Jenci S.

member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo member photo

Obesity & Me

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

I went through my teens trying every diet imaginable. Nothing worked, and by the time I reached my late 20's I realized I was an anti-diet person. I was at a point where I said no to everything. I said there was no diet that would work for the rest of my life, so why try. Also, I didn't think I had the willpower to "diet", I was a closet eater. If no one was looking, I would stuff my face!

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

Fitting in. Both size wise and emotional wise. I was a fat mom, not one of the outgoing "fit" moms. Chairs, and booths. If a chair had arms I didn't know if I would fit comfortably or not. Walking any distance hurt. Stairs? Forgettaboutit!

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 can walk without losing my breath! I can go anywhere and know I will be able to fit in any chair I want. I am actually looking forward to Disneyland because I can go on every ride with my kids. I am more outgoing when it comes to getting involved in activities that benefit my kids. I am less afraid to be myself in social situations. I am also amazed at how poorly I ate before surgery. I knew I had bad habits, but MAN, those habits have reared their ugly heads, and I am now well aware of my major shortcomings when it comes to controlling my food intake.

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

My roommates mom had bypass surgery a number of years ago. My roommate was very negative about the surgery, and in turned imparted her negative mentality on me. Years later my husband and I had a friend who had the surgery, and then my son's grandma, and I can honestly say I was jealous! I wanted to be positive about a "diet". I wanted something that worked!

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

Honestly, I had no trouble getting insurance coverage. My surgeon contacted my insurance carrier, and I was approved immediately. I had a BMI of 52 when I was approved.

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

The first meeting with my surgeon was a group meeting. It was nice because if you wanted to be in the back, not talking, you could, but if you had a lot of questions you were free to ask them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I decided I needed to say yes. I needed to say yes to bypass surgery to safe my life. To help me be more active, and involved physically in my son's lives.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided that I had a lot of weight to lose, and while the band would have provided results, I needed something stronger. A tool that would truly keep me on track, and truly retrain me.

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?

There are risks in every proceedure. There are risks in every day life. You have to decide if continuing to live life as an obese person outweighs (no pun intended), dying from having a proceedure which can help you lose weight, and take control of your life back.

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 husband was 100% for the idea. My parents were unsure, but respected my decision. I found out a bit later that my husband didn't have as much faith in my ability to follow through with the post surgery requirements, as he did in the proceedure itself. We worked through that, and he is very proud of how far I have come. My parents can also see I made the best decision in having bypass surgery, and are also very proud.

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

My work was very encouraging! Everyone was excited about my decision.

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

Yes, the informational seminar was very informational, and was where I obtained the information which lead me to bypass rather than band.
show more answers

Before & After
Roll over to see after photo

before photo after photo

ARE YOU READY TO PAY IT FORWARD & SHARE YOUR JOURNEY? Your journey will help highlight the many ways weight loss surgery improves lives and makes a difference in our families, communities and world. EACH JOURNEY COUNTS as a voice towards greater awareness.

Share Now
×