Considering WLS

 Hello everyone. :) I am new here - just thinking about WLS and wanting to get some more information, especially from people who are my age. I'm scared to death about the thought of it. But also scared to die young from complications due to my weight. I'm going to be having a consultation with a surgeon soon and I'm afraid that I'm not going to ask the right questions, etc. I haven't talked to my parents about it yet either - I'm afraid they will think I am giving up. 

I've been overweight my entire life - I've tried so many different things... my endocrinologist doesn't think it's giving up - but I can't help but feel like I'm letting myself down. 

Help!

My whole family is overweight, mother and grandmother had surgery years ago...ended up with alot of complications back then so when I decided to have WLS the only people supporting me were my gram and mom....my sister,husband, brother in-law and friends all thought I was gonna die, giving up...saying I could do it on my own...BUT it's your decision and only you know how you're feeling and what you should do. Either way, the journey is long and life changing....just look to yourself to make the decision! Feel free to ask any questions, everyone here is wonderful trying to give you an answer, but remember everyone is different so you aren't going to hear the same thing all around.... GOOD LUCK, hope to see you around here more often!

 Hi and welcome! 

The decision to have WLS is going to be yours and yours alone.  No matter how someone else feels about the procedure you are the one who has to be confident with your choice.  
That being said, you will see so many sucesses, struggles, highs and lows on this board...which will show you that weight loss surgery is neither a magical cure or giving up in anyway.   But, with your hard work and determination to make your tool work for you,  it will change your life in every way possible.  

You have every right to be scared of surgery...any surgery is terrifying.  But like you said, doing nothing is just as bad.  You know you have to do something but it's up to you to decide what that something is.  I had my surgery at 26 years old.  I was obese my entire life and struggled with depression, anxiety, low-self esteem...pretty much all the mental health complications of obesity.  I'm 1lb away from 100lbs lost and my life has been transformed.  I was lucky enough not to have complications with my surgery and although I still struggle day to day, I know that I have the knowledge and resources not to go back to my old lifestyle.   

Talk to your surgeon, talk to people who've had surgery and read read READ!  Knowledge is power and it will help with the anxiety of the whole process.  I wish you the best of luck and I hope no matter what you decide you will become the healthy person we all deserve to be.  :-) 

~Emily~

hi, I know this is a hard decition but only u can decide what is better for you.
In my case was dif. my dad ofered me wls when i was to young and i said no and he kept ofering and i didn´t want to have it cuz i was like u scared to death to die and to be sick after surgery i thought i was going to lose the weigth for my self ( i´m not saying is not possible! 'cuz it is,) but i was so ******g tired to live like that for so long dieting and excersisng like crazy and not lose a lb!. so if i had tryied everything and this oportunity was been given to me i thougth i would reserch more about WLS. and after thinking and reading all of this amazing people stories here on OH. I thought this is def a good thing for me.

SO USE OH. go to peoples profiles and see their wonderful and inspiring stories!! and ask cuestions we are all here to support each other 'cuz we are all in the same boat.

btw i´m mariana 24 had rny 19 months ago 100 lbs lost 20 more to go. and loving my RNY.

good luck
hugs.

PS. wls in not a miracle!! u still have to work ur ass off,  but this time u would actually lose the weight lol.

Any surgery is scary... I think this particular surgery is scary because its life changing and you 'choose' to have it. Its a big decision to make especially at a young age :-) Education is key.. talk to the surgeon, if you think of questions later you can always talk to them again... go to support groups, do your internet research and talk to people here on OH.
I would approach your parents and show them you put the research in and this is what you want to do. My dad questioned me a lot when I told him but I had all the facts/research/information so he knew I was serious and wasnt making a blind decision. My mother, well thats another story... she was against it until post-op when she saw it 'working'... now, even 3 years later, doesnt shut up about me and my surgery.
For me surgery was a last resort. I had tried everything and nothing worked. I had a friend who had surgery 2 years before I did and I said NOOOOOOOOO WAY NEVER! I had tried to hard to lose and I always did, I just couldnt keep it off. One day I woke up and knew it was enough... I was at my heaviest (288) and miserable... I needed something to help me keep the weight off and the support of surgeon/nut/groups etc to help me thru everything.