GrowingOlderHopeWiser

The Decision

At five feet tall and weighing in at a hefty 318 pounds, I was obese. There came a point when I grew super tired of the weight game. I was tired of the fad diets, the regular diets, and the pills. I was also tired of the cookies, the meetings, and the weight loss support groups. I had done it all; I lost several hundred pounds repeatedly, gained back the weight, and more. Then came the great decision. I first learned about weight loss surgery from my aunt Yolanda. Then a coworker told me about it, sharing that her son had undergone the surgery and lost the excess weight. I knew the Roux-n-Y gastric bypass procedure was a hazardous and drastic measure. I was desperate at this point in my life.

What finally pushed me towards the surgery was seeing super obese people at the grocery store. They were riding the carts because they were unable to walk comfortably anymore. I did not want to get to that point. I was still quite active at 318 pounds. I had a physical job at the United States Post Office. This job entailed loading and unloading mail trucks. I thought about having to ride around in one of those carts in my future. This thought propelled me to make the final decision to get the surgery.

The Process

There is a process to getting even approved for the surgery. You need to be over 100 pounds overweight. You must pass psychological testing. You also have to get pre-approved by the health insurance company for the surgery. With me, there was also the issue of my low iron levels because of my Thalassemia (genetic anemia). I managed to jump through all these hurdles and was given the go-ahead to have the surgery.

The Family and Friends

Surprisingly, my family and friends disapproved of this drastic surgery for me. Even though it meant I could change my life around. A close friend of mine even refused to visit me at the hospital, which saddened me greatly. I felt all alone. No one was there to help me. I couldn’t even get out of bed after the surgery. Despite these obstacles, I pushed ahead and entered my recovery period. 

Recovery

Nothing prepared me for how it felt after this surgery. I felt like I had been rolled over by a “MACK “truck several times! I could barely move, let alone get up and walk, yet my doctor insisted I get up and walk. He sat there by my bedside with his arms crossed and told me to get up! So I did.

The Fast Weight Loss

The pounds came off so quickly after the surgery. I did not even realize it. One day, I was on the exercise bike. I looked down at my skinny legs and said wow! I went from 318 to 147 lbs in a very short time. I was weak because of the rapid weight loss; my skin sagged, and every bone on my chest protruded. I felt I looked like a skeleton with melting skin. Depression set in. Overcoming this depression took a while; I had to grieve in a sense. That is what it felt like to me. I grieved for my old self. I realized losing weight was one thing and looking good was another. The loose skin made me feel hopeless. I compared it to a burn victim. I was 48 years old at that time. I was happy to have lost the excess weight. However, my challenges were far from over. My greatest challenge was my mind.

The Tummy Tuck

A tummy tuck is a surgery to improve the shape and appearance of the stomach area, also called the abdomen. The medical name for a tummy tuck is abdominoplasty.

A surgeon removes extra skin and fat from the abdomen during a tummy tuck. The connective tissue in the abdomen, called fascia, is usually tightened with stitches to narrow the waistline. If the muscles have become separated, the muscles on either side of the abdomen are brought together. Then, the extra skin is removed. The remaining skin is repositioned to create a flatter, more toned look. Liposuction is often performed as part of a tummy tuck to help contour the entire abdominal area.

When I finally got enough money to change my appearance, I went for the tummy tuck. I wanted my jeans to fit better. I had a triple apron belly. It was a wonderful success, and I love my flat stomach and strong core.

I still have to do something for my floppy arms. Nonetheless, I have learned to accept myself as I am now. I have grown comfortable in my body. At my age, it is okay. If I was younger, I would be more concerned. Still, I am not looking to impress anyone.