guavab52
SURGERY DATE - April 13th, 2010
Mar 16, 2010
So I finally got the call yesterday from the Kaiser Bariatric Program and my surgery date is finally scheduled for April 13th, 2010. I have my pre-op appt. on April 2nd. I am so excited!! I have been waiting for this for 2 years now, having changed my mind once and then deciding to go for it. I know that there are many reasons for me being overweight, such as overeating, slow metabolism (possibly caused by medications), and genetics (I've recently been looking at old pictures of my relatives as I go through my mother's boxes of photos). I did not grow up overweight, it is not something I struggled with as a child or teenager. However, I was raised on junkfood and it was only time before it would finally catch up with me. I always enjoyed swimming growing up which I know kept me thin, as well as the dance classes, cheerleading, even jogging for fun. But there was a lot of emotional stuff going on at home and I found reasons to try and make myself "feel" better with food as I pushed people away. As I later learned that I was going through depression and anxiety (genetic again), it all started to make some sense; as nonsensical as it all was. Fast forward to the present. I have been overweight since having my fourth child 13 years ago and I have held on to the weight for the most part the entire time, only fluctuating 20-25 pounds here and there. I have decided to have the VSG surgery (new for Kaiser) for many reasons. The decision to have weight loss surgery initially was because I am plagued with back pain and arch pain in my left foot, which I have dealt with for many years. I also have asthma. This makes is hard to lose weight with heavy exercising. I watch The Biggest Loser show and envy the groups of people who come on the show and are able to work their asses off and lose tons of weight. Could I handle the physical and mental pressure? Probably not. Do I wish I could? Definitely!! Will I make the effort to exercise? I can and I do; I ride my recumbant bike as often as I can and when I do, I bike around 15-20 miles. I still have back pain, mostly sciatic pain which is literally a pain in the ass. I also broke my tailbone from a fall many years ago which has caused me grief ever since.I am choosing to have VSG, vertical-sleeve gastrectomy, because it is newer and I feel much safer than the other surgery options available to me, the Roux-en-Y (gastric bypass) and the Lap Band. Lots of reading and researching has lead me to this decision. The VSG works because it is a "restrictive" surgery, whereas the gastric bypass works not only by restrictive measures, but "malabsorptive" measures as well. Already having vitamin deficiency issues (Vit b12, Vit D), I would not want to make it even worse. Do I think I would be able to lose 70-100 pounds without the surgery? Definitely not. Do I think I'll be successful with surgery? Very much so, especially with all the knowledge I have attained and knowing what to do and what NOT to do, as I have read many people's journey summaries and can appreciate all the honest advice they have given. For now, I will spend the next month preparing even further, to make sure that I am totally ready for what I am about to go through, at least as ready as I possibly can be :)
Cheryl
1 Comment
About Me
San Jose, CA
Location
23.6
BMI
Surgery
04/13/2010
Surgery Date
Dec 18, 2007
Member Since
