Maybe I should just STOP reading

I have been doing alot of reading ont he net and I am wondering about all sorts of things..........Im pretty sure that it is just time for me to do some freaking out because surgery is next Monday. I find myself wondering: What is my surgeons complication rate? What are the chances that I am going to die(no-other health problems)? What has a higher complication rate, lap or open? Am I selfish for doing this when I have little ones who need me and I wont be here for them if this surgery kills me???? I have read so many success stories here, but there are lots of bad stuff on-line too..........

I am struggling with those same thoughts & more so as surgery gets closer, but I think of the other side of things like...my sons sports, his gradutation from high school, and college, hopefully his wedding, then my first grandchild. I am thinking without the surgery I won't be around for all those things. I do understand where you are coming from though. I guess I had to sit back and think "ok, am I doing this for me to look better or feel better" I want the feel better part first, the look good part is the special bonus I get on the side. I am feeling all the same things though, leaving my son here without a mom, and is it worth it. I think to some degree it may be a bit selfish of me, but how can I not take care of myself along with my family. Without me, they will survive, but with me as a healthier person I will be able to help them survive. Ya know? I hope that makes sense. You are not alone with your feelings, but I think reading posts to get others input is great for you, don't go away. I think its just that mothering instinct, and that all of us feel it.

Jennifer - don't stop reading. You NEED to know that you are making an informed decision!!!! The questions you bring up are exactly the things you should be thinking about. Yes, there is "bad" (as you call it) stuff out there about this surgery. But it is TRUTH, there are complications to this surgery. If you go into it with no knowledge of that fact, then you're going to be in for a BIG surprise afterward. Don't think of it as "bad" versus "good". It's all just information about the surgery and life afterward. No two people experience is the same. Some have major complications, some die, the majority go through the surgery with little to no complications at all. There's no way to know ahead of time which catagory you will fall into. You have to weigh the possible complications and make the decision for yourself. I wish you the very very best in your wls journey!!!! Hugs, Laurie

There is nothing wrong with any of the question you are asking. You should ask questions. You need to be as informed as you possibly can so that you are going in with your eyes wide open. Don't ever stop trying to get as much information as you possibly can. Its a big decision, an important one, and a huge step. I had a friend who went through the surgery last year around this time. I can't remember for sure if was January or February now. She did die this past September. Now you should also know that there were many complications she was going through. I'm not entirely convinced that if it was surgically related or not, nor am I convinced if she was actually doing and taking care of herself like she was suppose to. She went to a different Dr. and a different place entirely than what I did. I didn't feel real comfortable about the whole situation the way she went about it but she was comfortable with her decision and that is important. Also I think you should keep in mind of all the different situations and complications people experience, how do they feel about it all afterwards. Do they regret having the surgery? They wouldn't have had those particular complications if they didn't have it. Would they have (or you) been better off without it and experience very possibly many other complications both life threatening and not due to other health issues the rest of their life? My friend told her family the night before she died that even though she had these problems, she did not feel it had anything to do with the surgery and if it did it was a fluke, and she did not regret having the surgery and she would have done it all over again. I guess you really have to weigh the pros and cons all the way around and decide what is the most important to you and your situation. I had a few complications myself. Luckily mine were and aren't nearly as bad as some people experience. I am a little more than 2 year out now and have lost about 125 lbs. Even with all the things I have gone through I don't regret it for a second. I felt very confident with my decision and I had a wonderful surgeon who did an awesome job. I wish you the very best of everything with your WLS and your journey afterwards. Take care and God Bless. Beth

I had Dr. Schram too so I can answer the first question - - Complications- Dr. Schram has done between 1500- 2000 surgeries and never lost a patient. You are in very good hands. - Chances that you would die - according to the myriad of outcomes research on Bariatric Surgery - about 1/2 of 1 percent of bariatric surgeries end in mortality. This is highly variable based on the number of procedures the surgeon has done and how well the nursing and post-op staff understand the specific needs of the bariatric patient. My health insurance company actually let me pull subscriber data (no names or identifiers - simply other UHC members who had the surgery) so I could compare different complications rates for every hospital between Cleveland and Chicago. And the rate differences were HUGE from infections to mortality rate. See if your insurance will let you pull the data. If you have UHC - I got mine from logging into MYUHC.COM and searching that site for the info. - Am I selfish for doing this? I struggled with this question - the fear of dying and leaving my small children with one parent was really profound. But in the end, I felt like the way I was living left them with one functional parent anyway - I couldn't play tag with them, had little energy, and was developing all kinds of health problems. I honestly believe that this surgery will allow me to live longer and healthier and be a better Mom. If that took a month of recovery to get to, it has been a small price to pay. Good luck with whatever path you choose. Best wishes, Michele P

OMG read my profile!!! I told mY band "take care of my babies" when i went into surgery.....i had the worst time, but look where i am now, BELOW GOAL!!!! I died twice!!! I would do it all in a second!!! Hugs Linda "THE BEST THING I EVER DID FOR MYSELF" 360/179/ WHEREVER