Undecided, Soooo Scared!

Hi, I am brand new to the site. My sister recently had the bypass surgery with Dr. Chiang. She is doing well. I saw Dr. Chiang and I am going through the pre-op testing but have not made a final decision about having the surgery yet. I figured the testing would be a good check up if nothing else. I am 47 years old and have been overweight all my life. (13 lbs at birth) I am pretty healthy at this time. Never had surgery or aneshesia before. (scared to death at the thought of it) Only been in the hospital to have my daughter. How do you get past the fear of the complications and the thought of possibly dying? Help!

Vicky: I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that WITHOUT the surgery your chances are going to continue to increase daily of weight related death. I to was overweight my entire life. I also have asthma and as I got older, things started to go wrong. Asthma got worse, knee joints started wearing out, blood pressure, border line sleep apnea and acid reflux. It wasn't until the blood pressure skyrocketed that I really had to consider the quality of life the way I was headed or the way I could be headed. Even after my first WLS failed, I was still prepared to do it again and IF I would have to do it a third time (God forbid) I would. I am now down 100 #'s officially as of today's dr's visit. I have never felt better in my life. I still have more weight to loose, but with what I have already lost, I now only take meds for asthma and thats it. No more blood pressure issues, knee pain, or acid reflux. I know it is a scary thing to consider. I also had never been in the hospital until I had my first child at age 24, and then it was a C-Section to top it off. The surgery is by no means painless but the pain is well worth it. I would suggest keep reading profiles on this site. This site helped me when I was considering the 2nd WLS a year ago and I know it will help you. You can also view my profile that is pretty detailed of everything I went thru from insurance to post op. Pray hard and I am sure with God's help your fears will subside. Good luck and if you have any questions, I am just a "keystroke" away. Please don't hesitate to email. Vicky

Vicky, Thanks for taking the time to respond. I see we have some other things in common, we even spell our names the same way. I read through your profile and appreciate the time you took to keep a current diary. I am very happy that things have worked out so well for you. Lodgically I know I can't keep going and remain healthy at this weight but I wish I could feel more excited about having the surgery. I'm hoping as I learn more and am able to talk with more people it will help reduce the fears. I am very confident in the Doctor I have choosen. I also know several people who have had the surgery at work who are doing well but none were as heavy as I am. That's another concern. Not many people that I have read about are above the 400 hundred pound mark. I will hope and pray for the the courage to move ahead. Thanks again, I appreciate your words of encouragement. Keep up the great work!

I was very scared about having the surgery also, but my desires to lose weight and have a healthier life out weighed the fears i think. Yes the first few days are painful, and adjusting to a new life was hard, but now almost 6 months out, it is like second nature. WOuld i do this again? Yes i would. I look better, feel better, and i have added years to my life. And that means i will be around to see my kids grow up, and take part in their lives. ABout a week ago, someone i know made a crappy comment that i over hard. One girl said how great i looked, and the girl she was talking to said i took the lazy way out. No, i think i took the brave way. It is easy to fall off a diet or put that off. Thinking, tomorrow i will do this or that. This surgery it changes your life. There is no putting off what can be done today with this. I believe all of us who have decided to take this road have taken a huge brave step in saying yes i can do this, and i am so sure i can do this i am willing to change everything for it. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Vicky - I think everyone is scared at some point. I am a post-op of Dr. Chiangs and I think the one thing that helped me most was the fact that I trusted him so much - I felt secure in his skill and the answers he gave and that helped. This was my first surgery ever as well and things have been going just fine for me. Have you been to a support group meeting yet? That may help. If you need anything else just shout! Margaret

Hi Margaret, I am scheduled for a general seminar in October at Elmbrook. I am not aware of any of the support groups. I would appreciate any information you could share with me. I'm glad to hear things have gone so well for you. Congratulations! I too feel very comfortable with Dr. Chiang and his ability. At this time I think the best thing for me is to find out as much as I can. Thanks again!

If you go to: bariatricwi.com/supportgrp2004.asp (Put www first) it lists all the support group meeting for this year. We meet in the auditorium at Elmbrook. Pre-ops are welcome.