From Housebound to Cute Shoes!One Woman’s Journey with WLS

by Susan Acedo

I am currently 8 months post op, my surgery was 12/20/05 and thus far I have lost 85 lbs with about 15 more to go. However, if I don't lose a single pound more I will be thrilled for the rest of my life!!! I, like most people, never thought it would come to this. I have been heavy most of my adult life, but due to some issues with chronic daily headaches and recurring migraines I became almost housebound around the age of 28, at which time my weight just ballooned out of control. Even shopping for a wedding dress was a nightmare. Everything I liked wasn't made "in my size". I was stuck with a few choices to pick from and then I still looked like a stuffed pig, being pinched by my oversize corset.

By the time I acknowledged that I needed help, I started researching WLS and the various surgeons in my area. I went to the Information Sessions for 3 different doctors, and decided on the last one. However, I still wasn't ready and took 2 more years to actually contact the Doctor. By that time, my insurance required 6 months of Nutritionist supervised dieting as well as all the other test. However, after 6 months, insurance now wanted 2 more months with the Nutritionist-so now I am almost 3 years out from my first seminar! After insurance approved me, it was 6 weeks till surgery.

The day of my surgery was probably the most calm I have ever felt in my life-I knew I was making the best decision for me, my husband and our future together. Immediately post op I had a reaction to the morphine, which made me sick, and then there was internal bleeding. Fortunately they didn't have to go back in, but my recovery was much slower than average-it took me 2 extra days to leave the hospital and 6 weeks to get back to my job, which was simply sitting at a desk.

Almost within 2 weeks of returning to work, I experienced my first kidney stone. It was January 29th at 10:30 PM on a Saturday. Not knowing what was going on, we called my surgeon-who by the way gives his cell phone number to all his patients. He listened to my husband describe the pain and told us to head to the ER-it sounds like Kidney Stones. Fortunately, he was right and I was given the pain medications and fluids to help me through the episode. However, in the next 2 months I would suffer 7 more episodes of Kidney Stones and 2 hospitalizations for extreme dehydration. On what was to be the last visit to the ER For Kidney Stones, I called my surgeon and asked for a reversal. He said absolutely not! I was two weeks away from the magical, mythical 3-month mark where everything was supposed to change. I took the next 4 weeks off from work because I could barely walk from my bedroom to the living room without taking a break-I was physically and emotionally exhausted and truly thought I was going to die.

However, after the first 2 weeks at home I thought I heard the birds chirping a little louder and the sun shining a bit brighter. I was able to eat and drink regularly (like any good 3-month post op WLS patient, that is!) and I could now walk to the mailbox without feeling faint. From that moment on, I have had no complications and gained a whole new life. When I went back to work, everyone was amazed at the difference in my appearance.

Although I had been losing weight all along I had been so unhealthy that you couldn't see past the sick to the weight loss. Now, I had gone out and bought a whole new wardrobe and changed my style completely. I love pink, and jewelry and cute shoes!!! My husband can't get enough of the new me...the person who wakes up at 6AM on Saturday morning because she can't wait to clean out the closets or who vacuums the house every other day!!!

For so long, both before and just after my surgery I thought my life was over and that I was just waiting till something happened. Well, I made it happen and I am now the happiest person-happier than I ever imagined. I wouldn't recommend this surgery to everyone knowing how difficult the side effects CAN be. However, for me it was the best decision I have ever made (besides marrying my wonderful husband, of course) and I wouldn't change a thing.

All the pain and side effects I suffered have given me a greater appreciation for my new life-and the love of a husband who stood by me no matter what. I can eat such a wonderful variety of food, things that I never took notice of before-fresh vegetables, and fruit that tastes out of this world! No more fried foods or pastas for me. Even though I can tolerate them, when I do eat bad stuff my body tells me that it isn't happy by being sluggish and non-responsive. I can actually understand what my body is telling me-and I listen!!!

