IncredibleShrinkingNicki

BMI 31.4

Obesity & Me

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

Weight has been an issue for me even when "weight" was not an issue. I was raised from 0-4yrs with both parents, from 4-9yrs with my mom, and 9-18yrs with my father and his wife in a household of athletes who did not understand that it is okay to have more than 7% body fat. I am a 5'0" tall very small boned woman of Italian and Polish decent. I was designed to be round, but my father and step-mother (along with the rest of the world) did not seem to value me unless I was under weight and running everyday. (BTW, my father's whole family is somewhat overweight except for him.) My father and step-mother commented on everything I ate "You sure you should eat that?" and called me names if I wanted to sit and watch t.v. My father's favorite name for me, though kind of funny in hindsight, was "Rotunda". Now, with all of that said, during this period of time I weighed a whopping 105lbs. I look at pictures of myself from back then and can remember being mortified at the sight of these pictures. Now, I am mortified that I didn't see or know just what a beautiful young woman I was. I would have used that bod to my advantage. My mother has always been an eternal dieter and also suffers from the battle of the bulged, but she was never more that 10-20lbs overweight. She was always upset because of how "fat" she was, but she was stunningly beautiful. Men fell at her feet all the time. I was never that kind of pretty. My mother was also the person who taught me that you can have an ice cream sunday for dinner, a Tasty Cake for breakfast, late night nosh fest for fun. Especially have these things, when you're really sad from a rotten boy, or to subside some anger, or to celebrate that report card. It was fun, but the message was not the best. I left my father's when I was 18, never to return (to live that is, I, of course, visited and such). I gained the "freshmen 15" as to be expected, then the next year 10 more...and so on. I became very ill with an autoimmune disease in my 3rd year and topped the scales at 152lbs. I had to take off a semester and lost 30lbs through vigorous exercise. I maintained that weight for the next 2 years and then got pregnant right after graduation with my oldest son, putting on over 40lbs. My boyfriend (later husband) was very cruel to me at this time about my weight, not after I gave birth but during my pregnancy. I allowed his terrible behavior to temporarily destroy my self-esteem. I can't even repeat some of the things he did that stand out in my head here, because they are too cruel and inappropriate. He did get better and stop treating me with such cruelty after I had my son. I did every diet one can imagine. I even tried diet pills during this period. It was really hard for me to lose that weight, and I stayed at around 150-160 until I became pregnant with my 2nd son in 2003. With him I lost weight during my pregnancy, only gaining 20lbs (and he was close to 9lbs). But!...as soon as I gave birth I instantly gained 30lbs, topping the scales once more this time at 190lbs. I was terrified. My husband was supportive and didn't seem to care what weight I was, but their were a ton of other awful issues attached to my marriage. I, again, dieted and exercised like a fiend until I found Weight Watchers, which was great. I lost, very very slowly, but I lost. It took almost 4 years but I lost around 40lbs. Then I decided to leave my husband in 2007. I was happy and free, or so I thought. I couldn't afford the WW meetings anymore and of course started putting the weight back on, not fast though. In 2009 my grandmother died and that put a big whammy on any and all weight loss success and I was one of the millions of laid off teachers. I was laid off for a year. Couldn't find a job if I paid someone to give me one, but I found all the weight my little heart desired. I finally found another teaching job in Sept. 2010, but my weight was topping the scales again at 192lb. A 5'0" tall small boned person is like a human bowling ball at 192lbs. Finally, in May of this year I decided to do something about it for GOOD!

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

The worst thing about being overweight is how tired I feel and being a slave to food. I also hate how I never feel satisfied with what I look like in the mirror in the morning. The other side to the worst thing is the extreme difference in how the rest of the world treats you, when you are overweight. I wish I could say it was all in my imagination, but sadly, it isn't...at all! It is really sad that so much of a person's value is wrapped up in how thin they are in our culture. Yet our culture promotes the poorest eating behaviors and unhealthiest food choices, more so than any other culture, and puts the most emphasis on being thin. Really sending out some mixed messages there America!

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 have had the gastric sleeve surgery, but I am only 5 days post-op. So I am not sure what I enjoy doing the most now, but I imagine it will be... Being excited about clothes shopping again and not being scared to try on anything in the store.

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

I first found out on my own when I noticed a friend of mine who was always very heavy all of a sudden (really all of a sudden) looking thinner than I have ever seen her, and I have known her since we were teens. She was almost unrecognizable and I guessed that she must have gotten some kind of surgery. I visited my doctor's office who provided an educational seminar about all 3 processes and what each entails.

