Mindy NJ

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Obesity & Me

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

I have faced the horrific battle of being overweight for as long as I can recall. Even pictures of me as a toddler, show rolls of fat and chubby cheeks. After a few years those chubby cheeks werent so cute anymore. I can recall as a teen going with my Mom shopping for school clothes into the women's half size dept and asking my Mom to pretend we were shopping for her (she at that time was about a size 10). As a young adult, the more I ate the more depressed I became and then ate more to numb that pain.

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

Not having the true ability to allow that carefree, adventerous person run free for fear of ridicule

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

Feel Beautiful, Breathe, Be Healthy, Adventerous, Feisty, Fit in ANY seat or booth, Have men look at me because of how good I look not because how gross I look

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

From friends and famly members who had undergone the surgery. My initial reaction was thinking .."that figures, they WOULD take the "easy" way out"

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

Amaingly even to me..I had my consult on Friday, October 22, 2004 and received a call from the doctor's office on Tuesday, October 26, 2004 that I was approved. My advice is truly work with the people at the doctor's offic ein any way you can to expedite the process but be prepared to do everything necessary to get whatever info and reports are required.

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

I took a friend with me who had used the surgeon for the same surgery. I also came prepared with a list of questions (some that probably bordered on the brink of insane but it is my life and I did not care how dumb things may have sounded)

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

SO very tired of the battle, of the inability to keep weight off, to have a life filled with all I want and deserve that was hindered because of the weight

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

I arrived at the hospital very early on the morning of surgery and went home 2 days later. When I arrive, I was met by caring thorough staff members who worked with me. The two nights post op were difficult and my inability to get around very much was painful. The nursing staff was right there no matter what I needed..even if it was reaasurance.
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