[reeeeka]

Hello,

My name is Ericka and I’m 21 years old. I’m from San Diego California and I weigh around 370lbs, I’m a size 26/28 (Stretch Pants). I’ve always been a heavy person and have tried everything. Last year I decided that I might want to look into Gastric Bypass surgery, I went to the first meeting and realized that maybe it’s something I should hold off on. There were just so many things that were unknown and I had tons of questions and of course I worried about the possibility of dying during/after the surgery.

Instead of carrying on with the thoughts of having the surgery I started going to Curves Gym. I know I should go more than I do, lately (the last month or so) I’ve only been going twice a week but before I would go at least 3 or 4 times a week. I’m getting frustrated because I’m seeing no results. That makes me more upset which in turn makes me not want to go and so on and so forth.

I don’t know what else to do, it’s so frustrating but I’m so scared to have the surgery. It’s my dream to have children (actually very soon, before I’m 25) and I’m scared that things will go wrong, is it even possible to have a healthy child when not being able to eat enough? Is there any ladies out there that have gotten pregnant after surgery?? I’d love to hear your stories. I guess I just want to know people who have had this and know their stories. I’d rather hear someone who has gone through it than listen to a doctor. Is it really hard? I mean I know it’s hard but I’d just like to know what it’s like from someone who has gone through it. I want to know that someone who has had this surgery had all the same fears as myself regarding to pregnancy, pain, recovery, life style afterwards…things like that.

Here are some pictures of me:

The first picture is from last August when I went to see my boyfriend & his family in England. This is me at Buckingham palace…hiding behind the camera bag as usual.

The second picture is my boyfriends mum and me. Again hiding behind the camera bag to hide my stomach


The third picture is of my boyfriends’ niece, nephew and I at a theme park.


The fourth picture is of My wonderful boyfriend (I've been with him for 4 years, we have a long distance relationship...obviously haha) and I, we took old world photos. I didn’t fit in the outfit, that’s why I have the shawl around me. (God that picture looks bad resized...it's all squishy -nods-)


The fifth picture is from March when I got my hair cut…my favorite hair cut ever.


The sixth picture is at a BBQ with my mom’s husband (MY CUTE HAIR…I never say this but I feel I look so hot in this picture ha-ha it’s one of my favorite of myself)


I’d really appreciate some feedback

P.s
I’m going back to see my boyfriend in May and I really would like to enjoy my flight instead of being uncomfortable so any suggestions as to eating better or exercise would be great.


The pictures are in the wrong order haha...i think it's backwards but you get the jist.

[Alleusion]

First off, Hiya Ericka. I understand your concerns about the possible risks and complications. As with any surgery, there is always a risk of death or infection. Your body's first defense is being punctured. What made me make up my mind about the surgery was this. . .I tried all the diets, I tried gyms, I have a Curves membership. Nothing worked. So I did a little research. The more you're prepared, the better questions you can ask. When I realized that the extra weight I was carrying around would seriously hamper my life, I knew it was time to do something drastic.

Basically it was when my doctor said it wasn't a matter of "if" I would become diabetic, it was a matter of "when". Add that to my increased heart rate, joint problems, borderline high blood pressure, and the fact that I had no energy to play with my children. I don't want miss out on their lives because I can't get up and join them.

Sometimes, like in my case, there are underlying factors causing your weight gain. I'm not an emotional eater, I don't eat junk food, I don't eat enormous portions, and yet I still gain weight. Turns out I have hormonal problems brought on by my second pregnancy. They would have gone away by themselves, but by the time my son was born, I was weighing in around 250. So they weren't going to go away until the weight did, but because they were causing the weight gain, it was a never ending circle.

I do know of women who have had the WLS and have had successful pregnancies later. They do recommend that you wait at least a year following the surgery to try to concieve.

