GASTRIC BYPASS | PART II 'This is a miracle'

One gastric bypass patient said there's nothing easy about the surgery, but she has no regrets about having it done.
By CATHY SECKMAN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
CORTLAND -- "I've been overweight since elementary school," says Karen Wrightsman. "I've battled my whole life with diets, pills, doctor's plans, Weight Watchers. I lost weight on a 750-calorie-per-day diet but I gained it back, and more.
"Every time I went to the doctor, it was always about my weight. I've always been confident in my career, my marriage, as a parent, but when I looked in the mirror, I felt like a failure," she said. "Weight was the one thing -- the biggest overshadowing thing -- that I couldn't control. Finally I said, I can't live like this. My quality of life is not what it should be."
So she investigated gastric bypass surgery.
"It became an obsession. I was on the computer till 2 in the morning, reading and researching," she said. "I'd look at before and after photos, and read how people's lives had changed, and I knew it was the right answer for me."
Nothing easy about it
Some people, Wrightsman says, believe gastric bypass is the easy way out. "But there's nothing easy about major surgery. If someone told you your heart didn't work right, and you needed a cardiac bypass to improve your quality of life, you'd go for it, even though you knew the risks. Gastric bypass is exactly the same. People think it's elective, but it's not. It's a necessity. They don't really understand."
Because of her weight, Wrightsman suffered from sleep apnea so severe she had to use a breathing machine at night. She had joint pain that made it difficult to get around.
When she decided on surgery, it was a decision she made alone. "My husband has never had a weight problem, but he saw what I went through and he was supportive. I asked if he was OK with the surgery, and he said, 'I am, if it's what you want.'
"He told me afterward that he didn't want to influence me, that it had to be my decision. That meant a lot to me, because most people don't understand. I didn't do this for vanity. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to be thin, but what I want more than anything is to be healthier. I want to be around when my children grow up."
What she's accomplished
From a high of 271 pounds, Wrightsman has gotten down to 201 in six months. In another year, her weight should stabilize, she hopes at her goal of 135 pounds.
She has not only changed the way she eats, but the way she cooks for her husband, Jim, and children, Jamie, 12, and Rebecca, 11. "When I cook, I think we need smaller amounts, because I get full on very little now. I don't make huge amounts of food anymore. My husband says the rest of the family will never need gastric bypass surgery, because they never get enough to eat. They're always asking, 'Is this all you made?'"
She can eat 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of food at a time.
"For dinner, I might have a quarter cup of potatoes, a quarter cup of vegetables, and a small piece of chicken. For breakfast I'll eat a piece of toast with peanut butter, or maybe half a cup of cereal with skim milk and half a banana."
An energy boost
Wrightsman manages the call center at the Seven Seventeen Credit Union in Warren. "My co-workers say I just fly around the office now. I feel like I can do more there and at home, too. I'll come home from work and have energy to tackle another job."
She and some co-workers exercise twice a week, doing aerobics and working with weights.
"I've been surprised at the positive reinforcement I get. Every day, someone says, 'You look great! You look terrific!' Even my children have noticed. The other day I took off my jacket and my son said, 'Mom, turn sideways -- oh, my gosh, there's only half of you there!' Then my daughter said, 'Yeah, but look at her wobbly arm.'"
She worries about skin elasticity as she loses. "It's one of the reasons I exercise, to combat that. Age and genetics have a lot to do with how your skin stretches and contracts. Excess skin removal through plastic surgery is one possibility for people."
She tries to stay out of clothing stores for now. "I'd rather save money for when I've reached my goal, so I can buy lots of new clothes. What's strange, though, is when I am shopping, I keep going to the Plus size section. I can't get used to the idea that Plus sizes are too big for me."
Someone asked Wrightsman recently if the surgery had made her happier.
"For 40 seconds, I couldn't speak for crying. I couldn't even put into words how much happier I am. This is a miracle. It's the greatest blessing I could imagine. My surgery date is my new birth date. It's my opportunity to start life again. I don't even know what doors may open."