Surgery Q & A

Noelle asked a few questions about my Weight Loss Surgery after my Surgiversary post.
I want to answer them here in case anyone else is interested in the answers as well.

1) My friend had this surgery several years ago and she has experienced some side effects, such as vitamin deficiency. She takes lots of supplements for that but one side effect there is no supplement for is...gas. Terrible, obnoxious, stinky gas. You don't have any problems with that?

I haven't yet had any issues with vitamin deficiency. The only time I have trouble with gas is if I eat something I shouldn't, like greasy food or very rich, fatty foods. It's very few and far between because I limit those foods. When I do have problems, I take chewable Gas-X and it goes away. I have heard of people having a lot harder time with gas, though, so maybe I'm just lucky, but I do have to wonder since you mentioned vitamin deficiency also, if your friend is eating properly. That's so important!

2) How much did you weigh at your largest?

253 pounds. I've lost a total of 120. I am 5'2".

3) Did your insurance cover your procedure?

Yes, completely.

4) Did you have to have plastic surgery to remove excess skin?

I have not had any plastic surgery. I do have some excess skin, but not enough that it's problematic. If I had surgery for that it would be purely cosmetic, and that's not something I'm willing to do at this point. For me personally, I don't want to take the risk of surgery for anything cosmetic. I can't say I won't ever change my mind, but I doubt it.

I'd love to have something like this done but there is no way I can afford it. However, if my insurance covered it...that might be a different story. Also, not sure if I could live with myself if I had gas like that.

It's worth checking into; more and more insurance companies are covering it. It's much safer than it was years ago, and much more successful. Losing weight helps prevent many serious diseases and insurance companies are realizing how beneficial it is.



I greatly appreciate how sweet & supportive you all have been when I have posted about this! Thank you so much for your compliments.
Two of my good friends have had this surgery since I had mine; my very best friend in the world, Danielle, just had hers last month. The first few weeks are the hardest time, but she's doing well and I'm so happy for her. My other friend is almost at her goal weight and is doing wonderful!
I was fortunate to have two good friends who are ICU nurses and had the surgery before I did. They patiently answered my questions and gave me tons of advice. They were my mentors and I'm not sure I could've/would've done it without them. Even two years out I still go to them with questions occasionally. So if I can help someone else the way they helped me, I am all for it! My email is always open if anyone wants to talk to me about this.