newbie sweats

I suppose it is normal to be nervous at first, right? The biggest part of me wants this surgery so bad, my life is miserable at this weight.  but part of me is terrified, and thinks..."what the hell are you doing?"  cutting my body up? alternating a major organ? cutting something that I need to survive?  I get scared and the doubts creep in...
Then I come to this board and go thru every single before/after photos, and read as many stories and posts as possible, and I feel better and sure of my decision once again. 
I don't know what I would do if it wasn't for all of you here.  Thank you so much for being there for the newbies.  As someone said...once you have your surgery and have lost your weight, you are not obligated to come here and ease the minds of those just starting the process.  But you do it anyway.  For that, we thank you.  I thank you for being honest and telling me how hard it will be at first to get the water down, or the protein in, for telling me about hair loss and dumping.  Most of all, I thank you for telling me how awesome I am going to feel once the weight starts to come off.  Right now I can't feel or see the big picture, but I have hope. 
I will make sure to "pay it forward" to another when I have gotten to the other side of the loser's bench and hopefully...((crosses fingers)) to Onederland!

Did you all go thru the newbie nerves? the doubts?

I know I did!  I was so scared.  I didn't want to become a statistic.  You know one of those stories that a friend of a friend tells you about?  The one where so-and-so died from a complication.  And I managed to freak myself out looking at the board of OH members here that had passed.  I decided to stop looking at that stuff and be positive about things.  I trusted my surgeon with my life.  and put the rest in God's hands. 

good luck to you on your journey.

I haven't been posting lately but have been lurking.   I was feeling like i didn't belong anymore, so thank you.     If you didn't have all those fears you wouldn't be  normal.    Life post op is unimaginable.     I never ever thought i would have such a rich life full of energy.    Read my profile, i would go through that all over again in a heartbeat.   This surgery saved my life, and what good is life if you're miserable.     Sure it's hard, but being obese was way harder.    You just have to learn a new way of life, but it will be a life you love.    Let me know if theres anything i can do to help you or if you want to talk. 

Good luck in your journey

Linda

Hi Linda, I have often felt the same way.  I lurk on here often, and don't ever post unless I feel that I truly have something to offer.  I too have felt like I don;t belong on here from time to time, but recently realized that I do, just as You do.  As I said in my response below, we all share a commonality and can all offer each other guadance and encouragment from time to time.

Take care

Rob

Best of luck, Dr Krause did my surgery in March 2003 and he saved my life.  Beaumonts program is fantastic.  Listen to the doctors, eat right and drink water, you will do great.
If you have questions, feel free to email me.
         Robin
[email protected]

It's nice to hear from you "oldies".  PLEASE stay active, we need all of  you! 

To answer your question Robin, I'm 15 months out and LOVE what RNY has done for me!  My hubby is scheduled for this Friday 3/6, and he's having doubts.  It's Totally normal, in my opinion, if your not having these doubts, your NOT normal (again, in my opinion).  This is a HUGH change in you life.  It's something to take very seriously.  
I don't know many (in fact I don't know anyone personally) *****grets having this surgery. 

Good luck,

Edie

Hey Robin I live in Clarkston, is there a support group that you actively participate in that's open to the public???

Edie

Edie,

I don't go anymore, it will be 6 years March 13..  When I did go  went to Beaumonts Weight Loss Center at Coolidge and 14.  Its a good group, I think they meet every 3rd Tuesday.  You can call and make sure.  Best of luck to your husband, its a life changing experience.

Robin

I don't think I have much to add here besides that I too went through my doubts when I was researching the surgery.  So much so that I started to research my options in 2003 and it took me almost 5 years to commit to the life altering decision.  Any Regrets?  NONE!  I would not be what is considered a success story by any means and I am a long way from goal.  However I an a lot healthier now than I was pre-op, I im no longer diabetic, and I am off of all of my meds.  That is the success that I hold onto every day!

We are all here becasue we all have many things in common.  Not just the pre-ops and the post ops, we all share a common experience of being obese at some point in our lives and we ALL share that same commonality.  I for one, embrace that!

Best of luck in your journey

Rob

I'm a lurker too, lol!  I really wasn't too nervous before surgery.  I was excited to begin my new life!  Reading and posting here on OH helped prepare me alot!

Good luck to you!

Those doubts will be with you right up until they wheel you into the OR.
It will be three years in April since I had my surgery and I don't regret it a bit.  The thing that I do regret is that I elected to have mine open and not lap.  Because I had it open I have to undergo another surgery to repair the hernia.
Please don't let anyone tell you that it's the easy way out.  I had a friend tell me that this morning.  I was trying to get her motivated to do something about her weight. As she's retired and has spent the last summer and winter huddled under a throw in her lounge chair!  She won't walk with me, it's too hot or too cold.  I was mentioning another friend who has just lost over 100 lbs on weigh****chers.  She told me that this friend did it the hard way and I did it the easy way.

Well it wasn't easy and it's not easy keeping the weight off now.

Jeanne