Debbie K.

  • BMI 48.9

Obesity & Me

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

I have been overweight since before I was one year old. I weighed 20# at 6 months. I have a Mom who has never been anything but supportive. My Dad has always been big and I couldn't begin to count the number of diet races we ran. He always won, which didn't do anything for my self esteem and I had a Grandmother who's favorite line was "but you have such a pretty face". I had given up before I heard about bariatric surgery. I had tried everything else with no success and my Dad's banded gastroplasty didn't work, so I had no hope.

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

The worst thing is people saying that I am lazy. Hearing about how pretty I could be if I was thin. Always hearing that I would lose weight if I would stop eating and start exercising. I'm not sure how much exercise anyone is able to do when they weigh almost 400#. And eating out was horrible because I knew that everyone watched every bite I took.

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 can walk as much as I want. I don't have to stop and rest all of the time. I have more energy and able to have more quality time with my husband.

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

I heard about the surgery from a co-worker and immediately knew that it was my only chance.

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 3 nights. The staff was wonderful. The most important thing to take is slippers with non-skid soles.

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

The only complication from the surgery was that the doctor couldn't get my spleen to stop bleeding so he had to remove it. I haven't even missed it. The epidural was the greatest but it caused me to itch but the benadryl helped. It made it much easier to get around.

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 only had to wait 10 days between my approval date and the date of my surgery. There was no anxeity. I knew that this was my only shot and I had researched this surgery for 2 years, so I was well informed.

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

My scar goes from just below my bra line to just above my navel. It looks good for a scar. I had steri strips so it healed smooth and is not very noticeable.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

People are very supportive. My Dad is my biggest fan and very proud of me. No one treats me differently. My Grandmother tells me that I will look good once I lose another 80#. (I'm 4 months out and have already lost 80.) Some people would rather eat their tongue than be suportive, so rely on those who give the support and ignore the rest.
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