Six different men and women share their experiences before and after bariatric surgery. These stories are real life accounts about dramatic changes that have occurred due to surgery that has facilitated a more fulfilling, healthier and active lifestyle.
The patients talk about how the surgery positively influenced not only them personally, but their loves ones and the people that surround them as well.
Here is how these former bariatric patients answer the question based on this Youtube video I recently watched:
How Has Weight Loss Surgery Changed Your Life?
“Going to an amusement park with my kids for the first time in fifteen years and getting on a ride that I actually can sit in and not be embarrassed about sitting in the seat and [hearing], ‘oh we can’t seatbelt you in.’ So that’s a thing of the past. You know sitting in a restaurant in a booth or a booth table and not having to worry about sitting, finding a chair table or being embarrassed by telling the waiter or waitress, ‘no I can’t sit there, I need to sit over here.”
“With me flying for the first time in a long time, not having to ask for an extra seatbelt to put across me because I was always very embarrassed about that. My last plane experience, getting on the plane was great, I had like this much room from the seatbelt and I was comfortable in the seat, I had two other people around me and it was a great feeling.”
"I Was Very Embarrased When I Would Fly …"
“I was also very embarrassed when I would fly because I would be always concerned about who the person was going to be that was sitting next to me and what size they were going to be, because I knew that if it was a person who was going to have any size to them whatsoever, that I would be hanging underneath. I would be squished underneath my seat, my hips would be. And I would be so concerned, you know, with the arms coming down that I would be touching that other person and bothering them. It was a great moment for me the first time I flew and I actually sat in the seat and didn’t touch either side of the arms and I clearly remember that day and I could synched that buckle and pull that thing across and it was just like, it felt great, it felt fantastic.”
“I can relate to all of those but even just something as easy as going to a movie and sitting down in the seat and going, this is what it’s like to have extra room on the sides, and being able to just sit down and not having to sit down and back into the seats so that you get between the arms. Just little things like that you don’t think about.”
"People Accepted Me Now Because of My Size Being a Little Smaller"
“I guess just like my parents, I’ve always been a real outgoing person but I was kind of hesitant about just going into social situations because of my size. I always felt like I was being judged based on how I looked and going somewhere and then actually being complimented and being told that they could see the outer me changing and people actually accepted me now because of my size being a little smaller.”
“My kids love to play games, one of the big things with my kids is they always wanted to play twister. Well when mommy was 266 pounds, Twister wasn’t happening. And my little one and me are very close and he couldn’t understand why I couldn’t play twister and now that I’ve lost all the weight I can do anything with my children. Playing Twister is not a problem. I can get on the ground. I can sit Indian style and read a book to them. So life has changed for my children a lot, and I’m hoping they appreciate it, spending time with me, and it’s great.”
"… My Daughter Borrows My Clothes and It Amazes Me"
“My daughter is thirteen and we’re at that age. I’m tall, she’s tall, so were at that age where she is borrowing clothes and it just kind of amazes me. It’s really nice to have that. It’s kind of something special with my daughter, that extra bond with her. So I’m really enjoying that.”
“I remember making excuses to not do things just when we would go on vacation. We traveled a lot and we incorporated a lot of things that had to do with a lot of activities, a lot of walking, hiking. And I remember my husband always asking me, you know let’s do this and he had that look on his face because he already knew my answer. I was going to avoid it. And I think it brought us a lot closer because now I’m able to fully participate and not just sit back and watch him or, you know, my family members. I actually participate with them now and look forward to it and sometimes I leave them behind because I’m moving too quickly and that was something that I didn’t do two years ago.”
“Another thing that works well for me is if I’m having a couple days where I’m not doing real well, I can pull out a picture of myself at 300 pounds and in one second I can glance at that and say I don’t want to feel like that again.”
"… I know I Am Going to Be Here A While With My Children"
“When I was a lot bigger I didn’t have the self confidence. I was very negative and it was really hard. Now I have a great attitude. I wake up happier every morning smiling and it’s nice to know I have the day to look forward to know I’m going to be there with my kids and know I’m going to be here for a while with my children.”
The above stories show how weight loss through bariatric surgery can touch people’s lives in many ways. Whether it has to do with self-confidence, worrying about being judged or spending time with loved ones, it is clear that this surgery has had vast benefits for these individuals.
Important: Although bariatric sugery may be beneficial for selected patients, it poses the risk for serious complications, including death.
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