Connie G.

Obesity & Me

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

I have been over weight since the age of 6. Of course my parents believe it is from the severe asthma that developed at age 1 & 1/2. They said the steroids did it, not that it helps me now. I started to grow out of the asthma by age 5. As I grew I started gaining weight. My parents started to notice that I was having less and less asthma attacks, so they just kept feeding me. Then when I was about 10 my mother started with the "you are so big" comments. From then on until after I graduated High School she forced one diet after another. I don't think that I have to tell anyone that when someone tries to force you to do something you rebell, which is exactly what I did each and every time. In 1988 I went on Nutri System, without much support if any from my mother, who said that if I did not lose weight this time I would have to pay back every cent in rent that I cut in half by doing this diet. To make a long story short, I lost 85 lbs. I felt wonderful. But it did not last. In September of 1989 I got pregnant. From then on my weight just kept ballooning. By the time I was 28 I weighed 279 lbs. It only got worse. On April 6,1997 I quit smoking. Yea, that was great that I was trying to improve myself. But along came another 60lbs. In June 2002 I went down Atlantic City with my parents and my 12 year old daughter. It was then that I realized that I really had to do something. I couldn't even walk the bordwalk with her. My knees would hurt, my ankles would feel like they where on fire. But I was afraid, I never had surgery before, and I was petrified!!! Then in October 2002 my mother had to have a 22 pound tumer removed from her overies and a complete historectomy. It scared my to death. I thought she might die. Thankfully she did not, and by me helping her to recover, I found the courage to look into the gastric bypass surgery. It started at the Bariatric Treatment Center in January 2003, I passed all of the medical tests that they required and then waited, and waited, and waited. What they did not tell me was that my insuance was excepting the center as a hospital, and therefore would not cover the cost of the operation. In March BTC assured me that they were close to getting certified with Blue Cross but could not tell me how long I would have to wait. Then in April after waiting another month without any communication from BTC I started looking for another place to have the operation. I was finally able to find an open appointment with Temple University Hospital for July 14, 2003. My insurance had already approved the operation, I just had to wait and see what Dr. Kowalski required of the surgery candidates. Well, I had to have a mess load of other tests done. Which really weren't that bad. Consider for a minute that at 5ft6in tall & weighing 399 lbs there was not anything wrong with me. I was in perfect health, with the exception that I was morbidly obese. I finally got a surgery date on Dec 6,2003 for Wednesday January 7,2004. I thought my God this is it. After waiting almost one year from when I started the process I was finally going to change my life.

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

I could not tie my shoes. I could not fit in arm chairs. I could not fit into booths when we went out to dinner. I could not walk for long periods of time. I had a great deal of trouble going up and down the stairs.

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

Tie my shoes. I am able to fit into my computer chair with a lot more ease. This is only 6 weeks after surgery.

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

I saw something on TV about it. I first thought that if I ever got that big that I would have to have surgery then something is definatly wrong. Besides the fact there was absolutly no way in hell I was ever going to have sugery.

Describe your experience with getting insurance approval for surgery. What advice, if any, do you have for other people in this stage?

I guess I was lucky, because I did not have any trouble getting approved. I just had to find a hospital that was in the insurance company's network.

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

Dr. Kowalski was a lot younger than what I expected him to be. Very nice, personable. He seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing. I made a list of questions that I took with me. I talked with my family, wrote down there questions as well. I feel that you can not ask enough questions. If yor doctor does not like answering all of your question, then you need to find a new doctor.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Aftermy mother finish recovering from major surgery, that helped me deside what I had to do.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I did not deside, the doctor told me that I would be a good candidate for the lap Roux Y, and so it was.

What fears did you have about having complications or even dying from from the surgery, and what would you tell other people having the same fears now?

I pray all the time, and asked God to help me with my fears. I asked him to give me the strengh to do what I had to do. I talked with the doctors and asked questions

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

My personal choice was to tell only a select number of family and friends, which is what I did. Everyone is very supportive of my descision. The truth be told, I don't know what I would have done without my Mother, Father & Daughter.

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

My boss thinks that all I had to do was exercise and I will lose the weight. It is easy to tell some one what to do, and how to do it especially when you have never had a weight problem. I am not back to work yet. I had the surgery on January 7, 2004. But I had complications, not from the surgery itself. I developed an infection that put me back in the hospital for another week.

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

I was in the hospital from Wednesday to Saturday morning. I guess my stay was ok, Iv'e never been in the hospital before so I didn't know what to expect. The day after surgery they get up and walking around. It is not bad, as long as you have your pain meds before you start walking. Clothes for when you go home, a robe to cover yourself while you walk. Maybe something to read.

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

I developed an infection in my abdomen, and was rushed back to the hospital. Although at the time we did not know that it was an infection. It wasn't until after 3 days of tests did we find out what was wrong. I stayed in the hospital for 8 days on massive antibiotics. When I was finally released I went home with 10 days of massive antibiotics to be continued at home.

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

I prayed for strengh, & courage. I asked God to help me with my fears and asked him to help me deal with the anxiety.

Describe your first few weeks home from the hospital. What should people expect from this period?

I don't think that all surgeries are all the same. I felt horrible. I am saying that only because I had an infection and was on massive antibiotics that were making me sick. I developed a yeast infection on top of every thing else. Do what your doctor tells you to do.

How far did you travel to have your surgery? (If far, how did this affect your aftercare?)

I only had to travel about 17 miles to the hospital.

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

For me it has only been 6 weeks after surgery. I am having a terrible time. Over the last few weeks I have been getting sick almost on a daily basis. You really just have to try everything. You really don't know how your body is going to react to food until you try something. At this point I can eat soups, mashed potatoes, crackers, fat free cheese, frozen yogurt, cream of wheat, yogurt. For most of my protein I have been eating the gerber baby food meat. It really isn'y that bad, you just have to find different ways of making it taste better. I usually spray a little of the I can't believe it isn't butter on it and add a little pepper.

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

I walk as much as I can. This past week I just start using the gym bar to try and firm up my muscles.

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

One a day for women, viactiv, b-12

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

My quality of sleep has gotten a lot better. Before the surgery I used to get up at leat once per hour to urinate. Now I am sleeping about 5 hours before I get up. I am still vomiting quite often. I really don't know how to deal with it.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

The waiting for a surgery date.

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

I am online all the time constantly looking for more information about recovery. Talking to people about thier experiences. getting tips, and all of the information I can get.

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

I have 6 small scars, and they are not as bad as I thought they would be.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have not reached that far yet.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet, When I return to work I will see if anything will change.
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