Hi!
I am not sure you can edit your username, it doesn't seem to be an option in the profile to change. I suggest reaching out to the site by clicking on 'Contact Us' at the bottom of the page to ask if they can update it for you?
Other than that, welcome!
It is a BIG DEAL to have a surgery of any type, and a life altering one especially so. I am one week away from mine and while I am sure this is my path, I have to frequently re-train my thoughts away from what i CAN'T eat anymore to what I WILL BE ABLE TO DO later! I have so many goals to achieve that focusing on the positives keeps me sane. I want to ride roller coasters again, and travel overseas to visit my sister without having to ask for a seat belt extender and to also fit in the darn seat, and salsa dance with my friends, and not have the worry at a new restaurant that I may not fit comfortably in the booth, or sit in a waiting room where sides of chairs pinch my thighs and make the entire experience worse. And the shopping for clothes- oh lord the clothes! I think I will weep for joy the first time I can go into a normal clothing store and just buy a freaking pair of jeans like it is NBD!!!!
No one can make the call for you of course, and if you can reach your goals without such a drastic measure then maybe it isn't necessary, but if you know this is the tool you need to help you, then also know you are so not alone! Our bodies want to keep us fat- it is impressive, really, how hard the human body will try to maintain status quo! But for many, the only way to shock your body into accepting a new normal is something pretty drastic like a WLS. I have found nothing but encouraging folks here, and I am sure you will as well. However hard the next 4 months will be pre-surgery, after all is said and done and you look back at what you had to go through to reclaim your body and your health and life in order to live it to the fullest will AMAZE you with how strong you are and how proud of yourself you are. That self esteem is priceless! And this is true whether you have the surgery or not: moving to new habits and changing lifestyles to be healthier is an uphill battle surgery or no. It is hard to prep for such a life change, but also hard in a different way to not do anything at all and continue on the route that brought you here in the first place.
YOU CAN DO IT. You have obviously chosen to do it already since you have a timeline, so give yourself the benefit of the doubt and continue to see it through- there is no harm in at least walking through the next few months towards your surgery: it isn't over till the fat lady sings, right?
I'll sing a song for ya once this is all said and done!
