Nervous as hell

Well guys i have done everything i have had to do. My surgery is Nov 10th and as i am excited to start a new part of my life i am also very very nervous. I have never had a surgery and it scares me that i am volunteering for this one. Dont get me wrong i am ready!!!!!!

Was everyone else like this also???? 

Oh, yeah!  Big time!  I've got 3 days before my surgery, and for the last week or so, I've been like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs...  I've thought about a dozen times that I should postpone the surgery for another week or so...  Who in their right mind voluntarily has their anatomy altered?  What if the surgeon makes a mistake?  What if I can't handle the psychological changes that come with it? 

After all, I've managed to lose 33 lbs without the surgery - I can just keep doing this and lose the remaining (too early to do the math) lbs...  If I keep losing at my current rate, I'll be down to my goal weight in only...  oh...  about 3 years.  Surely I can keep it up that long, right?  Besides, isn't this a crazy time to have the WLS, right before Thanksgiving and Christmas?  Maybe I should wait and enjoy "one last..."

BUT, then I realize that this is just the "old me" trying to maintain the status quo.  I've been here before, losing 30-50 lbs, stalling, then slowly creeping up a bit, then suddenly back to my old weight - usually plus a few lbs.  This is EXACTLY why I'm having the surgery - it's a tool to help me lose the weight AND establish a healthier pattern while the tool is available.  Why wait even another minute? 

So this morning, I woke up somehow MUCH calmer about the surgery.  I'm now looking forward to it, in a strange sort of way.  Mind you, I HATE needles, much less the thought of someone cutting into me, but I want to get through this so I can get on with my life.  I've seen enough change in myself just from the weight I've lost pre-op to make me really excited about what my "new life" has in store for me post-surgery. 

So hang in there, Jeff.  You came to the right place - I've been so encouraged by the "veterans" on this board who have been so supportive of each other.  We can get through this together, and be there for each other when the going gets rough.  That's what friends are for...

Good luck to you!

 Jim - great advice for Jeff...sounds like you have your head on straight and are ready.  It is OK to be nervous and concerned.  This surgery is a BIG deal and yes it is a life changing event.  But oh man is it worth it.  As many of us have said on this site, I only wish I would have had the surgery years ago.

Keep up the great progress and attitude!  Both you guys!  Don't look back, just keep looking forward!

Jeff,

Hard as it may be to do - CHILL!!  Surgery, of any kind, is a scary prospect to begin with but go with the flow and don't get too worked up over it.  Enjoy the "Jack-O" juice!

Jeff, we've all been there, your feelings have been shared by all of us.  You will work your way through them at your own pace.  In the end you will do what is right for your health, scared or not.  I am looking forward to seeing your "I'm home and surgery went well" post.

Best of luck,

I've shared in the past that I'm normally a very nervous person.  However, despite being a high-risk patient, I was actually at ease as my surgery approached.  I think it's because I had my friends and family praying for me and I later learned that I was on prayer lines across the country.  I'm normally not very religious, but I wanted to make my peace with my god because of the risks involved.

When I told my surgeon about this, he thought it was senseless.  Heck, he wasn't the one facing the knife.  Even in the hospital, I had my family gather around me and we held hands and prayed before I went off to surgery.

You may want to pray, do some meditation, or do something else to get calm.  The emphasis is on doing something rather than just worrying about it.

 Thanks alot for all of your comments, i know i will be fine and i also get excited about the weight i have lost pre-op but the feelings still come back of being scared but i know i will get through it...THANKS AGAIN

Wishing you the best mate.

Just don't do what I did!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please read my profile. I gave up on the day of my surgery while in the prep room for surgery waiting on them to come get me. 1st in line for surgery that morning. I was down to 350lbs from 389lbs for surgery. It took me 16 months to get approved. 5 years later I'm 401lb. because I thought I had it all figured out. I'm now 5 year closer to death with a family that love and need me.

You must have the surgery because I need your support.

Dwight Smith

Dude you so own this process.  You have done amazing pre-op everything you have done every step you have walked has been to help you get to this point.  Going into any procedure can be scary, Hell I have another one monday, but you know this is your time and that you are doing the right thing. 

As hard as it is now is the time to put your FAITH in the hands of others, trust my I know how hard it is to do that my surgery was the first time I handed full controll over to anyone.  Best advice I can give is to keep yourself busy and try not to think about the date  I kept myself so busy up until the end I was up until midnight the night before surgery and woke up at 3 am and couldn't sleep.  This all helped since I ended up sleeping in pre-op which is the one place I would have stressed.

Pack everything you think you need at the hospital and then unpack everything except some slippers and gym shorts (I highly reccomend these as the gowns tend to be drafty in the back).  Do this 3 or 4 times and you will be set.

Remember surgery is the one day you have the easy part, hell you get to go to sleep and let everyone else work and worry.

Before you know it you will be throwing you fat clothes away and looking for smaller sizes.