Is it possible to be scared to death and excited at the same time? Yes!Apr 26 '05 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Sometimes an elective surgery isn't all that elective. In my case, I feel that the positives out-weigh the negatives. I debated on writing this story for the past week or so. I Decided to go ahead and put it out there. Maybe it will help someone else. This time next week I will be in a hospital room recovering from surgery. No, there isn't anything "wrong", exactly. This surgery, while medically necessary, is something that I have, after almost three years, decided to go thru with on my own. Well, with the support of my husband. Without his support there is no way I would even attempt this surgery. I want and need him by my side. And he has been the entire way. Making it to all of my pre-op appointments and any other visits I've had to make. My surgery? Gastric Bypass Surgery. More specific, Roux-en-y, or RNY. If you are interested, you can read about it here: http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/m-surgerytypes.phtml I've had a lot of people ask me if I feel the risks make this surgery worth it. In my case, I feel that they are. Within the last year I have gained over 50 lbs. Being sick and being on Prednisone so that I could breathe packed the weight on with lightening speed and I haven't been able to lose it. Not only that, but within the past few months I have also been diagnosed as a Type II Diabetic and I have also been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure. I am on medications to help control both of those. If you are familiar with some of my reviews, you know that I also suffer from PCOS and infertility. Not to mention severe allergies, asthma, GERD, Fatty Liver and hypo-thyroid. Not to mention the three gallbladder attacks that I have had in the past two months. I counted the other night and I take 7 prescriptions every night before I go to bed. This isn't counting meds for anxiety and insomnia, that are taken as needed. Or the two inhalers that I have. Or my multivitamin that I take. To some the amount of meds might not seem like a lot, but to me, it is. Some people think that Gastric Bypass surgery is the easy way out. If only you knew! The pre-op testing is something in itself! When I went for labs, they drew 11 vials of blood. Nope, that isn't a typo. I didn't have to go for the chest X-ray since I had just had one in November to make sure that my pneumonia was gone. I had to have an psych eval to make sure that I knew what I was getting into and that I was emotionally stable enough to handle it. I also had to take a three hour nutrition class. Part of the class was the doctor explaining, in detail, the surgery. The other was the nutritionist telling us what we could and couldn't eat, not to mention going over supplements and vitamins and such. I also had to meet with her privately. Actually three times. She wanted to make sure I was doing what I was supposed to be doing in the case of my Diabetes. Still sound like the easy way out? How about the 5-6 incisions so that the surgery can be done? The 2-3 day hospital stay? Your eating habits will forever have to change. What you can and can't eat and drink. Sugar is a no-no, unless you want to be in the bathroom "dumping" from either, or both, ends. You have to make sure you get in enough protein. Enough vitamins and minerals. You have to take supplements the rest of your life. You have to make sure that you drink enough liquids so that you don't dehydrate. To some the surgery isn't worth it. To me, it is. I have tried to lose weight. I've been unsuccessful. Going anywhere in public makes me feel terrible. Ever seen any "fat" clothes that look decent? I haven't. Sitting down at a restaurant is uncomfortable. A lot of times I can't fit in the booth. Well, I can if I don't breathe. Chairs, with arms, in waiting rooms make me feel like I'm being stuffed in a sardine can. I try to play with my son and I get out of breath. If I rough house with him I end up hurting myself. It's like my bones hurt. This is by no means an easy way out. The surgery has risks of it's own, and my husband and myself have weighed them over and over, but with my health constantly rolling down-hill, we have decided that this would be the best course of action. Many of the health problems that I have are weight related. We're hoping that within the next 6-12 months that I can go off of many of the meds that I have to take. The GERD, Diabetes and High Blood Pressure, anyway. Many no longer have those medical issues once their weight has dropped. Not to mention the infertility. The gallbladder will be removed during my surgery, so that won't be a trouble for me anymore, either. All of these health issues came about after September, which is when I had pneumonia and was on Prednisone for almost 2 months. As the weight came on, so did the health problems. I'm hoping that people will be supportive of my choice. I know that there are some that will be against it. That's their problem. I am doing what I feel is right for me. For my family. I want to be able to play with my son and live to see him grow up. I want to be healthy again. I don't want to die in the next few years from a heart attack. I started a profile at Obesityhelp.com and you are more than welcome to follow my progress there. I will be updating it as my surgery goes along. It is a wonderful site for anyone with weight issues. The forums and other information have been priceless! http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/profile.phtml?N=D1113710211 Thanks for your time, and I hope your support. This wasn't an easy choice to make. As I said before, it took me more than three years to decide to actually go for it. While I'm scared to death, I'm excited, as well.  |
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