Weight Loss Surgery

When we last met up in this space, I spent time telling you all how I decided to have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which is a surgical procedure to permanently reduce the size of the stomach. A smaller stomach fills up faster, making you feel full before you start overeating.  Using surgical staples to section off most of your stomach, the surgeon creates a long vertical tube (or "sleeve") about the size of a banana and disposes of the excess stomach for good.

Sounds drastic? I never really thought so even when unknowing people tried to tell me it was. What scared me the most was realizing how devastating it would be to wake up sixty years from now and know I failed at something that I desperately wanted.

When the medical team at Bingham Memorial Hospital approved me for surgery, I was ready to show up and get it done. The next day.  

But it’s not that easy. There are appointments with nutritionists, sessions with counselors and weigh-ins with the surgeon. When you’re living it, it feels like a lot of time. But there’s a reason Bingham Memorial has so many successful weight-loss patients. A lifetime of poor food choices isn’t going to be solved with surgery. The team puts in the time to make sure you will have all the skills you needed.

Skills I had no idea how to get on my own.

The first time I met with the nutritionist, she told me I would have to pick up some new hobbies. I eagerly nodded my head, but I really had no idea what she was talking about. Until I took a step back and realized how much time I spent eating and thinking about food.

If you and I ever went to lunch together, you probably wouldn’t think my food intake was that much different than yours. Because I spent a lot of time gauging how quickly lunch companions were eating and making sure I matched them bite for bite.  Then I would calculate the time to my next meal and I would make sure I could eat what I wanted then. Or I would come up with a reason to leave early so I could eat again before my next commitment. Now you know why I desperately needed a new hobby.

When I met with the counselor, he asked me about my support system. Once again, I put a smile on my face but couldn’t really comprehend how this was important. Let me tell you peeps, how difficult this process would be if my family was not onboard or had opted to enable me instead of holding me accountable for my food choices. My husband read all the materials I brought home and adjusted his life to match mine. My girls have never once complained about eating differently.  I’m so grateful for their support. I’ve read horror stories online of people who didn’t have the support system and found the journey too difficult to continue.

Two weeks leading up to surgery, you have to go on a very intense liver-shrinking diet. It was not pleasant for me but I kept telling myself I could make anything work for two weeks. When I lost ten pounds, I was proud but I knew I could never continue that diet long term. On with surgery.

Finally, the big day arrived. I practically bounced into the hospital. My smile didn’t change until I woke up and semi confused on what happened.  Instead of explaining it to me, my husband just recorded me on his phone. Needless to say, the video isn’t pleasant for me but he’s found it to be great entertainment at family functions.  In the next issue, I’ll go over what it means to have a double-digit weight loss and how I’m living a life I never even thought possible.

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