Lisa_Loses
I decided to have weight loss surgery about 3 weeks ago. It was March 2nd, 2013 to be exact, after a conversation with my hairdresser.
Now I'll admit, I was one of those people who always thought that gastric by-pass surgery was a last resort for people staring down death's door; or worse, as the easy way out for people who are too lazy to diet & exercise. And that isn't me - I'm young, active, and with the exception of the excess weight that I carry around, I have always been in perfect health. I generally make healthy decisions when it comes to what I eat, I go to the gym, I even started taking a boxing class and a pole dancing class to help me get into shape. I've lost weight before, I knew I could do it again if I just tried harder.
But on March 2nd, just 5 weeks shy of my 30th birthday, I was sitting in the salon chair, talking to my stylist about the Weight Watchers program I was following and the slow but steady progress I seemed to be making. Then she asked me: have you ever considered weight loss surgery? I was quick to say no and give her my reasons why, completely unaware that she had gone through the RNY procedure a few years ago. It was only after hearing her story that I realized WLS is by no means an "easy way out" - it's a life-long commitment to a complete lifestyle change. Weight loss surgery is just a tool to reinforce the healthy choices I was already making for myself.
As I drove to my girlfriend's house after the salon, I kept thinking about everything Ali had told me. Then I thought about my own future: I am going to be 30 soon, and I still want to have kids. Obesity is something I've struggled with all of my life, as do most of the women in my family. I guess I'd just accepted that it was going to be a battle for the rest of my life. Heart disease took both of my grandparents from this world way too early. Diabetes runs rampant on both sides of the family. Am I really doing enough to ensure healthy pregnancies and a long, healthy life with my family?
I quickly filled my girlfriend, Amanda, in on everything I'd learned and the thoughts that were going through my mind. Having already looked into the process for herself, she told me all about the different procedures that are available, and the reputations of the different hospitals in our area who offered bariatric surgery. It was decided: on Monday, I would call the hospital and sign us up for orientation. We are going to do this together!
The rest of the weekend was spent reading, researching, and talking to a few close friends who could hook me up with people they know who have had the surgery. The more I learned, the more encouraged I felt that this was the right decision for me.
Orientation is going to be on 3/21, and my first official weigh-in will be on 3/26. I already have a notebook full of questions to bring with me. I've gone through all the necessary steps - met with my doctor and got the letter of medical necessity, scheduled appointments with a nutritionist and a psychiatrist, gathered all kinds of information about the pre-op and post-op diets and what to expect, started reading and watching online blogs about the entire process, as well as talking to friends of friends about their own personal experiences. I feel very well prepared, and am just anxious to get the process started.
