Looking or an angel

My surgery is scheduled for Nov 4, 2009 at 7:15am. I posted about a week ago looking for an angel for support but have gotten no takers. I am really nervous and excited about having DS surgery I have not been able to sleep.  My family does not understand why I would do this to myself so I don't talk to them about WLS. I am still trying to find a family member to go with me to the hospital the day of my surgery.  I broke up with my fiance last week and feeling lonely about taking this journey alone. I don't want to sound like a whining baby just looking for a DS friend to help me on my journey.

I will be your angel! I'm not really sure what they do, but I will give it my best shot! I'm a WAHM with two small children, so i won't be able to travel much. I don't check this board very often, so I didn't see your request for an angel. I mostly hang out on the DS forum.

I'm sorry you are having a hard time lately and you do not sound like a whining baby! This should be an exciting time for you, starting your weight loss journey. The DS is an amazing surgery, not many people are familiar with it around WI. Good for you for doing your research!

Take care!

Jules

Well Tasha, I had my lap-band done by Dr. Chua yesterday, and I can tell you you'll be in excellent hands.  My incisions are small and the surgery went great.  The staff at Aurora Sinai were wonderful.  I know your experience will likely be different from mine because you're doing the DS, but I had my surgery in the morning and was up walking that evening.  Sure, I was sore, but the staff made sure I had appropriate pain medication, and moving around helped get the gas moving on down and getting out.  I went home today and I'm tired and still sore, but not as sore as yesterday, so even 1 day later I'm feeling a little better.

Some of my family was totally for me having the surgery, and a couple were not.  You have to do what you need for your health and not worry about what they think.  They don't have to deal with the health issues you have to deal with due to weight.  The family members who don't understand think I should just have  more will-power.  Well, I had enough will-power to take Tae Kwon Do for 5 years, 3 nights a week, and worked my tail off and got my first degree black belt.  I tried to eat healthy and reduce my calorie intake.   I lost a lot of inches but only 10 pounds.  I had plenty of willpower, but the genes were working against me.  Some of my other family members have had severe obesity problems and weight loss surgery was the only thing that worked for them.  They are also accomplished people who didn't have a willpower problem, they have a medical obesity problem.  We just don't completely understand all the causes of obesity yet, though great strides in research are getting made every day, and we do know it's a medical problem and not 'a willpower problem'.  Some of us require more significant treatment for our weight problems, too, like surgery.

You're taking the steps you need, based on your research and professional medical advice and any health problems you might have, to make your health better.  I know how hard a decision it is to look at the surgery option.  It took me years to finally make the decision to get the surgery, and it took me months to research the different procedures that would work best for my situation, and find a doctor and program I was confident in.  I did it because I had developed bad arthritis in my knee and mild high blood pressure, and I knew if my weight didn't go down substantially, I'd develop diabetes and heart disease.  If I didn't do weight-loss surgery, I was going to end up with, say, open heart surgery or knee replacement surgery at a young age.  My thought was, if I have to have surgery anyway, why not have one that is less invasive and improves my health, and lowers the risk of disability or worse?  I'm thinking you've come to a similar conclusion.  You're not alone with all of us here backing you up.  Yes, I was nervous and excited before the surgery, and every emotion in between that.  I had trouble sleeping this last week, and I spent a number of hours chatting, praying, and playing my online game to keep my mind off the worries.  What you're feeling is totally normal!  If you're feeling especially bad, talk to your doctor to make sure depression isn't an issue, especially after breaking up with your fiance. It's totally normal to be bummed out after that, too.

There's nothing wrong with asking for help from another DS friend.  That's not whining, that's understanding your needs and asking for appropriate help, and I think it's quite smart of you.  We might not be able to go with you to the hospital that day, but I'll be praying for you that day, so know you have some spiritual support here. :)  I know there are lots of people here on the forums who've been through the DS as well who might be able to share their experiences.  Be proud and confident of the decision you're making to improve your health and your life.  I know what you've had to do in Sinai's program just to get a surgery date--learning how to change eating habits and exercise, filling out all those food logs, seeing the psychologist to make sure you're emotionally ready, for instance, so you've made great changes already. 

I hope this sounds semi-coherant since I'm taking the pain medication regularly right now, and I'm a little fuzzy-headed as a result. 

Hope everything has gone well for you Tasha--bet you're out of surgery already and in your room.