Scared!

I have hear sooo ma ny horror stories regaring WLS.  I cannot make up my mind.  I am 44 with two kids.  I need to decide.  I am afraid of dying, having complications, clots ( my mom passed of an pe).  How did you all finally make your decision/?

I understand fully how you feel. I had done research on wls for years and even filled out paperwork then put in a drawer to only say I will do it on my own. Well a year went by with more major weight gain. So after having my first grandbabies I was 45 and couldnt see myself not being in there life and on this earth. I had went to the end of the road with wondering if was for me. I wasnt gonna be able to keep going like I was. My parents both had died at 42 and 57 from heart attacks.  So as they wheeled me back to surgery I had a spooky kinda calmness knowing what I was about to undergo was for me.. Bless your heart... So yes I know how you feel and will also throw it out there that it is not for everyone... Uphill all the way but the view from the top is an amazing sight...

Thak you Margaret. Just so scared of the items I mentioned. I have very high anxiety and I am only afraid this whole thing will make it worse and cause problems for me that I may not have had if my anxiety was not so high.  I have two kids 7 and 13 and that is my major reason.   I want to be around for them. But ,what if they lose me to surgery?? :(

Ae you on meds for anxiety bc I am and let me tell you, mine is so bad I'm on disability, I had the same worries as you but what are your options, try WW, exercise, what? Do what you know is right intellectually then follow your heart. Do you have a good support system.

It is a big decision. And it is major surgery. I weighed the risks from the surgery against my current and my probable future problems of being morbidiy obese.

duabetes

heart pribkems

strokes

joint issues 

difficulty in maintaining healthy exercise level 

not to mention looking like a whale! 

There is a good reason it is called morbid obesity! It can kill you! 

Thank you Kate.  Luckily I do not have a lot of those.  But, I have been overweight most of my adult life.  Again, scared and I am not sure 100% this is for me. :(

Oh no, I didn't have any apart from the whale bit. But I knew I probably would have before long and I needed to lose weight before they happend. 

Do NOT have WLs until you are 100% certain it IS the right choice for you.

I was 45 and was told that I probably wouldn't see 50 unless I lost a LOT of weight, so having my DS was a no-brainer for me. I really didn't have much of a life, either, so for ME, it made total sense to roll the dice. I did a LOT of research, weighed the possible complications (including death) against the probable benefits, and decided that it was worth the risk. Despite the fact that I'd been morbidly obese since I was a young adult, I hadn't developed any really severe co-morbs---YET. But I already had extensive arthritis, my cholesterol was climbing, and diabetes runs in both sides of my family, I figured it was just a matter of time.

I made the decision because my husband and I want to have children. I couldn't have children at my highest weight and I needed help losing. I've had my gallbladder out and it made me feel better to know that surgery has a higher death rate than WLS. I survived that, I could survive this! WLS is saving my life. Surgery is scary of course but if you find a reputable surgeon who does this on a regular basis you have nothing to worry about.

Best wishes