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Obesity & Me

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

I've struggled with weight almost my whole life. As a child I was told to "finish what's on my plate" and that has carried over into my adult life, and then some. Food has always been my comfort; even when there was no one around to comfort me, food was always there. It's been a way to celebrate, to socialize, to assuage depression; basically it's been everything.

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

The worst thing about being overweight is the feeling of helplessness when I'm confronted with things I can't do. I feel inadequate when there are things I can't do with my son. The health risks are obviously a very bad thing about it too.

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

It's getting easier to tie my shoes, and perform personal hygiene.

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

My best friend had open RNY several years ago. Several ppl asked me then if it was something I would consider and at the time it wasn't. It wasn't as prevalent then as it is now, and doctors weren't as proficient then. My son was just a baby then also and I just couldn't see taking a chance on something happening to me at that time in our lives.

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

My insurance approval came easily for, thank God. My surgeon's office submitted the paperwork and within 4 weeks I was approved.

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

It was very informative, although the actual meeting with the surgeon was brief. He took the time to explain everything, answer all the questions I had, and ask me some of his own questions also. The office staff has been great, they always get back to me in a timely manner.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

It's been getting harder and harder for me to get around, and it's getting very tough to do certain things for myself. I got to a point where I was so disgusted with what I saw as my inadequacies, that I knew I had to do something.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I knew the lap band wasn't right for me because I felt I had too much weight to lose for that to be really successful for me. I see that being for "lightweights". The DS was not soemthing I wanted because I wanted to have a more restriction on my eating. I wanted to change the way I ate, and the DS does less of that than RNY. I was also somewhat afraid of the "potty" issues that I understand are quite prevalent with the DS procedure. I didn't know of any other procedures at the time, and my insurance only covered Lap Band and RNY.

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 had HUGE fears about dying, or soemthing terrible happening suring surgery! I had everything written out beforehand in case something happened. I think these fears are normal and I think most of us go through them. And I have them no matter what kind of surgery I'm having, it wasn't just because it was WLS.

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 very supportive, although also very worried. But he was there for me through the whole thing. My friends were also supportive about it, and happy that I was doing something proactive for myself.

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

I had my surgery on Monday afternoon and I was released on Wednesday afternoon, a day early. The hospital staff was wonderful and took great care of me. I brought a small fan, chapstick, a cough pillow, and my special teddy bear. Comfy clothes to wear home are a must!

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

None at all, thank God.

In the weeks after you got your surgery date, how did you feel? How did you cope with any anxiety you might have felt?

The first week was horrible. I was sad, depressed, and wondered what I had done to myself. My husband didn't know how to help me, which made him feel bad. I came to OH a lot and got the support I needed. It got better with each passing day after that first week.

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

Expect to feel depressed, sad, out of sorts, lonely...but it gets better! The worst times in the beginning were when my husband and son would be having dinner; I was still on liquids and couldn't join them. I felt isolated and alone. It was an adjustment period that I think most go through. The pain wasn't as bad as I feared it would be, and I didn't take any pain meds once I got home from the hospital.

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

The hospital was just over an hour away from my home.

Please describe in detail what things you could and couldn't eat in the weeks and months following surgery. What foods have been off limits? Please explain how your dietary tolerance changed week-by-week, and then month-by-month since surgery.

I was on clear liquids for the first week; broth, SF jello, decaf tea and coffee, water. I then went to full liquids for a week; sf pudding, cream soups. After that I went to soft foods; cottage cheese, refried beans, eggs. And then a regular diet, high in protein and low in carbs and fat. No white bread, rice, or pasta; very little sugar.

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

I walked a lot in the first few weeks after surgery, it was the only type of exercise allowed.

What vitamins and/or dietary supplements have you taken since your surgery?

Optisource vitamins, 4 a day.

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 haven't had too many side effects as of yet, thank God! I'm really dreading the hair loss....

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

The feeling of helplessness in the first couple of weeks after surgery. I don't like being dependent on others to help me do things. But this would be true for any kind of surgery, not just WLS.

What aftercare support group/program do you have? How helpful/important is this?

I attend monthly meeting at my bariatric surgeon's office. I love going there and hearing everyone's stories, how they're doing, what stage of the process they're at.

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

It's smaller than I expected, about 4" long. It's still a bit on the purple side right now but I'm only 10 weeks out as I write this.

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

Not yet and hopefully it won't happen much, at least not with ppl I know.
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