I posed a question on my Facebook I Told You I Was Sick page a few weeks back asking if anybody would consider surgery for weight loss. A fan of the page, Betheny Zupin, a 47-year-old Michigan native, answered saying she already had tried it and regretted it. It gave me the idea to ask her for an interview to inform others of their risks and dangers of bariatric surgery before choosing this extreme weight loss measure.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m married, the proud parent of two children and one grandchild. I have always been an overweight person, even as a young child. In kindergarten I was teased and called ‘fatso’ though I wasn’t nearly as overweight at some kids are today. My Dad used to get on me about my weight all the time, which made me feel guilty and like a failure. The weird thing is, my brother and sister are stick figures. I guess I grew up thinking I was a defect, wrong somehow and the weight kept coming. My first marriage to an alcoholic ended with him leaving me for a stripper. That didn’t do much for my self-esteem. Serious health problems came; diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety. My knees started giving out.
What methods to lose weight did you try before the surgery?
I’d tried diets on and off since the age of ten at the suggestion of my family. The other kids got to eat the good stuff while I was stuck with diet food. It never worked and it only made me binge and feel guilty afterward.
Was it your decision or your doctor’s?
Basically, with all the health problems I was having, my doctor said it was my only option. He pretty much said I had to do it or die.
How long ago was this?
I had the surgery 3-1/2 years ago.
Did it help you to lose weight?
I did lose 100 lbs and got off the diabetes and high blood pressure medication I was on. What bothers me is the doctor said I was a weight loss surgery failure because I didn’t lose 170 pounds like I was “supposed” to. I never went back to him.
What side effects have you experienced?
I lost so much hair, and it has never come back correctly. I have to clip on hair pieces to have my hair look the way I want. I lost the health in the whole top row of my teeth, due to lack of absorbing the nutrients I need. It has made it so hard for me to eat. I absolutely LOVE raw veggies but when I eat them, they almost always get stuck and cause me pain. I need to eat almost everything with sauce or mushy or moist, instead of just being able to bite into a wonderful apple, for example. The peeling has to come off and you have to dip it in something (for extra calories) to get it down. Being careful with every single bite, or not being able to just enjoy food, is hard.
If you had it to do over again, would you?
I would never, ever recommend it for anyone, because of what i know now on this side of it.
Do you have anything else to add?
As soon as your 18 months is up ( they call that the honeymoon period) your weight can and will come right back on, if you still have not conquered the reasons for gaining in the first place.
I wish and hope & pray for other people, that there is someway to find out what hurts them so much to make them turn to food for comfort BEFORE they let some surgeon rearrange their innards. I want people to know the dangers of bariatric surgery, the side-effects. Hopefully, my journey can be used to help others.
Interviewer’s Note:
If you’re considering surgery for weight loss and what you’ve read has made you rethinking trying another method, may I suggest visiting my blog and clicking on the Healthy Urban Kitchen link. It’s an all-natural program created by a professional fitness trainer that focuses on the whole person. This isn’t a weight loss gimmick or fad diet. It’s wholesome, healthy and nutritious. Watch the testimonials. They’re inspiring. I’ve been eating like this for years and I’ve never been slimmer or healthier!
