charlotte C.

Obesity & Me

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

I had a lot of depression that i kept to my self my self worth was very low and i felt as though i had no hope of ever getting back to a normal size.I felt embarassed for my family and would stay home from functions to keep people from starring and laughing at me. I missed out on a lot of school functions,because i didn't want the other kids to tease my kids about their fat mommy!!!

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

not being able to enjoy my family the way i wanted to. And not being able to wipe myself properly after bodily functions...Not being able to tye my shoes and all the time i missed out on going to movies and fun things with my family because i could not keep up with them...

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

MY family i took my grandkids to the movie and wasn't worried if i fit in the theater seats or not... and the ability to wipe myself properly after body functions tye my shoes walk without getting out of breath ,and buy clothes a the regular clothing store....

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

from a friend and i thought i would not probably be able to have it because i didn't think medicare would pay but they did and rather qickly to...

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

My stay at Saint Patricks hospital was rewarding as far as my care went. 3 days. High hopes and good thoughts of sucess.

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

No

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 was very sore and a little worried about the complication that might arise so i Prayed and gave my worries to God and i felt much better...

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

the support group is in missoula and i live in Eureka 300 miles away i would like to see a support group set up in kalispell so we don't have to travel so far on bad roads to get to a support group.As i beleive this is very important to be able to talk to others who have gone through the same things!!!

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

My scar is about10 or 12 inches long and doesn't look to bad i consider it my battle of the bulge scar.......

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

i am 3 months out and have lost59lbs scince surgery 80lbs altogether in 4 months i lose on the average of 4 lbs per week..

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

yes everyone wants to know about the surgery and how i feel and what it's like not to be able to eat much...curosity killed the cat you know....
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