pre surgery opt out?

has anyone gone through the whole 6 month prior to surgery process then decided not to? what were your reasons? I'm fairly committed to having the surgery, but am still looking at other options. Any input is much appreciated!

has anyone gone through the whole 6 month prior to surgery process then decided not to? what were your reasons? I'm fairly committed to having the surgery, but am still looking at other options. Any input is much appreciated!

no, I couldn?t wait to get on the table! I wanted it so badly.

no. I started considering surgery about 10 years before I actually had it, so I was more than ready when I finally made the commitment.

I was fearful because I'm on blood thinners for a blood clotting disorder called Factor 5 Leiden. Other than that I was looking forward to having the procedure and had faith in my medical team.

I will admit I did great the first 3 months and then the next 3 I ate what I wanted and maintained my weight loss. I thought what was the point of surgery. But now I'm back on track and holding myself accountable for the changes I need to make long term. It's a process that's not an easy way out, there's more to it then just having surgery.

Wabt2beMe,

i have a family member with factor 5 leiden, had no clue until clots were in lungs.. long difficult recovery and very painful!.... being fearful under that cir****tance is logical .

I watched the pounds melt off My dear Mom who had the same surgery 5 months before i had mine. I helped her thru surgical/open abdominal recovery and one of he very early surgical procedures that included in part an RNY...I helped her with her diet plans, counting her fluids, and protein and carbs. we would challenge each other to "eye" the amount of food or fluids on a plate/cup then measure it.. when i did the same surgery , same Surgeon she was my support. The process was not the same as it is now.insurance had to approve and it took a lot of documentation. Between family physicians, physicals, intestinal and metabolism and lab tests, the charting of diet history, and compliance and tracking done over several years.. the 6 month of "now "seems short- unless it is the person waiting for approval..There is a lot of changes that one must go thru to accept the changes between pre-surgical and post surgical states. Each person has different challenges. Some have more than others.

TO Those who have not had surgery- remember this is ONE road to health...there may be several curves,and hills. Surgery can give a permanent tool to assist you with control of morbid obesity. If you have multiple issues - you must address all of them.

The "why" of how you got to present status can be the key that unlocks the effectiveness of your care...Some are addicted to carbs, some are recovering from abuse or rejection, self esteem issues., depression.. these need to be addressed so you have every chance to be prepared for the changes that occur with rapid succession in the first 6 months... IF you follow the Surgeons instructions.

With Mom and I, It was interesting each of us handled the surgery differently. each of us had intolerances- and they were different..My Mom was on the common generic blood thinner.. When she had several days she could not take her meds because of gastric distress, she threw a blood clot and had a massive stroke.. I took care of both parents while they were infirm..with my Dear Hubs help....until they no longer required it.

.. SO_O_O if you go into gastric distress and it lasts any significant period of time, 24-36 hours... you need to see a Dr, ... Dr may need to change route of adminstration to keep you from throwing clots.

It's very normal to think about opting out pre surgery. Anything that involves risk to your health or family will cause you to reevaluate your decision.

The best quote for me came from my surgeons assistant when I asked about people regretting surgery. She said many people have had side effects and challenges post wls, but no one in 20+ years ever asked for the fat back.

I love that quote!! Thank you for sharing that. I needed to hear that. I am almost 2 weeks post op (RNY) and some days I still regret it. I know that will change, but to anyone who thinks this is the easy way is so so so wrong.

Never had a day's hesitation nor a day of regret.

Near the end I wanted to back out due to anxiety mostly. After the issues I've had since I kind of wish I had backed out....

just do your research and make sure your comfortable with the team you work with.

I had started the process prior to COVID and had completed the work up. Then elective surgeries were cancelled. At that time, I went back and forth with should I or shouldn't I. Anyway, after about 9 months I decided that I needed the surgery so that I could get a handle on my weight and medical issues. On March 24, 2021 I had the RNY surgery. I am 3 weeks postop and I am so very glad I did it. I have lost 40 lbs already. I have been able to stop my diabetic meds, 2 blood pressure meds. Soon I will be off almost all the meds I have been taking.

if you are not sure. I would recommend looking into what your life will be post-op. There will be dietary restrictions during the healing phase. If you do it correct you will never eat "normally" again. However, the benefits outweigh the cons.