The details...or some of them anyway

As noted in my last post, I recently wrote to someone telling them about some of the details of the surgery process from application, insurance hoops, some of the actual surgery details..I know some people are reading that are researching/considering WLS...so I thought I'd share some of these things for anyone that may have questions.

There are many, many hoops to jump through, which in retrospect I understand. This is such a life-changing process.. I think they just want to know that people are serious about it. I had to do six months of "doctor supervised weight loss", which was really a joke. I basically just went to the surgeon's office once a month and weighed in. I didn't really lose weight during that time. I had to write a letter of why I wanted to have the surgery, provide five years of weight history from previous doctors showing that I'd been obese for a long time, have a gallbladder ultrasound, an EGD (looking at my stomach with a scope), go to a nutrition class, support group meetings, letter from my primary care doctor, a psych evaluation, and I think that's about it.. Enough huh? It was a lot of work. But, as I said, the surgery is much harder, so I guess they want to see your commitment. The whole process took me about 8 months, but I kind of stalled for a month or two.. I think if I had done everything right on time it would have taken me about 6.. Of course, every surgeon is different and all require different things. Once I was approved by insurance and had a surgery date, I also had to do some preop testing which involved an EKG, chest x-ray, blood work and urinalysis.

The surgery was done laparoscopically, and most are except for in very rare circumstances, then it's done with an open incision. I had 6 tiny incisions in different spots on my belly. Only one or two will actually leave a scar, I think. The actual surgery only took about an hour (I also had my gallbladder removed because i had gallstones, which was unknown to me until I had the ultrasound). The recovery was painful, but tolerable. Apparently I have a low pain tolerance and am a slow healer. Others that I've known have recovered much better, faster, than me. But I know it's all going to be worth it. The weight comes off SO fast. Probably by Christmas I'll be down at least 80 pounds.

As far as what's next for me, it's really about just getting healthy. I hope to start exercising soon (I've been very tired.. Part of it is the low caloric intake I think, probably no more than 500-600 calories a day, but part of it may be that I've heard the anesthesia can stay with you for up to a month.) So, I've just been taking it easy. There is what's called a honeymoon period, the first 6-12 months or so, when the weight just falls off, there isn't any, or much, hunger for most.. So I want to take advantage of this period and exercise to lose as much as I can. Statistics show that most people lose 75% of their excess weight in the first 18-24 months. So I want to use this opportunity to try to get as much off as I can. It becomes much more work after that..

Some people think this is an easy way out, but it is just the opposite. This is harder than any diet I've ever been on. It takes much more commitment and much more "head work." The surgery is just a tool, but it's got to be used in order to work. Unfortunately some gain their weight back, so it takes lots and lots of commitment. For me, I knew there was no other way. I've dieted all my life and been up and down. So, my options were to be obese or have surgery, and I was so tired of the former.

I'm hoping that this will increase my changes of fertility. I know that it will give me lots more energy, I'll feel better about myself, and I look forward to so many things that I haven't enjoyed in a very long time. It will be a new life. A challenging one, but one that will be so worth it.

This process really makes you work on yourself. One friend told me that it's easier to get rid of body fat than head fat. Meaning, for so many there is an emotional component to eating, and that's got to be nipped in the bud in order for this to work. It's a challenge, already, at only 4 weeks out. I miss eating so bad I can hardly stand it. But I know that when I can walk into Ann Taylor, The Limited, or whatever store, and be able to wear any cute, trendy thing I want, or when I run that marathon, it will all be worth it.