KELLY R.

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Obesity & Me

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

I've been overweight my whole life. My highest weight about a 1 1/2 yrs ago was 292, my current weight is 260 so I'm down about 32 lbs which I still say is because I was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea and put on a CPAP in Dec. 2010. I started gaining weight in 1st grade and got a little bigger each year. It's been something I've struggled with my entire life. I feel like my whole life has been a constant diet. Emotionally I've gone through different bouts of depression where I've lost friends, just up and quit jobs or went out and ate a big meal of bad food just because I didn't care anymore. Then you go home upset and riddled with guilt about what you did. I've now been on this journey towards WLS for about 2 years and it's always something different holding me back. Last year it was our insurance, now it's getting my A1C under control, but I keep plugging along.

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

There are countless things that make being overweight difficult. I have a dozen different co-morbities such as bulging discs, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, sleep apnea, etc., and these are my main reasons for looking towards WLS. If I don't get some of these things under control soon I could die in my sleep and I'm only 33. My husband and I really want to have a baby, but that has been impossible. I dread being invited to any event that requires me to dress nice because I don't feel I look good in anything. My lack of energy is also high on the list; I hate watching others go go go all day and I'm exhausted by 6pm :(

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

Although I haven't had surgery yet, some of the things I look forward to doing are spending more time outdoors. I love nature and animals and really want to find some nice hiking trails that my husband and I can visit. I want to ride a bike again, go rollerskating, get off the box of meds and insulin needles I'm on every day, and hopefully in a couple years have a baby of our own.

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

I've known about bariatrics for years but was always really scared about death however, after my Aunt and cousin both had it done and I did some extensive research; I've found that my risks of dying without this surgery far outweigh the risks of the surgery itself. Having been on this road for the last 2 years I feel more than prepared for what to expect afterwards. Am I nervous? Yes, but more about the first 6-12 mos than long term. Just learning how to do things all in a new way and about learning my body all over again.

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

We have Keystone HMO who only needed to see my BMI a Psych eval and all my co-morbities to approve me.

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

Dr. Marymor is very nice and comes highly recommended by many. He's friendly and very informative. Before I had my consult with him, I made a list of all the things I wanted to make sure we covered. I'd suggest others do the same... keep a list with you so that as questions you want to ask come to mind you won't forget to ask them.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

Well, I just turned 33 and my husband and I really want to have at least 1 child in our lifetime. I'm told we need to wait at least 15 - 24 mos after surgery and that's fine, but In my current state a baby is just impossible. I wouldn't want to try and carry a baby in my current physical condition, not to mention I'm a type II diabetic that over the past year has had a very hard time getting under control despite 2 oral meds (5 pills a day) and 2 different insulins (1 injected 3 x's a day, and the other is injected each night before bed). I want to start living and stop having my life revolve around my pill schedule or my appt with this doctor and that doctor, and on top of it all I have 3 bulging discs in my back... at 33!! I can't imagine what they'll be like in another 10 yrs if I can't get this weight off. There are so many things I want to do that I NEVER do because I'm always too tired or embarrassed. I love being outside. I want to go hiking, biking and be excited to go to the shore each summer.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

RNY is pretty much the only procedure I've ever thought about. Well, no, I did consider the lap band at one time but I've heard the weightloss isn't usually as significant and it's just too high maintenance. RNY is the one that most people have done and is the one most widely performed. There is more known about RNY than any other WLS.

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'm more fearful of the first 3-6 mos after surgery. I'm a wuss when it comes to pain and I'm praying that don't have much. Everyone is different, one person is almost pain free, while another is in agony. I won't know until I'm on the other side, lol. I worry about my emotional state while I'm transitioning through liquids to purees to soft foods as well as what my new bowel movements will be like. I'm quite a regular girl, going at least once every morning and sometimes again in the evening. I don't want any potty problems, but again this is something no one can predict, I'll just have to wait and see. Lastly I'm worried about my fluid intake. I try so hard now to get in 64 oz of water each day and it can be challenging.

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 sister and husband were on board right away. My Mom is more afraid to lose me, and I've tried getting her to read literature and visit this site but she hasn't yet. My Dad is kind of neutral. I did get my Mom to a support group meeting once and I'm hoping to get my hubby to another one soon.

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

His reaction was good. Said he was happy for me and thinks this will really help me. I haven't had surgery yet, but I've told him I'll be out for 6-8 weeks.

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

I was excited. I'm a researcher by nature so I was pretty aware of alot that they discussed when I went, but as always you do learn something new everyday. I love learning all I can about this and connecting to others in the same boat as me. I've met some wonderful people and hope to meet many more.
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