your health and your future. If you don't do the surgery, then you need to make up in your mind that you're going to do it on your own and nothing can stop you. Keep researching and feel free to e-mail me anytime you wish to talk. I should be going to through the surgery in October if everything works out well. And yes, I did have second thoughts because I was reading about people dying, but what God has for me is for me. Pray about it and make your decision and then go with it! Take care of yourself and be blessed. Keke

I would never tell someone to have the surgery. I think everyone will agree that it has to be a personal decision. I WILL tell you that I was scared and I never thought I would make the decision to have the surgery but one day it just made sense for me. I never looked back and I haven't regretted it one minute since I had it done. I was very well informed and tried to learn as much as I could before the surgery. I found a surgeon that I felt comfortable and then went for it. Tina, just remember that with a BMI of over 50, you are living a risky life now with no guarantees for a future. I do not know how old you are but when I was younger I didn't realize what my weight was doing to me. I was active and thought I had it all under control. As I got older and then turned 50, I became almost completely homebound just because it was just too hard to get around at times. My health suffered and soon it seemed my life would not be very long. Look at all angles of this. Research and talk to others that have had the surgery. This board is a wonderful way to learn about it and there is always someone here to talk about your fears and concerns. Good luck and keep in touch. Carol

Whao, Momma! Check you out!!!!!!!! LTNS, how YOU doin???????? You look mahhhhhvaleous! So glad to see you posting on here, I'm not on often, but I try to read a few times a week now. Hope all is well with you and the family! Keep in touch, Carol! Amy

Tina, there are very real risks in having this surgery and it's just going to have to be YOUR decision alone. Your doctor can't make the choice for you, and if you decide to have the surgery, there is a HUGE lifestyle change committment that you also have to make. Surgery is not a cure, it's just a tool and you CAN outeat the surgery and gain all your weight back, so you have to be sure this is something you want to do for the rest of your life. Research this surgery and read these boards. Find the memorial board and see for yourself that the risks are real as there ARE folks that have passed away! And then check out ALL the before and after pictures and read about the hundreds and vast majority of people who have gotten their health and lives back and make up your own mind. Good luck!! Jan 240/126/115 (at goal size)

Tina, It is common to be afraid but if you are a candidate for this surgery, chances are you are walking thru life with many health risks already. I'm glad you posted because the "HAPPY" stories on this website far outweigh the few sad stories that get over pubicized in the media. Read through the profiles on here and I bet you will find 99+% of post-ops would do it all over again in a heartbeat! For me ~ I walk through life every day without physical and emotional pain, I no longer take any meds, I am a ball of energy, I am dating again, I am never home because I want to be out enjoying life, I dont dread going to the doctor, I workout and walk three miles without breaking a sweat, the list is endless... Make your own decision since this is a very risky surgery with life-long commitments, but ask us all your questions, do tons of research and lastly, search your heart for if you truly want to continue living like you are today or if you want to be happier and healthier in the future. Good luck! Amy 432/244/190

Tina - you have friends among us! But you have to decide on wanting to have the surgery or not. You have to see what is important to you as we all did. No one here will tell to have or not to have it. Everyone's experiences are different. I think it's great your doc suggested it cause then he recognizes that you are in need of help, but it's up to YOU to follow through with whether you want to have the surgery or not. Wish you the best of luck..in whatever you decide. My personal experience was that I didn't do the surgery until i was emotionally ready for it and that was recently but I had had years of thinking about it. But once I decided to do it - nothing positive nor negative deterred me from going ahead and doing it...so maybe u need to get to that point. You'll know when you are ready.

Hi Tina, I understand your fears. I had my surgery 4-5-04. I knew this surgery would save my life. I talked to my Doctor and he sent me to a doctor that did gastric bypass. Dr Nye is a wonderful Doctor and he is good at what he does. I had to make a choise and i decided i could not go on with life obese. I did not look back. Yes i was scared also. But, I knew this is what i wanted. Within 6 weeks i was having surgery. I think my family was more scared then i was. There is hundreds and thousands of people having this surgery. From what i read and been told by my doctor only 2 % don't make it. That is out of thousands of ppl. Alot of theses 2 % were very sick to begin with. I would never tell someone to HAVE the surgery all i can say is i am so glad i had the surgery and it changed my life for ever. You have to do what your doctor tells you to do after your surgery. You have to go by the letter to stay healthy. Gastric bypass has made me healthy. Off all my meds. No more high bloodpressure. I was 228 pounds and i'm am 16 months out and i am down to 110 pounds. Just had my Tummy Tuck 8 weeks ago. It feels so good to feel good. Go to the profiles and read up on the stories of others that has had this surgery. Don't let the sad stories on TV scare you from this surgery. If you were not scared you would not be normal. Everyone that go's into surgery is scared nomatter what the surgery is for. I can not say enough wonderful things about what this surgery has done for me. I wish you luck. Debra

Hi Again, I forgot to add this.... Call and find out when there is a support meeting in your area. I went to a support meeting ans i asked alot of questions and it help me so much. Have a good evening, Debra

Tina, maybe gastric bypass isn't for you. Maybe you should look in to laproscropic adjustable banding. Lap band is what I decided on and its far less drastic than gastric bypass. There's no cutting and no stapling and no rearranging of your insides. I'd be glad to talk to you about it further. Everybody has to make the right choice for them and this was the right choice for me. Blessings, La Wanda