black butterfly

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Obesity & Me

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

ALL OF MY LIFE I CAN REMEMBER BEING FAT. I CAN REMEMBER BEING THE BIGGEST GIRL IN MY 6TH GRADE CLASS I WAS ALWAYS BEING TEASED ABOUT MY WEIGHT. I USED TO TRY TO AVOID GOING TO GYM BECAUSE OF MY WEIGHT I WAS NEVER ABLE TO FIT THE GYM UNIFORMS AND BECAUSE OF THAT I WAS EMBARRASED. MY GRADE BEGAN TO FAIL IN THE 9TH GRADE THE BEGINING OF HIGH SCHOOL I WAS ALWAYS FIGHTING BECAUSE 1 PERSON OR ANOTHER WAS TEASING ME. THAT CAUSED MY TO STAY TO MYSELF I REALLY NEVER HAD FREINDS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE I WASN'T SOCIALABLE AT ALL I AVOIDED GOING TO THAT LUNCH ROOM BECAUSE PEOPLE WHOLD SAY THAT IT WAS MY FAVORITE CLASS FOR THE DAY. I KEPT LOT OF MONEY AT THE END OF THE WEEK (lol) FROM SAVING MY LUNCH MONEY. I WOULD CONTINUSLY BE EMBARRASED BECAUSE I COULD NEVER FIT INTO THE DESK AT SCHOOL I MOSTLY ALWAYS HAD TO USE MY DESK AND PART OF THE OTHER DESK TO WRITE ON OR SIT AT MY TEACHERS DESK AT THE HEAD OF THE CLASS. TALKING ABOUT EMBARRASED. BETWEEN THE 4TH GRADE THROUGH THE 12TH GRADE MY GRANDMOTHER DID MY SHOPPING BECAUSE MY CLOTHES WERE TO EXPENSIVE FOR MY MOTHER TO AFFOID THEM AND IT TOOK TO LONG TO SHOP FOR ME BECAUSE I COULDN'T WALK INTO THE AVERAGE STORE AND BE ABLE TO FIT THE CLOTHING. I NEVER WENT TO MY CLASS TRIP BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT NOR DID I GO TO MY SENIOR PROM I HAD TEACHER TRY TO CONVINCE MY TO GO OFFERING TO BY MY DRESS AND TO GET MY HAIR DONE BUT I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO GO BY MYSELF BECAUSE NO GUY WOULD EVEN TALK TO ME NEVER THE LEAST TAKE ME OUT. I APPLIED TO COLLEGE GOT INTO PAINE IN GEORGIA I WENT THER FOR A YEAR AGAIN THE DRAMA CONTINUED WITH THE TEASING AND ME GETTING IN TROUBLE I WAS SCHEDULE TO GOT TO THE SHRINK 2 TIMES A WEEK BECAUSE I TRIED TO KILL MY SELF SEVERAL TIMES IN SCHOOL BY TALKING PILLS, I WAS VERY DEPRESSED EVENTUALLY I WAS KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL. NOW I AM IN THE WORKING WORLD AND IT IS VERY HARD I CAN BARLY FIT INTO MY NISSAN ALTIMA CURRENTLY WEIGHING 500 WITH A 6"4 FRAME THANK GOD I'M TALL (LOL) I GET LOOK AT ALL THE TIME ALWAYS BY CHILDREN. HATE INTERVIEWS BECAUSE THAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT MOST PEOPLE LOOK AT IS MY WEIGHT. I STOPED GOING OUT TO EAT OUT BECAUSE IT SOMETIMES HARD TO FIT INTO THE BOOTHS I EVEN AT TIMES IN MY LIFE RESORTED TO EATING AND THROWING THE FOOD BACK UP BECAUSE YOU FEEL SO GUILTY THAT YOU JUST BINGED ON EVERYTHING YOU HAD IN YOUR HOME. I WOULD GO TO THE ICE CREAM TRUCK AT LEAST 3 TIMES A DAY BUYING CHIPS ,SODAS, PICKLES, CANDY BARS, ICE CREAM, AND I HAD TO HAVE MY HOSTESS CAKES AND A LOT MORE, AND IF I DIDN;T HAVE MONEY, I WOULD STEAL MY MOTHERS PENNYS OUT THE JAR AND I WOULD GO TO THE TRUCK WITH AS MUCH AS $10.00 IN PENNYS (LOL)I HAD TO HAVE MY JUNK FOOD I HAD A SON WITH MY LOVING BOYFRIEND FOR ALMOST 7 YRS I DON'T MY SON TO GET TEASED BECAUSE HE HAS A MOTHER THAT OBESE, SO THAT WHY I HAVE CHOOSE TO HAVE THE LAP BAND SURGERY

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

THE WORST THING I CAN REMEMBER ABOUT BEING OVERWEIGHT ACTUALLY THERE 2. THE FIRST IS THAT A FRIEND INVITED ME TO GO SWIMMING WITH HER AT HER FRIENDS HOUSE. I WAS SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END OF THE WATER, AND WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GET OUT, HER FRIEND HAD THE PLASTIC STEPS THAT LED OUT OF THE POOL. I CAN REMEMBER TRYING TO PULL MYSELF UP,, AND WITH THE WEIGHT OF THE WATER PULLING YOU BACK DOWN IT WAS A HASSLE, EVENTUALLY THE STEP GAVE WAY AND BROKE, I THEN TRIED TO BYPASS THE FIRST STEP AND USE THE SECOND ONE THAT BROKE AS WELL. I HAD TO END UP GOING TO THE SMALLER END OF THE POOL AND ROLLING MYSELF OUT :(... THE SECOND ONE IS THAT ME AND MY BOYFRIEND KNOW NOT THEN WENT OUT TO EAT AT A RESTARAUNT WE NEVER ATE AT BEFORE I ENDED UP BEING STUCK IN THE BOOTH IT TOOK ME AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO MANUVER MY WAY OUT THE BOOTH. WE JOKED ABOUT IT BUT DEEP INSIDE I WAS VERY EMBARRASED.

