14 days and counting..

The more I think about it the more anxious I get!! I'm scared nervous excited ansy anxious any and every emotion a person could possibly have! Mind you I'm not scared of dying because my life with God after this will be a gazillion times better, I'm just scared of my kids not having their mama. They are only 9 5 and 4. My husband told me the other day that he didn't know what he would do if he didn't have me. I started crying. I think that's the most romantic and meaningful thing he has said to me for a long time. Thanks for all your prayers and supporting messages.. Tracie S

Tracie- I feel for you! This is the most nerve wracking experience I have ever been through. The crazy dreams, the anxiety, the fear. It almost seems like too much sometimes. I just try and focus on the fact that this is the best thing that I could possibly do for myself, and that keeps me going. Not to mention the fact that I want to rub my "skinniness" in the face of every person who ever made a comment about my weight!! I believe that your faith in God will see you through this. He must have led you to this surgery for a reason. I only wish that my faith were as strong. I grew up Catholic, and if that doesn't screw up a person's faith, I don't know what will!! Anyway, just stay strong, prepare yourself for surgery, and you will be fine. Katie Anxiously awaiting approval!!!

Thank you Katie!! Yes my faith in God will see me through this one way or the other. I believe everything happens the way HE sees necessary not US! Honey you aren't the only one who wants to rub 'skinniness' in peoples faces.. I was just telling my friend Linda the other night that I don't want to take away from the fact that I'm doing this for my health but sometimes a part of me creeps out and says.. "AHHHHH just wait till you see me in a year!!! MMMWWWAHAHAHHAHAAH " She of course being my wonderful friend said she had already had those thoughts for me!! Hoping and praying that your approval comes quickly!!! Tracie S

Tracie, PLEASE try not to dwell on the bad things that can happen. I see this all the time, especially on the main board. Someone about to have their surgery will go to the memorial section of the board & read all the horrible stories of things that happened to a very small minority of surgical patients. Then they get all upset & morbid. The ones who sit down & spend hours & hours writing a "goodbye" letter to their children & sob through it also concern me. You need to have as positive attitude as possible going into this. If not, every little setback will throw you for a loop. My kids are grown so they could get along without me but I wanted to live to see my grandchildren graduate from school & get married. We have no grandchildren yet, except for one who isn't due for 6 months, so it wil be a long wait to see these things happen. If I had changed my mind about having the surgery, I doubt if I would have seen him/her start kindergarten. The chance of dying from this surgery is very small. The chance of dying from a complication of extreme obesity are almost 100%. In my opinion, your kids will be better off once your surgery is done & you have started recovering. From my own experience, my life is so much better that even my grown sons and husband are reaping the benefits of my surgery. I'll be there to babysit the precious little one. I danced with my son at his wedding without embarrassing him. I can physically do things I wasn't able to do 18 months ago and they don't have to do it for me. And, I shouldn't say this but it has really improved my life with my husband, if you know what I mean. What your husband said was really sweet but don't let that stop you from having the surgery. There is a really excellent letter to husbands & SOs that Barbara Thompson has on her website. It is written by her husband. It's too long to cut & paste here so instead check it out at http://www wlscenter.com/Significant_Others.htm Print it out & have your husband read it. It may help him to understand why you are doing this. My faith in God helped me to get through all this & even the scary things we discovered while preparing for the surgery. I'm glad your's is strong. It will help a bunch. Good luck & don't be afraid to post your concerns. We all probably were scared also to some extent. Dixie

Thanks Dixie your words were very encouraging! The main reason I am doing this IS for my children. I want to see them grow up get married and give me grandbabies. I don't want to be in the position my mother is in either she cries alot because she can not be there for me like she wants to be and watch the kids for me like her mother did us. She had a stroke in 97 at the age of 59. Thanks again.. Tracie S