Hello everyone! From the title of this post you might be super confused. Is Mary getting weight loss surgery? Nope! However, my mom is going through the process with her husband and wanted to share a few posts about the weight loss surgery experience. I’ve found watching the experience closely fascinating and thought these posts might be helpful to anyone considering this type of surgery. This is the first in several posts coming from her. Since this post isn’t from or about me, please be respectful in the comments. If you have questions you’d like her to answer, please shoot me an email or leave a comment!

Bariatric Surgery Series: Beginning The Journey

When thinking about surgery to lose weight, you should do your research first. It is a very serious thing to do and has many different facets that can effect it and you. When my 315 pound husband decided that diets were not working for him we looked into the surgery to help him save his life. This post is about our journey so far.

Six months ago we decided to do the surgery. We contacted a doctor for some details about the specific surgery we thought might be best. We were told the first thing we had to do was attend a seminar to find out the details of the surgery.

The seminar was at the local hospital and was officiated by a well respected bariatric surgeon and his staff. It is about a two hour course and at the end of it they let you make a decision as to your choice of making an appointment or just walking away with the information that is given.

The seminar is completely informational and gives you the knowledge you need to decide about weight loss surgery. The seminar gives you the details of the various types of surgeries and what to expect, it also lets you know the various doctors that you will have to see once you make a decision to go forward.

They do not pull any punches because they want you to be well aware of all the ways this surgery can help you and the ways it can hurt you. It isn’t all positive and they aren’t trying to sell the surgery. They give you realistic expectations to base your decision on and they help you understand that it is a lifetime decision not a spur of the moment one.

We went over the insurance plans and what can be expected from each of them and we went over the meal plans and how much less you will be eating and how small of portions. We learned all the things that you will have to give up and never be able to eat again, like nuts that can possible clog the opening to the stomach, which will be so much smaller.

There are so many ways this surgery will not work for you, and they discuss all of them. Once your stomach is cut away it is gone forever. After the surgery you can only stretch it so far and there are many ways that will land you back in the hospital for more surgery.

YOU play a critical role in your success. If you are not all-in then do not go in at all.

This is the first post in many on this subject, because the details of the surgery include seeing many doctors not just a surgeon. We have to see a dietician, a physiatrist, a cardiologist, and a pulmonary doctor, plus six months of a supervised diet by a family doctor to see if you can stick to a regimen for weight loss.

A lot of people call weight loss surgery a quick fix but it is anything but a quick fix. It involves dedication, commitment, and a knowledge that your life will never be the same after bariatric surgery.

I will post again soon, please be watching an Also, please research before starting to plan this kind of surgery. It is a huge commitment and life changing. Do your research first! Attend a seminar like we did and research online the various options.