I wish I could give you more information on diets / exercise. I guess, the biggest advice I could offer would be to watch portion size. Try to balance out the protien portion with some type of unsaturated fat, and add in some carbs. Good carbs of course, in the form of fruits and veggies. Don't wait too long between meals. If possible try to eat 5-6 times a day. Breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack if you need it (this is the Jenny Craig way of doing it). My normal routine when I was working would be a single serving of oatmeal with a cup of strawberries for breakfast, yogurt for snack, some chicken or tuna for lunch with a small salad, a piece of fruit for snack, a small portion of whatever was being made for dinner, and before bed, I'd pop a few strawberries with my vitamins.

Now I've done Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, the Zone, the pills, the liquid diets, the home exercise machines, tapes, DVD's, everything short of calling Richard Simmons and begging for a miracle. My miracle is in the hands of the doctors at Balboa (where I'm having my surgery), and my miracle is in the faces of my children. I'm doing this surgery for them and for me. In the end it's your choice. But definately ask questions. If you don't know something, chances are good someone else here does. What was it they always said when I was little. . .there's no such thing as a stupid question.

Anywho, sorry for babbling...it's late and my daughter is putting me to sleep by rubbing my back

[veroniquetalk]

You know, a couple of years ago I thought of having this surgery but put it off. I lost 70 lbs on Optifast and felt fantastic!!!!!!! Then, I started gaining it back if I ate anything other than protein bars and protein drinks. I was sort of kicking myself for not having the surgery back when I first looked into it. But, you know, I wasn't emotionally ready then. I needed to give myself one more try with something that I felt was less drastic. It sounds like you have done the same thing. Maybe you are more emotionally ready for the surgery now than you were before.

Of course there are risks associated with this surgery. But, you have one HUGE thing going in your favor - your age. You are young and your heart and the rest of your organs haven't been damaged by decades of carrying around too much weight. Your recovery will, more than likely, be quicker than someone older. The two biggest problems with this surgery are the same for most other surgeries - reaction to the anesthesia and developing blood clots. If you have had surgery and have not had a reaction to the anesthesia then the odds are you won't this time. If you have relatives who have had surgery and they have not had a reaction then the odds are more in your favor that you won't either. Whether or not you develop blood clots can be somewhat in your control. If you walk around every two hours after surgery you lessen the possibility of developing them. My doctor put me on blood thinners and had these pressurized leg things to help prevent them. When I got home I made sure I walked around as much as I possibly could.

I wasn't concerned about pregnancy after the surgery since I am already a Nana! But, I have a sister who had the surgery and carried healthy, robust twins to full term two years later.

[LizardQueen]

First welcome to the forum! Also, you are beautiful and thanks for sharing the pictures with us. I put the surgery over and over because of fear. I barely got approved before my ins excluded it from our policy. I'm so glad I didn't hold out any longer. There are risks with major surgery. Do some research and then do some more. We have a couple members with healthy babies they had after wls. I have a friend whose sister just had a baby 1 yr after wls and the healthy little girl weighed 8 lbs 4 oz. So it happens and it is successful. I wish I could tell you a diet to try that has worked for me but I can't. I can say that I am so grateful that I had this chance and I'm doing well and really love my life now.

[reeeeka]

Hey Alleusion!

I really appreciate your feedback. I'm so scared of possibily bad outcome. I've researched so many times, I guess it's just going to come down too how badly I want to be healthy and live a long life and if that outweighs the possible bad things that could go wrong.

Honestly, I've never had a doctor flat out tell me anything regarding my weight. I mean they've said I should go on a diet but never said things like that to me. I'm sure it would have a huge impact on me.

I'm not an emotional eater...I'm more of "im so bored" type of eater. I don't really eat chips and things like that. I don't like them I think I eat them every once in a blue moon. Also, my portion size is a little larger than it should be. I've tried so hard to only eat smaller ones but It lasts like a week then I'm back doing what I did. Everyone says you need to let your stomach shrink and the worst is the first 2 weeks.

