Adventures in WLS

It's hard to finally admit this but after 24 years, it's about time!

I'm fat.

Oh yes...seriously. Of course anyone that will visit this page already knows this :)

I've always been large. I can't say since birth, because I weighed a whopping 6 lbs and some odd ounces, but AFTER that... I've been fat. I remember sometime in grade school while still living in Oregon the class lined up for P.E. and we were off to weigh ourselves on the scales. I was the only one to be over 100 pounds. Scary! I can't remember what age this was, but it was at an age I shouldn't have been that high and was, of course, made fun of. Horrifying experience! Enough so that I still remember it.

I was super heavy all throughout junior high and high school even though I participated in sports. My Mom and Dad would make me lunches in elementary and junior high and I remember working out at home. It helped for a bit before the habit was lost.

When I went off to college I got sucked into the dorm life of going to bed really late, drinking, and for me, playing video games. I would be on the computer all day and night playing with friends online. I'd forget to eat. Instead of gaining that Freshman 15, I actually lost quite a bit of weight. I never actually weighed myself but I could fit into a size 18 jeans (hey, that was good for me!). When I moved out of the dorms and into a duplex with my roommate we started hitting the gym. I went to the gym every single day (seriously). I watched what I ate and had a personal trainer. I don't know what happened. I was awesome! Losing inches and weight...and then it stopped.

I picked it up a bit more when I obtained a boyfriend, but you know that whole saying where when you've been with someone for so long it just gets comfortable? Well ...yeah. Him and I both were on a good healthy kick when we first started dating. Now it's been 4 years and some change and we've both gained a substantial amount of weight. To the point that I get winded doing any sort of activity. It's quite sad.

I've done just about every diet out there - at least ones I thought were healthy. I've done my studying, I know what is considered good for the body and not.

I worked at Sports Authority's Corporate Office for a few months last year and being in that environment really helped. They had a gym for the employees and I used it every single day at lunch time. I brought my healthy lunch every single day with snacks and my water bottle. I lost close to 60 pounds. And then I quit the job (corporate places suck). From there it was fast food and cheap food at the grocery store to save money (stupid excuse). I've almost put back on what I had lost. Makes me sad thinking about it.

So now that you are up to date on the whole weight thing, here is the kicker and what I plan on doing next.

Weight Loss Surgery.

Now before you go "That is so extreme and dangerous!" let me tell you that I've done my research, I've picked an excellent doctor and I know the pros and cons. Yes, it can be considered dangerous, but it has come a long long way since it was first introduced. For starters, they don't cut you wide open (unless needed) - it's laparoscopic (5 tiny little incisions). I haven't officially made the decision which surgery I'm going for, but the doctor I have chosen does the Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass, and the LAP-Band. He's also been learning the sleeve. For those wondering, here's the deal between them all.

Roux en-Y Gastric Bypass:

- Removes the stomach from the digestive system and creates a tiny pouch the size of an egg (2 oz), which is your new stomach. From there they bypass to the intestines and reconnect the stomach at a lower area for the stomach acid's ability to dissolve the food.

- Pros - Faster weight loss, dumping syndrome (you eat something high in sugar/carbs, you feel utterly sick, so it basically keeps you on the right track eating wise), about 75-80% access weight loss.

- Cons - Minimal malabsorption, because you're bypassing the stomach, your body's essential vitamins are no longer absorbed from foods, thus you will have to take B-12 for the rest of your life (as well as a multivitamin, but you're needed to do that with every surgery). Screwing up your innards, possible infection risks as with any other surgery.

Lap-Band

- This little guy is as it sounds, a little band that is placed on the outside of the upper stomach. This controls how much food can travel to the stomach. There is a little filler placed under your skin near your ribs that is injected with fluid that will inflate the band or can be taken out to deflate.

- Pros - No evasive surgery, it is adjustable, it can be reversed/removed.

- Cons - No dumping syndrome (you can eat anything), having that little filler under your skin and having to return to the doctors for fills, infections can occur, the ring can slilp, causing harm. Not as efficient weight loss wise as the RnY, will not lose as fast.

I don't have all the information on the Sleeve procedure as I still want to ask about this, but basically what they do is staple the stomach so that there is a narrow track that the food goes through. They still create a small pouch at the top. The pros are that your food still goes through the stomach so that you're getting all the absorption of vitamins. The cons are that there is no dumping and again you can eat anything you want.

Right now I'm leaning towards RnY simply for the fact that I don't want to be given the opportunity to "cheat" because I'm lame enough to do it.

Now again, this does seem extreme and many people will say "Diet and exercise you lazy person!" but I've done that and I'm tired of being unfit, unhealthy, etc. Diabetes runs in my family. I want to be fit now, while I'm young. Some people think getting Weight Loss Surgery is the easy way out. It's not. It is hard. Three hours after the surgery they will dump you out of bed to walk. I want to be successful so I will be doing everything I'm told. I will be working out as soon as I'm given the go ahead. I will walk every day. I will eat and drink what I'm suppose to. This is an expensive surgery not to do what they say. It can't be just another diet tried (it can, but that's dumb). It has to be for life. My goal is to lose half of me. I want to be active outdoors by going hiking, skiing, jogging. My biggest goal is to be able to scuba dive around the world with Mom. :)

I will probably have a lot of loose skin and I'm cool with that (as long as it's not in the arms!). I'm banking on my youth being able to bounce back...and I'm also okay with plastic surgery around the stomach/leg/midsection area as long as the scars can be below the panty line.

Anywho - that's the big secret. What I've been planning and doing about my obesity. It is a big deal and I hope people don't look at me differently for taking what I firmly believe is a a positive step towards getting healthier. If you do, poopoo on you! Nah really, I want people to be supportive. Please raise your concerns and I'll answer them as best I can.


Okay now that it's out there and officially blogged - I feel so much better! It's been kind of a secret I've only shared with a few people. Granted not many people will know the blog exists, but I'm cool with that :) If you're one of the ones that is reading it, please don't spread. I'd like to keep it between you and me. Even though I'm excited, I'm also embarrassed that it's come to this and afraid of other people's reactions. That and I want to surprise people with the sudden "mini" me a couple years down the road.

Posted in: obese, surgery, weight, wls on Thursday, June 19, 2008 at at 9:25 AM