I believe I am done.... my mind has changed.

Well, I had my trio appointment yesterday, been cleared for surgery. Now I have these thoughts that I shouldnt be doing this, that there is so many other factors to consider that could bet he cause of my weight issues. How my life will change so drastically after surgery. 

Theres my high levels of tsh, low levels of ferritin,  iron and zinc, so maybe its thyroid? Or maybe its the IBS, gluten or cream intolerance? Maybe its just my stomach not digesting properly and storing fat. Omgoodness... what do I do?

I think if I can clear up the other issues I'm having, maybe my weight will straighten out? My gut is saying wait one year,  The pain in my body is saying do it now, my nerves are saying dont think about it anymore and my head says wait and see what my doctor and dietician say next month.

Right now I am on a variety of vitamins, minerals, prenatal vitamins (not pregnant),zinc, iron and glucose tablets, and will possibly be on thyroid pills soon. I meet with dr. Glazer in march, dont know when i will see dr. Hagen again for a surgery date. Grr, this is so frustrating. How do you know you are doing the right thing?

If you're doubting it this much, perhaps you aren't ready?  Tell your team how you're feeling - they might have insight for you.  

If you're gut is telling you to wait, then I would wait. You don't want to have a life altering surgery if you aren't ready to make the necessary changes it takes to be successful. Personally, I'm not willing to wait another year to see if I can lose the weight on my own. I have been doing that for the past 10 plus years and it has never happened. That being said, this is a personal journey and if you think your thyroid is the cause of your weight gain, wait until you get your Doctor's opinion and give the thyroid medication a try if prescribed. There are no guarantees in life. My surgery is on Tuesday and I'm still not 100% sure that I'm doing the right thing. However, I know that my future is bleak and probably short if I don't get this surgery so I'm willing to face the unknown. All you can do is prepare the best you can. Good luck to you in your decisions; I hope you find some clarity.

If you are that unsure, you should wait. If you aren't 100 percent committed to this, you won't do that well.

Most of us felt we could lose without surgery. We delayed for ywars before learning we were wrong. When we finally decided to do it, we kicked ourselves for waiting so long.

All I can say is I wouldn't jump the gun and cancel immediately. Keep going through the process and Talk this out with whomever you think is best. Sometimes we need to process out loud.  I think most people get cold feet. I know I did. I kept telling myself I could cancel the surgery up until I was going into the operating room. That was my safety net.

Only you can say if you have truly 'tried' everything. I am on thyroid medicine and it brought my thyroid into correct levels and I was still MO. I was afraid of complications and dying. Funny thing is I was guaranteed of complications and dying early if I stayed morbidly obese. My surgeon had never had a patient die in over 4000 surgeries...what made me think I would be the first one?

The unknown is scary... but most people here would tell you they have no regrets.

I first considered WLS when I was 30 years old.  It wasn't until I was turning 40 that I was finally ready to accept that for me, surgery was the right choice.  I yo-yo dieted for more then 20 years, and my weight steadily climbed over that time.  

I don't know your age, weight or the state of your overall health.  Is it just anxiety or cold feet about the prospect of surgery?  If you are cleared for surgery obviously your doc thinks you are ready.  

So sit yourself down and think about it.  Remember you are dealing with the Canadian Healthcare System... it might take you a year to get a surgery date anyway   . 

You don't have to rush into anything.  The surgery is life changing but it is also a lot of work.  If you are not ready don't do it.  But if it's fear holding you back please please please try to get past it.  

For me,  my body was telling me enough is enough.  I couldn't climb one flight of stairs without feeling short of breath, it was a production to tie my own shoes.  I was entirely fed up, my weight had become a barrier to living an active life.

Are you there yet?  If the answer is 'No.' then you should probably wait on surgery.

If you truly are having major second thoughts talk to someone. If it is just cold feet still talk to someone. This is a major life decision. 

My life changed for the better. I did have second thoughts. I think I was really scared how my life with food was going to change. I was afraid if I made the right decision.

Maybe make a list of positives and negatives. Maybe talk to a therapist to see if that helps. Reading and searching articles about WLS may help also. 

I say think really hard & talk to someone about the doubts you're having. If you have a surgery date that's far away you'll have plenty of time to tackle the issues you're having in the meantime & see if it makes a difference. However remember the key is not just to get the weight off but keep it off. Good Luck in whatever you choose to do. 

I have all these feelings, but I am 44 and I have been trying to lose for years and am now at my highest, I just want to be able to breath normal and have less pain if I can accomplish these two things I will be happy! Good luck.

My initial attempt at surgery was denied. My employee insurance handbook laid out the requirements, but it was denied by a middleman agency that actually approved surgeries. I wrote to the VP of Human Resources stating that that agency did not uphold what my employer said. My employer told me if I was unhappy, to look for another job. (But what should have I expected from a for-profit hospital chain?)

Looking for another job at that time wasn't an option I wanted so I sucked it up and tried to lose weight without surgery. I'll bet anyone reading this can guess what happened. My feeble attempt failed and I gained a few co-morbidities along the way.

Fast forward to three years later, and I was 100% qualified. Yet I was in denial. Every time my doctors recommended WLS, I changed doctors. Eventually I was utterly defeated. I researched and researched; both from anecdotes and scientific authorities.

I am extremely grateful for those three years. By the time I was ready, I was totally prepared. Additionally, if I had done what I originally planned, I would have ended up with a surgery that really wasn't my best option. Seven years later, I have maintained my 90% of excess weight lost and my labs have been excellent.

Listen to your head. Or your gut. When you are 100% ready in all ways, you'll know and likely be more successful.