Lisa F.

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Obesity & Me

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

I was always an emotional eater, stressful situations I ate, nervous I ate, bored I ate. I just could never find something that would replace that mindless eating.

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

Being worried constantly that I wouldn't be around to see my son grow up.

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

Walking my dog, playing on a coed softball team, meeting new people without feeling awkward, just having a new feeling of confidence that I never had before.

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

Heard about it from a coworker. I was scared, I thought it was the easy way out and people would see me as a sell out and lazy, for not losing weight the normal way through diet and exercise.

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

I had no problems whatsoever. My surgeon's office did all the work for me. They knew exaxtly what I needed for approval and made sure I did it.

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

My first appointment with him was nervewracking. I went in with a bunch of questions and was determined to be the most informed patient ever. I asked and asked and asked away and he was more than happy to answer them and give me his professional input.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided to have the surgery because I was tired of being so overweight. I couldn't live a normal life, I couldn't walk without being winded, I couldn't fly comfortably on an airplane, I couldn't enjoy amusement park rides with my son, it was horrible and I knew I had to do something before it was too late.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I was set on having the Lapband procedure at first. I spoke with my surgeon and he agreed that this was the procedure that he felt was best suited for me. I did my research and then realized that with the Lapband there is more room for cheating. You are not as restricted as to what you can eat, the band can be removed if you decide at a later date that you don't want it anymore and I knew that this would be a recipe for failure for me. I knew I needed something that was strict on me, that was unwilling to allow me to make bad decisions, something restrictive that punished me by making me throw up, or dump when I made a bad choice so that is why I ultimately decided to have RNY.

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?

Going in to the procedure I realized that there were risks involved. I didn't think I had anything to worry about because I was relatively healthy going in. As it turns out, I had many complications which caused me to be hospitalized for a month. I had 2 bowel obstructions which required surgery, developed pneumonia and then my open wound became infected. During my hospital stays, I continued to ask myself what I was thinking by doing something as drastic as this, but now I realize it was the best decision of my life and something I would definetely do again!

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

I was there overnight for the procedure itself. I went home and 2 days later was rehospitalized due to complications. I spent 17 days in the hospital the 2nd time and finally went home but that was short lived. I had to go back again for complications from pneumonia and was rehospitalized for a total of 31 days. I would tell people to bring chapstick, a book or ipod, tv gets boring after a while, clean loose fitting clothing, and basic hygiene items.

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

Complications, I had alot of them. I dealt with them on a day to day, case by case basis. My surgeon was with me every step of the way, answering questions, keeping me and my family informed at all times, and reassuring me that we would get through this. His bedside manner was and still is awesome!

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 sick for a while, but I followed my surgeon's recommendations and knew that I was on a path for a better life. My anxiety was very prevalent so I relied on family and friends and obesityhelp.com to help me through it.

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

I had open surgery so I was limited to what I could do. Be prepared to be sick, not eat much, have no appetite and be on a roller coaster of emotions. I second guessed my decision every day and was so mad at myself, but support goes a long way, make sure you have a strong support system!

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

My surgeon is only 11 miles away, not far at all.

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.

I mainly stuck to soup, nothing too spicy though. I couldn't eat bread, rice, pasta and still can't because of them being so carbohydrate rich. I can't have soda either because of the carbonation and plus it has no nutritional benefits so why put it in your body if it won't benefit you. Anything too dry, like white meat chicken is off limits to me, it gets stuck and I vomit. I couldn't eat eggs at first but have lately been able to incorporate them into my diet, which is great because they are so rich in protein. I stick with my protein shakes when I can't get my protein in through food.

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

Very tired and sluggish, slept alot. When I went back to work things got better, and now I feel much better and my energy level has skyrocketed.

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

B12 shot monthly, chewable iron pills daily, calcium pills daily, multivitamin daily.

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?

If I don't chew my food well enough it gets stuck and then I eventually vomit, it is painful at times so I try to be aware of what I am eating and remind myself to eat slowly and chew, chew, chew. If I eat too much now I start to hiccup. I am sick to my stomach still quite often after eating, not all the time but about 75% of the time, it's just my stomach getting used to new foods. My hair if falling out constantly, running my hand through my hair produces a handful of hair, which has been very hard for me to deal with, but I know that it is only a temporary thing and will eventually slow down and stop altogether.

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

Changing my eating patterns and realizing that this was a lifestyle change and not an easy decision and convincing uneducated people that this was NOT the easy way out!

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

Obesityhelp.com is awesome, at least one person has been through what you go through so you have plenty of people that can relate to you and help you with any questions you may have.

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

My scar looks like a zipper from above my belly button to below it. I was expecting to have a laparoscopic procedure, which I did at first, but due to my numerous complications my surgeon had to perform an open procedure. It's a light purple color now, not too bad, better than I originally expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

No real plateaus, I realize that if I would exercise I would lose more, that is my biggest weakness.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I notice that I get more attention from men, which is awesome because I am a single woman. I have also noticed that people that I thought were friends really aren't because instead of being happy for me they are jealous and treat me differently. This surgery made me realize who my true friends were.
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