My 2 Cents about Weight Loss Surgery!!!

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My 2 Cents....
by Melissa Serkowski on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at 8:38pm

I always love it when I come across some arrogant individual who has some stupid comment to say.. But what can you do but feel sorry that they don't know any better.. But it does get some water bubbling sometimes.. So what do I do... Just give them my 2 cents... And blog my feelings.. And then let it go.. There is always going to be someone you don't agree with and that won't agree with you.. We all have a right to our own opinions.. But that does not always mean we are always correct...



I am one that can see other sides to things in other peoples point of views in many situations.. But some.. Well I am pretty stuck in my ways... So The comment tonight was... Lap Band /Weight Loss surgery is the easy way out... Coming from an individual that has not gone threw the process or obviously has not researched it enough to know any better... It just pisses me off to actually believe people think that...



First.. Yes it is very easy to put your life in the hands of a doctor who tells you that you can die from the surgery.. Great!!! Where can I sign up!!! It's even easier telling your family that your going to under go a operation and they to know the risks of any surgery... That their family member could die and never make it threw it... And they don't truly understand why you have to have it...



It's even easier when they tell you that if you don't eat healthy and put in at least 30 min of exercise a day your going to fail.... And yet still go threw with it... Because there is no other way... I remember reading a story of a man that died that was severely obese that his stomach was 6 times the normal size... I can only imagine how he felt.. It saddens me.. I abused my body since 2001. That is when I started putting on a lot of my weight.. I was in a head on collision and my body never felt the same ever since... Back issues, neck issues, migraines.. I was depressed with my life... I became severely depressed, extreme anxiety issues, I didn't even want to leave my house anymore because of the fear of death... I ate and ate myself til my stomach was so big that stretched to a point no matter how many times I tried to diet, couldn't get the full feeling that I longed for...



All the dieting failed of course... Now that I think about it and know what I do now... Of course it would... I wasn't ever feeling full with food.. Especially on a diet... I could eat a pizza at a time, little debbie snacks by the box... I turned to chocolate for comfort.. For the happy endorphins that chocolate releases in the brain to make you feel better... Because nothing else was... Soon I couldn't do much.. The weight gain effected my knees and walking and climbing stairs... It was awful... I officially HATED myself... I hated myself for doing this to myself... But... I know we all make mistakes.. And we all deserve another chance... No one is perfect... Food became my addiction... As like any other drug in the book.. It made me feel better, It did the same thing to my brain and therefor I consider that food can become an addiction to anyone....



And the first step to recovery... Is admitting you have a problem... It took me a long time to really realize I was fat... I could look in a mirror and see a big girl, but not as big as I seen when I looked at photo's or videos... I avoided a scale at all cost.. I never looked when I went to the Dr... I just turned my head and said... I don't want to know... It wasn't until my nieces were born and about 2 years old that I wanted to play with them and run around with them but I couldn't... They were my joy my everything... I knew at that point I couldn't continue to do this to myself... But where did I have to start??? I went into counseling and therapy.. And in 2009 I met a dear friend that had bypass surgery that really gave me hope... She told me about the Dr that did her surgery and I signed up for a seminar. Not knowing what I was expecting.. I was inspired by the time I left there that there was hope for me, that someone understood...



The process was long and hard and took a lot of dedication... You had to go to several appointments, and was ordered to quit smoking and lose about 20 pounds before they would even give me the surgery. I had to meet with dieticians, nurses doctors, have blood work and had to do this all for 6 months for insurance purposes... When it was finally time to submit to my insurance company.. I got denied... I had to go through tons of tests, scope tests in my throat because of a hernia I had that needed to be repair, Upper Gi's blah blah blah... It was never ending... And to get that denial was heart wrenching... It was like they wanted me to die... I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.. And the dr thought we should try to resubmit. After fighting my insurance for a year.. I was finally approved in March 2011.



I broke down and thanked God when I got word that I actually had a chance to change my life... I knew I would not let myself down... By that point I had gained even more weight and had to lose even more for them to preform the surgery... I was determined. Nothing was going to stop this opportunity I was given... I lost all the weight in a month and half... I was scheduled for my surgery!!! June 6th I underwent the Lap Band... I chose that surgery because I felt it would be best for me, being as paranoid and afraid of any kind of surgery, It was the one I chose to do...



It isn't some magical cure.... It is a tool that can be easily bypassed with bad choices... I could easily eat a gallon of ice cream if I wanted, or a box of cookies or a bag of chips or a bag of chocolate... The texture of these items turns to liquid as you swallow them and bypass the whole point of the band... And you will fail... I still have to make the healthy food choices, and do some type of physical activity daily... So why have the band you may ask??? Because it did what it was suppose to do... Allow me to have the feeling of being full... And even with that comes pain... Yes the surgery itself hurt like hell... For about 3 weeks after... I still have pain at my port site sometimes when it comes irritated. If I eat to fast I puke in my mouth. If something gets stuck the saliva builds up and comes up like foam... But yet people think it's a easy way out... I have risks of having to have additional surgeries if something goes wrong... Band erosion, Band slippage, Port leaks, Port Flips.. The list goes on and on...



But would I take it all back ever??? HELL NO... It is worth the pain to be able to play with my nieces, to walk up the stairs without feeling I am going to die, to be able to take my dog on long walks, to enjoy life again... And to feel satisfied when I eat... My heart breaks for people that are not as lucky as I have been to be able to have the surgery... Insurance company's really suck!! They would rather pay for peoples hospital bills from issues caused from being overweight and not direct the true issue at hand... If anyone is thinking it is a easy way out.. I hope you read this and realize it's not... And if you are thinking about having some sort of weight loss surgery.. Be prepared to really know what your getting yourself into... Read Read Read!!! Get educated.. Because if you don't educate yourself and go into this thinking your just going to lose the weight by some magic cure.. You are totally in for nothing but disappointment. You have to want it bad... And when you get to that point in your life you know your going to die if you don't do something and really have a will to live... I only can wish you the best of luck with your new journey...