Gastric Bypass Surgery: Part one of [many]

WHY I DECIDED TO HAVE THE SURGERY
On the day I met my husband, I weighed 216 pounds.  That was 1996 and I was 19-years-old.  I thought I was fat.  Of course, I was fat, but I wasn't yet morbidly obese.  My weight fluctuated greatly during those years (never marry an Italian man if you want to stay thin!), but on my wedding day two years later, I weighed 220 pounds.  I'm about 5'6.5".  My dress was a size 18.  I had tried everything in the world to get into a smaller size and I just wasn't able to lose weight.  At the time, I thought I just wasn't trying hard enough and I was very optimistic that someday I'd be able to lose weight.

Of course, the very second the words "I do" escaped my mouth, I began to gain weight.  Fast.  Within a year, my guess is that I was up to 250 pounds.  When I graduated college in 2000, two years later, I looked like this:
 
Within three years, I was close to 300 pounds.

[Sorry about the quality of the photos.  Getting my picture taken wasn't exactly my favorite thing back then so the pickings are slim.]

So yeah.  I got fat.  It happened fast.  A lot was going on with Dave and me.  It felt like it was taking us YEARS to get our life going.  We were broke and unhappy.  I played a lot of video games and had almost no friends.  Instead of turning into a fairytale, my life seemed to have stalled.  I was adjusting to being an adult and taking care of myself for the first time ever and frankly, I wasn't doing a very good job.  I just wasn't happy in my life and instead of doing anything about it, I ate. 

Also, there was that pesky issue of not being able to get pregnant.  We started trying almost as soon as I graduated from college and nothing was happening.  I had stopped ovulating somewhere along the way.  Every doctor I talked to said the same thing: lose weight if you want to conceive.  I finally met a nice doctor in Sacramento who offered to give me Clomid to help me ovulate, but I decided against taking it.  I figured I would keep trying to lose weight with the (totally ridiculous) idea that if I wanted children badly enough, I should be able to lose weight.  Every month that I didn't ovulate, I ate to fill up the gaping hole left by my disappointment.

It wasn't until we'd been trying for more than two years that we decided to try more drastic measures.  Dave was initially very scared and against my pursuing the surgery but fertility treatments weren't covered by insurance (did I mention we were broke?!) and gastric bypass surgery was.  At 309 pounds, my highest weight ever, the choice wasn't so hard.  I had considered the surgery an option for me ever since the very first time I'd heard about it (See Carnie Wilson).  Even if losing weight didn't get me pregnant, at least I'd be healthier and thinner when I finally broke down and tried the fertility drugs. 

THE PRE-OP PROCESS
I immediately found a surgeon.  In Sacramento, there's an excellent surgery clinic that specializes exclusively in gastric bypass surgery (called SALSA).  I worked with their office to get through the pre-operative requirements.  They sent me to a bariatric MD who examined me, monitored my weight for several months, and eventually wrote a letter to my insurance company to get me pre-approved. 

In order to qualify for surgery, you have to have more than one co-morbidity.  First you have to meet the BMI requirement, which with a BMI of over 47 was no problem for me.  I also had infertility, in the form of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), constant back and joint pain, and high cholesterol.  Because my weight was so high and my health was otherwise fairly decent, I was an excellent candidate for surgery.

The surgery practice I chose did not require pre-operative weight loss.  I was encouraged to start exercising, which I did in the form of riding my bike to work.  I was also required to undergo several sessions with the psychologist of my choice, who then also had to send a letter to the insurance company supporting my surgical candidacy.  I had to undergo many blood tests, an echo cardiogram (to check my heart valves since I'd previously taken phen fen before it went off the market), an EKG and an ultrasound of my gallbladder, which ended up revealing that I had gall stones and would need to have my gallbladder removed at the time of my surgery.

Even though I didn't get to meet the infamous Dr. Waldrep until  the day of my surgery, I immediately knew I was in good hands.  He was extremely experienced.  He performed three surgeries a day.  He'd done over 300 gastric bypass surgeries already and most importantly, he'd never lost a patient. 

GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND MORBIDITY
I think it's complete and total BS when people say they didn't understand the risks of surgery before going under the knife.  I practically had to sign my life away before they'd even put me on the surgical calendar.  I specifically remember the assistant surgeon sitting me down and explaining to me in clear, plain, painfully understandable English that there was at least a 1 in 300 chance that I would die from the surgery.  As in D-E-A-D, DEAD.  The chance that I would suffer painful, life-long, horrible complications was even higher.

I still thought it was worth the risk.  I also knew it would not kill me.  I don't know how I knew this, but literally every fiber of my being knew that I would not only be fine, but that it would the best thing I ever did for my health.  I was lucky and my hunch turned out to be correct.  I also knew that statistically, if anyone was going to die from the surgery, it would be a 600 pound invalid, not a 26-year old infertile.  I felt that my odds were worth the risk.

