A Big Decision

This blog, and this journey is, in part, because of an internet friend who went through the same thing in Oct. 2008, and she inspired me as well as gave me lots of information to help me make the decision I made and start the journey. Thank You Kathie.....without you doing this first, and sharing your story with us, I wouldn't be doing it either!

And what is that new begining and big decision you ask? I have decided to have weight loss surgery!!! This has been a very tough decision to come too for many reasons, but mainly because the fear of such a dramatic lifestyle change. It's not a decision I came too easily or quickly, but with lots of information and prayer, I believe I have made the right decision for me, and I am comfortable with the decision now. I did my share of fighting it for a while there, but the desire to live longer and get rid of my health problems because of obesity won out in the end. I still have lots of quilts to make and a granddaughter to watch grow up, just to mention a couple of reasons for this decision!

I had thought about doing this long ago because of my life long battle of the bulge, and continuous yo-yo dieting, but because of fear, misinformation and insurance companies not covering it, I never persued it all before now. I always believed what the medical professionals told us...that diet and exercise are all a person needs to do to lose weight. What they don't address is the gazillion other issues that come into play with that mentality and why that alone does not work.

If it hadn't been for Kathie..I wouldn't have known that most insurances do cover it now, and luckily mine is one of them. (A thank you to Tommy Thompson is in order here too, because when he was the Health and Welfare Secretary he passed into law that Medicare would cover the surgery for morbid obesity. Afer that, other insurance companies started following suit.)

At this point, a big thanks goes out to my husband, Larry too, because I know he got sick of hearing me talk about this as I was trying to make my decision. He is supportive of my decision, but he still thinks I'm nuts to do it.

I have been doing lots of research about the battle of the bulge, better known as obesity, or in my case, morbid obesity, and I have been shocked to learn about all the problems and illnesses that are caused by obesity.

I am amazed that the general medical profession gives out such limited information to their patients about this disease, because make no mistake, obesity is a disease. It is NOT caused by laziness on an obese persons part, or lack of will power which seems to be the general concensus in this world...let me repeat my self...OBESITY IS A DISEASE! Therefore, obese people should not be treated like the 2nd class citizens they are treated like because their obesity usually is not their fault....genetics plays a part in it, but so do other factors. I could go on and on about what I have learned about this disease, but if you want more info about it, you can call me, or e-mail me (countryquilter@hughes.net) , and I'll be happy to share all I have learned.

The thing that effects me the most is diabetes, although I do have some of the other co-morbidities related to the diabetes and obesity as well. To put it bluntly, diabetes scares the hell out of me! I have watched too many family members and friends get sicker and sicker, and eventually die because of diabetes, and the complications that go with it, so, even though my diabetes is in check now due to diet and medication, I know it is a progressive disease that gets harder and harder to treat the longer you have the disease. This is where the weight loss surgery, further known as WLS comes into play because it virtually eliminates diabetes in most cases.

My daughter, Suzi, and I went to an informational seminar about WLS the other night at a hospital that is a Center of Excellance for treating the obese. To become a Center of Excellance, they have to meet strict guidelines set by the government and perform a certain amount of these kinds of surgeries each year, so these guys know what they are doing there. My insurance company would not let me have the surgery any where else.

We heard first hand from the surgeons who do the surgery about all the problems of obesity, and how the surgery can cure most of them. We learned what kinds of surgeries they do there at that hospital, and what the success rate is for each type of surgery. WLS surgeries today are much safer and less complicated then the old stomach stapling of years ago. Today things are usually done laproscopically.

My first thoughts when I was doing my research was to do the lap band because it is less invasive, but, as I got more info, and listened to the doctors, I decided to do the Roux en Y. It is more invasive where they take part of the stomach to make a new small pouch for a stomach, and attach it to the intestines so you eat less and absorb less and therefore lose weight. This is a simplified explanation, and if you would like more info about the procedure, see this website...it's where I will have the surgery. http://www.midwestbariatrics.com/pathway/ there is a lot of information there.

I am just begining this journey, so check back often as I start on the path to surgery. Most of all, say a prayer for me that all goes well.