LapBandedKitty

Hi, my username is "Kitty". I'm a 50 something year old lady living with her husband in the Phoenix area. We have four furbabies (cats) and love them all to pieces:) Anyway,  Here is my story....







A little about my obesity history. I have been overweight since I was  at least 5 years old (if not before). My Mom and Dad and sister were not obese while I was growing up (tho Dad gained weight when he was nearly 60 and quit smoking and my sister is now obese for the first time (she actually became obese in her 40's).  I have tried to lose weight over and over since I was a child. By the time I was 13, I was over 200 lbs. I finally reached my highest weight of 310lbs in late 2010 I have tried to lose a few pounds since then which brings me to my present weight (See below).







After years of considering having bariatric surgery (long story), I finally had the insurance to cover it and the nerve to go for my first consult. On May 5, 2011, my husband drove me to the office and we met the Dr. We were both very impressed with the Dr. and his staff, as they were super friendly, informative and patient.  They went over everything that is entailed with getting acceptance of the surgery with our insurance (Aetna) and what to expect. I feel very excited that I may actually be able to lose weight and keep it off after this surgery. I don't expect to be "movie star" thin but maybe down to under 200 or even less (HOPE).







You might want to know what my first office experience was like? Well, first we talked to the Doctor's assistant. She weighed me (I know you are all hyperventilating thinking that you NEVER want to be on a scale again, right?) and measured my height to calculate my BMI. I was 290.5 and have shrunk to 5' 71/2" which makes my BMI=45). Next,  the Doctor came in and went over my medical history and explained the procedure (I'm a RN so didn't take very long). Next, another assistant came in and explained all the steps of what it would take to have insurance approve my surgery. They explained that I have to go through 3 weight loss classes (monthly) with the Doctor (the meeting that day counted as one). I have to meet with a psychiatrist and a nutritionist. They also get permission to get 2 years of weights and heights from your primary care physician. They estimated that with my insurance it would take about 2-3 months to get the ok for the surgery. I can hardly wait to have it done and slowly lose weight. I know it won't be extremely easy but at least it will, hopefully, help me to stop the yo-yo cycle of losing and re-gaining over and over and over again!







I had to go through so much to get the surgery done. The worst part for me about it is the IV sticks. I am, apparently, for some a very hard stick (tho the guy who did my treadmill test got me with one stick that didn't hurt at all and the anesthesiologist got me also in ONE stick... too bad they can't travel around with me starting all the IV's I will need for life ).  I had my surgery 9/20/2011 and had to stay overnight because I have sleep apnea. Not bad at all, I am already on meds for my neuromuscular disorder and didn't really need meds after the surgery. I think that I took maybe one or two percocets and then was on my home meds the rest of the time. THe port area was sore and you had to be careful not to lay on that side right away. It was more of a pinching type pain than anything and not like I was going to "die" of pain or anything. Others may react to pain differently though and I am generally told that I am a strong person.







I have not really felt hungry since surgery! I mean, I feel normal hunger but that ravenous feeling that I use to get which would make me feel like I was going to lose it if I didn't eat A LOT, is gone! Thank GOD! I know what a normal person feels like now! I know it wasn't because I had no "willpower", but because my hunger center was not right! The desire to overeat, for me, is gone and I am so happy! It wasn't my fault that I was fat, it was because something either genetic or hormonal or something was not right! I have had so many times with high stress and such since having surgery and I still do not feel like eating a box of "little debbie zebra cakes or a gallon of ice cream!". Even now, that my band has slipped (I was sick and vomiting even while taking anti-emetics and the thing slipped) and I feel so very stressed... and my band is totally deflated (but still intact!), I am not "stress" eating! SO everyone that blamed me all those years, my family, etc... GO BITE YOURSELVES! The lap-band does NOT fix emotional or psychological problems with eating!!!







At this point, I am down 91 lbs from my highest weight and 71.5 lbs since I started seeing the bariatric surgeon! I am so happy and regardless of what happens, if I have complications that can not be "righted", then I will have a revision surgery. I'm determined to never be morbidly obese again!