A winner at losing

After her weight loss, the Rogers woman celebrated by riding all the roller coasters at Cedar Point.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
ROGERS -- At 5 feet 4 inches tall and 350 pounds, Denise Rasley avoided movie theaters because she couldn't fit in the seats. Strangers chastised her in public places. She couldn't have a baby.
Fortunately for Rasley, now 28, her husband's insurance company, Medical Mutual of Ohio, covered gastric bypass surgery. The procedure, she said, was lifesaving.
Now, at about 160 pounds, Rasley has improved health, a new outlook on life, and an 8-month-old daughter.
"She's my miracle child," Rasley said. "I didn't expect success [at getting pregnant], and neither did my husband. When I went to his office to tell him, he saw the expression on my face and said 'You wrecked the car.' "
Wants to help: These days, Rasley is concentrating her efforts on attending classes at Youngstown State University -- she wants to be a teacher -- and on helping the morbidly obese in their struggle for medical insurance coverage.
"I lost 50 pounds the first six weeks, and 100 pounds in four months," Rasley said. "I just want other people to have the chance I had. There are people on oxygen 24-7. Some have been told they have only a few months to live, yet they are denied the insurance coverage."
Anyone 100 pounds or more over their recommended weight is considered morbidly obese, Rasley said.
According to the American Obesity Association, obesity increases the risk of, or can aggravate, more than 30 medical conditions, including infertility, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, respiratory diseases, adult-onset diabetes and cancer.
Rasley and several others are lobbying state legislators to sponsor a bill to require insurance companies to cover gastric bypass surgery. Virginia, Georgia and Indiana are among the states with similar laws.
A number of legislators have said they'll consider it, but none have agreed to sponsor it.
Her surgery: Rasley had her gastric bypass surgery in October 1998 in Columbus, because no local hospitals perform it. The procedure shrinks the stomach and reduces the amount of calories absorbed by the body, she said.
It is a much-improved procedure, less dangerous and more successful than the stomach stapling surgery popular in the 1970s, she said.
Most insurance companies consider the surgery elective and cosmetic, she said. It can cost between $15,000 and $30,000, depending on individual circumstances, she said.
Despite her success, Rasley warns the surgery is not a quick fix, and the weight loss is not easy.
"This is not for everyone," Rasley said. "It is a last resort. It is for the person who has tried everything and failed.
"People think all we have to do is push away from the table, and the weight will come off," she said. "At one point I was eating less than 800 calories a day and still gaining weight.
"After the surgery, I would have been ecstatic at 220!" she said. "I should get down to 150 pounds. I'm not there yet. I have to be careful what I eat, take vitamins and exercise."
Memories of taunting and ridicule from children and adults alike are part of what spurs Rasley on to help others.
"One woman got right in my face and asked me why I was so fat," she said. "Another pointed to the groceries in my cart and asked me what I thought I was doing, buying those things."
Celebrated: Several months after her weight loss, Rasley celebrated the triumph of her new life with a trip to Cedar Point.
"Before, I was as big around as I was tall. I would just walk around because I couldn't ride anything. I rode the carousel, but only on the benches. I was afraid if I got on a horse, I might break it."
This time, however, Rasley rode.
"I called my mom and said 'You'll never guess what I'm doing!' I could have ridden everything in the park, but I didn't want to waste time with the other rides when there were all those coasters. I love roller coasters. I rode them all. It was wonderful."
For more information about morbid obesity, gastric bypass surgery, or Rasley's lobbying efforts, contact Rasley at 330-227-2448, or e-mail her at drasley@cisnet.com.