Deb P.

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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! I used to try to control it when I was much younger and then when I got to 300 pounds and realized that I couldn't control it. I needed help!

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

The damage that you are doing to your body. Sometimes it is not reversable. Damage to your knees and back are horrible.

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

walking and not getting out of breath!

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

I was scared to death of it when my good friend done it about 5 years ago but then my mom started to have some health problems serious ones and her doctor told her about the surgery and she and my older sister checked into it.

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

I really didn't have a problem getting an approval. My insurance company denied my initial request and I called Jennifer at the surgeons office and she told me "give me a few days, I will get you an approval!" I trusted her and she had me an approval in 4 days! I would say the best advice I could give to anyone waiting on approval is work with your surgeons staff. I didn't have to really do anything except show up for the surgery.

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

The surgeon that I had is the best in the business and can't say it enough. I would say to write all of your questions down and make sure that you ask them even if you think that they are stupid get an answer!!!

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

My health and I have two small boys that I have to raise.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I wanted to have the same surgery that my mom had the BPD/DS because I didn't want to risk gaining any weight back, I want to lose the weight and never have to worry about gaining it back. If I was going to do it then I am going to do it for life.

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 honestly did not have any fears or think about dying. My biggest concern was that I have to have the surgery open and that requires almost 2 months of not lifting my son who is almost 9 months old.

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 think that my family and everyone that I told was supportive of my decision. My husband was the least supportive of all of my family.

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

My boss was very happy for me.

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

I would rate my stay A+++++ I don't know what could have been done to make it any better! I had a great stay and everyone that I had contact went over above and beyond to take care of me. I had a PCT named Jillian that was an absolute angel! She made me feel like I was the only person on the floor and that I was the only person that she had to care for. The floor was full the whole time I was there except the last day there was 2 empty beds. I went into the hospital on 8-25-08 and was discharged on 8-29-08.

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

I didn't have any complications my surgery was textbook and I was only in surgery for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Of course, I did have the best surgeon anyone could have ever had!

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 am sore from the surgery but I feel really good.

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

I think that people should expect to be sore once you go home and are off of all of the pain meds.

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

I traveled about 40 minutes.

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

I was up walking around just a few hours after surgery in the hospital. It is getting better, today I am 6 days out of surgery and the soreness is really getting better.

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?

I am having some sleep disturbance but I think it is just from being sore from the surgery I think that once the soreness is gone i will be able to sleep much better.

What was the worst part about the entire bariatric surgery process?

The waiting to get the approval and the hoops that you have to jump thru the visits to the nutritionist and the psychologist, and then the wait once you get the approval.

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

My scar is from the middle of my breasts to the top of my belly button, it is exactly what I expected. My surgeon told me when I went to see him before my surgery that is what i should expect.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet, but history always repeats itself so I know that I am going to have people treat me different.
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