Reasons and Choice of Doctor

Jul 12, 2011

Reasons for WLS: Health, Increased Activity Levels, and Weight Discrimination

  My health is the most pressing reason I am opting for weight loss surgery.  My dad has diabetes and neuropathy.  I am afraid I will also be diagnosed with this illness before long.  On top of this, my knees hurt often.  I am only 30 years old and my knees already have arthritis.  I weigh a whopping 251 pounds! 

I know it will be more possible for me to loose weight if my knees hurt less.  I will be more apt to exercise and increase my activity level in other ways.

The final reason for my decision is the prevalent weight discrimination in America.  One socially acceptable prejudice in American Society as well as many others is weight discrimination.  One of the reasons that I am opting to proceed with the gastric sleeve surgery is because of weight discrimination.  There are some people that can look past the issue of excessive weight.  Most can't.  The average person is apt to view the obese as lazy, slow-minded, and lacking self control.

 Let me tell you something: There is a pathology, a physical reason, that is often the main culprit in giving someone the eventual death sentence of obesity.  There may often be an emotional reason.  There may also be an environmental reason.  In the majority of cases, I dare to make a heavy wager, that obesity stems from a combination of pathology, psychology, and environment.   NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO JUDGE YOU FOR BEING OVERWEIGHT INCLUDING YOURSELF!!!  However, you are the only one who is ultimately responsible for your health.  You have a free will you can use in your favor to make whatever decision you deem is best for you regarding your health.

 I have Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) -a common hormone imbalance that can affect up to 10% of women.  I have been fighting constant hunger my entire life.  I know that there are many skinny people out there who are hungry all the time and even more who have never had a problem with it.  I experience a genuine gnawing hunger every moment of every day because my cells are insulin starved from the PCOS.  My cells literally aren't getting the energy that they need to function properly.  All this time, I thought it was me.  I agreed that the people that were discriminating against me were right in judging me as lazy, stupid, and having a lack self control.  I've been stupid enough to believe them!  Because of this, I have lost a lot of self esteem.  Obesity can even affect salary:

Timothy A. Judge, of the University of Florida, reportedly looked at separate studies of 11,253 Germans and 12,686 Americans and found that women weighing 25 pounds less than the group average earned an average $15,572 a year more than women of normal weight. Women’s earnings diminished the more they weighed. A woman who gained 25 pounds above the average weight earned an average $13,847 less than an average-weight female. The findings for men, however, went in the opposite direction. So thin males earned $8,437 less than average-weight men, and their pay went up as they got heavier. This ebbed as they hit obese levels.

What do you do when you can't accomplish something by yourself?  You get help.  You don't try to screw a screw in without a screwdriver or even better, a drill. 

Well, I want to get things done. I have started my liquid diet today, one week before the surgery which is scheduled for July 19, 2011. 

With all that I have accomplished in life, to be pre judged as unsuccessful, unintelligent, and lazy before I am even given the courtesy of an initial conversation, is a tragedy and a shame.  I am worth taking whatever action I have to (as long as it doesn't hurt others) to have a happy healthy life.  I am going to give the world of people, in spite of the average person's cruelty and prejudice the best "me" I can give it. 

While going through this whole experience, I am going to advocate for everyone and anyone who experiences the same prejudices I have experienced by being open about my gastric sleeve adventure. 
    Posted by weightlossblogger at 5:48 PM 0 comments           

Sunday, July 10, 2011

First Entry

  Hello,
After researching quite extensively, I have decided to go with Dr. Jaime Ponce De Leon for my Gastric Sleeve.  I found his advertisement on a Google search and was intrigued by the reasonable price.  I clicked on the ad and was lead to his website which immediately listed all of his training and credentials.

I am a medical tourism pioneer in that the majority of people do not elect to travel outside their state, much less their country, to receive a surgery.  I must because of financial constraints.  I am paying out of pocket for a newer surgery, the gastric sleeve, when I could have a RNY completely paid for through other channels. 

I choose the sleeve because it is the simplest procedure, does not include having a foreign object placed in my body, and has a comparatively smaller number of side effects.

I am writing this blog to help others who face the same obstacles that I do.  I am not getting paid in any way to post this information.  I want to be completely honest about my experience.

I am hoping that the surgery goes well.  It is scheduled for the 19th of July, 2011 at about 6:00pm.  I will be flying into the San Diego International Airport and picked up by an employee of Dr. Jaime Ponce De Leon.  I am very nervous.  If the surgery is a success, I will have more energy for my life and my children.  I will most likely not get diabetes and I will no longer have to endure the prejudice sadly encountered on a daily basis by many overweight people. 

I have scrutinized every piece of information I could find on Dr. Jaime Ponce De Leon and his associates to ensure that I am making the best decision and to calm my nerves.  I am still doing research on the gastric sleeve and what complications can arise from it even after my plane tickets have been purchased and my down payment has already been made.  I am not going to indiscriminately trust people that I have never met before with my money, my health, and the well being of my family without doing the essential due diligence prior to going under the knife.  I have the need to ensure that their story checks out. 

So far, I am impressed, though I acknowledge that I am dealing with a business and not an imaculate church full of Saints.  They are people and are not infallible.  Furthermore, they are business people and are in this to make money, but not just to make money.  It is obvious to me they also have a desire to help people.  This is apparent to me in the interactions that they have had with me thus far.

I start my pre op liquid diet on Tuesday evening, in about two days.  I am not looking forward to it, but as the dates approach I am moving one step closer to the life I want for myself and my family.  I pray that everything will go smoothly and I will be happy with the results.

After researching to the extent that I have, I have determined that the patient has a great deal of influence on how the surgery goes.  If I do not follow the pre-op diet or worse, completely disregard it, I am certain to have complications.  I will follow all instructions to a T and trust that God will guide the surgeon's hands to ensure a good surgical outcome. 

Will post again on Tuesday, the start of my pre-op diet.   Posted by weightlossblogger at 5:22 PM 0 comments   

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