Bariatric surgery: Are you excited? Nervous? Tips?

@taterj23

Welcome to Connect and the Bariatric surgery group. Many members of group are preparing or have had surgery and have many help tips.

If you have not looked at following dissuasion, it may be helpful:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-do-the-beginning-steps-look-like-for-surgey/
Where in process are you, do you have a surgery date scheduled?

Are you excited? Nervous?
Both? My sleeve is scheduled (tentatively) for 1/20. I'm nervous. This is a huge undertaking. Life altering. I'm just worried about the side effects of the surgery.

How are you handling it?

At first you may think, What am I doing. But becoming thin is amazing when you’ve always been obese
I had the RNY in 2016 and lost 140 lbs and kept it off
Good luck

Great questions @christine5. I expanded the title of this discussion to bring people together around the topic of handling the emotions as your prepare for bariatric surgery and the date approaches.

@taterj23, how are you feeling? Are you currently in classes as you prepare for surgery?

No class but I think im prepared for it i have siblings that have had it done one is my brother the other is my sister

@taterj23

Knowing someone who has had the surgery will help understand what is involved.
What type of surgery did your brother and sister have and are they happy with results?

I think my brother had the sleeve done my sister had the bariatric done in they are happy with it

Gastric bypass scheduled for Friday February 14th. Hernia repair and bypass. I am nervous and questioning if I should do this.

@fiddledd
Welcome to Mayo Connect, I think most people get anxiety before any major surgery. I remember thinking right before my RNY surgery that I had lost weight before surgery, so maybe I can do on my own, Then realized that I was never successful before, so I was making right decision. I also have had Breast Cancer, and had same anxiety before surgery, did I made right decision about type of surgery. If you have done all the pre-surgery work, you should be ready.

Seeing you need a hernia repaired, sounds like you will need surgery even if do not bypass.

Is there any specific concern you have?

I had hernia repair and gastric bypass surgery, both in one operation, in April of 2023. I was questioning my decision as well… turns out it was clearly the right decision for me - hands down. I feel really good, I have plenty of energy and I have lost a significant amount of weight. I’m at the gym regularly and have found my new “way of life” to be fairly simple, nourishing and satisfying.