Jamato

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Obesity & Me

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

I have battled wt loss all my life. I have done every wt loss program out there with the exeption of Jenny Craig. I DO NOT like eating food that is store made.

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

The looks you get from skinny people and the comments that are made by not only peers but the parents who think that you are a fat slob even tho you are athletic, eat mostly healthy food and take yourself quite seriously. Sad really.

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

I had my VSG done on 11/28/11. Since then I am down 30 lbs. I am so happy with where I am going. I am more energized and WANT to exercise. I am able to walk without the pain in my legs & knees. My daughters are happier that mommy is happy. They want to exercise with mommy too! This is why I did it. I wanted to able to do more with my girls! They are my life! I know I will not be a size 2 by the time the summer gets here but, I know I will feel a LOT better about myself in a bathing suit this year than I did last year!

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

I began reseaching it online and I was turned off by the complications to both lab band and RNY bypass. I think this is what held me back for the past 3 yrs. When I found the sleeve, it turned me around!

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

Try to get all your testing done ASAP! When you do this, you should have NO PROBLEMS getting ins approval. They would rather put this $ out now than dish it out over the rest of you life 3 times over!

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

We had a group of 6 ppl that were given a run thru of the surgery options offered. We were shown slides of an actual procedure and then they were each explained to us. We then had a 1 on 1 with the Dr. He explained what needed to be done for approval. What to expect before & after surgery & asked what procedure I was thinking of. Up until the DAY of the surgery he told me I could change my mind. He is amazing.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

The surgeon himself. He made me feel so comfortable with him and confident in his ability to get me thru this safely. He did just that. I never doubted him. No butterflies or fears until just as I went into the OR. He made me feel peaceful even after the surgery.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Research and a friend who had the VSG done also. It was a no brainer.

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?

I NEVER once had a thought of possibly dying. Dr. Neff gave me every comfort that he and the rest of the staff would do EVERYTHING in their power to make sure there were NEVER any complications. I did have a fear of a blood clot but, the fear of it is what keeps me going. I took my blood thinners daily, walked as much as I could and made sure that was NOT AN OPTION! If you have FAITH in your surgeon...You will have NO FEAR!
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