My Journey with the Gastric Sleeve Surgery
Last October (2017), I started preparation to have bariatric surgery. It was a very long time coming, and I was beyond depressed after gaining back the 86 lbs. I had lost in 2016. My husband Paul came with me to an informational meeting with Dr. Giovanni from the Center for Surgical Weight Loss at Care New England. It was a very illuminating meeting and I left there feeling like I was ready to make this decision.
I had two very close friends who had surgery several years ago, and one newer friend who had recently had the gastric sleeve surgery performed by Dr. Giovanni. Allison Cooney O'Donnell walked me through every detail of what I could expect and checked in with me throughout the preparatory testing and examinations. As many mutual friends know, Allison had the surgery last June and has since lost 138 pounds! Both of my other two friends who had similar surgeries have also lost incredible amounts of weight and are feeling very healthy.
So, I continued with my quest to be approved for the gastric sleeve surgery. I did not post anything on FB during the process because (1) it took me a very long time to seriously consider this life-altering procedure; (2) I did not want to hear any negativity about my decision - I felt peaceful about it, and while I was certainly anxious, I knew that God was in control; and (3) starting in November, my parents were experiencing significant health crises (my mom's started a bit before that and my dad was already on chemo for leukemia, but MUCH more started happening), so I simply went through the motions of my appointments and prep in a bit of a daze because everything else with my parents was a bit of a nightmare.
When I was getting close to the anticipated date of my surgery, I started feeling selfish, since I knew I would be unable to help with my parents' health-care needs for a short time. I am thankful that both my sister and brother (and my own family members) squelched those thoughts and assured me that putting my health needs in the forefront of my concerns was a GOOD thing. My friend/pseudo-son Dave Place also emphatically encouraged me to put myself first and proceed with my plans. So, onward I went.
(The photo above has me at my highest weight - I was tired, slow-moving, and feeling pretty awful. The smile hides all that because I was doing what I love: co-directing the musical at our middle school alongside my beloved sister.)
A couple of weeks before the surgery, my best friend Trish asked me to remind her of the date of my operation and then said, "Hang on. Auntie's having the same surgery. Let me find out when." And, of course, as God would orchestrate it, the wonderful Ida Senerchia-Zecco was scheduled to have the same procedure on the same day by the same doctor! What a blessing! Now I had Ida walking down the exact same path, right along with me. Literally!!! We actually were just a few rooms down from each other on the newly renovated 2nd floor of Kent Hospital in lovely rooms that were reminiscent of a hotel suite! I am so thankful that she is as open and honest as I am about the fun tidbits regarding this surgery. (No, I'm not adding details here.)
I checked in with my friend Jim (who had the gastric bypass surgery many years ago) and Stacy (who had the gastric sleeve done about 3 years ago) and let them know when my surgery would be and got additional support from them. My whole family (both blood and “chosen”) was behind me, including some very dear friends and colleagues who knew I didn’t want to make a big deal of the surgery.
So, on April 9, 2018 I went in for the surgery. Again, God’s sweet reminders of His goodness were all around me as my two nurses were both from Coventry. One, in particular, is a decades-long friend who has beautiful faith and who later told me that she was with me throughout the surgery and continued to speak words of comfort to me when my anxiety level was increasing. (xoxo)
Truly, the surgery was incredibly easy to handle. After two days I wasn’t even using pain meds - but getting used to my new eating routine was anything but simple! The behavioral aspects linked to overeating for so many years are quite difficult to combat, and learning to eat very tiny amounts of food at a slow pace is an ongoing educational challenge. But, I am succeeding!
I am so grateful to all the earthly angels that God put in place for me, to urge me along with my quest and help me with my recovery. Ida and I continue to share tips and challenges with one another, and Allison still checks in on me, despite the tremendous upheaval in the life of her family. (She is beyond an inspiration to me!)
(This is me with Ida on 8-25-18, managing to wear similar colors by accident. She was down 80 lbs. at this point and I was down 70 lbs.)
I am more than half-way to my goal now and am already off a couple of medications for blood pressure. I am thankful to my son, Joe, who commands me to meet him at the gym, and for my daughter Catie who helps me make good choices when we go shopping and go out to eat! Paul continues to support me, but especially enjoys the tiny amount of food I eat (because that means there will be more for HIM!). There are so many people I could list in this posting to thank, but I am fearful about leaving anyone out...
So, YOU know if you have supported me; and YOU know if we have had conversations about this vicious cycle of weight loss ups and downs; and YOU know if I’ve texted you that I love you and I appreciate you. So, to all of YOU, who know who YOU are, I say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Please stick with me, as the road is long and I may get weary. But right now, I feel good, and I am beyond thankful for the care I have received by the Center for Surgical Weight Loss and for the love of my family and friends. God is good, and I am hopeful that with His continued guidance, I will finally be the healthy person He made me to be. <><