DEKat

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  • BMI 26.3

Obesity & Me

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

My weight problem began in my mid teens, and got worse after I had children. I tried MANY fad diets, did Weight Watchers a few times, and took Phen-Fen. All helped, but none for more than a few months, and whenever I gained the weight back, I gained more than I'd lost. I felt like a failure, and felt people judged me by my weight before even getting to know me.

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

It's a public humiliation, and a vicious cycle. The weight makes it harder for you to work out, so it's extra hard to do anything that'll HELP with the overweight. Also, especially by middle age, the weight begins to destroy your health, and give you MORE problems that make working out difficult.

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 think I'm enjoying doing everything more now than I did before, because I enjoy being me more now. The only specific thing that comes to mind is sex. Breathing was a problem sometimes before, and isn't anymore, and I'm also less self-conscious about being seen nude.

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

I think I first heard of it in the 1980s by seeing something about it on a news magazine TV show. I was intrigued, but my problem wasn't great enough to qualify, and I was also too scared. Then, just a couple years ago, I learned that some insurance companies were covering the procedure, which gave it more credibility to me, and more chance for me to get it. That's when I started looking into it seriously. I'd also met a few people by then who'd had it done.

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

I did not end up having my surgery covered. I would advise people to check for ALL the details with their insurance company before anything else. Many of them require a physician-monitored weight loss program of a certain number of months before they'll cover any. If that's the case, they can get started on that right away.

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

I had my surgery on a Monday morning and came home Wednesday afternoon. The stay was average for a hospital experience, I guess. I hated having to get help to go to the bathroom, and walking while the catheter was still in; but I really felt better than I expected to. I didn't keep my cell phone w/ me because I thought you weren't supposed to use them in hospitals--wish I had kept it.

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

No complications, thank God. If I had any, my insurance wouldn't have covered them because they hadn't covered the surgery.

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

About a week before my surgery date, I went through a couple days of some weird panic, even though I'd been researching the surgery for over a year. I considered backing out, or getting lap band instead. I'm thankful now that I calmed down and went through with my original, well-thought-out plan and had the bypass.

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

The first couple days I slept a lot, and it was a little difficult to get comfortable, since I'm used to sleeping on my stomach. After that, I felt pretty good, but was more tired than usual. I did my two small walks each day, took a nap, and enjoyed being home and getting smaller!

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

I did find a local support group, but they only meet once a month, and I haven't managed to get to one of their meetings yet (3 mos post-op). I do feel comfortable w/ the bariatric program manager, and know she's just an email away if I need anything. I've been good at keeping my appointments w/ the surgeon and dietician. I also have pretty good moral support from my family, coworkers, boyfriend.

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

My surgery was laparascopic, so I have about 4 small scars. I actually showed them to a co-worker when I first came back to work, and he said they looked like mosquito bites. (they're a LITTLE bigger than that). I think in a year, they'll hardly be noticable at all. I think this is about what I expected, or maybe slightly better.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I lost more in the first month than I thought I would, but by 2 1/2 months, I did hit a plateau. I've lost 43 lbs, and am not overly concerned about the plateau yet--I'm hoping the "rest" might give my skin (which has become somewhat loose) a chance to catch up to the rest of me. I'm just continuing to watch my eating and drinking, and trying to make more of an effort to work out.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

The people IN my life don't seem to treat me any differently, but they definitely look at me differently, and are effusive with their praise and encouragement. I do feel like strangers treat me a little better--don't know if it's psychological or not, but I think I get better service in stores and restaurants now.
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