Would You Do It All Again?

My One year surgery anniversary came and went on October 7, 2010.  I saw my general physician the day after my anniversary, and he was very happy about my progress.  His big question for me was, knowing what I now know, would I have the surgery again?  Without hesitation, I said, "absolutely!"  Yes, the road has been long and the journey hard, but it has been worth every ache, pain, and doctor's appointment.  Today I am 120 pounds lighter and it has made a huge difference in my life.  I've listed the major changes that I've noticed in this post.  One new thing I've noticed is that on most days, I wake up refreshed!  I open my eyes, stretch, and actually have energy!  It is amazing what getting rid of sleep apnea will do for you.

If you are at a point in your life where you are considering bariatric surgery, the best advice I can give you is to do your research.  Be a well informed patient.  Be sure that you make your surgical inquiries at a Center Of Bariatric Excellence.  I chose St. Vincent Charity Hospital's Center For Bariatric Surgery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Ask a lot of questions.  Don't rush into your decision.  It took me a full year to make mine.  Realize that this is a process that takes between 6 months to a year.  Before you can have surgery, you need to be educated.  If you go to a Center Of Bariatric Excellence, you will attend classes to learn what to expect, what to eat, how to set your weight loss goal, and others. You will also be required to see a psychiatrist to make sure that you are in the right frame of mind to deal with the changes and stress this surgery brings.  It is a huge life change and the education is very necessary to be successful.  You cannot go into this surgery thinking you can eat doritos when you wake up the next morning!

Would I do it all again?  A thousand times YES!