Back From the Edge:Diane Shield's WLS Success Story

Growing up in the south, plus living on a farm, my life really focused on food. Also, some of my fondest memories of childhood revolved around food. I see myself in my grandmother’s kitchen as she taught me to cook. I can still smell the wood burning stove she had. She wanted to teach all my cousins, but they were too busy playing. So it was just me and my grandmother in the kitchen for hours. She made the best cakes. Of course, I got to lick all the spoons.

We had a large garden on our farm. We also raised cows, pigs, chickens, and rabbits. I didn’t realize it then, but we were poor. We didn’t shop at the grocery store like most people. We only bought the staples, cleaning products, paper products, etc. Everything else we got from neighboring farms. My parents were very strict when it came to food. We were taught that you did not waste anything. We were forced to clean our plates. When we had friends over, my dad would tell them,” If you don’t wanna eat it, don’t mess over it. We’ve gotta eat it.” Needless to say, I ended up very chubby.

I found a way to keep the weight off during my teens. It wasn’t healthy, but I’m sure there are others out there besides me who have been through this. I turned to bulimia. I hid it very well from everyone. My family found out just this year. I hid a lot of things from them. This is the time I began experiencing the first signs of Bipolar. I started living my life on “the edge”.

Many years later, after I had ballooned to 375 miserable pounds, something needed to be done. In addition to the Bipolar, I had numerous health problems; diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, plus a host of others. I wouldn’t live much longer if I kept going this way. Believe it or not, it was at the urging of my psychiatrist that I first started looking into WLS. He felt it would be the best course of action for me. He was convinced I would come through with flying colors.

On May 5, 2004, I underwent laparoscopic RNY. Now, 16 months later, I am down a whopping 240 pounds. I no longer have difficulties with any of those health problems. I’ve even been able to decrease my psych meds. I’m back at work after being unable to function since 1995. I have also returned to college to advance my degree.

I debated about telling all my “secrets”. I chose to be open for a reason. I’m certain that there are others out there just like me. I want each of them to know they are not alone. I’m thankful each and everyday that I did this. It wasn’t always easy. I’ve had plenty of setbacks along the way. If given the chance, I’d do it all again.

Eileen Bellsey: "Life Is Good After WLS"

by Eileen Bellsey - © 2005

Surgery date: April 1, 2004.

Before WLS I weighed about 250 lbs and wore a size 22-24. I was divorced for 8 years and had not gone out on more than 2 dates in all that time. I am down and holding at 140lbs, wearing a size 6-8. Just had a consult with a plastic surgeon and as soon as I can, I am going to do the legs, thighs and tummy first. The doctor says I will get more bang for my buck with this one. My fiancée doesn't feel like I need to do this but I am doing it for me, for the same reason that I had my bypass surgery! I did it for me, and thank God that I did. I have a whole new life now, and have not regretted my decision once. I don't miss the desserts, the bread, and the candy. My life now is busy and full, with not much time to sit home and eat myself sick.

I came out to Nevada to visit my mom for two weeks, about 4 months post-op, and I am still here. I got a new job, which I love, a man who I love dearly, and whom I plan on marrying in December, and we just bought a new home that we are in the process of moving into. Life is good after WLS.

My rules that I follow faithfully:

1. Never, ever eat anything with sugar. Think of yourself as a diabetic, sugar makes you sick. Stick with this and you will never regret it!

2. Always eat carbs last, that is if you have room after you have had at least a glass or two of water with lemon and equal before your meal, you have eaten your protein, then your veggies and some fruit. This is the way I eat and it works. If I have room at the end of a meal, and still feel like I want to eat a piece of bread, I tear off a piece of the crust and it that. It works.

3. You have to find an eating buddie to share meals with. Portions are way to big for those of us after WLS! The plus is that you save tons of money..two do eat as cheaply as one.

4. People are nicer to you...there definitely is a prejudice against overweight men and women. It makes me sad that we are so judged by "normal weight" people.

