watasha G.

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Obesity & Me

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

ALWAYS BEEN A BIG GIRL. ALTHOUGH WHEN I LOOK AT SCHOOL PICS, I WASN'T FAT. JUST BIGGER THAN MOST OF THE PETITE GIRLS. MY SELF ESTEEM ALWAYS REMAINED POSITIVE. BUT AS I HIT MY 20'S AND BEGIN TO DATE, I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT, EVEN THOUGH I WASN'T MORBIDLY OBESE, I WAS BIG...STILL OUTGOING, BUT BEGINNING TO FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. BEGAN DIET AFTER DIET TO DROP 3-10 LBS. KNEW OF A COUPLE CLOSE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO'D HAD SURGERY BUT IT NEVER DAWNED ON ME TO DO SO. BEGAN WORKING OUT ON A REGULAR, AND LOST 40 LBS. HAD A BABY, LOST 52 LBS... THEN GAINED IT BACK PLUS SOME. HAD ANOTHER BABY, LOST 20 LBS DURING PREGNANCY, AFTERWARDS GAINED IT BACK PLUS 50 LBS...SO THAT WAS IT FOR ME..I COULDNT IGNORE MY WEIGHT ANY LONGER... BEGAIN RESEARCHING WLS.

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

THE WORSE THING ABOUT BEING OVERWEIGHT IS MY ENERGY LEVEL IS LOW, I HATE SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES, AND TAKING PICTURES THAT INCLUDE BODY SHOTS!

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

walk stairs, without getting winded. One of the most humiliating things I remeber doing was, sitting in a plastic resin chair and breaking the arm rest from all the pressure I put on it.

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

KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR YEARS, JUST DID NOT THINK I WOULD EVER DO IT. THEN MY HUSBAND HAD SOME FAMILY MEMBERS GO THROUGH IT. STILL WASNT IN MY MIND TO DO..I JUST ASSUMED IT WAS FOR SOMEONE WHO WAS SEVERELY OBESE....WELL NOW, HERE I AM.

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

I WAS REALLY STRESSED ABOUT THE APPROVAL PROCESS, OBTAINING DOCUMENTATION..THAT WHOLE THING. BUT, IT WAS NOT HARD AT ALL. GOT ME RECORDS FROM MY PCP, PERINATOLOGISTS, AND THE HOSPITAL, DID A PSYCH EVAL, AND SURGEONS OFFICE SENT IT OUT, AND BY WEEK THREE I HAD A VERBAL APPROVAL, WITH MY OFFICIAL LETTER A WEEK LATER.

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

I WAS EXCITED TO DO THE CONSULT, MY HUSBAND ATTENDED WITH ME, I BELIEVE OUT OF OUR GROUP I ASKED THE MOST QUESTIONS. THEN DURING MY ONE ON ONE I ASKED DR. K. NUMEROUS QUESTIONS THAT HE ANSWERED THOROUGHLY. HE IS QUIET, BUT DEFINATELY KNOWLEDGEABLE.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

BEST FRIEND HAD LOOKED INTO IT, STARTED A 6 MONTH WEIGHT PROGRAM, AND AFTER HER DOING SO FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS I DECIDED TO TRY. I KNEW THAT I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM MEETING THE QUALIFICATIONS. WITH MY CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUES, AND MY BMI, AND MY PCP BEHIND ME. GOT APPROVED WITHOUT A 6 MONTH HISTORY BECAUSE MY WEIGHT WAS CONSISTANTLY CHECKED FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS DUE TO HIGH RISK PREGNANCIES, AND DIABETES..

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I JUST WENT WITH LAP RNY BECAUSE I FAMILY MEMBER DID SO, AND TWO CO WORKERS HAD DONE SO AS WELL. I HAVE HAD TWO C-SECTIONS, AND MY LAST ONE DID NOT CLOSE. SO THE PAST SUMMER WAS SPENT GOING TO A WOUND HEALING CENTER WEEKLY FOR THEM TO TREAT MY WOUND UNTIL IT HEALED. I DID NOT WANT TO BE CUT OPEN AGAIN.

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?

THERE ARE FEARS WITH ANYTHING WE A RE UNCERTAIN OF. THIS SURGERY AND ANY OTHER SURGERY CAN HAVE COMPLICATIONS OR DEATH. I AM TRUSTING THAT GOD IS GOING TO COVER ME LIKE HE HAS DONE SO MANY TIMES.. JUST TRUST THAT YOU WILL BE FINE, GOD IS LOOKING OUT FOR YOU. YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE PEACE WITH IT AND KNOW THAT ALL IS WELL. HAVE SUPPORTIVE PEOPLE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
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