sue M.

Obesity & Me

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

i was very withdrawn..did not want to go anywhere..felt like a beached whale was embarassed could not hold out to go to a shopping mall with my friends and it seemed the more i tried to loose weight the harder it became and the more depressed i got when i spoke to my doctor and told her how i felt she was very sympathetic..when i made the statement if i had the money i'd have this surgery she was very encouraging and suggested the doctor i finally ended up using and wrote me a referral my whole attitude seemed to change when i found out i was approved by my insurance company for this surgery..nobody could change my mind...i was excited

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

not being able to do the things i use to do..get down and do gardening, go to the shopping mall and not get out of breathe and be so tired i didn't want to shop being embarassed about my size and feeling like everyone thought i must eat all the time and was just lazy and made fun of me

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

as silly as it sounds i can cross my legs...can walk in the malls and not get tired before i get frm the parking lot. can clean my house and not be exhaused

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

i read an article in a magazine and then there was a piece on tv about a local doctor about the fobe pouche..when i saw that i got on the internet and found this site and tried to educate myself about the surgery...i was very impressed with the results of all the people i talked to and how excited they were to have done the surgery

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

my hospital stay was great...the nurses and staff were absolutely wonderful..i was in the hospital 3 days. bring only your toothbrush, hairbrush and personal items...you don't feel like putting on a pretty gown so leave it at home for later

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

i did not have any complications after surgery...mine was a textbook 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?

as the weeks went by my energy increased and i felt wonderful...i have not had any anxiety...when i went into this sugery i knew i knew i would be giving up a lot of foods...but you know what...i don't miss them...when i step on the scales it is worth every ounce of food i don't eat

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

my doctor has a support group in atlanta that meets once a month..it is an hours drive so i don't get to go often.but when i do it is great. he requires that you attend at least 1 b/4 surgery and is very helpful you hear all the pros and cons of the surgery and know b/4 surgery what you are facing and the results...seeing the results is wonderful and hearing all the stories knowing they have been where you are and it is so encouraging and to me that is very important to know you are not alone with this weight problem

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

i was so surprised at my scar...it goes frm below my breast to above my naval..but it is only a hair line scar and is not bad at all..it is not what i expected..i expected this horrible scar that looked horrible but it doesn't it should fade alot..if i end up not having to have a tummy tuck i can live with this scar..it's a battle wound that i earned when i won the battle against obesity

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i haven't reached any plateaus yet i am averaging about 1 lb a day weight loss i know they are coming but i haven't reached one yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes...they tell me how great i look and can't believe i have lost 44 lbs in only 6 weeks and not hungry
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