Help! Scared out of my mind- Surg July 1

I have paid my co-insurance, had my pre-op, and scheduled surgery for 7/1/11, but I am frightened.  Seriously, I have never been this scared.  I want to cancel the whole thing.  My fear of surgery is overwhelming the benefits I once thought would make it worthwhile.  When my Mom suggested this, I was resistant, then leery, then agreeable.  Now I am back to resistant.  I keep reading message boards and articles hoping to have an epiphany, but I haven't.  I thought the fear would go away and certainty would come, but it hasn't.  Yesterday, at my preop everyone kept asking if I was excited and I wasn't.  I wanted to cancel right then, but I didn't.  Most people seem really excited about surgery or at least excited and scared.  I'm just scared.  Anyone else feel this way before surgery?  Any suggestions on managing this fear?

Just what are you afraid of?  Are you afraid of the surgery itself or of your choice of surgery?

I am scared of the surgery itself.  If I have any surgery, lapband is the only one for me. The other types seem too invasive to me.  As a surgery virgin, with a fear of hopsitals and sickness, I wonder if this will be the start of many more problems. 

I think you need to follow OSO's (Bear) advice.  You are not ready for surgery yet.

To tell you the truth, the actual surgery part is easy.  It is living with the lap band that was hard for me.  I usually don't say this, and I am saying it because I care, don't get the band if you are afraid of many more problems because problems and more surgery can definitely happen.

Good Luck and take care.

No matter what weight loss surgery you have if you are having second thoughts then postpone the surgery.  Don't go into something like this unless you are certain and confident in your choice.  Do your research to the point of comfort with a full understanding of the procedure you choose and a reasonable expectation of the results and lifestyle changes needed after.


From what I understand with most insurances a WLS approval holds good for six months after the date of approval (check with your provider).  That being the case take your time.

Good luck in your decision and I wish you much success.

I was very scared before surgery.. to the point where I had no one there at the hospital with me.. and when i was wheeled into surgery I BALLED my eyes out.. then i wanted my mommy LOL 

I don't know I felt I needed to do this alone and in the end I'm glad I did because it was about me.. the first I did something for ME and entirely about ME.. it's normal to have jitters.... but if you really feel like you should cancel.. go with your gut feeling.

We are rooting for you :)

Thank you all. I am not so worried about the after surgery new habits, just the surgery itself and the potential complications. I'm 90% certain this is right. I just have that nagging 10% of worry. I just talked with a co-worker who had the surgery, and she said that it was the best decision she ever made. I think I just have to get over the fear of the unknown. Knowing others had fears helps a great deal.

hello-

I just has the surgery in April of this year, and I am very happy with it even though I have no fill to this point.

I understand your fears, I began the process in 2007. I got all the way to approval from my insurance and then said I couldn't do it yet, I wanted to give myself another opportunity to attemp to lose weight without surgical intervention.

Well, in the four years inbetween I yo-yoed the same 30 pounds several times using supervised diets, Weigh****chers(several times), and several others. I could not keep it off, I did not attack my inner issues and food addictions/sugar addictions.

I feel so much better now, I have more energy, and I feel as though I am controlling myself and my desires with food for the first time in my memory. I have sworn off sugar and refined carbs like a drug addict would swear off drugs. This is what I need to do now, and I can not see the benefit of sugar over how I feel now without sugar controlling my inner chemistry.

As for your fear of the hospital, i don't know your personal situation so I can only tell you mine. I was 28 years old when I had the surgery in April and I was diabetic and had high blood pressure. If I did not take the action of having surgery it would be a guarantee that I would be in the hospital and at doctor's offices in the future. You do not have weight loss surgery if you are not overweight and its a fact that being overweight leads to health issues. Health issues land you at the doctors office or hospital- facing your fears but in a different way.

In the end, it is your own decision. But it should be an informed decision, not one based off of fears alone. Surgery is scary for some people, I have had many surgeries (orthopedic surgeries) so my fear level is down. The doctors are experts and care about your well being . In the end this surgery is about you. You can of course postpone and think it out,  I did and I ended up four years later in the same place but bigger.

Do what your heart tells you, but don't let fear rule your decision.

Good luck and god bless!

YES