gettinskinny43

Obesity & Me

Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I had struggled with weight loss since I was eight years old. My parents took me to a endocronologist because I was overweight and they found out I suffered from hypothyroidism. I believe by the third grade I weighed 100 pounds. I was put on every kind of diet pill imaginable, every diet that ever exsisted and spend a lifetime losing and regaining weight. Later in life I learned that most of my weight problems were due to the fact that I was an emotional eater and that my being fat was a protection device for deeper seeded problems I had due to living in a toxic family and toxic environment. I felt worthless, I had no self-esteem and every atempt to lose weight my entire life had been sabotaged by myself or a family member. After 4 years of seeing a physcologist I had gotton to a place where I was ready to make the physical changes in me, because the lifestyle changes were all made and I needed help with the physical part of things. I found out at the age of 42 that I had a lung disease and the treatment for that disease only led me to gain more weight at a rapid pace because prednesone was all they could give me. I got so big that if I didn't get the surgery I was going to either die from the co-morbidities or the disease one. My pulmonologist reffered me to my doctor and told me I desperatly should consider this surgery.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

The physical pain of carrying it around and the rejection you endure from society.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I enjoy being able to go to the pool this summer with my grandchildren and not be ashamed to get into a bathing suit. I can do a lot more physically than I used to be able to do. I am walking a mile a day and can tackle Walmart Superstore without feeling like I will pass out and sweating to death. I can cross my legs again.

How did you first find out about bariatric surgery and what were your initial impressions of it?

I first found out about the surgery from My doctors informational meeting. My first impression of the surgery is when can I get it done and how soon.

What was your stay in the hospital like? How long where you there? What things are most important to bring?

My stay in the hospital was wonderful. The Hospital has a specific wing for bariatric patients, my doctor hand picked his staff of nurses that work on that floor and they are awesome. I was there for three days total. The most important things to bring with you are your CPAP machine if you have one, chapstick cause your lips get dry and a sippy cup to drink out of so you don't gulp and make yourself sick.

Did you have any complications from the surgery? If so, how did you deal with them?

After I was released from the hospital about two weeks later the opening in the bottom of my pouch closed up and I couldn't keep fluids or anything down. I called my doctor and he sent me to a gastoentonologist who went down into my pouch and opened the opening with a balloon. I had to be admitted about two weeks later to the hospital to have the proceedure done a second time because it closed up again, but after that I did wonderful and have had no further problems.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

It took me 11 months to get approved for my surgery, when I got my date I was so thrilled and relieved I had no anxiety. I was just so happy to finally be getting it done and getting on the losing side of things. I knew in my heart I had the best surgeon and it was in God's hands anyway.

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

My doctor has a support group meeting once a week and once a month. I have attended one, but I get most of my support from seeing my physcologist whom I have been working with for the last five years. I feel it is very important to have that support there because I have had to face many things since my surgery that I wasn't prepared for. Because I had the support I have breezed right through everything and am doing great.

What is your scar like? Is this what you expected?

My scar was a little bigger than I expected, but my doctor had to fix my intestines from a previous surgery several years ago where they took out my gallbladder and mistakenly cut my small intestines. He said there were many adhesions and everything was stuck together like spaghetti. I was greatful that my doctor took the time to fix that problem so I didn't care the scar was a little bigger than 4 inches. It is healing beautiful now and its not nearly as big as it was. I am not sorry or disappointed in any way.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I am four months out of surgery and have lost 102 pounds. I am sort of stuck at this number for now, the weight seems to be slowly coming off instead of fast like in the beginning. I am able to eat a bigger variety of foods now so I am sure that has something to do with me losing slower.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes. People relate to me differently now and they seem to embrace me more. I think at times that perhaps I embrace people more than I did before because I have more confidence in myself. There are some who are resentful and say that I think I am all that, but most people are happy for me and proud of how far I have come.
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