"They do recommend that you wait at least a year following the surgery to try to concieve. "...I don't want to have kids until I'm 25 so I guess that's enough time if I start the process.

I've done portion cutbacks, slimfast, no carbs, vegetarian (Which i was for 9 months and 2 years later I still don't eat red meat). My biggest vices are White bread (i can eat up too 6 peices a day. Breakfast 2 peices of toast, lunch 2 peices for a sandwich, dinner 2 with butter) and chocolate. I'm a chocolate FREAK I'd rather give up all breads than eat wheat bread which says alot I just don't like it.

Anyway thanks for your help!!! I really appreciate everything you said, it's awesome.

[reeeeka]

Hi Veroniquetalk!!

I think one of the requirments I need to do is lose 30lbs before I get the surgery. I think if I could lose the 30lbs I don't know if I'd want the surgery in the end. Of course, I think the same thing would happen to me that happened to you. I'd gain it all back soon after I lost it and more. Which creeps me out...

I've thought about having the surgery for so long. It finally became "real" when my mom kind of lost her "NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT IT'S DANGEROUS" response after she met this man at a store and talked to him. Plus, she works in the OR with her husband who is a nurse. When it became real I think that's when I kind of rethought everything.

I've never had surgery, that's another thing that scares me haha. My mom actually just had surgery on her finger a few months ago and the only reaction she had was feeling sick (throwing up and all that fun stuff) plus she's 40 and a smoker since she was 26 but she wasn't put to sleep she just got an IV sedation.

I've already talked to my mom and her husband, her husband said he wouldn't let me sit around and do nothing because that is what mostly causes people to die after they have surgery is they don't get up and do what they have to do. So I'm guessing I won't be getting very much rest haha

Thanks for your help!!!

[reeeeka]

Hi LizardQueen,

Thanks! I'm glad I found this forum!

Oh thanks ...I'm glad you liked them they are some of my fun times.

I'm doing the same thing. I'm just scared very scared of "what if" but what scares me more is the "what if" if I don't do anything. It's already effecting my life in HUGE ways. I don't really go out with my family when they go out for long periods of times because it hurts my lower back to walk. I blame that on my weight and on a horrible car accident but I think if I was smaller it wouldn't hurt so much.

How long did it take for your insurence to approve you? I'd feel horrible if I looked so forward to having the surgery and I wasn't able to get it. It's weird how they have the fate of your life and future in their hands.

I'm so happy for your friend! that's awesome...that's such a big baby. Do you know if she was treated any different while delivering because she had gastric bypass? Did she have to have a c-section? I'm just wondering what special things they do to someone who has had this. I know they can't treat you like a normal pregnancy because your in a sense "high risk".

THANK YOU!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!!

[veroniquetalk]

In the past, when I put my mind to it I didn't have much of a problem losing weight, especially if it was in a structured program. One time I went from a size 24 down to a 6! I actually kept the weight off for about 5 years but it eventually came back on. So, my decision to have this surgery was mostly based on my inability to keep the weight off once I lost it.
It sounds like you have the start of a great support system in your Mom and her husband. With both of them being in the medical field they can be of great help to you!

[reeeeka]

I think that I have a good ability to stick to something if I really set my mind to it. I mean I was a vegetarian for 9 months (NO MEAT PRODUCTS) and I haven't had red meat in over 2 years. When I eat meat it's usually chicken or fish and sometimes pork (I'm getting to the point where I don't want to eat pork anymore either).

I think I have a good support system I just wish they could go along the eating part with me. It's hard when your parents only buy "fast, easy" things to cook because they have hard days at work and don't want to cook a real meal OR we eat out.

[veroniquetalk]

It would be hard to eat the way you have to after the surgery if you can't find a way to change the way you eat at home. The good news is that you eat so little it wouldn't be expensive to buy some food for you and if they wanted to your parents could still eat out or fix fast stuff for themselves.