Scared to death!!!

Hi, this will be my first post I think.....
I am going to Dr. Loggins, this is the 3rd time I try.
I know I need weight loss surgery, but I'm scared to death of it....
One of my friends had her surgery in March and is doing great....she's encouraging me to take this back up and go thru with it this time.
Why am I so scared?  Was anybody else "chicken" to have this done and ended up doing it anyway?
Any stories you can share would be great:  might ease my fears.
Thanks
Kathy

I think we are all scared at one point or another.  Just remember why you are doing this.......to get healthy!  The risks aren't any greater than with any other type of surgery.  If you know that the surgery will help you, just do all your research, ask a bunch of questions, and learn everything that you can.  Knowledge will help calm some of your fears...........there are plenty of wonderful people on here who have walked in your shoes and know how you are feeling (I'm one of them!)  We'll do our best to answer your questions.
Dr L is great....as is his staff. 
I am over 2 years out from the lap RNY with Dr Loggins and I wouldn't go back for ANYTHING!  It's worth it............at least in my opinion!
Keep investigating........join us for support group meetings, too, if you'd like.  There are usually some post-op people at the meetings who can help with your questions and fears too..........just gotta ask the questions......
Be strong if this is what you want and need..........you can do it!
Keep us posted!
Ruth

I looked in to the surgery 10 years ago, got scared and backed out.  After I had it done, I wished I'd had it ten years ago... Best of luck.

Yes it's scary but necessary for those of us who couldn't loose any of the other ways. Yes it's permanent and a life long change of habits.

Take your time, learn all you can, go to support groups, listen to what others have to say, come here and take it all in. You will know in your heart whether this is right for you.

In support group I explain my 1st meeting  as if looking at "Frankenstein surgery". They're going to do what to my insides and I'm going to have to eat  how for the rest of my life??? It was about 1 year to the date from my 1st support group to surgery. I learned, heard the good and the bad and was nervous but comfortable in my choice for a RNY.
IT's been 1 3/4 year now and life is wonderful!

Hi Kathy,
We all are scared this is anatomically altering surgery-as one gastro guy said to me..YIKES!  We are takinga huge unimaginable step to get control of the uncontrollable. It is ok...fear is a healthy motivator, do you fear living in your body with its limits, the health risks more? That's where Igot to, I feared death by my own habits and inability to take charge of this partof my life.  That was 2 years ago, I am healthy and keeping up with women 30 years my junior.  Afraid, yes? Frozen? I hope not. Go for it!
Kate

I went back and forth for ages before deciding to do it, and I was scared leading up to it, and even for a little while after because it does take some time to understand your new normal. I can tell you that for me it has been worthwhile. I think we all know how to lose weight, but if we do we don't keep it off without the surgery (or only about 5% do without the surgery). For me, I stopped even being able to lose because I think I just felt hopeless, but once I got the hope back I lost 75 pounds before my surgery and have lost 90+ since . . . so I am down 172 pounds in a year, and can now walk around and breathe again -- at the same time :)

I would be more worried about whether or not you understand the process if you weren't scared. It is scary to make a life-altering change like this. But I needed to do it to get my life back.

I actually thought I wasn't really a candidate because I have been anemic a lot of my adult life, I have pulmonary hypertension, and all sorts or risk factors . . . I think I used that to talk myself out of it for awhile. But now most of my co-morbidities are improved. I have no idea what the pulmonary hypertension is doing other than I have had my meds cut in half and still have an oxygen saturation of 99, so it seems vastly improved by that count. I was taking 95 units of long-acting insulin and 100 units of short acting and now I only take 18 units of long-acting. I cut my asthma medication in half. My blood pressure is 120/70 even at the doctor's office when I am nervous about an appointment. So while I am not OFF a lot of meds yet (I am 5 months out), I have greatly reduced them and more importantly I feel better and am doing more. I have my life back and hope it will just continue to get better.