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

Insurance approval was not as difficult as I imagined. I am at the lowest they allow without many co-morbidities, so I thought it would be much harder. They didn't even require the 3-6 months of pre-op preparation. However, my surgeon required me to have: -a letter of support from my GP -at least a 5 year weight history showing a maintaining of a weight problem from my GP -a cardiogram (heart), stress-test (pulmonary), sleep test, psych eval., & a battery of blood tests done -3 sessions of nutrition classes that my surgeon's office provided -show that I was starting the process of changing my behaviors through exercise & diet

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

My first visit was very informative and supportive. My doctor is wonderful and so understanding! You can get the most out of your visit by h -having your medical history written out to give to the doctor right there -writing down in bullet notes your questions, so you don't forget doing some research before you go to avoid general answers from the doctor, making your -visit more personal to you.

What made you finally decide to have the surgery?

I needed a permanent solution for my children's sake! As bad as this may sound; I needed something drastic that would frighten me into behaving correctly and making healthy choices.

How did you decide which proceedure to have?

I decided after I went to the seminar my surgeon's office provided. I originally only was going to get the band, but then I learned that for people with problems such as colitus and IBS, which I have, the band is not the best decision. It can cause long term physical problems. The bi-pass was a little too intrusive and cumbersome for me. I didn't really need anything that drastic.

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 learned that most of the problems that can cause issues or death were from the co-morbid illnesses that accompany obesity, which I did not have any heart problems or diabetes. The other complications would be the same as any other surgery and the risk is always there. I guess I didn't allow those kinds of fears to stand in my way.

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 have not told many people people yet at all. If you read my bio, you would understand why I would fear telling my father and step-mother, but I did tell then and they were both surprisingly very supportive. My mother, children, step-father, and ex-husband are the only people who know right now and that's how I prefer it at the moment. I have a hard enough time dealing with criticism in general and I just feel that this is the worst time to endure that kind of pressure.

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

My employer/supervisors do not know. It is Christmas break and I have off for 12 days. I took off 3 days previous to the surgery and told them I was have a procedure done. None of their business.

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

It was very eyeopening and also what convinced me that it was the right decision. I was very glad!

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

I stayed in the hospital for 2 nights. I went in for the surgery at 6:30am on Wed. and was discharged at 3:00pm on Fri. The pain directly after the surgery and Thurs was unbearable from the gas. I thought I was going to die and pain meds did very little for that pain. I found that standing and moving around really helped. By Thurs eve I felt much better, and by Friday I couldn't wait to leave and was up and moving all over the place. The pain from that point on was more achy and muscle pain. I do have to say...it was very reminiscent of my C-section recovery pain. If that helps anyone to understand.

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

I had no complications.

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 only on day 5 and I am still pretty achy. I can't really cough fully yet, but I have a lot of energy for just having major surgery.

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

Home so far has been good. My mom and children have been wonderful, helping me, doing everything around the house. I get tired a lot, out of the blue, and I can't bend down without seeing stars. Stairs are hard the first 2 days too. A good support system at home may be the most important part of this whole process!

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

I only went 2 miles down the road to the hospital. My doctor's office is only about 5 miles away.

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 a clear liquid diet in the hospital. Since I have been home I have been on the high protein liquid diet I was on for 2 weeks pre-op. I advise the 2 weeks before diet only because it really gets you mentally ready for the diet post-op. Its too much to handle the healing and all that to be worrying about managing your dieting behaviors. It also helps to shrink your liver for the procedure. I'll fill you in on the weeks and dietary stuff to come

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

I get tired often, but I somehow have a lot of energy. I think I feel good and excited about my knew way of life.

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

I only need to take 2 Flintstones w/Iron multi-vits a day and 2 chewable 500mg calcium citrate w/ vit D. I drink one 42g protein shot mixed in 32oz of my mandatory water intake.

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?

the worse side effect of the procedure, as I said above, was definitely the gas pains. Since that day the worst side effect has been the constant burping, but, again, I am only 5 days post-op.

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

The worst part...so far...was right after the surgery, the gas pain. it made me second guess my decision. I asked my doctor in the hospital, "Where's the rewind button!" She said that that feeling is the most common to every bariatric patient directly after surgery, "What have I done?!" Since then it hasn't been all that bad and I am glad I did it.

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

My surgeon has a partner in her practice who hosts the support group I will be going to. I keep you updated.

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

My sleeve was done laparoscopicly, so I have 6 different incision sites. 1 right smack in the middle of my chest, just below where my boobs start, over my sternum 1 larger (like a dime in diameter) site in the upper left part of my abdomen, under my left boob. This 1 was where the drain went 1 very small site on the lower right part of my abdomen 1 very small site directly above my belly button 1 medium size (compared to the others) just under my right boob, but lower than the 1 on the left I can't remember or find the 6th one, but I know its there. And yes, this is what to expect if you have the vertical gastric sleeve done laparoscopicly.

Please describe any plateau experiences you have had since surgery.

I'm not far enough into the process to say yet

Do you notice people treating you any differently now?

I have yet to be around anybody yet

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