WLS Survey
WLS Questions
For those who are bored and would like a diversion I present to you the WLS Survey. Copy/paste the questions into your post and then answer them. It's fun and all your friend's are doing it.
Here's the questions and below are my answers:
WLS Questions
1. What made you decide to have the surgery?
2. Did anyone try and talk you out of it? How did you respond?
3. How much did you weigh when you decided to have the surgery?
4. How much have you lost and in what time frame?
5. Was it painful?
6. Was it emotionally painful?
7. How has having the surgery helped you?
8. How has having the surgery hurt you?
9. How long did you have to wait in order to have the surgery?
10. What restrictions do you now have on your daily routine?
11. What alternate methods of weight loss have you tried?
12. What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is contemplating this surgery?
13. Would you do it over again if you had to?
1. What made you decide to have the surgery?
My sorority sister Leah had it 2 years earlier. . .and it hit me REALLY hard. I tried for 2 years to lose the weight on my own - I even ran a 5k at 400 lbs. Nothing worked. I knew I needed to do something, then I visited my mother on the same weekend that a dear friend (who I consider "my age") went to the hospital with heart troubles. My mother was more coherent than usual - and it was obvious to me that she was a prisoner trapped in her obese body that was a rapidly worsening train wreck. She was in the hospital and in so much physical pain she was just shaking. . .I knew in that moment looking at her that unless I did something and SOON that I would share her fate.
2. Did anyone try and talk you out of it? How did you respond?
I'm not really one that gives people much opportunity to talk me out of anything. I made it abundantly clear that no one's opinion mattered as much as mine did when it comes to this, and that I was not offering it as a suggestion - it was my way or the highway. My friends know me well, and are kind of used to me being a bit of a snott like that. 
3. How much did you weigh when you decided to have the surgery?
I weighed over 400 lbs. I don't know how much over, I didn't have a scale that went that high.
4. How much have you lost and in what time frame?
Preop loss - 9 months I lost 45 lbs.
Postop loss - 9 months I have lost 147 since surgery.
Total loss in 18 months 192 lbs. I am almost 1/2 the woman I used to be.
5. Was it painful?
It's surgery not a cakewalk. It was a bit painful but I'm a trooper, so it wasn't that bad to me. It sucked don't get me wrong but it was very purposeful pain. . .unlike the migrane I have right now due to worry.
6. Was it emotionally painful?
In a word yes. I consciously chose to no longer be obese. However. . .that doesn't mean I woke up from surgery magically prepared to deal with all of the stuff that goes along with that. Add to that dealing with other people's emotions regarding my weight loss. . . .it's a challenge.
7. How has having the surgery helped you?
There aren't words to adequately describe how much this surgery has changed my life. I'll simplify it with one thing. This surgery gives me hope - I actually believe that I can have a long healthy life now. And that was something I never dared to dream before.
8. How has having the surgery hurt you?
Surgery itself hasn't hurt me. When people I love have a hard time dealing with my changes that can be hurtful. And I would say that the constant body transformation does deliver a blow to my self-confidence that is in a continual state of repairing.
9. How long did you have to wait in order to have the surgery?
9 months. And it was good for me to wait - gave me time to prepare.
10. What restrictions do you now have on your daily routine?
No real restrictions. I don't get to touch sugar and sometimes I can't eat high-fat food (sometimes I can).
Otherwise - I have MUCH LESS restrictions mobility wise than before.
Does "obsessive need to be on Obesityhelp.com and LJ" count as a restriction? LOL
11. What alternate methods of weight loss have you tried?
Weigh****chers, Deal a meal, metabolife, Slim fast, "Shapedown" program for fat teens, Bulemia, Working out and eating less, Therapy, nutritionist visits and others.
12. What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is contemplating this surgery?
Hold on - it can be a bumpy ride.
Get a support group in real life.
Get a therapist who specializes in eating disorders - one does not reach 400lbs (or 300) with a healthy relationship with food.
