Crown Point woman feels like teenager again after bariatric surgery, tummy tuck
BY BARBARA ROLEK
Times Features Writer
brolek@nwitimes.com
219.933.3256 | Monday, July 09, 2007
From the time she was 11, Debby Howard says she felt the sting of being teased and called names because she was overweight.
"People don't realize how much that hurts. They're very insensitive. My girlfriend in high school was a size 3 and could out-eat me any day of the week, but she would say, 'I don't understand why you're fat,' or "You're too pretty to be fat.' Well, it's easier said than done," Howard says.
The taunting was just the tip of the iceberg. She experienced daily anxiety about fitting in a chair in a new environment or breaking one when she visited someone's home. "I'll stand," she would say.
"It just caused me to eat more. The lonelier and more ostracized I was, the more I ate," the 50-year-old Crown Point woman says.
"And most of the time, I didn't even realize I was eating. It got so bad, I started to hide food in drawers," she says.
Howard tried everything to lose weight -- Weight Watchers, pills -- and says she initially was successful, but then she'd gain it back plus more.
Her daily routine was sitting in a chair in front of the TV watching soap operas. This sedentary lifestyle caused her to develop congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and borderline diabetes. Her cardiologist warned her that if she didn't lose weight, she wouldn't be around to see her then-16-year-old son, Jeffery Mogan, graduate from high school.
But it took running into a formerly obese friend who had had bariatric surgery and was down to a size 6 that prompted her to seek information about weight-loss surgery.
"My family physician, Dr. Brent Jacobus, recommended Dr. Paul Stanish at The Methodist Hospitals Center for Weight Loss Surgery in Merrillville. I made an appointment, got my insurance forms rolling, and took the pre-op classes," Howard says.
After following a full-liquid diet for two weeks, Howard had open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at 355 pounds on July 11, 2005.
"For me, the recovery was fast. To be normal size was something I wanted my whole life so the pain wasn't bad. In my dreams I was always thin; I couldn't wait for my dreams to come true. The more I lost, the more determined I was to lose more," Howard says.
As the pounds melted away, Howard noticed how differently friends and strangers reacted to her.
"Now that I was normal-sized, people treated me normally, whereas before I experienced a lot of prejudice. It's sad. There is no reason for people to belittle you because of your size or looks, but that's what this country is all about. Now when I see a heavy person, I really want to help them," Howard says.
Toward that end, she will talk about her journey at Methodist's weight-loss surgery seminar at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the conference room of the Center for Advanced Clinical Studies, 200 E. 89th Ave., and 6 p.m. July 24 in the lower-level auditorium of the hospital, 8701 Broadway, in Merrillville.
But even after losing 143 pounds and wearing a size 10, Howard says the sagging apron of excess skin on her stomach kept her feeling fat. So last fall she decided to have abdominoplasty, more commonly known as a tummy tuck, performed by Stanish.
"My insurance covered the procedure because of the chafing and back pain I was experiencing. The recovery took five weeks, but it was so worth it. Now I can look in the mirror and actually see the fruits of my weight-loss labor," Howard says.
Ten pounds of skin were removed and Howard is now able to slip into a size 6/8.
"Surgery has given me a whole new life. Before, my son was ashamed to be seen with me and a couple weekends ago at Taste of Crown Point, he came from behind and picked me up over his shoulders. I thought he was going to whirl me around and hit somebody. He's so proud," Howard says.
Now she is in a committed relationship, wants to get a job, had her first motorcycle ride and is living the life she always wanted.
"I never went to the prom, never had a normal teenage life, now I'm going through my adolescence again and it's great," she says.
Two years post surgery, Howard says her new small stomach allows her to eat more, but she chooses more wisely.
"You don't have to quit eating the things you love, just watch the portion size. Before, I would shun birthday cake, now I ask for a two-bite piece. I'm satisfied and the host is satisfied. It's a win-win situation," she says.
Debby Howard
Age: 50
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 153
Pounds lost: 202
How long it took: 2 years
Size: 6/8, down from a 32
THE DIET: Howard starts with a protein shake in the morning followed by coffee or iced tea. A mid-morning snack might be cheese and crackers, and lunch is tuna salad or cooked shrimp. Mid-afternoon, Howard has a high-protein yogurt. Dinner is 2 ounces of meat plus salad, and an evening snack is usually high-protein sugar-free pudding.
THE WORKOUT: "I started with small walks after surgery, then I got on a treadmill and could only do 10 minutes at the lowest setting. Now I'm up to 90 minutes at a speed of 3.8. I also do the cross ramp for 30 minutes and I'm starting to lift weights. All told, I'm at the Crown Point YMCA for one and a half hours three times a week."
TIPS: "If you fit the profile, check into having this surgery done. If you change the way you eat and do what they say, it works."
Back to "In the News"
Back to top
|
