Make room on the losers bench

Hey Fellas!  Let me introduce myself.  My name is Rob and I have lurked in this forum on and off for a while now.  I think the support in this locker room is awesome. So here's my story: I started the process of getting approved for WLS a few months ago, thinking that it would take about a year, well low and behold I got my approval last week and my surgery date was set today for January 21st!   All good things!  Well, now I'm starting to freak out.  I was printing a reading through the "What to take to the hospital" list (Thanks DX) and it just hit me.  I'm going through with this Holy Crap! I'm not sure if I am scared of the lifelong change in my daily life, or going under the knife (Open RNY) or never waking up.  Did you experience this?  Any advice? Thanks in advance. Rob

Rob, Congrats on receiving your date.  That is great news. I'm going through the approval process myself and yes I have had the same thoughts and I haven't even received my date yet. I would encourage you to post anything you may be worried about.  As you probably already know someone in here has probably experienced it and can give you first had advise. Good luck and keep us updated.

I'm preop also (RNY 03-07-08), and I totally can relate to what you are saying.  I think I've been so caught up in the worry of getting the insurance approved, going to the preop tests, giving the right answers at the psych. evaluation (lol) that I really hadn't given any thought to actually HAVING the surgery.  My wife had her WLS 3 weeks ago tomorrow, and I think it really hit me as I was walking down the hall in the hospital with her as they wheeled her into the surgical area.  I was a nervous wreck.  I was rattled because of my concern for her, but I also imagined myself in her position and thought "Am I really gonna be able to do this"?  She came through fine which made me feel better about my decision, but I still, every now and then, step back and wonder if I'm going down the right path.  I actually wrote down a modified "pros-cons" list, the pros (diabetes improvement/resolution, lowered blood pressure, normal cholesterol, better sex, improved appearance, etc.), certainly outnumber the risks in my opinion.   I'm not a holy roller, but I do beleive in God and I have prayed extensively about this in addition to speaking with my family.  I'm at peace with my decision (after 2 years of research).  Best of luck to you!

My pro and con list was very short:  have the surgery and live or don't have the surgery and be dead in a year or 2.  I chose to have the surgery even though I had been hoping to die (due to depression) for many years prior to that.  Yes, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was extremely serene as my surgery date approached.  I'm not super religious either ('tho some of my friends disagree) and I was at peace with my God prior to surgery.  I am  a Roman Catholic and had a priest administer the Sacrament of the Sick to me prior to surgery.  I also had my friends and family praying for me.  I found out post-op that there were congretations accross the country that had me on prayer lines.  I figure that couldn't hurt. As to the lifelong changes in your daily life, you will learn to take life a day at a time.  Sometimes you might even have to take life in shorter periods.  I'm reminded of the remark a guide on a raft through the Grand Canyon made.  He loved his job because it literally made him live life in the here and now.

Guys' were all a little afraid.With that said I had virtually no comorbities except Sleep Apnea. I just new my family history. Prayer was good for me.Good Luck

Welcome Rob! Lotsa room over here on the postOp side....grab a locker and have a sitdown and then keep us up on what's happening with your WLS! Oh, and don't be too worried, as others have said we ALL went thru this and we're all fine....some of us had minor and maybe even some major issues...but here we all are! Glad to have you too! Jim