hoochiegreen

Obesity & Me

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

It was a constant battle...loosing weight was not a problem for me..just keeping it off was..never have been a lazy person. I was getting sooo tired of the battle..I was loosing the fight..I was gradually gaining the weight I had lost on Phen-fen and working out. My family on my mother side are all heavy..my grandmother will weigh about 400-450. Her back bone is disappearing, it is from years and years of carrying the weight around..she can not even walk to the mail box and back, or shop with out using the cart as a support.

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

Just feeling discusted with myself. You know what everyone else is thinking. Having to buy clothes because they fit...not because of what they look like. Went to Florida on vacation 4 times and each time i felt as though i was holding everyone back from having fun..no pool and no water parks...But now we are planning on going to Discovery Cove to swim with the dolphins !!!

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 still do all that I done b4, just that everything is better..but the best thing is buying clothes and things fit or are too big !!! that never happened b4 surgery...now everytime i go shopping..i have to try clothes on!!

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

I had seen it in a magazine and on TV, also from people coming into the resautant where i work with their bariatric cards..I talked to Jackie Jolley, she is the one that helped me the most..I still see her and talk to her often. I thought to myself..that is really dangerous to mess with your body like that. That having a surgery such as that is an extreme measure to loose weight...but then when I was only 10# from my highest ever...i thought nothing is too extreme and was ready to do something...no matter what it was.

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 great. I had my surgery on Friday and came home Sunday. Bring pillows....big fluffy pillows and family.

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

so far so good !! no complications !!

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

the first few weeks were the worst...looking at your plate of food thinking omg, i am going to starve. Not being able to eat the stuff you want. But all in all i felt great...not too much anxiety at all though..just when i would want something i couldn't have, I would just think to myself that it would make me sick and that helped. But all in all, I felt great.

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

I talked to Wonda McWhorter at the restaurant where i work...she hooked me up with Regina Bailey so I could start attending the local support group..but I didn't really feel that I needed it..pretty much studied up on everything b4 the surgery..

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

I just have 6 tiny scars..not very noticable at all...they are better than what i expected..

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have small plateaus along the way..where no weight falls and then boom...10 pounds gone in a matter of a day or two...I can tell right b4 it happens..

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes Yes Yes they do...before i was an ignored voice when i spoke..now people listen to what you have to say!! It is wild to see this..
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