WLS story- final thoughts on the tv appearance....

well, it's all over. the final piece that was broadcast ended up good, better then i thought it would. it was basically my story, with a few minor errors, things i wish had been included, etc....

i got so many responses after it aired. emails, phone calls, etc... the reporter has been passing on emails to me from folks wanting to ask me questions.

the reporter was not unable to post the link to my blog on the website. apparently my blog is too "adult" with my swearing and what-not. my blog is too controversial for tv!!! he he he.....

i also got some really nice mentions on other blogs. based on the reaction i've gotten, i know i did the right thing by going through with the interview.

but the sweeps week ads were horrible! all the "bariatric bust" promos (on the stations website, radio ads, and apparently billboards on the morning drive in on that day!) were rude. i can't speak for the reporter, but i would guess she was not pleased and had no say in how the promotions department advertised. it really suprised me, the way it ended up being a sweeps week story.

for anyone who cares, here's the written story from the station's website. i wanted to go through and add my own notes. a way to take what was shown on tv and make it more "my story".



MENTOR -- Thousands of Americans have achieved dramatic weight loss thanks to surgical techniques. We often hear about the success stories, but rarely do people speak of the failures.

Eight years ago Jennifer C. ran out of options. Diets failed her and a leg injury prevented her from exercising. At 5'3 she weighed 300 pounds. She researched bariatric surgery for a year and decided it was the right choice for her.

(i wish more was said about the research i did. that i spent an entire year doing nothing else besides researching the surgery, reading any studies i could fine, or contacting folks who'd had the surgery. i also attended numerous support groups to try and get all the info i could get my hands on. one of my big frustrations now is that in a year of intense research, i never heard warning about how alcohol would have such a strange affect on patients after surgery. i never once heard about cross addictions, or people struggling with drinking problems so late in life.)

In 2001 a doctor surgically made her stomach smaller. The procedure was a success and in a few months Jennifer lost nearly 150 pounds. (i lost 150 pounds in about 1 years time, not a few months.)

But instead of embracing her new look, Jennifer felt disconnected. "It was just strange to look in the mirror and not recognize myself and not feel like I was in my own body." Two years after surgery a personal crisis spiraled her into a deep depression. (i will blog about that personal crisis very soon!) Unable to cope, Jennifer sought comfort in unhealthy food and alcohol.

A chronic insomniac, she used the wine to help her sleep. (i was able to sleep prior to surgery using ambien and it worked wonders. after surgery i only absorbed some of the medication and it stopped working.)

Eventually the weight crept back on. She needed help but didn't know where to turn. She's not alone. When Jennifer had her surgery bariatric programs were relatively new. They've learned much since then including how to help patients cope with problems years after surgery. However, it only works with a willing patient. (i was willing, just no where to go for help back then...)

Courtney Holbrook, Ph.D. is a psychologist for St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Center for Bariatric Surgery. She encourages patients not to feel ashamed or alone.

when i hit "bottom" my program called me. they were taking a poll to see how patients were doing 2 & 3 years out of surgery. i told them how badly i was doing and the reaction was strange. the lady on the phone said i "better stop gaining weight!" i asked how i should do that and she said she didn't know. :(

On average a bariatric patient may regain about ten percent of their weight after two to five years. (i have heard that on average it's closer to 20-30%)

For those who gain much more, most programs offer intervention.

a lot of the programs in place are expensive. i wonder if there can be something more grass roots, maybe a website and message board......

Karen Schulz, R.N. is the Executive Director of St. Vincent's program, "the first thing we tell them is not to be embarrassed we just want to help them and many people have just forgotten the behaviors and the choices that they need to make to be successful for a lifetime."
i never forgot how to make good choices. i let depression take over and stopped caring about making good choices. there is a big difference, and i hope that these programs really work hard to warn people about the depression, how to know the signs and what treatment options are available, keeping in mind that any medication take post WLS is not fully absorbed.

Jennifer doesn't regret having the surgery and is now trying to get back on track. She's now being treated for depression and hopes her story helps others.

i'm not being treated for depression. i was treated, did really well, and now am fine and dandy.

the news story did mention me doing good and being in a "stable relationship", so that was good.

they didn't talk about the remaining side effects of the surgery. i have problems with low B12 levels and sometimes have to take injections. i do not absorb enough of any antibiotics i take and usually have to take 2-3 rounds of high doses. i end up having horrible sinus infections that won't go away and lead to ear infections that takes weeks to treatment because i mal-absorb meds. i had a huge hernia that had to be repaired 2 years after surgery. since that hernia repair, i have never gained the feeling back in my abdomon and most of my midsection is numb. i have another small hernia starting, and adhesions. adhesions are basically internal scar tissue and when i press on my stomach it feels like tumors. per my primary doc there's nothing to be done for this. and really, these remaining side effects are things i knew were possible.

on the actual broadcast they said i also had quit drinking. this is untrue. i didn't believe i was an alcoholic, so instead of AA or abstinence, i worked on moderation management. i stopped drinking wine or other high alcohol content drinks, but was able to drink beer occasionally, in moderation. at this point, i probably drink beer 2-3 times a month, at dinner parties with friends. i like being in control of this, feeling "normal" and knowing i am not abusing alcohol.

"I guess I forgave myself and I don't feel like I should be ashamed. I did my best with the information that I had, and maybe everybody did their best. but maybe it can be better now."

it sounded good when i said it, and again when i heard it on the broadcast, but in writing sounds dumb. what i was trying to say was this:

i worked hard to forgive myself and to own my mistakes. in hindsight, i see information i was never given. i also see how the surgical program could have been more help. thankfully the programs now all have better knowledge of the needs of folks 2-3 years out of surgery. so i see that i did my best, the surgeons and the hospital program did their best, but hopefully now there are real improvements.