sarah_durso

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

   July 15th, 2013 I FINALLY had gastric Bypass Surgery .  It took a long time to get there ! A few denials , switched surgeons but hey it all worked out !   

   Today I'm 3 week post op . I know, a little late in posting. I had planned on posting just after surgery. 

    I'm shocked at how fast I'm losing. Down 47 lbs in 3 weeks . In the past it took a few months to lose that much.  I assume the majority is water since I'm still wearing the same clothes, but they are getting baggy.  

   So far so good with the side effects.  I always heard horror stories about people who have had weight loss surgery. I've been able to eat  everything I try. Of course it's a very short list of foods.  Such as cottage cheese with pineapple , low fat yogurt, split pea or lentil soup    .  For a treat I have a teaspoon of peanut butter.  All high in protein.  I'm really hesitant to do protein shakes. That's how I lost so much weight back  in 2005 .  I just can't get over that chalky taste.  I'll need to soon so I can get all my 80 grams of protein in .  

 I have been in food therapy with eating disorder specialist for the past 2.5 yrs . We worked on a lot of things and she worked with me until she thought I was in a good place for surgery. I didn't just wake up one morning and think,  "Hey lets get gastric bypass surgery ! "  In fact I was very against it for a long time.    

   When I had my son Xander  on 9.8.10 , I almost  died. A week after my c-section my OBGYN had a very serious talk with me and told me he really didn't think I'd make it though child birth.  At the time of delivery I had  two of the top surgeons operating on me. Also a team standing by with the paddles to shock me back to life.  It was a scary time.  Lots of whispers and people moving around. Every little sound I'd make they got anxious asking if I was Ok, where did it hurt etc. 

   A few weeks later I tried weight watchers  prescription diet pills and a few others, just wasn't getting much weight off . At as heavy as I was the risk for stroke, diabetes, heart attack was growing each day.  Losing 2lbs a week wasn't going to cut it .  I needed to lose weight and fast. 

   Anyhow that's why I had the surgery . To save my life. The risks out weighed the side effects. 

After 3 yrs of research and months of trying to get approved, I finally have a date ! July 16th. Now to try and lose that 10% .   In the midst of waiting for approval , then being denied, my husband wrote this to me.  

Fast forward until this past Tuesday , I got the call, I'm approved ! Surgery dates set for 7/16/13 .  

Read this letter my husband wrote me last week. We were in the midst of being denied.  He's away at war right now , thousands of miles away he still gives me butterflies. I'm blessed beyond belief to have a man that loves me so much.   

Sarah - 

From all the emails it sounds like your doctor’s office has been doing all they can to help you. It’s just so annoying that this new company is being so terrible. I mean what if you needed heart surgery or something else life threatening and they resist that. Just sucks.

If you don’t get the surgery, you can always lose the weight on your own, it is physically possible. It’s just a harder and longer process. We are all creatures of habit. Once you break your bad habits of not exercising and over eating, and then create new habits of a healthy diet and daily exercise, then your body changes. It’s just a very difficult process, even more difficult because of the boys, and because I’m gone. You didn’t do anything wrong, you just haven’t had the opportunity. Like going away for 6 months on Biggest Loser and devoting every single day of your life to exercise and healthy eating. I get it, that is a very hard thing to do. Once you make up your mind and commit to the process and give yourself the opportunity to make it happen, then it will. It will be a sacrifice you have to choose to make for your family. The surgery just makes this whole thing easier.

As always, tell me what you need from me to help. Day care, gym membership, personal trainer, meal replacement shakes, whatever it takes. I care more about you than money, so don’t let anything hold you back from making this a reality. I mean            thirty thousand to pay for the surgery ourselves is not realistic, but you know what I mean. Surgery or no surgery, your lifestyle is going to have to change. Tristan, Xander, and I all need you in our lives, healthy and happy. 

And of course I always love you.