2 thoughts on “finally, someone who makes sense”

1. So I read your anti-gastric bypass article that you linked. For any of Lorraine’s friends that don’t know me, I just had gastric bypass done 3 weeks ago, so I am well aware of her feelings on the subject.

   Lorraine, I understand the statistics are insane and true, however I saw nothing in this article that explains what exactly these people die from. Was it the initial surgery or did they get a hernia that they ignored or did they get in a car accident? Or was it that they felt some high self esteem after the surgery, went on Match.com, met somebody and found out that they were a serial killer. 🙂 It could happen.

   As far as the surgeons themselves. I am a firm believer that they treat this surgery like an assembly line. The bottom line is them making as much money as they can as quick as they can. For people paying cash (at least where I had mine done) it is a flat fee of $25,000 for the surgery and after care. My insurance covered 90% and I got the first “bill” which is just them telling me how much they are submitting to insurance. The total of that was $37,500. The actual surgery takes 1 and a half hours, and the hospital lacks luster. My room was like a closet turned into a room, tiny with poor hygiene facilities. I stayed for only one night. So how is it that they feel that they can charge so much freakin’ money?

   I also know that they don’t screen people nearly enough to get the surgery. Other than me being 125 pounds above “ideal” weight, I had no other risk factors. They completely glazed over that fact and just went forward with it telling me that they know how to deal with the insurance companies to get approval. Is this shady? Definitely. Am I glad I did it? I don’t know yet, it’s only been 3 weeks. Was I worried about kicking the bucket? Not one bit because the information that I searched and researched showed me that my odds were extremely minimal.

   I know that I did this for vanity reasons. Since 1st grade I have been teased, ridiculed and abused by other kids because of how fat I was/am. I cannot remember ever being within the ranges of “ideal” weight. I do, however, remember how embarrassing it was to stand on a scale in elementary school in front of other students, and hear their whispers and gasps when they saw that I was over 100 pounds. My self-esteem has been absolute shit since I was 5. 5!! That is so sad to me, and I just want to be able to feel good about my weight for once in my life. I also don’t want to be an embarrassment to my children. I don’t want them to be picked on or made fun of because they have a fat mom. Kids are cruel, and I want to protect my babies any way I can. I want to feel good enough about myself that I can go outside and play with them – and not worry that the neighbors are laughing at me – but also have the energy to be active with them.

   If you are against the surgery, I completely respect and understand that. Really, I do. But for me – in my mind- this was a way to better my life. And it doesn’t hurt to have my family eating low fat sugar free foods. They can start eating in a healthy way and not grow up on Taco Bell & Burger King.

   Sorry this was so long, but I wanted to say my 2.3 cents.

   Reply

2. (posted and e-mailed)
   Oh, Jacylyn . . . I put a disclaimer there so you wouldn’t read it, because you told me not to lecture you about it, and I didn’t want to . . . but I totally respect your choice to do this, and my hope/prayer is that it WILL go well for you.

   My biggest problem is not so much with the individual people who choose to have the surgery, but with the society we live in that tells us that it is so awful, horrible, and hateful to be “over” weight that we ought to go to any lengths (including the mutilation of our bodies) to get away from being that. My dream would be for your kids to grow up in a world where it’s OKAY to be any size/shape/color/whatever, and that we would stop hating fatness in ourselves and others.

   I know it’s a shame thing, because of the excess we have in this country . . . in countries where there isn’t enough to go around, being “fat” is considered a GOOD thing. But I still would like to see those of us who are “over” weight be able to be who we are.

   Again, It is my hope and prayer that all goes well for you, my dearest work acquaintance. I respect your decision. I just hate our society and the way it tells us that being larger than “average” is something to be hated.

   I’m glad you threw your two cents’ worth and then some in there! 🙂

   Reply