Hi Gary, congrats on making it to the other side. I'm glad you went thru with the surgery. And don't feel bad about backing out. You had to wait until the timing was right for you. Personally, I was scared out of my wits right before they took me into surgery, but I was also so miserable, I knew I didn't want to keep on the way I was. So it's 6 months later, I'm down 75-80 lbs. and life is getting better. I'm off 3 out of 4 meds. That was one of my goals. Just make sure you drink that water, take your vitamins and follow a good eating plan and you'll be fine. And keep tabs on this site. I have learned so much here. Every day I learn something new that I can apply to my new lifestyle. Best wishes to you, friend.