With this recent article that CBC Edmonton posted about out
of country weight loss surgery, I felt compelled to give my opinion on the
other side of the story. While I don’t have any affiliations with the company
mentioned or understand the patient in the articles complications, as I had
none, I can understand the need for a regulatory screening of out of country
weight loss clinics. Many people are going to fly by the night surgeons in Mexico
and they are not doing their research.
My choice to get surgery out of the country was not due to
it being cheaper or easier. It is actually quite the opposite. The cost of
sleeve surgery in Alberta can essentially be free if you are willing to follow
the doctors recommendations, be put on a monitoring period of approximately 2
years, then after that is complete and they decide to do your surgery (there’s
still the chance they will deny you) you are then put on a waiting list for
approximately 2 years. It was potentially going to be 5 or more years for me to
wait and maybe get the surgery done in Canada . I of course spent a year
researching places to get out of country surgery. I discovered Weight Loss
Forever and Dr. Pompa who practices at an International Center of Excellence
Hospital that has been accredited by the Surgical Review Corporation. There was
no doubt in my mind when a friend of mine had had surgery there and after
researching the surgeon’s credentials that I would get Dr. Pompa to do my
surgery. The decision became easier when I could save my life in the next
couple of months instead of waiting for 5 years.
Research is so important when choosing to have out of
country surgery. I was put through a very intense medical screening before I
was even approved for surgery. The Medical screening was done with the help of
my Lloydminster
family doctor and also by my surgeon and a team of highly trained doctors.
There were certain protocols in place for before and after my surgery and a
list of strict guidelines to follow to avoid complications.
What this article left out was the medical complications of
someone being over 300lbs. I was headed towards diabetes, heart disease,
immobility, depression and a few other things that being severely overweight
would have caused. What about the years of being diabetic or having heart
failure, what does that cost the Alberta
government? What about the repeated diets I have been on, that completely
ruined my metabolism? What about all the costs of failed gym memberships? It
all added up to a number I couldn’t fathom not to mention the further damage to
my body. I now go the doctor every 6 months and my blood levels have always
been normal, everything came back with a clean bill of health, besides
developing gallstones, which women have a high percentage of developing over
the course of their lives.
There are also so many misconceptions of weight loss surgery.
The first being that it’s taking the easy way out. I don’t think anyone without
a weight issue will truly understand the commitment it takes to loosing weight.
It definitely has not been the easy way out for me. I got surgery to aid in my
weight loss as I was severely obese. I also got surgery so that once I lost the
weight; I would keep it off and stay healthy. I wouldn’t go back to being
overweight. It takes work to loose the weight and maintain it. I have to be
active, I have to eat right, choose the healthier option all the time. I no
longer put garbage in my body. The psychological toll being overweight takes on
your mind is also something that is not easy to deal with. I still see the fat
girl in the mirror. Try as I might it is hard sometimes to wrap my mind around the
fact I am a different person now. The happiness I feel day to day sometimes doesn’t
seem real. The years of teasing and being made fun, being the butt of someone’s
fat joke, you still feel like that person. I think people are quick to forget
what an overweight person goes through and while I wouldn’t want anyone’s pity,
its important for people to understand that no part of a weight loss journey is
easy. Going into stores is still not easy, I still want to try on the biggest
size they have and I still avoid certain stores in fear I will feel like shit
after leaving them because nothing will fit me in there. I didn’t have 50-80lbs
to loose when I applied for surgery I have more along the lines of 150lbs to
loose if I want to be in a somewhat healthy weight range according to
statistics set up by the Canadian government. Another misconception of weight
loss surgery is that you don’t eat after you get it done. I actually had a lady
say that to me the other day, I said I had sleeve surgery and she said “oh, is
that where you don’t eat?” Ahh nope! I do eat. A typical day for me would be:
Breakfast:
¼-1/2 cup of cereal with unsweetened Almond Milk or a
protein shake with fruit mixed in.
I also like to have a greek yogurt (full) with some Special
K granola the odd time for breakfast.
Lunch:
I usually have whatever is leftover from supper. A 4oz piece
of meat and some veggies and a bit of brown rice. Sometimes I’ll make half an
English muffin with some tuna salad on top.
Today I have a half of a low fat ham sandwich!
Supper:
Everything I cook my boyfriend also eats. I usually cook on
the healthier side of things but I make regulars like chicken cauliflower fried
rice (a fav of mine), chili, tuna casserole, taco’s, enchiladas, stews &
breakfast for supper.
Snacks:
I have not given up my snacks. I choose healthy snacks but I
still do snack between meals when I am at work.
I will have fruit or a fat free cheese slice with some
triscuits or sometimes I have a packet of 100 calorie snacks like bits and
bites or chocolate pretzels.
I find my life to be very normal day to day. Yes there are sometimes
I wish I could eat more when something is really good, but my relationship with
food has changed completely. For a lot of people this is the biggest problem
after weight loss surgery. It’s something you have to be prepared with before
hand. You will never eat a full fast food meal again, but do you need to be
doing that anyways?
Without out of country weight loss surgery I don’t know
where I would be right now. It’s not something I want to think about. I am so
very glad I made the decision I did to do it, and there is not a day that I
regret it. It saved my life.
As always,
Hugs & Glitter,
Chanty
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