Surgery

I have been fighting the appeal battle since January of 2006. It is a long story but it was overturned in my favor February of 2006 and I didn't know it! When I did find out I had a hard time getting a letter of approval. What a mess! It is all straight now and I am scheduled for surgery January 4, 2007. I am getting a little nervous but I guess that is normal. I am worried about complications and when I can go back to work. I had a breast reduction five years ago and ended up having a second surgery because of the complications so now I have this fear. Any words of wisdom? Donna

Donna, That is GREAT NEWS!!! Way to start the new year My advice is to forget about what happened with your breast reduction surgery. Just be positive. Nerves are going to happen and if you weren't nervous something would be wrong.

I came close to backing out about 2 weeks before my wls date. I found this website and I felt so supported that I went through with it. Stay in touch. That should help. Aime

Hi Donna A lot of us have been right where you are now (or are going to be). Some have had an easier time with the journey than others but your nervous feeling is completely normal. Just remember that we are all here to support each other. Keep coming back and posting and joining in the fun as well as the seriousness of WLS. Hugs, Mo

Donna- Congratulations. I know that was a alot to deal with. To me the insurance battle is the hardest part of the whole surgery. Your nerves will rattle you for the rest of the time and that is normal. Just kkep us posted and we are all here for you. Take Care Kelly

Hi, Donna. I wish i had read more about the complications down the road prior to surgery. I had mine last month and just now i'm reading about all the horrible things some people are experiencing. Leaks, fistulas that insurance won't pay for, pain etc. I read them all right here on this site. It is scaring me to death. Am i losing weight? YES. Am i thrilled?? I wish i could be but i'm just so afraid of what might occur down the road. Do the research. Ask your doctors about everything that is worrying you. Hopefully, they can put your mind at ease. I didn't read the horror stories on this part of the site. Maybe the maryland surgeons are better??? I read it under the shared part under questions and answers. Alot of them are still there. Good luck and i hope you find some peace with your decision.

Donna, Being nervous is normal (for any major surgery). I suggest you forget about what happened before and have a positive attitude. Just because you had complications with a surgery before does not mean that you will have complications with this one (based on what you've said here...now it could be a different story if you have a condition that guarantees complications with all surgeries). As others have noted here, yes there are possible complications (which I hope your surgeon has reviewed with you). I'm not saying to ignore the complications, but I found for myself (at 5'8" and 330lbs) the "complications" of living with morbid obesity and the fact that it was ruining my health and causing my "slow death" was something I could not live with. I lost 129lbs in 11 months and I haven't looked back. I have had zero complications and I couldn't be happier. I realize I could develop complications down the road, but I've never lived my life with a "what if" mentality. I figure if you do that you might miss out on alot of things. The decision to have WLS is a personal one and something nobody should make lightly. I presume you've done your homework and you have faith in your surgeon and his/her program. My advice for you is to take a look at the benefits to be derived and weigh that against the risk of complications. I wish you peace with your decision. Keep us posted Take Care, Terry