Kim's Success Story:"I Want to Outlive the Cat"

by Kim Stover © 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Isn't it funny...I don't feel like I'm able to submit a "success" story, since I'm not at my goal yet! See how horrible we are to ourselves? So many family members and friends have told me that I don't need to lose another pound, but to me, I will have failed the project if I don't make it to my goal weight, which is 142 pounds. I don't think that this is something that I can get past, no matter how hard I try.

Here's my first attempt at a success story. Feel free to post it...

My highest recorded weight was 373 pounds. I know that I was probably a bit heavier, but since I knew that I was going to the doctor for my annual physical, I dieted the week prior. The dreaded scale! One of the most demeaning things an obese person can experience, is having the nurse search for the little metal thingy that will adjust the scale to weigh you. They can never seem to remember what drawer it was placed in and then when they do find it, they have to pull the manual out to see where to place it. Just shoot me now.

I was a great morbidly obese woman. I thought that I was beautiful and I did all of the things in life that I wanted to. My weight never stopped me from my goals. I was healthy as a horse and at one point, my doctor told me to quit dieting. He had said that I was doing more damage to myself by losing a 100 lbs and gaining it back than just staying at my current weight. Sounded good to me! All of that was fine and dandy until I turned 35. At that point, my body threw in the towel. My perfect blood pressure was now high. So high that I had to go on medication. It was a good medication for another reason. One of the side effects was that it repaired kidney damage, which I had developed due to the diabetes. I had never been diabetic before turning 35 years old. My cholesterol was 227. Higher than it had ever been.

A year after taking diabetes classes and trying to control things with diet and exercise, I started to think about WLS. I had approached my doctor (a new one) a couple of years prior about WLS and she quickly told me "NO". She didn't know any reputable surgeon that would perform the procedure, there were too many risks, and I should probably go on Prozac. So, in the fall of 2002, facing more kidney damage, I started to research the procedure. Al Roker just had it done and he's a normal guy, right? I printed everything off of the Internet that I could find and made a file to take to my doctor. I was ready to fight this battle.

As she entered the room, I stated that I wanted to have Gastric Bypass Surgery (in my biggest voice). As I was taking my next breath to explain why, she responded with a quick, "OK." What? I was ready to fight! I asked her why she gave in so quickly and she said that the procedure had come a long way in a short amount of time. Although there were still huge risks involved, my new diseases that I had developed outweighed the risks of the surgery. People ask me what made me decide to have the procedure done. My response was, "I just want to outlive my cat". I knew that I could probably outlive the dog, but heck, cats seem to live forever.

My procedure went off without any complications. I had to jump through numerous hoops to get there, but by golly, I did everything that they asked of me. Us chronic dieters are great at following the rules. My surgery was September 4, 2003. Almost a full year from when I first inquired about it. I'm glad that I had to wait, as it gave me the time to be sure that it was something that I really wanted to do.

Now it is June 2005 and I'm 5 pounds from my goal weight. I still feel like I'm an obese person. When I dream at night, I'm about 275 pounds, which is funny, because when I was at my heaviest, I was the same size in my dreams. It must be my mental perfect weight. I wear a size 6/8 now which is just amazing to me. At 373 pounds, I was in a size 32 (elastic waist only!). The Salvation Army has reaped the rewards of my dropping that many sizes.

Shopping is an entirely new experience for me. I had always shopped at the Avenue or Lane Bryant (had to lose weight to get into LB biggest size). I loved these two stores. One stop shopping is my all time favorite! Need underwear, shoes and a pair of pants? It's all right here, under one roof, in a perfectly air conditioned store. They keep those places like a meat locker, don't they? At this new size, I find myself wondering aimlessly through the shopping malls. The first time I went into Banana Republic, they asked me which pant cut I wore. What? Did you know that they name their pants? Was I a Martin? A Harrison? I had no idea. I just wanted them to fit and be comfortable. The first pair that I tried on fit like a dream. I rushed to the cashier to pay for my pants...why was I rushing? I didn't want anyone to figure out that I was truly a fat person pretending to be thin in this store. I really felt like my secret was going to be discovered if I didn't hurry out. I exited the store, eyes looking down and extremely excited that the alarm didn't sound off as I crossed the security panels.

