Jessica Houston

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Obesity & Me

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

I ate whatever was convient, alot of leftovers from the kids' plates. I was also an emotional eater. If I was very upset over something, I would binge, sometimes eating as much 4-5 servings of food before I was done. Usually fried or sweet foods.

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

Not feeling like I belonged in my body. My clothes not fitting right and lack of choices in clothes. Hated it when people would say "but you have such a pretty face," that just drove me nuts! Not having the energy to keep up with my kids.

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

Playing with my kids without getting worn out easily! Also love grabbing a size too big when shopping for new clothes!

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

Being a nurse, I had know about weight loss surgery for a long time, but I didn't thonk I was THAT heavy. I saw it as a last ditch & desperate effort for those who were well over 300 lbs. When my best friend was talking about having Lap-band in 2009, I was the first to voice my opinion about the side effects (band erosion through the stomach, over eating the band, etc.), but the more my husband heard about it the more interested he became.

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

We did not have any problems getting either the Lap-band or Gastric Sleeve approved for with our insurance. If you are having problems keep bugging the insurance company and request that anything your Dr office sends the insurance company that you get a copy also, so you have exactly what the insurance company has.

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

Because my husband had had Lap-band with the same surgeon, my meeting was more of a formality. I already knew the office staff by name and the Dr as well. But Dr V did answer a lot of questions from me regarding the different types of surgeries and which one he felt would be best for me. Ask LOTS of questions about the procedure and what to expect afterwards.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I gave it one last effort to do it on my own and only lost 8 lbs to turn around and gain it (plus 3 more) back. I also found out that the Dr was moving out of state and he was the only one in town who does gastric sleeve, as well as the only one our insurance covers. I had also seen how well my husband had done with his weight loss (120+ in 16 months!!!)

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Lots and lots of research, as well as talking with the surgeon. I also have a coworker who had had the sleeve done in Mexico and had great results. I talked to her a lot about her experience.

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?

My family was very supportive of my decision to have weight loss surgery, as well as most of my friends. I did have several coworkers who still tell me that I am not big enough to need weight loss surgery or that if I would just work harder at losing the weight I would be fine. I think if I was to do it again I would not tell my coworkers why I was having surgery just that I was (although this would be hard because I work in healthcare and they would want details of why).

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

My employer was very supportive of my decision.

What was it like attending your first information seminar on weight loss surgery? Were you glad you attended? if so, why?

I had actually attended one with my husband in 2009 which answered a lot of my questions and put my mind at ease about his surgery and opened my eyes up a little.

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

Within city limits... maybe 5 miles.
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