Cicerogirl, The PhD Version

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Obesity & Me

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

I had been overweight my entire adult life, but then gained over 100 additional pounds after a significant life trauma. That put me in the Super Morbidly Obese BMI category. It was impossible to walk more than a short distance without getting winded, it was difficult to fit in restaurant booths, airplane seats, and certain chairs. Fitting in amusement park ride seats was out of the question. I was very aware of people staring at me in public; some people made cruel comments just loudly enough to be overheard. I tried many diets, including a medically supervised liquid diet; each time I lost only a moderate amount of weight and quickly gained it back each time. I felt "doomed" to living the rest of my life trapped in a huge body.

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

The worst thing, emotionally, was having people assume that since I was fat, I was stupid (when I am actually a Mensa member). Being so limited physically was also pretty terrible.

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 am once again able to fit into any ride in any amusement park and able to go whitewater rafting. Mostly, though, I just enjoy being able to go through each day without the physical limitations of being SMO and not having to constantly be aware of my weight and the way it limited my every day life.

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

I had heard about the old stomach stapling procedures years ago and then met a woman when I was in graduate school who had a RNY a couple of years earlier. My first impression was that it was a drastic solution... a last resort.

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

Once I completed the 3-month multidisciplinary regimen, I was approved within just a couple of days (with a starting BMI of 57, there was no need for insurance to verify any co-morbidities, so that made the process go more quickly). Make sure you have every SCRAP of paper documenting EVERYTHING the insurance company requires before you submit the initial request. Do not rely on your surgeon's insurance coordinator; contact the insurance company yourself to verify their requirements.

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

I was very impressed by her gentle manner and compassion. Do as much research as you can beforehand, and be ready to ask any questions at the first meeting -- it will help you get a better sense not only of the surgery but also of the surgeon.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Rising blood sugar levels, rising weight, increasing pain in my knees, increasing depression related to my weight, increasing age.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

Although I was not very comfortable with the intestinal bypass of the RNY or the DS, the surgeon indicated that I was very unlikely to lose all the weight I needed to lose with the lap band, and the one person I knew who had the DS had terrible problems with smelly gas and diarrhea. No one in this area was yet doping the sleeve, so that left the RNY. I was hoping that the "built-in" enforcement (dumping) associated with the RNY would help me watch my sugar intake, but unfortunately I do not dump except on very high amounts of sugar.

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 just did not know what to expect -- how I would feel -- with having such a small stomach and was worried that I might not be able to adjust my eating enough to be successful long term.

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 was very supportive. Most, but not all, of my friends were as well... many were concerned about safety of the surgery, though.

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

My manager actually didn't say much when I told him that I was going to be out in order to have weight loss surgery. I had open RNY and was out of work 7 weeks.

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

I did not have any early post-op complications, and had no trouble eating or drinking during the first couple of months. I did, however, develop an incisional hernia from my open RNY that had to be fixed at about a year out and had to have my gallbladder out at about 2 years post-op.

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 was extremely excited by the prospect of finally losing my excess weight and was not nervous AT ALL until the night before surgery. I had a hard time falling asleep that night. I then had an emotional meltdown in the surgery prep area the morning of surgery! I was listening to calming music on my iPod, but when my surgeon poked her head inside the room, I burst into tears (how embarrassing!). I reassured her that I did NOT want to cancel the surgery but that I was just really scared (and not even sure what I was scared of). After she was convinced that I did want to proceed, they got my IV in and gave me some "courage medicine" as my surgeon called it.

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 had no significant nausea, had no vomiting at all (my first vomiting episode was 18 months post-op), never got anything stuck, and dumped only 3 times during the first 2 years. I did, however, lose half my hair from months 4-9 despite taking my vitamins (including biotin) and getting in all my protein from very early out. There's nothing you can do but wait for it to grow back in.

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

The pain during the first 4 weeks after the open RNY surgery.
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