I have been considering bariatric surgery for some time now. Making this decision has been a journey for me to say the least. I first considered this option about 3 years ago when the Lap Band surgery was gaining popularity. Since then, my obesity began to really affect my life negatively and I knew I was headed down a bad road. I had just begun to develop “co-morbidides” such as sleep apnea and joint pain and wanted to prevent against others such as diabetes, hypertension, and infertility. So, I did tons of research and decided on the Fresh Start Bariatrics program at Riverside Methodist Hospital. I decided to go with Fresh Start because of their focus on religion and their amazing all inclusive program, which gives me access to psychiatrists, nurses, and dieticians all specializing in obesity and bariatric surgery. I joined the program in August of last year and underwent a psychological evaluation to ensure I didn’t have any food addictions. I began seeing a wonderful bariatric dietician, Kristi Highley RD, in September and began slowly incorporating the lifestyle changes that will soon become the norm into my routine. Kristi is amazing and has helped me to lose 68 pounds and drop my BMI by ten points since our first meeting! My personal weight loss goal for the period before surgery was - and still is - to lose 60-80 lbs. My surgeon, Dr. Thomas E. Sonnanstine MD (Dr. Tom), has done over 2,000 bariatric surgeries over the past 10 years or so, and his program is designated a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Over the past year, Dr. Tom has ordered numerous tests to ensure I am healthy and ready for surgery.

I kept this information close to my chest because 1) I knew people may have unpleasant ideas about these surgeries and 2) I was scared. At first, I was scared of what people will think (most think of it as an “easy way out,” as if undergoing life threatening surgery and having no option but to change everything you’ve ever known about food is easy) … but I have now committed to this decision in full and I have decided that I will not let anyone else’s opinion affect my confidence. Yes, I am aware that there are other options out there. However, my family and I have decided that this is the best option for me. It will undoubtedly be hard at first, but I will adapt. Another big fear of mine was the fear that this was too big of a risk, too extreme … I believed that I should be able to lose the weight on my own. At first, I blamed myself for not being able to do it in the past, and at first I felt guilty for even entertaining the idea of weight loss surgery. However, I have now come to realize that the risk of not having weight loss surgery actually outweighs the risks of doing so in my situation. I have now decided to focus this negative energy (anxiety) on the things that I can control (confidence), and to be totally and completely committed to success. Weight loss surgery is a tool that will provide me the guidance I need to stay on track by limiting the size of my stomach and therefore the amount of food I can take in. These upcoming changes will be a learning process for me and for the new family that I will soon establish. I realize that if I want this to work, I have to be ready and excited about making healthy food choices and exercising regularly, and more importantly on staying focused on these goals.

My surgery is scheduled for Monday, August 13th. The procedure I will be having is called the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (sleeve). The sleeve was first performed as the initial part of a two part surgery called the duodenal switch. But around 2003, experts began to see great results from the sleeve alone and it became a new operation. During this procedure, the stomach is reduced to about 15% of its original size, by surgical removal of a large portion of the stomach, following the major curve. The open edges are then attached together with staples to leave the stomach shaped more like a tube, or a sleeve, with a banana shape. 

My sleeve procedure will be performed laproscopically. With the sleeve, the hormone in your stomach called Ghrenlin that makes your brain think it is hungry is removed so you are not left with the “head hunger” that causes you to make bad choices and get off track. It has many if not all of the chemical changes we see with the bypass surgery, which is the “gold standard” of weight loss surgery, but is less complex than the bypass, which generally translates into fewer complications. The surgery itself will take about an hour and I will be in recovery at the hospital for 2 days, unless heaven forbid there is a complication, but I won’t get into that. Dr. Tom says I am pretty healthy for my weight so I am a good candidate for a routine procedure. Afterward, I will be on a full liquid diet for 2 weeks while the staple line heals, then I will progress to a pureed diet for a week, and finally on to soft foods such as cottage cheese and baked fish for another 3 weeks before I can begin to introduce solid foods back into my diet, ½ cup at a time 5-6 times a day. 

Thank you for your support.