I need some encouragement...

I am scheduled to have my RNY on Sept. 26.  I went to the madatory nutrition class yesterday and I am feeling a little overwhelmed.  I am seriously debating on whether or not this is the right choice for me.  Is this normal or should I take it as a serious sign that I should back away? I need some success stories please!

Hi Sariah, It is normal to feel overwhelmed by this all. I am almost 2 years out and have no regrets. I went from 256 to 140 and feel wonderful. I eat pretty much what I used too but a whole lot less, for me it wasn't so much what I ate but the amount. I would do it all over again myself, it was the easiest surgery recovery I ever had but then again the only other surgery was a C-section. Every one is different on what they can eat it's all about trial and error. Talk to different people on the board and do research on the cp and it will help. Good Luck Marcey

Hi Sariah The feellings you are feeling are perfectly normal. This is a huge step. You are altering your body forever...but trust me when I say the outcome---if you do what you are suppose to do---is worth it. I have a WHOLE new life right now and I am 8 months out. Men lose weight alittle faster than women (I'm not complaining) but, I am 134lbs down now and feel fantstic. I do what I am suppose to do, and the results are there. I am now jogging-something I have not done in 25yrs--4 miles 3 times a week, I went hiking and have done as much as 16 miles in a weekend of hiking, I started playing tennis, my kids are eating healthier, my 7 yr old has taken up jogging with me (she can almost do a mile!!), my marraige is getting better, its incredible the positive statements you get from people. Like anything else, there is the downside.  People tell me all the time about someone they know who had complications and died...Ben and Jerry's have a new ice cream out called Creme Brulee and I cannot have any (although I did have a taste---heavenly)...life is back to normal for me except I eat smaller healthier portions, no junk food, I drink liquids more, and I feel great (which I did not before). And throughout your journey you will have these WOW moments that are incredible. I took my shirt offin public for the first time in June -first time in over 25 yrs!!! Talk about feeling free And throughout your journey you will have pitfalls. Moments you trip and do the wrong thing or feel bad. But the way I look at it....if I did not have the surgery, I would still have the ups and downs of life, with the surgery I have the ups and downs but now-I am doing it while getting healthier and making my life happier. I see it like pushing the reset button on life. You do not get that many chances to do that.....starting over in a new job or new school, moving to a new state, getting married and becoming a parent, this is one of those moments where you can push the reset button on life and start over, from the beginning. You will eat like a baby the first few weeks, and then after that you have this new "reset" life in front of you---and you can do with it what you'd like. Choosing the right path this time when it comes to eating (because I think we can all agree we chose the wrong path before and thats why we are here) is there for the grabbing---take it and do it right. How many times in life can you get that opportunity.. Sorry ifthis sounded more like a lecture. I have heard nothing but great things about your Dr...I wish you luck. Everyone has to make their own choice...but I have no regrets and feel like I have a new life with an incredible future in front of me Good luck with your decision Sariah....Chris

Wow. - - - Just ... wow.

???huh????

WOW! Chris did an awesome job at answering your question Saraih, I agree with everything he said .... uh   .... except about the taking your shirt off in public, LOL! I think if you do your research, ask questions, talk to people like us that have been there and talk to God, you will have your answer and be at peace with your decision. I was one of those that was scared to death of being put to sleep, but the friends on here, my family and church family put my mind at ease, and the day before my surgery, I was at such peace, no worries at all. I weighed 336 and lost 183 pounds at 11 months out, I was at goal on my one year surgery anniversary (April 17.2007) at 155 pounds and I have maintained that weight for 4 months now. I went from a size 4X & 5X to a size 8 and I feel the best I have felt since I was in my 20's, I'm 47 now. And I would do it again every year for the rest of my life if that's what it took to get to where I am now. God bless you on this new journey of your life and know that we are by your side. And remember ... GOD IS IN CONTROL!   Debra

I did a lot of research, soul-searching, and internal debating before really pursuing WLS.  It 's truly an individual decision.  There's pros & cons.  My best friends (Robin & Rebecca) have supported me 101% with whatever I chose, as I support them.  Robin had the surgery in January and is down 91 pounds.  Rebecca is looking into alternative insurance to have a lap band done. Sariah, there is an awesome support system out there for people just like us - those who are searching & those who have found.  And I don't know how religious you are, but I guarantee, a prayer now and then doesn't hurt.... {{Hugs}} Hellen

 I am almost 10 months out and also have no regrets what so ever. This has been the best thing I have ever done for myself and would do it again a million times over. LIke Chris said, there are going to be ups and downs to everything in life including WLS, but I had to weigh the alternative to having it done, and I didn't like some of the things I knew was going to happen to me due to being morbidly obese. My blood pressure was on the rise, my back hurt 24/7, my knees were so bad I couldn't climb any steps without someone helping me. I had sleep apnea, severe acid reflux, and I'm sure with the history of diabetes in my family background, that it was just a matter of time before I became a type 2 diabetic. Now, my blood pressure is very low, my back doesn't hurt, and I can not just go up steps by myself, but I can actually run up them. I am off my meds for reflux, and although I still use my CPAP, I feel as though I do not have the sleep apnea any more, but, I have become so use to using it that I just can't make myself give it up. It is so wonderful to be able to shop for clothes in the regular departments, to wear shoes that I couldn't walk in before because I was too heavy for the heals, and to have people treat you like a real person and not make comments about my weight. There are so many more pluses to WLS than not, but this is something you need to be sure of before you go into it. Having a positive attitude is going to be the best thing for anyone considering WLS. Nerves, questions, some doubts, these are all the things all of us have experienced before, during and even after the surgery, but that is why this support site is here, we are all in this together. Sit down and make a list of the reasons you want the surgery and what you think you will gain by having it done. Then make a list of reasons why you would want to stay morbidly obese and what the good points of it are. I will quarantee one list will be bigger than the other. You need to make the right decision for you, not anyone else. Take care and best of luck! Mary

Yep, it's normal.  In fact, if you DIDN'T question your choice and went into something this "mayjah" (as Victoria Beckham says, every 15 seconds) with your eyes closed .... I'd be a lot more concerned about you. Do as much research as you can, have faith that your Doc is a good one (and I think he is), and follow your instincts.  It is a big step.  Huge.  But sometimes in life, big steps are needed to get to where we want to be.  Life is short enough as it is.  To spend it being miserable, locked inside a prison of obesity ... for me, it came to a point of feeling as though I had no choices left!  I HAD to take the huge step. And at first, it didn't feel like the right choice.  I had some complications.  But I also had a very good doctor.  It's been almost 15 months now, and sometimes people tell me that they never would have guessed that I was overweight before ... which is C-R-A-Z-Y to me!   I've gone from 302 pounds on the day of surgery to 168 today.  I can buy my clothes in any store.  I can cross my legs like a real lady.  I have made some life-long friends who are walking the same path I am. (And I can walk for miles on that path without feeling like I'm dying.)  I can do whatever I want to!  My prison is gone.   I really hope you can find some peace over this, and that you don't spend your time between now and you surgery in distress over your choice.  If you do, please try and talk to a counselor or a therapist.  It's NOT the right thing for EVERYBODY.  Follow your heart. 

Your preaching the truth Dawn...you go sister!!