When I went to Victoria's Secret for the first time, I walked into the stockroom thinking that it was the fitting room. I could go into any Lane Bryant across this great country of ours and tell you exactly where the dressing rooms were. I was completely lost in these new stores. I thought that it was really interesting that Victoria's Secret's dressing rooms had doorbells. Let me understand this...I ring this bell, and you come to assist me? Brilliant! Why doesn't Lane Bryant have this fabulous button? Nothing worse than needing a different size at 373 pounds. Redress myself, find the bigger size, get someone to let me back into the room only to get undressed again. Misery.

I still love food, probably more than I ever have in my life. I don't think that will ever change. My self image will change over time and I look forward to dreaming of my new body. Oh, and sadly, the cat passed away...but on the upside, I'm still here!

Judy H. Wright: The Second Half of My Life

By Judy H. Wright

Have you ever wondered where destiny would lead you? Have you ever pondered whether the road you are taking would lead to fulfillment and happiness? Unlike so many of my friends and family, I have always had the sure knowledge of what was expected of me.

It was under a shade tree surrounded by my teddy bears and dolls that it came to me- I would have six children, write books that would help families, have the opportunity to speak and teach all over the world, and I would live to be 97 years old. That is pretty heavy stuff for a six year old.

I shared this epiphany with my mother, and she never doubted the message. She continued to encourage and support me through every milestone until she died in my arms at age 93. Even while nurturing my family of six children and following my husband's military career, I was gathering the skills to prepare me to "do my own thing." When my children were grown and my parents were gone, I realized that the portion of my life devoted to care-giving and nurturing of my family was complete.

I had 40 years of productive time left on this earth to accomplish all I had set forth to do. However, after carrying so much physical weight on my body for years, I was facing inevitable diabetes and arthritis. My future looked like pain, wheel chairs and doctor's offices. Unless I took action, medical complications would curtail me from fulfilling my destiny.

I approached this issue as I have the many books I have written. I investigated "one more diet" that I could live with for the rest of my life. I interviewed over 100 men and women across the country that had tried the same diets that didn't work before finally finding a method that proved successful. My mind was made up. I chose gastric bypass surgery as a one-time solution. On July 30, 2002, I underwent a procedure called laparoscopic Roux-en-Y. This surgery creates a small stomach pouch which holds less than a cup of food. A section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch that absorbs less food than before. Most patients lose over half their excess weight in the first year and a half. Since my operation, I have lost 115 pounds. This is equivalent to the combined weight of my three granddaughters, Amanda, Lexi and Melissa!

For the first time in years, I feel normal and in control when making food choices. Now I am able to enjoy life to the fullest and have the energy and stamina required helping other families raise their standard of living through my books and workshops. Finally, my spirit and body are in sync and I am ready to go forward. I am able to concentrate on my spirit's promptings during yoga because I am no longer concerned with whether my body will be able to balance, bend or straighten up. For me, this option was a success. It gave me the ability to concentrate again on my writing, and to feel confident when I facilitate workshops or speak to groups. Yes, I have met my goal of being an international speaker and writer!

To travel, teach, and fulfill my destiny I must be a woman of strength, and I must maintain that spirit and energy for the rest of my life. We each create our own reality by our thoughts, actions and belief systems. Hopefully that belief system will include guardian angels and a success team who will guide and assist us in our journey.

I have an obligation to that little girl under the shade tree who understood her life's purpose half a life time ago. The message that was shared with me and I now share with my children, my grandchildren, and the families that I work with is to listen carefully to the still small voice within that tells us we are important and have something of value to share with the world. The time to share your unique gift may not be now, but it will be someday and so always be in the process of becoming, learning and growing. Be open to possibilities that life and the angels have in store for you, and you will find the right road to fulfillment of your destiny.

