second thoughts??

Are second thoughts normal? I have been fighting for my surgery for years and now that it will be a reality, I am wondering if I want to do it. I know  my life depends on doing this and it would improve my quality of life. Tonight my daughter mentioned  a women in her office that got the band and in the following year she lost all the weight, only to gain it all back over the next 2 years. What if I can't stick to it and just repeat my life long pattern? 

Hi Charline (love the name too btw  :)  ) 

I think that with any life altering decision, doubt is normal.  I knew my husband was the love of my life, but before my wedding wondered "what if"....when I got pregnant, I was very scared...when we moved back to New Brunswick for good, I also had doubts...

Mind you, only my pregnancies ended up in surgeries but I think it's normal. 

Having said this, something you have fought to have for so long, is definitely worth keeping and seeing through...after all...you've only got less than 2 weeks to wait and after that you can look forward to being a healthier you...!

(just my opinion, I will probably be a basket case when my time comes...if it does)

ha! have you been reading my blog tonight?! I'm in the same boat. I'm not having doubts about it, i'm just terrified of it not working for me.

I think it's normal because the date is coming along and it's on your mind 24/7 and you hear great beautiful success stories but you also hear unsuccessful stories so of course you wonder where you will end up.

My friend was banded Dec '05 and she has maintained! I think it all depends on the person's commitment. I mean let's face it, we could drink a shake from McDonald's every day after surgery and gain everything back! It happened!

Charline, you have waited years for your surgery so there is no doubt and my mind you are like me, having the cold feet disease! You're worth this and you will be successful.

I am starting to do small things, like putting up pictures of people my ideal weight! I don't know if you read or seen the secret but this is the philosophy I am using right now.

We need to stay strong because a couple of weeks before the surgery- your doubts will be even worst!

Stay strong because you can and will do this!

Hey,

Very normal!  I know even the night before I was saying, should I really go through with it?  What if it doesn't work for me?  What if I am worse off then before going in?  What if what if what if.  Then at the end of it someone said to me...well you have thought about it now for over 5 years, and you always wanted it up until you found out you had a date.  So I think you must have researched it enough now to know everything.  So I think you should go for it. 

It is a hard thing that is for sure, and only you can make the final decision.  But at least know that we all thought the same thing.  Very normal.
 

I'm not having any second thoughts, but I will miss eating and drinking the way I am used to.
It's going to be a big change but I need to do it.  The Optifast is going well.  The chocolate is good.  Tastes like chocolate milk to me.
My surgery is next friday and I can't say I'm having any doubts. But stephen did I think, and it probably is normal.

Thanks for all the wisdom and support, guys. I've decided that the doubts are for the most part my food addiction talking. Some of it is a natural aversion to surgery. (I think that walking into the operating room and climbing onto the table goes against our natural self preservation insticts). The thoughts include wondering how I will cope with stress without comfort food, I may never have homemade bread again, I love sweets (fried chicken, BBQ ribs etc etc) and won,t be able to have it, .....you get the picture.  I am also afraid of failing. I have stuck to a restrictive diet for 14 years. I know from experience that it gets easier over time.  I may have doubts but I am not going to back down.
Thanks again guys!

Doubts are so normal when going through this - I mean, you have to think of it as something that will change your life as you know it forever. It's the fear of the uncertain. You have to get those darn pesky 'what if's' out of your head, because if you don't go through with it, you may never know what an amazing and profound change this will have on your life! Also too, I know that you've been on the darn waiting list forever, and the wait became your reality, and now that all of a sudden you're called to have surgery out of the blue, it's enough to jar anyone out of their comfort zone, because even though you know that the surgery will happen, the call just makes it seem so much more real. You can do this! It's scary - never deny yourself that feeling, but the after-care and life change is something that you can learn. All we do are learned behaviours, and now we just have to be brave enough to change a lifetime of eating habits.

Of course, I'll want this pep-talk sent back to me when I finally get the call and my nerves get the best of me as well, because I know that it's going to friggin' happen to me as well. :-D It's too bad that instead of surgery, we'd could just lie down for a nap and it'd be all over when we'd wake up. ;-)

Hey PN, How's it shak'n?
Thanks for the pep talk.....you just might want to save it to your hard drive, for the next time I am feeling down. 
I may have found the cure for doubts!.......Shopping of course! A day or two after my "not too sure about this" post, I went to local second hand shop where they sell only quality stuff at dirt cheap prices and bought a couple of size 16 tops. Just the thought that I could wear these tiny clothes; tiny compaired to size 26 anyway. I think I even bought 1 size 14! So next time I am feeling any doubts, I am going to whip out these pretty things for renforcement. If that is not enough, I will go shopping again!
I have been through a few surgeries and while do think it contrary to our nature to allow our bodies to be cut up, I am not really more than a little nervious about the surgery. however, I am terrified of failing. I just have to keep my eye on the prize!
Take care PN
Charline

Hello ,




I', m three years post op and had to wait 5 years  ,  I'm now 300 +   lbs lighter    was 375 now  260 ish.. I can feel all yur pain , it is tough but , you will findi t hard to eat too much  ..


i  still have problems thinking i can eat more the i can really eat   the  ,mental part is very tough    anyone needing help drop me  a line..




all of you  will be fine the new you will be better  , like i feel now  ,just make sure you try  to walk before you run , by that i mean small baby steps , I was  told think of your new stomach as a babies  so u need to take things slow..... 




hope that helps all of you......

Thanks for your wisdom CW (hey we sort of have the same initials!). Making the right food choices is the key. You can choose to eat high fat or ice cream or sugary stuff, especially with the band. I think you can sabotage most of the WLS. You can be really stupid and head for MacDonald from surgery and actually kill yourself. I am more worried about after I lose the weight- I have always sabotaged myself.