Be ready for everything to change.
13. Would you do it over again if you had to?
In a HEARTBEAT. I'd lay down and do it tomorrow if I had to.
~Lara 
Lap RNY 4/1/04
Dr Drew Minneapolis
400-355-208-190
3. How much did you weigh when you decided to have the surgery?
I weighed over 400 lbs. I don't know how much over, I didn't have a scale that went that high.
4. How much have you lost and in what time frame?
Preop loss - 9 months I lost 45 lbs.
Postop loss - 9 months I have lost 147 since surgery.
Total loss in 18 months 192 lbs. I am almost 1/2 the woman I used to be.
5. Was it painful?
It's surgery not a cakewalk. It was a bit painful but I'm a trooper, so it wasn't that bad to me. It sucked don't get me wrong but it was very purposeful pain. . .unlike the migrane I have right now due to worry.
6. Was it emotionally painful?
In a word yes. I consciously chose to no longer be obese. However. . .that doesn't mean I woke up from surgery magically prepared to deal with all of the stuff that goes along with that. Add to that dealing with other people's emotions regarding my weight loss. . . .it's a challenge.
7. How has having the surgery helped you?
There aren't words to adequately describe how much this surgery has changed my life. I'll simplify it with one thing. This surgery gives me hope - I actually believe that I can have a long healthy life now. And that was something I never dared to dream before.
8. How has having the surgery hurt you?
Surgery itself hasn't hurt me. When people I love have a hard time dealing with my changes that can be hurtful. And I would say that the constant body transformation does deliver a blow to my self-confidence that is in a continual state of repairing.
9. How long did you have to wait in order to have the surgery?
9 months. And it was good for me to wait - gave me time to prepare.
10. What restrictions do you now have on your daily routine?
No real restrictions. I don't get to touch sugar and sometimes I can't eat high-fat food (sometimes I can).
Otherwise - I have MUCH LESS restrictions mobility wise than before.
Does "obsessive need to be on Obesityhelp.com and LJ" count as a restriction? LOL
11. What alternate methods of weight loss have you tried?
Weigh****chers, Deal a meal, metabolife, Slim fast, "Shapedown" program for fat teens, Bulemia, Working out and eating less, Therapy, nutritionist visits and others.
12. What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is contemplating this surgery?
Hold on - it can be a bumpy ride.
Get a support group in real life.
Get a therapist who specializes in eating disorders - one does not reach 400lbs (or 300) with a healthy relationship with food.
Be ready for everything to change.
13. Would you do it over again if you had to?
In a HEARTBEAT. I'd lay down and do it tomorrow if I had to.
~Lara
Lap RNY 4/1/04
Dr Drew Minneapolis
400-355-208-190 
Wow Lara.. a good post and some interesting answers. Here are my answers:
1. What made you decide to have the surgery?
I was fat, huge, miserable and my health was getting worse at an alarming pace. If I didn't do something major, I knew that I would die. I wasn't ready for that, I had way too much living to do yet.
2. Did anyone try and talk you out of it? How did you respond?
None of the people close to me tried to talk me out of it, but people I hardly knew somehow felt it was their duty to try to warn me about this and tell me not to do it.
I thought this was really interesting. Since these people really didn't mean all that much to me, I just let them have their say and then I moved on quickly. After my unexpected and long stay at the hospital, when I came back to work they looked at me with that I told you so look. Now I see them sneaking looks at the new me and I just smile to myself.
3. How much did you weigh when you decided to have the surgery?
Not really sure becaues I was up and down the scales like crazy and then there is the scale thing. I was 374 right before my surgery though when I found that scale that would weigh me.
4. How much have you lost and in what time frame?
I have lost 183 pounds so far. I had my surgery on 2/25/04. That makes it 10 1/2 months. 
5. Was it painful?
The surgery wasn't bad for me at all. I even stopped taking the pain meds 2 days after my surgery before I left the hospital.
