sassykiki

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  • BMI 27.5

Obesity & Me

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

For about ten years I ahve battled endlessly with it and in the end the weight always won! I myself have been an emtional eater for a long time I would eat when I was not hungary or I would eat for othes people's problems and I would in the end feel so bad about it but I did not know how to control it!

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

Not being able to participate in events invoving sports or other recreational events, not being able to tie my own shoe and having to ask my children to do everything for me like I was disabled, it was torture for all of my family.....

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

EXERCISE!!!!!!!!!!!

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

I discovered from a woman who worked at the hospital I was attending, and she was explaning to others about the pure joys of the surgery and how so many people she had helped changed there life and how they are forever changed from it!

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

Well my insurance company approved me kinda fast I had to go through steps like any other insurance company and it only took them eight months to do it! My advice I would give any person sruggling to get help and approval is keep trying and sooner or later they will come around, always think positive and always have persistence....

What was your first visit with your surgeon like? How can people get the most out of this meeting?

My inital visit was very pleasant he was helpful and he explained the surgery very good to me I kne what to expect and what not to.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I was approved!

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I thought about it that night at home with my husband and I decided to have the bypass instead of the band.

What fears did you have about having complications or even dying from from the surgery, and what would you tell other people having the same fears now?

Oh, I had real life fears like anyone else I weighed out my options and ahving surgery was more important than dying a slow death from obesity or other health related issues.

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

They were generally concerned for me because of the risk of dying but I educated them on it and they loosened up alot more than before, other famliy members were not so convincing and still to this day are not! I had a few supporters of my amily there when I came out of surgery and others were not so supportive.

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

They were really pleased for me I had a big party they had threw for me and I had a big rush of relief lifted off me because I no longer needed helpled doing assignments....

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 brief,and I enjoyed it the nurse was so sweet and kind and she was mt first motivator after surgery!!!! Her name was Joy and she came in my room every morning and said Hello sunshine to me and got me right up for my morning walk up and down the halls. I only stay the two days that was required. The most impoetant thing that matter was that my nurse thought about me every day!

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

I had ascites under one of the incision, but after a antiboties it went away after about two weeks.

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 felt alittle emtpy only because I felt like now that I have this new device for my weight now I have to do right by it! I was not so anxious the only thing I worried about was getting in the fliuds I needed every day.

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

My first few weeks was the most challenging only because I thought about food I mean that thought is going to be on your mind! I mean just two weeks before surgery I was consuming food now I have to consume only liquids, then pureeds. Yes it was very hard having my family eat regular food around me and I have to eat soup or something soft!!! So people going into this surgery should always think realistically first! Expect some vomitting expect head hunger expect gas pains or just gas expect to DUMP if your not following your diet to a tee, I mean expect good results to come out of this too.

How far did you travel to have your surgery? (If far, how did this affect your aftercare?)

Not far actually i live down the street from the hosptial of my care and surgery!

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

Well like I stated this surgery is a life style change and alot of foods I was customed to eating I could not consume any more, like breads, pastas, corn, red meats etc.... Oh and anything sweet

What was your actvity level in the days and weeks after surgery?

OMGOSH!!!! I moved like a stallion!

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

Everything they told me I needed to take I still take like B-12, Iron, Multi-vitamin, Urso,Calcium, Pepcid etc....

What side effects (nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbace, dumping, hair loss etc.) were worse for you? For how long after surgery did they persist? How did you cope with them?

The only thing I had was nausea.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

Nothing!

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

Post-op support group meetings are the foundation of your life long recovery! And I say that because without me seeing all the people just like me I would not have done this, had I not seen any success stories I would still be obese!!!

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

I ahve six little incisions five of them were the surgery scars and one of them was the drain hole. I expected it to look just like my surgeon explained.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I hit my first plateau at about month and a half post-op, I really dont know why I had one so soon but I know it last for two weeks, and I have been losing every since!

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Yes!!!!! they stared at me real strange like I was from another planet or something, I got all the snickers and whispers and I also keep getting the compliments and hugs and congrats too......
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