Scared...surgery in 4 days
I've struggled with weight my whole life, I looked into WLS OVER 10 years ago and it wasn't the right time. I started the process in November 2014 and I'm 4 days out from RNY-IM TERRIFIED! I'm on the liquid diet and I'm freaking out! I'm 5'8 and 250lbs. I should be more like 150-170lbs. I'm second guessing myself and this decision. What are your thoughts and experiences?
It's very normal to be anxious about this. It feels like it will be a whole new world. It is just the same world with a healthier lifestyle. Those days before surgery are very hard. I tried to stay busy, very busy. Walk, clean, whatever it takes. This is a very courageous decision you have made! I would look at all of the "before and after" pictures every time I was online and think that soon that would be me! It helped some. Not much longer now after 10 years!
I want to add that I never had a surgery that I didn't want to run from especially in the pre op room. Never did though.
It's so normal to feel this way. Everyone I know does. But you didn't make this decision lightly and you have really prepared for it. This is last minute jitters and it will all be worth it in the end. Use all the coping skills you can muster to get through these last few days and then it will be over. All the best to you!
It is very normal to be scared but I guess you have to ask yourself what you are afraid of...
Mortality or complications: the statistics are very low and in line with other surgeries (c-sections, appendix removal, gallbladder) Your medical team will be running a bunch of tests that should reduce risks. Keep an open dialog with them about your anxieties, they can prescribe something to help. I am assuming you are having some health issues now due to obesity? Obesity is one of the leading causes of death in the US. I trusted my medical team and made peace with the odds (like I said overwhelmingly in your favor to be positive.)
if it's something else like lifestyle changes involved... change is always scary and unknown but I will say this... most of us when asked a few months out if we'd do it again would say YES in a nano-second.
Personally... it was the best gift I ever gave myself. I hope you find peace in your decision and if you do make the choice to have WLS you feel the same way I do about it.
I've got 9 years of blog entries about post RNY life so feel free to take a look (link in signature), we are all different of course but I hope it can put your mind to ease a bit about a few things
Best to you.
Just tremendous EVERYTHING you have struggled with and gone through to get to this point, and how you feel now. Use it later when you are thinking of cheating on your diet or drinking alcohol. You did not go through all of this in order to treat it like it's not a big deal.
That said, you'll be fine. Be excited! You are almost to the end of the first chapter! Soon you'll be on the lose bench with the rest of us. I'm almost 4 weeks out and so happy! I had trouble after from an unrelated situation and dealt with eating too fast and too much, and it sucked early on. I'd still go through it over and over to get where I am now.
My friends and family "keep saying "you can do it without the surgery ect, ect" to the point I'll likely be at my surgery alone. I pretty much stopped telling anyone what was happening with it, anything about appts, etc. my only support is here, a Facebook bariatric page, and a good friend of mine who had RNY 10 years ago. Thank you everyone!