6. Was it emotionally painful?
At times it was simply because I went through a major "What did I do to myself?" time when I went back into the hospital. After I was out of danger though I never looked back.
7. How has having the surgery helped you?
It has helped me in so many ways. I have my quality of life back. I can go anywhere do almost anything and I do it all with an amazing smile that comes from way inside my heart. I can keep up with my partner, and we are really enjoying things together that we never could have before. It has given me confidence for days! 
8. How has having the surgery hurt you?
Oh my... 
There was a really bad abdominal infection that led to pneumonia, collapsed lung, sepsis, septic shock, blood clot. Let me just say that I was the poster child for complications.
9. How long did you have to wait in order to have the surgery? Because of a job change and change in insurance it was 3 miserable years altogether.
I had to start the whole process over again.
10. What restrictions do you now have on your daily routine?
I have a hernia right now and the doctor has restricted my exercise to walking, climbing stairs, running, and light aerobics.
I can't lift over 10 pounds and I have to limit bending and I have to support my little unwanted belly friend. He wont fix the thing until summer because of all the trauma my body went through because of complications.
11. What alternate methods of weight loss have you tried?
Overeaters anonymous, low fat, Adkins, Weigh****chers, low calories, etc.
12. What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is contemplating this surgery?
Learn as much as you can about it, think it over, find a REALLY good surgeon who has lots of experience, make your decision, and then don't look back.
13. Would you do it over again if you had to?
ABSOLUTELY! I would go through every nasty thing and problem that I have experienced this year if I could get to this point. Life is so wonderful now!
Shew... there you have it folks... 
Peace,
Amy 
I thought this was really interesting. Since these people really didn't mean all that much to me, I just let them have their say and then I moved on quickly. After my unexpected and long stay at the hospital, when I came back to work they looked at me with that I told you so look. Now I see them sneaking looks at the new me and I just smile to myself.
3. How much did you weigh when you decided to have the surgery?
Not really sure becaues I was up and down the scales like crazy and then there is the scale thing. I was 374 right before my surgery though when I found that scale that would weigh me.
4. How much have you lost and in what time frame?
I have lost 183 pounds so far. I had my surgery on 2/25/04. That makes it 10 1/2 months.
5. Was it painful?
The surgery wasn't bad for me at all. I even stopped taking the pain meds 2 days after my surgery before I left the hospital.
6. Was it emotionally painful?
At times it was simply because I went through a major "What did I do to myself?" time when I went back into the hospital. After I was out of danger though I never looked back.
7. How has having the surgery helped you?
It has helped me in so many ways. I have my quality of life back. I can go anywhere do almost anything and I do it all with an amazing smile that comes from way inside my heart. I can keep up with my partner, and we are really enjoying things together that we never could have before. It has given me confidence for days!
8. How has having the surgery hurt you?
Oh my... There was a really bad abdominal infection that led to pneumonia, collapsed lung, sepsis, septic shock, blood clot. Let me just say that I was the poster child for complications.
9. How long did you have to wait in order to have the surgery? Because of a job change and change in insurance it was 3 miserable years altogether. I had to start the whole process over again.
10. What restrictions do you now have on your daily routine?
I have a hernia right now and the doctor has restricted my exercise to walking, climbing stairs, running, and light aerobics. I can't lift over 10 pounds and I have to limit bending and I have to support my little unwanted belly friend. He wont fix the thing until summer because of all the trauma my body went through because of complications.
11. What alternate methods of weight loss have you tried?
Overeaters anonymous, low fat, Adkins, Weigh****chers, low calories, etc.
12. What is the best bit of advice you could give to someone who is contemplating this surgery?
Learn as much as you can about it, think it over, find a REALLY good surgeon who has lots of experience, make your decision, and then don't look back.
13. Would you do it over again if you had to?
ABSOLUTELY! I would go through every nasty thing and problem that I have experienced this year if I could get to this point. Life is so wonderful now!
Shew... there you have it folks...
Peace,
Amy Most Active
Recent Topics
