susan J.

Obesity & Me

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

I HAVE BEEN HEAVY SINCE SINCE I WAS IN 4TH GRADE...IT COMES, IT GOES, BUT FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, IT ONLY CAME...AND KEPT COMING....AND KEPT COMING....I WAS JUST GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER BY THE YEAR. I NEEDED HELP DESPARATELY

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

STARE, TRYING TO FIND CLOTHES TO FIT...HEALTH....BEING MISERALBE IN GENERAL...

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

NOW I CAN WALK....PRE SURGERY I HAD, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, DIABETES, ARTHRITIS, SLEEP AP. AND NOW, I TAKE 1 PILL A DAY....ARTHRITIS....AND EVEN THAT HAS IMPROVED 100%. BLOOD SUGAR IS NORMAL...AND BLOOD PRESSURE AT NORMAL. NO PROBLEMS SLEEPING AT ALL....I LOVE IT! THIS SURGERY IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME.....

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

I WAS SCEPTICAL WHEN MY DAUGHTER CAME TO ME AND TOLD ME SHE WAS HAVING IT DON...I WAS STILL SCEPTICAL WHEN MY SECOND DAUGHTER DECIDED TO HAVE IT DONE 6 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST....THEN...AFTER THE SECOND DAUGHTER DID SO WELL, I THOUGHT, "DARN" I COULD GET THROUGH THAT MYSELF...SO I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT, THINKING I WAS TOO OLD...AND THE DR. SAID I WOULD BE FINE.....WELL, THE REST IS HISTORY.....

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 4 DAYS...NO COMPLICATIONS AT ALL....WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE DR., HOSPITAL AND WITH MY STAY.... A WOODEN LONG HANDLED SPOON WAS THE BEST THING TO HAVE THERE......

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

NONE AT ALL

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 HAD NO ANXIETY...NO PROBLEMS...I JUST WANTED TIME TO PASS SO I COULD SEE THE RESULTS...WELL, TIME DID PASS. AND I AM VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT I DID THE SURGERY...AND WOULD DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN....

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

WE (THE FOLKS IN MORGANTOWN, WV AND OUR DOCTOR) HAVE DEVELOPED A SUPPORT GROUP. WE MEET ONCE A MONTH AND IT HAS GONE OVER VERY WELL. WE HAVE ABOUT 75-100 PEOPLE THAT ATTEND AND WE FEED OFF OF EACH OTHER...INFORMATION, ETC.....THIS HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO ME IN THAT I AM VERY VERY INVOLVED...AND HAS GIVEN ME A PURPOSE....HELPING OTHERS.....THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE SURGERY....BEING INVOLVED WITH OTHERS. HELPING OTHERS..HELPS OURSELVES...

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

MY SCAR IS LONG (ABOUT 7-8 INCHES...IT IS JUST WHAT I EXPECTED AND IT HAS HEALED AND FADED VERY WELL....THIS SCAR AND ANY OTHER IS WORTH THE RESULTS....I WOULD RATHER HAVE A SCAR ON A SMALLER STOMACH THAN NO SCAR ON A BIGGER STOMACH....

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

MY ONE YEAR IS NOW UP...TODAY IN FACT..OCTOBER 26TH...I AM AT A PLATEAU NOW...100 LBS DOWN. I SEEM TO WANT TO EAT MUCH MORE AND DO EAT WELL....I AM WONDERING IF THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED...WORRY ABOUT IT AS I WANT TO LOSE ANOTHER 40 LBS.....
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