Oz speaks, not Osborn...

Poppa HotRolls: 'Courage is not an emotion.  Courage is a decision.  Many brave and heroic acts are and were performed by people so scared they could have peed their pants.  Somehow, they were able to overcome the panic button.  Courage needs to be demonstrated.' It seems to me that Poppa HotRolls knew what he wrote about.  As I think about his thoughts on courage I know that it will probably be one of the most called upon decisions of my life both pre-op and post op.  Think about it, courage to choose to make a choice to be healthy...courage to wait out a plateau in our journey...courage to look our fear in the face and say with confidence I AM NOT AFRAID!  Is is going to be easy?  No, not choosing and continuing to go down the 'lonely street,' would be the easy way out..for merely a moment in time though.  All obstacles faced takes courage, a decision... "You have plenty of courage, I am sure," answered Oz. "All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty." BobM.

Bob,

Just googled courage quotes. And found this one, that can be interpreted at at least two levels:

Dorothy Thompson:

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.

 

You're going to be okay, Bob!

Dave

Bob, I don't think that anyone on this board was as scared as I was to have this surgery. I even talked with my wife about backing out the night before. I had doubts all the way until they put me to sleep. I even had doubts several weeks AFTER surgery about what I had done. The food addiction is a demon that can put awful thoughts into your head. It took a few weeks to beat the addiction, it was then when I started the real recovery. Now, one year later, I would do it again. The surgery is going to change your life in so many way that you can't even imagine. The way you look at food will be one of the biggest changes. After surgery, food will be something you use for fuel, not comfort. The biggest benefit will be to lose all or most of your excess weight. I lost about a foot from my waist, and 120 pounds. My starting BMI was around 46, now it's 28. There is no doubt in my mind that I would NOT have lost this weight without having the surgery.  I can honestly say that I have no regrets and that I would do it again in a heartbeat.  God Speed Bob! Ronnie

Bob, Take comfort in your decision that was made a long time ago, without the nearing pressure of surgery. You decided that this was the best route and it is just as true today as it was when you first made this decision. I also was scared, about the unknown, change, surgical risks and a dozen other things. Looking back, I wish I had done this YEARS ago!!! It was the best decision I could have made. It took me over a year to decide to pursue this surgery and now I wonder what it was that held me back. I now face surgery to remove my left kidney on the same day as you have for your WLS. When I was heavy, it was easy to see the need for the surgery, I feel perfectly fine, I have no symptoms or problems with my body but my doctor says there is a tumor that needs to be removed. I don't feel bad but I KNOW that without the surgery, my life will be over soon. The same is true for you. Take a deep breath, let it out slow and get on with what you need to do for a long life! I will be thinking of you on Monday as we both go into surgery. Mine is scheduled for 7:30 AM and I need to be there by 6:00AM God Speed to you!

John wayne the duke said  "Courage is being scared as hell and saddling up anyway."