This article was written by Judy H. Wright, Missoula, Mt for a book called Women of Strength and Spirit. Soon to be available on her website: www.ArtichokePress.com To sign up for the free e-zine, purchase books, tapes and workshops on human relations in the journey of life, please go to the website or call
406-549-9813

Judy H. Wright is an author of over 20 books and many articles on human relations. Although she does much work on a national level concerning Hospice and end-of-life, she works as a parent educator in her daily life. She feels strongly that her destiny is to touch the lives of young parents, internationally, to teach them common sense methods of child rearing that will enhance the harmony and dignity of the whole family. For more information please go to http://www.ArtichokePress.com

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Kaye Bailey: Living After WLS Success Story

It’s For the Rest of Your Life

I found out I was fat on the first day of kindergarten when the little girl sitting next to me on the floor pointed at my chubby knees and told me I was fat. I didn’t even know what fat was but I could tell it was bad and I didn’t want to be fat. Until that day I had been unaware I was different. But there I was, a five-year-old girl sitting cross-legged on the floor in my pretty red first-day-of-school dress learning a new word that would define me for twenty-five years.

Then I had laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery and my world turned around. After a lifetime of unsuccessful dieting the pounds melted away and I became a thin, fit, healthy person! The decision to have surgery took courage, nerve, and a little bit of plain old faith. It was my last hope, my last resort, the end of the road for a thirty-year-old fat woman sitting on the kindergarten floor.

And it WORKED!

On the one-year anniversary of my surgery I walked into an upscale dress shop and the clerk looked me over and she said the most glorious words I had ever heard, “You’re a size six, right?”

Absolutely! Size Six! That’s me! (I did have enough self-control not to hug her!)

Every bariatric patient knows how the story of the little fat girl begins. Most of us started our lives heavy and in spite of countless valiant efforts we have never won the battle to become trim and healthy. Each of us could fill a large binder with stories of shame, humiliation, fear and outright embarrassment because of our obesity. Sure, we’ve had those fleeting weight loss successes only to have our hearts broken when the pendulum swings from weight loss to weight gain. I can’t count the nights in my lifetime I spent awake wishing and dreaming to wake up thin and fit and beautiful. I prayed to every God I’d ever heard about for a miracle. I suppose every overweight person prays for a miracle.

If you are visiting this website you have studied and consulted, discussed and prayed about your decision for weight loss surgery. You have chosen surgery as your miracle. Congratulations! You have shown great courage! You have the spirit to take action in the face of great fear! You have made a decision you will never regret! You are about to start the adventure of your lifetime. Now you are at the crossroad where you stop dreaming and begin living the miracle!

During the first few months after surgery you will experience wonderful changes as your body drops the pounds, seemingly without effort on your behalf! This time truly is a window of opportunity where a patient discovers the person who has been hiding inside for so long. Suddenly your face will have structure; you might lose a chin (or two!) Your body will shrink so fast that clothes that fit one day will be hanging off your incredible shrinking figure the next!

While it may appear to onlookers that you are losing the weight without personal struggle or effort, this really isn’t true. Physically the pounds are melting away. But inside there are struggles every day and issues to overcome. Some patients report symptoms of depression during this phase of rapid weight loss – so much changing so fast! Others report extreme highs and elation as they see their new healthy self magically appear in the mirror. People surrounding the rapidly diminishing patient may de-value the effort it takes for person to accomplish massive weight loss. They may not understand the physical and mental toll this rapid weight loss is taking. This surgery requires a complete retraining of your body. Nothing you have done in the past to feed your body will you be able to continue doing. How many people would call a complete body overhaul easy?

