This is my first post-Nervous about Everything.

Hi, My name is Adrienne, I'm 37(almost 38) years old, I've been married 13 years and have two beautiful daughters ages 12.5 yrs and 10.5 years. I have contemplated WLS for about 2 years now. Up until this point I allowed family members to discourage me from doing it, their reasons were usually out of fear(their had been a few well publicized deaths following the surgery that we had all read or heard about). I have decided, I have to do this for me, no one else is carrying this weight around but me. I am unhappy, depressed, semi-hermit like and my Asthma is getting worse, I also suffer from insomnia. I have tried everything. I even consulted my PCP about my weight(as if he didn't notice) he wouldn't put me on the pills, he wasn't comfortable with the risks(could cause irreversible damage to the heart), so he sent me to a place like Optifast(some other name don't recall-left there in disgust after I was told health insurance wouldn't cover it-we can't afford it I'm a stay at home mom). So now, this is my last resort. Who knows how many times I've joined WW since the age of 12(yeah my mom had to sign me up). I've tried every diet that's been passed through the ages(cabbage soup, low carb, grapefruit,starvation,eating one meal a day,LA Weight Loss etc.). I just can't take it any more. I want my life back, and I need a lot of support. My DH and cousin and my 2 daughters will stand behind me, but only others that have,are and will be going through this know exactly how I feel. I just felt the need to introduce myself, I've been lurking around here for about a week now. I go to my first seminar on Monday evening to get this ball rolling. Any advice will truly be appreciated to assist me in my journey to my new life. Thank you so much for your time, God Bless you Adrienne

Hello and welcome! I also ran into some family/friend resistance in my going forth with surgery. At the end of the day it was MY decision and what I felt was best for ME. Now, four months later I find most of those resistant family/friends have a whole new outlook mostly because the way my overall attitude has changed towards life and they can see how much happier I am. I almost let the resistance drag me down and now am so glad I followed my heart. Good luck to you. Meg 340/233/175

I also did not have alot of support when I had my surgery but I did it for myself and I have my health and life back. I also did have surgical complications but I do not regrett taking the step to have a better life and starting feeling better about myself. Good luck with your journey Tricia

Adrienne: Welcome to the board! You should be reading everything you can on this site and then all you get from the orientation seminar. Learn all you can and then you will be better able to answer the nay-sayers. Other than educating yourself, you need to be aware of the changes that you are going to need to make after surgery. For instance, I found that getting off the sugar and caffiene well before I had surgery was the best move in the world. I didn't have to worry about going through withdrawal from those things after surgery during the time I was healing and re-adjusting. Start walking, right now, even if it is just short distances, it is building up your stamina and your oxygen reserves which will help you after surgery with healing. You really need to start, right now, all the good habits that you will HAVE to do after surgery. I did a three month program of diet, exercise, and behavior modification with my surgeon's office before I could be approved by insurance, and it was the best thing for me! It may have taken me longer to have the surgery, but it made me ready for all of the afterward stuff! I didn't have the depression and grief of food loss that so many others have had. The exercise will make you feel better about yourself because of the release of endorphins and because you are already moving forward in your quest. Hope that helps you! Pam

Hello All, Thank you all for all of your advice and well wishes! I am truly excited and yes, still a little nervous but the tension has truly been eased by reading your replies. If only you knew how much I've been reading, it would make the average head spin. It is so funny that Pam mentioned cutting the sugar and adjusting my diet and getting exercise in I was just telling my cousin(she's part of my support team-she's more like my sister/best friend than a cousin) how before I have the surgery I am cutting all of that stuff out, so I won't have the withdrawl and the major craving for it, I will have taught myself how to walk away and just say no to those foods that have gotten me to this point in my life(and reading about people's episodes of "dumping" is enough to make you back away from the stuff now!). I am working on my attitude toward food and exercise. I have made up my mind that this is a fight I WILL NOT LOSE(the fight no- the weight yes!) AGAIN! Once we get the ball rolling, I've told DH that we've got to start socking money away for the different protein supplements and vitamins that I will need. I think I should start tasting the different ones to see which ones I like, because I have to be able to tolerate it. I think this is the first time I've actually looked forward to losing weight. Usually I have the real monotone attitude, you know, ok here we go again, hope I can make it work this time. Then the after the second time I have a week of gaining a couple of pounds(and it's usually after I've had a week of working my tail off and no mistakes with food for 5 or 6 months), I figured, why do all that work,and I'm just going backward? Now, I've figured out, you don't always have to have a perfect week, as long as you put your best into that week, you've done the *******ready know there are gonna be freak out days, I hope I can count on you guys for support? I will be your cheerleader(pom-poms and all) when you need me. I just know I can't do this alone, it's gonna be rough road ahead, but I'm ready! Have a beautiful day everyone. Here's to Life, Adrienne