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

THE FREEDOM

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

I WAS WATCHING A SPECIAL ON 20/20 AND HEARING CARNIE WILSON STORY. MY IMPRESSIONS WERE I CAN DO THAT TO. THEN I STARTED TO READ UP ON THE PROCEDURE AND I WASN'T SO SURE THAT IT WAS WHAT I WANTED I LATER FOUND OUT THE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MY CHURCH HAS HAD THE PROCEDURE AND THAT THE WERE VERY ILL. SO I STOPPED MY RESEARCH UNTIL

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

MY CASE WAS SUBMITTED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY ON A FRIDAY AND A WEEK LATER ON MY BIRTHDAY JULY 30 I WAS CALLED AND TOLD THAT I WAS APPROVED NO PROBLEMS

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

THE FIRST VISIT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE I HAD A LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR THE SURGEON THAT HE ANSWERED. I SAY THAT IF YOU HAVE QUESTION DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK THEM

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I SAW SHARON OSBOURNE NEW SHOW WITH HER AND MONIQUE FROM THE PARKERS AND SHARON SHARED WITH THE WORLD THE PROCEDURE SHE HAD WHICH WAS THE LAP BAND AND I INSTANLY SAID I CAN DO THIS AND BEGAN MY RESEARCH.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

WELL I FINALLY MADE UP MY MIND THAT I AM GOING TO HAVE THE RNY I HAVE ALREADY BEGUN MY TESTING FOR THE SURGERY I CANT WAIT I AM VERY EXCITED I FEEL THAT I HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE I AM A BIG SWEET EATER HOPEFULLY THE DUMPING THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU HAVE THE SURGERY WOULD KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE SWEET AND EATING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FOOD

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 REALL Y DIDN'T NOT HAVE ANY FEARS I FELT THAT I HAD RESEARCHED MY DOCTOR VERY WELL AND I FELT THAT HE WAS VERY CONFIDENT IN HIS WORK

How did your family and friends react to your decision? Would you have communicated anything differently if you could now? How supportive were they after your surgery?

THEY WERE VERY SUPPORTIVE IN MY DECISION AS LOPNG AS I WAS DOING IT FOR MYSELF AND THEY ARE NOW STILL VERY SUPPORTIVE

How did your employer/supervisor react to your decision? What did you tell him/her? How long were you out of work?

THEY WERE OK I DIDN'T RETURN TO WORK UNTIL SEPTEMBER 27, 2004 MY SURGERY DATE WAS ON AUGUST 12,04

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

I PACKED VERY LITTLE MY HOSPITAL STAY WAS EXCELLENT NO COMPLAINTS THE STAFF WAS VERY GOOD I WAS THERE FOR 2 DAYS

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

NO SO FAR SO GOOD NO PROBLEMS

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 READY FROM THE TIME THAT I STARTED RESEARCHING I COULDN'T WAIT

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

I WAS VERY TIRED BUT OVER TIME YOU ADJUST THE FIRST WEEK WAS KIND OF HARD FOR ME WITH JUST LIQUIDS IT GETS BORING

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

THE HOSPITAL WAS ABOUT 25 MIN FROM WHERE I LIVED

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.

WELL FIRST I WAS PUT ON LIQUIDS ONLY CRYSTAL LITE , DIET SNAPPLE,BROTH FOR 2 WEEKS THEN WEEK 3 WAS EGGS, GRITS, CEREAL WITH NO SUGAR,APPLESAUCE UNSWEETENED SOFT THINGS NOW I AM ON WEEK 5 OR 1 MONTH AND I AM ALLOWED TO HAVE SALMON, SOFT FISH, NOODLES, TUNA, CHEESE, YOGURT ETC.

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

I TRY TO GET SOME WALKING IN AT LEAST EVERY OTHER DAY

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

I TAKE CALCIUM PILLS VITAMIN A AND E, B12, FLINSTONES WITH IRON

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?

VOMITIMG BUT IT COMES FROM EATING TO FAST AND NOT CHEWING ENOUGH

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

NOTHING I WOULD DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT

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

http://z9.invisionfree.com/Choosing_and_Losing/index.php?

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

YES IT IS THE INCISIONS ARE QUITE SMALL

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

EXPERENICE PLATEAUS FROM TIME TO TIME BUT NOTING SERIOUS, AFTER 2 YEARS STILL LOSING

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

YES I DO, IM TREATED MUCH NICER
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Before & After
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ARE YOU READY TO PAY IT FORWARD & SHARE YOUR JOURNEY? Your journey will help highlight the many ways weight loss surgery improves lives and makes a difference in our families, communities and world. EACH JOURNEY COUNTS as a voice towards greater awareness.

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