On January 29, 2004, I had RNY Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass Surgery.  Before that magnificent and life-changing day, I did my research and my homework.  At the age of 60, I knew I was almost too old for this surgery.  But due to minimal co-morbidities, my surgeon at Rush Hospital in Chicago, who practiced within the group of Affiliated Gastroenterological surgery, consented to operate on me.

Before my surgery, I got up to an all time high weight of 325.  By the day of surgery I was probably around 310 or 317 - I don't recall, but I did lose weight before the surgery. I recall how I flew through my surgery and had very little pain or difficulty.  I was compliant with my food program and to promote healing and well-being, I began to walk.  I also started a great supplement regimen to support my new eating habits, which would soon become my way of life.  I had never exercised before, so after walking, to get used to moving, I joined Curves.  I stayed there for 2 years, and then realized I was ready for more activity and moved on to a women's gym.
 
My current weight is between 166 and 173.  I am pleased with my progress and the manageability of foods and maintaining myself at this weight.  I am very happy with my success.  I am out of denial and  painfully aware of what I eat, especially when I make poor choices.

However, my frustration lies in poor support networks, for us bariatric patients.  Other than the internet, their are few support groups to participate in.    I need face time and personal connections.  I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and find that the biggest problem is on-going support.  Although my surgeon is in an urban setting, at Rush in Chicago,  he cannot sustain a support group, either.  I once belonged to a local support group at a nearby hospital, and that, too, fell apart.  People bring in their personal agendas and don't appreciate handouts others bring in and no one seems to be on the "same page", so to speak.   I think the camaderie of the support group encourages accountability and helps us to maintain good eating habits.  But if the group, as a whole, does not work cohesively, then there is no "support".  I am now an ObesityHelp Support Group Leader and am going forward to put a new support group together. 

My next greatest frustration is that the insurance companies refuse to pay for our reconstruction, mind you, not cosmetic, plastic surgeries. The financial debt load from paying for my surgeries was crushing.....there are those people who told me I did not plan properly for this expense.....well, let me tell you, it is as though we cannot see ourselves actually achieving goal weights, where we will need the reconstructive surgeries to make ourselves whole, once again, and comfortable in our new skins, in the bodies we worked so hard to achieve. 

There is much work that needs to be done for the future of our surgeries, both gastric bypass and reconstructive.  Before these reconstructive procedures, we some times feel as though we are misfits.  This is especially reflected in clothing sizes where things just don't fit properly.  Where does all the loose skin fit, within a new size of clothing?  I recall being very disheartened with this ongoing problem and after all my hard work of weight loss compliance, I actually looked miss-shapen and out of proportion. All because the insurance companies THINK our need for skin removal surgeries is cosmetic in nature and not reconstructive.