Last fall, Alexandra Duarte, who is now 16, went to see her
endocrinologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, outside Houston.
From age 10, she had been living with polycystic ovary syndrome
and, more recently, prediabetes. After Alexandra described her
recent quinceañera, the doctor brought up an operation that might
benefit her, one that might help her lose weight and, as a
result, improve these obesity-related problems.
Alexandra, who smiles shyly and speaks softly but confidently,
says she was “a little skeptical at first because, like, it’s a
surgery.” But her mother, Gabriela Velez, suggested that her
daughter consider it. “Ever since I was a toddler, my mom knew
that I was struggling with obesity,” Alexandra says.
The teasing started in fifth grade. Alexandra couldn’t eat
without her classmates staring at and judging her. Though she
sought counseling for her sadness and anxiety, these troubles
still caused her to leave school for a month. The bullying
finally stopped after she switched schools in 10th grade, but
Alexandra’s parents knew how deeply she continued to suffer. How
much more could their daughter endure? After the doctor suggested
bariatric surgery, an operation on the gastrointestinal tract
that helps patients lose weight, they spoke to friends who had
successfully been through the procedure as adults. They decided
it was a smart option for her. Alexandra wasn’t sure.
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