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Carli

Carli’s breaking point

People always ask me what made me decide to have weight loss surgery, like being 25 years old, over 300 pounds, and miserable wasn’t reason enough.
I guess what they really want to know is what my breaking point was…that one moment that all of us post op-ers have when we decide “this is it”; when we decide to change our life forever.
 
For me, my biggest goal in life was to start a family. One day as I was working in a doctor’s office, a woman brought her 11-month old son in for an examination. I asked her to have a seat on the exam chair and put her son on her lap. This woman was about the same height and weight as myself and when she sat on that exam chair, there was no lap for the boy to sit on. In that woman with no lap for a child, I saw my future. That was not the future that I wanted! In my mind I had always seen myself as the type of parent that my parents were. Down on the floor, or out in the yard, and active with a child in every way, participating in their lives and not observing from the sideline. I decided I would not be a sideline parent, and that was it. I made the decision to have surgery. It was worth the risk to undergo surgery to really LIVE my life.

As a heavy person, I was absolutely miserable. I let my weight affect me emotionally. I was a person that wanted to fade into the background because I knew my size stood out. I was an observer of life, not an active participant. I never walked with my head up, never looked people in the eye, never was one of the people you would pass on the sidewalk that smile and greet everyone. Because of my weight I was terribly self-conscious and had absolutely no self-esteem. I thought I could make up for my appearance by being extra nice and I always ended up being walked all over. The bigger my size got, the smaller I let my world become. The bigger I got the dimmer I let the light inside of me become.
My weight was also beginning to affect my health. I would wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath, my hands and arms would go numb if I tried to sleep on my side to breathe better, and I was always tired from lack of sleep. My joints ached, I had to rest if I went anywhere that required walking, like a mall. Every day activities became difficult and that brought me even farther down emotionally.

I had laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass surgery June 4, 2002. I lost 160 pounds. Losing this weight has opened up my world, my life, and my spirit. The biggest transformation to the naked eye is my outward appearance. I went from a size 28 Women’s to a size 8/10. But, in reality, the biggest transformation has been emotionally. I walk with my head up and greet people. I smile all the time. The light inside that had been dimmed by the layers of fat now shines bright and the world has opened up to me in ways that I could not have even imagined.

I am now proud to say that my biggest surgery goal has come true. I have enjoyed all of the benefits of increased health, quality of life, and a smaller size, but now I have the family that I have always dreamed of! In 2007 I gave birth to healthy twins; a boy and a girl! They are the light of my life and I am able to do all of the things that I envisioned doing as a parent. I am constantly down on the floor playing with them. And, I can get up off the floor by myself! I know that my pregnancy was so much easier and safer because I was at a healthy weight. I am constantly reminded of how blessed I am and what a dramatic life change weight loss surgery has provided me.

Because of the wonderful changes this surgery has helped me to make, I decided I really wanted to work with people considering weight loss surgery. I get the opportunity to share my experiences as well as guide and support those considering surgery. My greatest pleasures are sharing the joys of other patients when they reach milestones that “skinny” people take for granted. I love to hear people tell me they crossed their legs for the first time, or buckled the airplane seatbelt! I have been very blessed and touched by each of the people I have gotten the opportunity to work with. I am excited every day for the people that I may be able to help and see their lives transform as my own has. 

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Kathleen

Kathleen’s story

When I was a child, I always knew that I was different. I had a “big” loving family. Most of my favorite memories revolve around the dinner table. We sat down together every night and on Sundays, it was not unusual for the extended family to come over to eat. Family holidays revolved around massive dinner tables loaded with food and people sitting for hours to talk and eat!
Being heavy never really bothered me until I got into middle school. I had a teacher who made it her goal in life to tell me on a daily basis that I had such a pretty face and what a shame it was that I could not lose a few pounds.
By the time I graduated from high school, I tipped the scales at 225 pounds. Never went to the prom – never had a date. In college, I fell in love with the first boy who was nice to me. Unfortunately he went to Viet Nam and didn’t come back. I added another 25 pounds to my frame.
Later, I married the second boy who was nice to me. Had four fabulous sons and added another 75 pounds to my 5’2” frame. My hips were 66 inches around – four inches more than I was tall!
I was constantly on a diet – yo-yoing up and down and never really getting anywhere. I developed diabetes, high blood pressure, reflux, painfully aching joints and a very poor self image. I allowed myself to be taken advantage of because I didn’t think I deserved anything better.
When my marriage failed after 24½ years, I decided that it was time to take hold of my life and make some changes. A couple of friends that I worked with had the gastric bypass surgery. They started feeling better and looking great. So, I started doing my homework and reading every available article I could find on the surgery. I talked with my primary care physician in great depth about the changes the surgery would have on my life.
He referred me to a bariatric surgeon to discuss surgery. The doctor spent a couple of hours talking with me about the pros and cons of the surgery and the different procedures available to me. I decided to have the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure. I had provided the doctor’s office with a complete past medical history, cost analysis sheets for my medications to present to my insurance carrier and detailed diet history.
At the time, I had United Healthcare. When the letter of medical necessity was presented, I was approved in three weeks. That was the 15th of November. I told the doctors office that I had waited 35 years to be healthy and I wanted surgery as soon as possible. The only day available was Friday the 13th in December, 2002. Without hesitation, I said “I’ll take it!!!”
My official pre-op weight was 306 pounds although I had been up to 325.
I have now settled in at 133 pounds!
I am still on insulin for my diabetes. Before surgery I took 168 units of insulin a day with nine different oral medications. Now I only take six to ten units of insulin each day and one oral medication. My blood pressure is in the normal range and I have no arthritic aches and pains anymore.
Every night I thank God that he led me to this decision. I found out after surgery that I was only the doctors' fifth patient – I am at the head of the line of the hundreds of patients on whom he has performed bariatric surgery. What an honor!
When patients and friends ask me if I would do it again, I give a resounding “Yes – without a moment’s hesitation.” Gastric bypass surgery has made a remarkable change in my life, it has given me the confidence I lacked to expect more out of life.
It’s amazing – I spent my whole life as an obese person and even now after all of these years, sometimes I step out of the way for the skinny person I see walking into stores…only to realize that it’s me!!!