On March 25, 2011, I will officially be 4 months post-op from having the gastric bypass surgery. I created this blog so that I could tell my story and help others who are going through the same thing.

I have suffered with obesity my entire life. It consumed my every thought, controlled my every action and owned my every emotion. I was not living life but barely surviving it. My entire family battled the same thing and because of my genetics I assumed that I was just doomed. I was wrong. My mother had the gastric bypass surgery when I was younger (around 8 years old) and I honestly had no idea what the operation was or what it meant but I knew that it was serious. My mother struggled after her operation and actually ended up being hospitalized for longer than usual due to pneumonia. But, she fought and fought and never gave up. She lost about 200lbs over the span of about a year and a half or so.

My older sister, who fought the same battle, also wanted to undergo the gastric bypass surgery but at that time our finances were so unstable that it was just out of the question. We had no insurance and my mother was working on her masters and wasn't employed. She felt lost and scared and just knew that she would never have the same chance as our mother. She tried for years to loose the weight by dieting and exercise and never saw any improvement.

A friend of ours mentioned that she knew someone who had gone to Mexico and had the same operation but only paid around $12,000 for it. In the states, it can be anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000 easily. At first, we were very unsure about this but we did our research and decided it was the right choice for her. My sister finally received the gastric bypass surgery on May 21, 2009 at The Mexicali Bariatric Center in Mexicali, Mexico. The operation was performed by Dr. Alberto Aceves who was assisted by Dr. Edgar Campos.

After seeing my sister recover, I swore to myself that I would do everything in my power to avoid this surgery. I was gonna loose the weight on my own but after months and months of struggling and pushing myself to the very edge, I decided to council with a doctor. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, and was told that I had to do something quick. I was on the verge of serious, permanent health problems.

On November 24, 2010, I travelled from Oxford,MS to San Diego, CA where I was greeted at the airport by a man named Earnesto. He was standing at baggage claims and was holding a sign with my name on it. We loaded up in the patient van and headed to Mexico. At this time, I was ready for what I was about to go through. I had already cried all that I needed to on the plane and was ready. We drive for about 2 hours or so and finally reached the infamous border. The hospital was only about 5 minutes away from the border and once we arrived, we were sent straight into the lab to have all of our pre-op tests done. We also did an EKG and met with the staff that would be caring for me. The patient coordinator, Yolanda was there and collected our payment. She was so nice and compassionate with me. Her patience and love really calmed my nerves. Then, we were taken to a local hotel where we would stay the night. It was such a nice place and our stay there was free. There was a restaurant in the lobby and I was advised to eat anything and everything I wanted because it would be my last chance. I ate a steak, French fries, shrimp, chips and salsa, chocolate cake and had about 3 diet cokes. I am now completely disgusted with how much I ate that night.

After dinner, we went back to our room and settled in for the might. I was given a medicine to take at night that would relax me and prepare me for the anesthesia the next morning. It was just one little pill. Earnesto picked us up from the hotel at about 7:30 am and took us back to the hospital. I finished signing paperwork and took some more relaxing medications. An internal medicine doctor came in and examined me and gave me the green light to go ahead with the surgery. When, it was my turn in the operating room the nurses came to my room and got me all ready. I remember being wheeled out of my room and telling my mom goodbye. At that time, I knew I was going to be okay. I knew that I was doing the right thing. I knew that God would be with my surgeon and me and wouldnt allow anything bad to happen. I had never been hospitalized before for anything and so I was very nervous but the staff were all so gracious and caring. The hospital was cleaned spotless. Honestly, i have never seen floors shine like that before in my life! Anyway, continuing on......

Once in the operating room, everyone got right to work but they were very caring and made sure to tell me exactly what they were doing. The anesthesiologists were related. The older one was the uncle and the younger one the nephew. They wanted me to be informed and be calm. It helped me so much to be aware of what was going on around me! The next thing I remember is being woken up in the recovery room. My nurse, Sergio, was there with me. He called me Emilita, meaning "Little Emily". They took such good care of me but after two hours in the recovery room I was ready to go back to my room and see my mom. They helped me into my bed and I was told to start walking as soon as possible. I had to make a few laps around the hospital every day. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos were there for me everyday. They encouraged me, made me laugh, etc. On the last day that I would be staying at the hospital, a nurse came in to give me some more pain medicine and my vein blew. Which, meant they had to remove my I.V. and honestly, i dont know why i cried like a baby because I was so relieved to have that thing out of my hand but I did. I sat on my hospital bed and cried and cried and cried. Dr. Campos sat down with me and took a tissue and wiped my tears away and consoled me and promised me that everything would be okay. It meant so much to me that he would take time to just be there for me. Doctors here in the states would never do that. They wouldnt check on you 3-4 times a day. You would never be assigned like 4 nurses to care for your every need. My experience was incredible. I was cared for like royalty and the work ethic of the Mexican people was just astounding. They are amazing, loving people. I will forever be grateful  for them.

November 25, 2010 is a day that I will celebrate forever. Not just because it was Thanksgiving,but because that was the first day of the rest of my life.On that day, i was given a second chance at life. I was allowed to start over. I know alot of people think of this surgery as "the easy way out" but I can promise you there is nothing easy about having to learn how to eat all over again. The beginning is a struggle. It is hard. But, it is not impossible and it is worth it. So, therefore, all of the hard work is worth it and will pay off. I will be able to enjoy life and love myself for who I am . I will no longer hold myself back and keeping myself from living life. I will live my life.

I am so glad that I chose to start this blog and I am excited to hear others opinions, questions, fears, anything! Please, feel free to comment. ALSO,  thank you  so much for actually taking the time to read my story!

Live life. Love life. Love yourself.

-Emily