Before & After VSG with Donna Ann, losing 140 pounds
February 27, 2018Why I Decided to Have WLS
I have always struggled with my weight. I have lost and gained many times throughout my life. Like everyone, as I got older, losing became more and more difficult. Through my early thirties, I maintained my weight by staying active. I was by no means thin, but I was healthy.
In 2005, I was diagnosed with a Hypothyroid disease after the birth of my daughter. She was born very premature and had several health issues which required my full attention. In the course of taking care of her needs, I had neglected my own needs which made losing weight extraordinarily difficult, if not impossible. I fought for 10 years to lose weight with no luck. I spent an enormous amount of money on various types of weight loss programs only to stall after losing 20-30 pounds and then regaining even more.
Eventually, I gave up trying. I had spent far too much money to only go backward. I tried to accept that being overweight was just the way I was meant to be. I focused on raising my daughter and my work. I knew my daughter had defended me at school on a few occasions to children who made fun of my weight to her and that troubled me a great deal. I missed being active, riding roller coasters, traveling comfortably and mostly I grew tired of my joints hurting all the time.
In early 2015, I learned about the Mexicali Bariatric Center from a coworker who had great success. I began my research and after several months of talking to other patients and hearing nothing but positive feedback, I decided to go for it. By that point, I weighed 277 pounds, up 80 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight 10 years prior.
After speaking with the facility and planning my time off from work, I booked my surgery for December 2, 2015. I purchased my airline tickets and it has been the best decision I have ever made for myself.
Before & After VSG with Donna Ann
Total weight loss: 140 pounds
Surgery Type: Vertical Gastric Sleeve
Surgery Date: 12-2-15
Surgeon: Dr. Wilhelmy
My Surgery and Post-Op Life
Everyone freaks out at the idea of traveling to Mexico for surgery. I admit I did too. I thought my friends were crazy as I spoke with them. However, after arriving in Mexicali and meeting the staff at the hospital, I was amazed at the cleanliness and efficiency of everyone there. The staff was consistently courteous and professional. I kept thinking to myself, American hospitals could learn a few things from these people.
From our driver who picked us up in San Diego, to our surgery coordinator and all the staff, I was constantly reassured everything would be fine. I admit, I was extremely nervous the night before surgery and didn’t eat my last supper that I was told to indulge in. I couldn’t eat, I was just too nervous. I’m glad I took the sedative they gave me that night or I’m certain I wouldn’t have slept at all. The next morning our driver picked us up at the hotel to take us to the hospital for surgery. I was first. I was glad because the anticipation was about to kill me. Dr. Wilhelmy explained everything very clearly and put me at ease that my surgery would be a success and I had nothing to worry about. I’m sure he has given that speech a thousand times but nonetheless, he did it with sincerity and honesty. He was awesome.
After surgery, I had a difficult time waking from the anesthesia, but nothing to be of concern. Since I was admitted as all of their patients are after surgery, they let me rest and took great care of me. In the U.S., unless there are complications, the Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery is an outpatient procedure. Also, there is no post-op testing unless there are complications. In Mexicali, they standardly admit every patient and run days of testing to make sure the surgery won’t have any complications before they discharge you.
Over the course of the next three days, the care I received was beyond all my expectations. The staff continued to be genuinely caring and the physicians checked on me regularly throughout each day I was there.
Finally, it was time to go home. I was beginning to miss my daughter a great deal and I was anxious to get to my own bed. I was amazed how well I did as I made the long trip home to Florida. I had requested wheelchair transfers at the airports thinking I wouldn’t be able to walk, but I was able to without any problem.
I took the month of December off to recover from surgery due to the nature of my job. It was sometimes challenging to consume the recommended grams of protein and calories but I followed the doctors’ orders to the best of my ability. I am lactose intolerant and many of the protein shakes are made from milk-based products.
After several weeks I began to have some digestive problems and called the center with questions. Each time I called with questions I was able to speak with a doctor and get answers almost immediately. Dr. Campos was always awesome about guiding me and helping me make decisions.
Over the course of the first several months after my surge, y I noticed the weight coming off and my moods swinging. Later I learned about how estrogen is stored in fat cells and when a person is losing weight at a rapid pace, they can get estrogen surges. That was a bit of an adventure but once I understood what was happening with my body, it made things much easier to handle. That issue resolved itself after about two months.
A Special Milestone / Non-Scale Victory
As of today I have lost a total of 140 pounds. I feel twenty years young and am told pretty often I look it too. My body no longer hurts and not only can I keep up with my 12 year old, but I recently out ran her and my puppy German shepherd in a 5K beach run. I am dating regularly and still hope to find ͞the right one. I went so many years without dating at all I had forgotten what it was like and I certainly l lacked the self-confidence to even entertain the idea. My self-esteem and confidence have never been better and I enjoy sharing my story with others who struggle to let them know not to give up.
My advice to everyone I meet who has struggled with weight loss is to go for it. This surgery is for those who have battled weight problems without long-term success due to genetic makeup or slow dysfunctional metabolisms. Life is too short to not enjoy. We should all be able to do the things we want and live happy healthy lives.
Has ObesityHelp.com been a part of your journey?
Using ObesityHelp’s website and reading what others have written in addition to the tips and advice given made me feel as though I was never alone. I was blessed to have made new friends throughout the process, several of which are in the medical field here in the U.S. and they traveled to Mexicali for their own surgery. It continuously reassured me I had made the best decision of my life.
Share Your Before & After Success!
Do you have Before & Afters, special milestones and non-scale victories from your journey that you’d like to share? The OH team wants to hear from you! Visit our Before & After Submission page for details.
