Five Year Surgiversary

Once upon a time there was a really fat Mom, (now I can use the word fat, because it is true) anyway, she got tired of being tired, took a page from her older sister's example and had a gastric by-pass. Now five years have passed, and life is much better being able to tie my shoes without being out of breath! So in honor of those lost pounds I have interviewed myself...about...myself.

Why did you decide to have surgery?
Because I had tried all kinds of diets from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig, I was always hungry which means I was always mean when I tried to lose weight. Restricting my calories made me extremely cranky and have terrible headaches. Knowing that many of the nerves are cut between the stomach and the brain was definitely a plus.

How much did you lose?
I lost about 120 pounds from my heaviest. I went from a size 22-24 to a 4 or 6 depending on the label.

What was the biggest change, besides your wardrobe?
I have been absolutely amazed at the mental energy I spent worrying about my weight. Once it was gone, I have been able to focus and accomplish so much.  To anyone that says their weight doesn't bother them, I applaud you, but it seriously bothered me, and the mental capacity that the weight consumed was incredible.  Also, the way people treat you. It is difficult to get many people to believe but you are treated very differently when you are fat then when you are thin. Salesclerks to mortgage people, you would be surprised.

What did you give up?
Well, I gave up pop, (or soda)...forever... coming from a six pack a day diet Pepsi drinker since I was about 12, that was pretty significant. Plus, I gave up being able to eat large quantities of sugar or carbohydrates without pretty severe consequences.  When I overeat carbs or sugar I get what they call "dumping syndrome" when the sugars get dumped really quickly into the blood stream. It feels like I am having a heart attack, I get really tired, my heart races, my nose runs, and feel really bad.

What about the people that say, "My sister's husband aunt had that surgery and she gained all the weight right back"?
Yes, you can gain the weight back, you can stretch out your stomach.  Especially if you keep trying. I weigh myself almost every day, I have about a 10# window that if I start to get to low, I eat a little more, and if I get at the top end, I eat a little less. But I have trained my body to stay at that weight pretty good.

What was the hardest?
Losing my hair, I know it sounds vain, but it was especially hard when it came out in clumps and clogged vacuums. That is mostly over now, but a thin persons hair doesn't get the same nutrients that a fat person's does.

Have you had any complications?
Uhmmm...yeah. I had trouble keeping my iron up and had to go for about 4 rounds of iron injections. That was great. I have had one blockage and numerous close calls. 

They say people that have surgery become addicts?
I heard that before I had surgery. I heard that I would become an alcoholic, a shop-a-holic, or a nympho (Scott had a vote in for that one). I did become a little more OCD, I have become an over achiever in a lot of areas of my life...dragging my family along behind me. Scott has got me to tone that down the last year or so, which has been good.

Did it take very long to lose the weight?
Actually, my weight loss was complete by mid October of that year. They say it can take up to 18 month to lose it all, but for me it went really fast. They made me promise that I would exercise 4-5 times a week, I didn't, ever. In fact I lost the weight so quickly that some of my muscle attachments didn't go back right and I had to go to a couple visits with the physical therapist to get the tendons and things all moved over.

Do you recommend surgery?
Yeah, as long as you realize that is doesn't change anything other than your wardrobe size. It doesn't fix a bad marriage, it doesn't make you have more money in the bank, it won't clean your house and mostly you won't have a perfect sit-com life just because you go from a size 24 to a size 4. I would do it again in a New York minute.

So there you have it, I think I covered everything, but honestly I will answer any question you have. Some people think I took the easy way out...well, I can assure you it is not.