There are people in our world, fat and thin alike, who see weight loss surgery as a magic pill – the easy way out of the big bodies we are lugging around. We’ve all heard, and been hurt by their comments, “just quit eating all that food and exercise – it’s easy to lose weight.” Easy to lose weight? Not damn hardly! If that were true then a third of our population wouldn’t be struggling with obesity. Losing weight and keeping it off is never easy. Not before surgery. Not after surgery. Never-ever-never.

But the good news: with weight loss surgery you will be armed with the most powerful, the most effective tool ever in the history of weight control! There is no other pill, program or plan in existence that has the enduring proven success of weight loss surgery. You will have this tool for the rest of your life. Unless you deliberately have it reversed it can never be taken from you.

I believe bariatric maturity is reached when you understand one word: respect. You are a bariatric adult when you respect your tiny tummy, when you respect the science of your body, and when you respect yourself. Sure, we all experience an occasional lapse of judgment; that old lover of ours – food - is flaunting temptations every single day. But the bariatric patient is a powerful person. You have already shown great courage in the face of fear. You have built on your infant and teenage experiences and become an adult embracing all the good things your tiny tummy has given you. You know where you came from and you’ll be damned if you’re ever going back! You are a bariatric adult and one of life’s finest success stories! The battle isn’t easy; it will be fought every day for the rest of your life. But you are armed for the fight and you are winning! You are a bariatric adult! You have arrived!
Congratulations! Enjoy your bariatric experience!

It’s for the rest of your life!

Hints for Writing your WLS Success Story

Write "Your" Slice of Life: 6 Quick and Easy Steps to Writing a Personal Essay
By Judy H. Wright

Do you know why the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series is so popular? Aside from terrific marketing and unequaled publicity, readers love the stories and personal essays. They are short, personal and teach a lesson or moral. If you would like to be a better writer of the personal essay, opinion pieces, reports and letters to the editor just follow the suggestions listed below:

1. Be brief. Many written reports or stories are 500 words or less. However, there is a general rule that an essay is between two and twenty typed, double-spaced pages. The most important criteria to remember is that a good piece needs to be an unbroken reading experience. The reader will lose interest if it is too long or wordy.

2. Tell a story. A personal essay is a story that has happened to you or that you know about firsthand. The reader assumes that it is nonfiction and that it will contain details and descriptions with which we are familiar. Structure your story around examples, using a pencil as your paintbrush to evoke images and paint a picture in the reader’s mind.

3. Make a point. You will want to illustrate your point, teach a lesson, explain a specific topic, or even support or criticize an idea. Your goal is to win sympathy or agreement. Do not turn it into a sermon or a soapbox to present the superiority of your ideas by including "shoulds" or “musts" aimed at the reader.

4. Use your senses. Enliven your essay with sensuous detail like how it smelled, tasted, sounded or felt. Make the reader feel like they are seeing and experiencing it through your body.

5. Tell about the ordinary. Personal essays are often best when they describe a common but freely shared experience. It doesn’t have to be about being a survivor of the Twin Towers. Talk about your reaction to 911. Or tell us about watching a sunset or baking bread. When you talk about walking your dog, take us along.

6. Make it engaging. An essay should arouse curiosity about life. Instead of preaching, invite us to consider your point of view by sharing the particular experience that brought you there, describe what happened, how you reacted, and why you interpret your experiences the way you do.

Think about your own interests and areas of special knowledge, activities, skills, attitudes, problems as well as typical obstacles faced in life. Teach us what you gained or lost in your life lesson. It is much easier to be convincing when you can draw from personal and firsthand information. Write it today. Submit it to Chicken Soup for the Soul or your local newspaper and become a published author. There are readers out there who want to share your slice of life.

© 2005 Judy H. Wright

This article has been prepared for your use by Judy H. Wright, author and life educator. You have permission to reprint it in your ezine or newsletter as long as the author and her web address is included http://www.ArtichokePress.com; 406-549-9813. Check out the website for upcoming workshops, tele-classes and books. You will also find FREE articles and be able to subscribe to the ezine The Artichoke-finding the heart of the story in the journey of life.

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