Nancy H.

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Obesity & Me

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

I have always been overweight. Five years ago I had Breast Cancer. After surgery I had chemo & gained more weight. I had lost 2 sisters to Breast Cancer & went into a depression & just didn't care. I finall decided to live & part of that was to lose weight. I have alot of grandaughters & wanted to be there for them.

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

Not being able to breath or take a walk, or play with my grandkids.

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

Play with my grandchildren.

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

A friend had it done. Also my daughter was interested.

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

I had good ins. so there was no problem.

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

I really don't remember much. I suggest people take notes & have questions written down.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I wanted to be a normal person.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted some thing more permanant.

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 didn't have any fears about the surgery.

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?

I only told my close family and 2 friends before. After the surgery I told the rest of my family. They were great about it.

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

I was in for less than 24 hrs. The nursing staff was great & so were the support people. Bring sweat pants (lose ones)

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

The opening to my pouch is smaller than planned so I do have a problem with some foods getting stuck. I just have to remember that when I eat.

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 just so excited.

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

I was very sick. The lortab also made me sick. I just went with another painkiller.

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

150 miles. It was bad during the winter, but thankfully my husband did the driving.

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 stuck to diet given to me for a long time. After that chicken was the worst. I eat alot of cottege cheese, beef jerky (for protein) & some protein bars.

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

I didn't do much for about a week. After that I did alot of walking & some light weight training.

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

Prenatal , calcium, & B12

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?

Hair loss was hard. It stopped after 6 mos. Not being able to vomit was also hard, If I ate too fast.

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

My family & now ObesithHelp.com

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

I have 6 tiny scares. It's not as bad as I expected.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I have been at the same weight since my 6 mo. checkup. I am now almost 7 mos. out.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Absolutely! I flew a few weeks ago & fit into the seat. The people on the plane were very nice. I wish I had been treated like that before my surgery. I am still the same person, just smaller.
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