flemoine

Hi! My name is Farrah. I had gastric sleeve surgery a week ago today. I am from Baton Rouge, LA and I am excited and nervous about the journey before me. But I am ready to tackle it and be successful in my weight loss.

As a child I never struggled with weight. In college I ranged from 100-120 pounds. However, when I turned 20 I started struggling. I had a boyfriend and we would eat out all the time. I started to gain weight and instead of losing, I continued to do what I had always done which was eat what I wanted and I continued to gain. As I moved into my thirties, I continued to gain weight. I am an emotional eater and I was in an abusive marriage. After I left my ex-husband, I was the heaviest I had ever been (278 pounds).

Throughout the years I have done every diet in the book. If you name it, I have done it. I would lose 10, 20, 30, even up to 60 pounds but then I would eventually return to my old eating habits and gain it back. I would eat based on my emotions and then I would eat even when I wasn't hungry. I have dug myself so deep into a hole, that it was overwhelming to dig out of.

I have researched and thought about weight loss surgery for several years. A few years ago I was interested in lap band but then I began reading articles and talking to people who had had it who told me they would eventually gain weight as their band would expand. They also discussed having to go and get it adjusted constantly.

In September I went to my Gynecologist for my annual checkup. He noticed that in the year since my last appointment I had gained 40 pounds back of 60 I had lost in the previous year when I did a medically supervised diet. My doctor shared with me that his wife who was about my size had gastric sleeve surgery a year ago and now she is a size 2. He referred me to the surgeon who had done his wife's surgery and that is how my journey started.

In October I first met with my surgeon. I was delusional in thinking that I would meet with him and then bang, I would have surgery. I quickly found out that even though my insurance would approve the surgery they wanted me to do a 6 month medically supervised diet. I left his office extremely discouraged. After a week of thinking and researching I realized I had done a year long medically supervised diet. I called my doctor's insurance coordinator and a few weeks later my surgery was scheduled.

At the time I went for my initial meeting I weighed 246 pounds. After I got the surgery scheduled I went on an eating binge. In the time span of about 2 months, I gained 14 pounds. When I went for my pre-op appointment my doctor put me on a liquid diet which ended up being great because it trained me a little for post surgery.

Last Monday I went in for my surgery. I thought because it was laperscopic that the recovery would be easy. It wasn't. It kicked my butt. I had a lot of problems right after surgery with nausea (even though I was on meds) and reflux.

However, now I am a week out and doing much better. I still have some gas pains and I am learning how to slow down and sip slowly. I am learning that I can't have water during my soup or protein shake. I am learning that I can't use a straw. I am continuing to learn and looking forward to moving forward on this journey.