[more to come on this topic again soon so stay tuned]

 

Comments

[Tana]

I love this...thanks for sharing your story with us!

[Angela]

You left us hanging. Can't wait to hear more. How was the surgery, how difficult was the recovery, how is life today, have you gained weight back, how have you changed from the experience, etc. It was good for me to hear how difficult the process was to actually be scheduled for the gastric bypass. I had assumed it was way easier. It is good to know that they care about your whole well being both physically and mentally.

[Salome Ellen]

I want to commend you for having the good sense to wear a wedding dress that fit the body you had then, not the one you wanted or eventually got. I thought this as soon as you posted the wedding album --"Wow. she looks lovely, graceful, and feminine." I have seen too many women who seem to believe that if they can pour themselves into a tighter dress, they'll somehow BE thinner. They just look pathetic. You didn't.

[Erica]

I was directed to your blog this morning by a friend, and I am SO GLAD! I'm in the pre-surgery weight loss time period right now. (Insurance co requirement) I should be having the surgery this summer.

I'll be anxiously awaiting continuing posts!

[Lia]

You were so young when you married. That is great! In another post, how did you meet Dave and are you glad you got married so young? Just wondering. We are on our 14th year together (since we were 20) and sometimes I really feel like I missed out on some life.

[Tara]

I can't wait to hear more - my mom had this surgery more than 15 years ago after being obese for as long as I can remember and surely at the end of her rope. She lost weight at first, then gained most of it back. I think she will be this way for the rest of her life now. This is a hot, emotional topic for me and from what I've seen, there is not nearly enough counselling involved to address the emotions and poor eating habits that caused the obesity in the first place, which is what made my mom start overeating again (a tiny meal at a time) and gain it back. I am by no means against the surgery - I've struggled with my weight my whole life, too, so I know what it's like and how desperate that feeling is.

Thanks for sharing this - I look forward to your posts every day!

[Anni Hispanni]

Wow. I am so excited that you are writing about your experience with the surgery! I had it 7 years ago when I was barely 18. I am 5'6" and was 255 lbs when I had it done. I lost 115, gained 40 back 4 years later, and have recently lost 30 lbs by eliminating alcohol, watching what I eat, and exercizing. I have struggled with obesity my entire life and I am so grateful to have had it done. My quality of life has improved immensely and I have been able to do things that I never would have before.

There are so many adjustments that go a long with this surgery. Not only just relearning how to eat, but also relearning how to live as a thin person. It was not an easy, quick fix by any stretch of the imagination.

This surgery is so misunderstood. Thank you for coming out and talking about it.

[Nancy]

I'm amazed at how much older you look in that shot sitting at the computer. In your most recent pictures you sometimes look too young to have kids, lol!

I look forward to hearing more...and I'm also interested in hearing how you met Dave.

[Megan]

I'm loving reading this. Thank you so much for posting it. :)

[Tal]

I've been quietly lurking for quite some time, but I wanted to thank you for sharing this story (and the pictures) with us...how brave of you.

Thanks.

[Ali]

Is this your version of keeping us waiting like The Pioneer Woman love story? I know you know what I'm talking about, too. Can't wait to read more.

[Melting Mama]

"I think it's complete and total BS when people say they didn't understand the risks of surgery before going under the knife."

Everything, though? Aren't there things you didn't expect? Anything?

Thanks for sharing, BTW. :)

[Carrie]

I too have PCOS, but since losing some weight eating the pureed diet with my husband, even before that when I sort of forgot to eat (due to medication I was taking and am currently taking) I became regular. If I don't keep losing (as I am very competitive) then I will consider the surgery. I am not afraid of the actual surgery, but of complications I could have (due to other complications I have had on not as major surgeries)...actually the same complication from both and we still don't know why. That is really my only fear.

My husband had to go through 2 appeals to get his insurance covered, and our deductible is $1500, which, when the bills started coming for the surgery, the hospital stay, other things, the $1500 is like pennies. Thank God it is tax return time :)

[Lose Weight Fast]

"Never marry a guy that's Italian if you want to stay thin"...funny, lol.

By pass surgery has been effective, but there still are changes that people have to make in their mind and motivation to be successful and happy in life and weight loss.

Kenney

[Acai Optimum]

Very informational and educational as usual. I definitely learned a lot. Thanks for a wonderful post.

[Kristen]

I am really starting to think that this whole "weight loss" focus is wrong. We need to be focused on "healthy living" and then everything else will follow...(like natural weight loss, longer life, cleaner arteries (heart health), better skin, and generally happier life) That, to me, makes a whole lot more sense! Thank you so much, Kristen K.

[Jane]

I loved reading this. Thank you so much for sharing it all. You could be an inspiration to many. :)

[hcg for weight loss]

Many women I know are very sensitive with their weight. I'm always being asked about new tips and tricks to help with quick weight loss.