jacqueline M.

  • BMI 43.3

Obesity & Me

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

Depressed angry with myself for allowing someone to crash my self-esteem when I was 142 lbs and ballooned up to a size 24/26. I have been battling my weight for the last 15 years. my highest weight was 283 lbs, but I feel like 500 lbs. I have NOT been able to get the weight off and keep it off. I had my first appt and it all looks good right now. My husband and I are both going to go through it together.

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

What is the worse thing about being overweight? is NOT being able to do the activities you enjoyed before becoming obese.

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

I have not had the surgery yet. I just started the program up for the final time and I am NOT going to let anyone or anything keep me from getting healthy.

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

My husband's ex-wife had the surgery done in 2004. My first thought of the surgery was people are too lazy to lose weight on their own. IN some cases it is true. My husband's ex-wife, after her surgery and 100 plus lbs she lost, went back to eating and drinking the foods that put her in being obese. Their oldest daughter never dieted in her life, ballooned from 350 lbs to 450 lbs to get health problems so welfare can pay for her surgery.

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

I cannot get approval for this surgery at all. PEBTF (Pennsylvania Employee Benefit Trust Fund) removed any and all treatments for obesity from being covered by insurance, no matter what the reason. IF you can afford to PAY for your own health insurance, by all means do it. Don't let some beaurocrat (sp) deny you medical services because you are obese. Contacted the ACLU, and they flat out refused to help, even though there are so many people who receive their health care through PEBTF.

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

My first meeting with the surgeon who would do the surgery IF I was able to get it was depressing. He flat out told me that my health insurance does NOT cover treatment for obesity.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I want to enjoy doing things with my kids and grandkids. I have 2 grandkids with on on the way. I'm tired of being fat and want my old skinny body back.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Read and studied the different surgeries/procedures.

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?

My fears of this surgery is that it will NOT help me lose weight.

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 and friends do NOT support me at all on my quest to get the surgery.
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