Just starting my journey toward my surgery...

I found this site and have been searching alot of information. What has struck me and giving me thought is the death notices. As a nurse I know there are no guarentees to life except death and taxes. I am sure and there is data to confirm that there are far more successes to WLS vrs death and complications. Just gives you food for thought so to speak. I am getting all my tests scheduled but my insurance says that I have to have 6 months of continous consultation by my physician in attempting weight loss to be considered...I will know more about this next week when I see my doctor. I have co-morbidity's such as diabetes and arthritis and a large paternal side of obesity...so the cards are dealt so to speak..but honestly it's how I was exposed to food and the comfort it gave me and still does...so eating will always be a issue with me even after the surgery...this I have to wrap my brain around...I know several people who have had the surgery and are doing great...well just wanted to vent..thanks for the listening ears...Linda

Linda Hi and welcome! We can always use more venting and food for thought on this board so don't be shy and check in often! Many of us have had to do the 6 month thing so worry not and follow threw! It is so worth it, in the end! I too still have food issues and will always struggle with the head wrapping part, so I think you are wise to go into this knowing it! Congratulations on working towards a healthy new you, Carmen

Strange how the head wrapping part fits alot of us.. We have to remember daily that food is not the answer to living it is necessary to live but comfort food is not the answer.. comfort foods are the carbs we dont need. We need to find other things that give us comfort.. good books good friends and good chat boards. I had a friend who had a friend who died a month before my surgery . She had WLS and had a heart attack before she even got to come home.. But I didnt let that stop me if it is my time to go I will go no matter what I am doing... I took God to surgery with me and left it in HIS hands where I would end up...Here I am struggling in a size 16... I was in a 28... Im happy... wishing for a 14 but Im happy. I hadn't been for 25 years... Linda

I am in a 28 too. I was just thinking yesterday how great it would be to be a 16 again! Linda

Linda, I see that you having your surgery soon...At st. V's?...I wish you the best and keep me posted on how you are doing..I am see my primary care doctor next week and have already had my surgery consult. My psych consult and xray is coming up...I will keep everyone up on my progress...I plan on having the surgery when it is approved..I still have several months to wait but that will give me time to organize my life and to think and follow other 's progress..Again good luck..Linda

Linda, Congrats on starting your journey. Any idea of which surgeon you are wanting to go to? That would be the ideal person to discuss any concerns of death and/or complications with. My take on the death part? First, alot of the stats are based upon all weight loss surgeries since they first started doing weight loss surgeries. As they learned what the risk factors are, surgeons have made great strides in reducing them. For instance, recieving Lovenox injections for the first week post-op to reduce blood clots. Second, unfortunate but true, many of us wait until we hear death knocking on our door to have this surgery. By that time, our bodies are so worn down that ANY surgery could have dire consequences. If someone was 500 lbs and their appendix busted, would you advise them not to have it removed because they aren't healthy enough to undergo surgery? Of course not. You would try to encourage them to have the poisonous appendix removed ASAP. Yes, there's a risk they could die..but a certainity that they will die if they don't have the surgery. Many super morbidly obese people are in that same situation. Death MAY occur with the surgery. But without it? If not immediate death, such poor quality of living that death is just waiting. Welcome to OH... Sherri