I was fed up. That’s the best way to put it. I was tired of doctors saying my pain in my leg was from being overweight.
Cancer and a surprise pregnancy ruined my body. It made me push 315 on the scales and I was unhappy. The weight gain took what little confidence I had left.
My PCOS and insulin resistance had caused me to gain weight and not lose no matter what I did. I could eat everything right according to a dietician, the weight just wouldn’t budge.
My oncologist kept pushing me to get gastric bypass and I finally caved. I’ve tried doing it for the past 12 years, but something always happened. The last time I tried was when I got diagnosed with cancer and it had to be pushed off.
I met with my surgeon for the first time on my 29th birthday. My goal was to have surgery and be under 200 pounds by my 30th birthday.
It wasn’t an easy feat. There were many times I wanted to give up. I was trying Wegovy in the interim and it still wasn’t helping much. I knew this was my only shot to fix the insulin resistance and I just needed to take it.
The pre-op and post diets were not exactly what I would call fun. I knew there would be relief from my extreme GERD that developed from pregnancy and insulin resistance. I pushed myself to move along the minute my feet hit the floor after surgery. I was doing laps two hours after surgery once they got the major nausea under control. I walked most of the night, determined to go home the next day and see my baby.
The surgeon was extremely proud of my progress in a day. Since I could tolerate liquids and there were no surgery complications, I was released 24 hours after surgery.
My pain was minimal, but I have a higher pain tolerance due to chronic pain from the cancer. However, I still think it has been my easiest surgery to date. I took Tylenol for a day and after that nothing.
I am just a little over 6 months out from my surgery. I'm down 120 pounds since my heighest weight, 105 pounds since my first pre-op visit in January, and 82 pounds since surgery.
The doctors have finally started to take me serious about my pain. There is something not right with my bone marrow again. I was able to get the necessary testing and a biopsy.
What is so irritating is why did I have to lose weight to not be medically gaslighted? Why was I not worth the doctors time 100 pounds heavier after all I’ve been through?
I will never not advocate for plus sized people and the need for better care. However, losing weight is something I’ve wanted to do and I don’t regret the surgery at all. I just wish it would have been my decision only, not being forced by doctors so they would take me seriously.
This was my new start and I’m anxious to see what the rest of my life looks like. If you’re questioning if it’s right for you, find yourself a great surgeon and discuss your options.
