About the Gastric Bypass Guru
More than you ever wanted to know about the Gastric Bypass Guru
So who is this Gastric Bypass Guru and what does she know about any of this anyway?
Well, I'm a formerly obese woman who had a Fobi-style obesity surgery (gastric bypass) in early 2004. I lost approximately 130 pounds (around 60 kilograms) and have kept it off. My weight generally fluctuates by 4 to 5 pounds (2 kilograms) during the month, and I weigh myself almost every day to avoid the "creeps". My BMI stays right around 20 to 20.5 - well within the normal range.
I lost the majority of my excess weight during the first year after gastric bypass surgery. I've experienced my share of side effects, like dumping, hair loss, and kidney stones (ouch! that was super painful!), but overall things have gone pretty well.
Why did I choose gastric bypass?
Although I was not a fat child, I began to struggle with my weight when puberty came along. Age 12 marked the beginning of adolescence and the beginning of a lifetime of diets. I successfully kept my weight in the normal range until I got pregnant with my first child. For the first time in many, many years, I felt I had license to eat to my heart's content. I gained over 31 kilos (70 pounds) and gave birth to a 3 kilo (not quite 7 pound) baby. Being quite young, I suppose I thought the baby would come out and I'd go home from the hospital in my pre-pregnancy jeans. I didn't work out quite that way. I remember weeping over having to wear my maternity clothes for three months after I'd given birth.
I managed to lose most of that weight, but not all, and then I got pregnant with my second child. Once again, I ate with abandon and gained a huge amount of weight. This time it was a lot harder to lose the weight, and I was forever on one diet or another. I'd lose 10 kilos and gain back 15 (does this sound familiar?).
My weight was creeping ever gradually up, and it drove me mad. I didn't want to be fat! I didn't want to end up in the same situation most of my relatives.
Thar She Blows!
The weight went up and down over the years, but around 1998, I just stopped being able to hold it down any more. I'm not going to pretend that I worked out like a fiend and nibbled only on carrots. I loved food. I still love food. Food was my friend, my comfort, my celebration, my grief partner. I went up and and up and up, and I was feeling the effects of obesity. My sugar was not high enough to be considered diabetic, but was always bouncing up and down. My knees and ankles always hurt; I was afraid to sit in a plastic chair; I had to ask for a seatbelt extender on aeroplanes. You know the story! After much research I decided to pursue bariatric surgery. I was a cash patient - no insurance, and I decided to use Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexico. I was very happy with the whole experience, and highly recommend him. Soon I'll have lots more information about Dr. Aceves and surgery in Mexico. But for now, if you want to get in touch with his office or know more about my experience in Mexico feel free to contact me!
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