Mumbai: Daulatram Jogewat, the policeman from Neemuch who was fat-shamed by author and columnist Shobhaa De, was discharged on Monday after undergoing a weight-loss surgery. Last week, he underwent a laparoscopic gastric banding procedure, which reduces the size of the stomach to a small pouch and facilitates weight loss.
“I have no negativity towards Shobhaa De. I don’t know who she is nor do I know anything about Twitter. But it is because of her that I am here today,” said the cop who weighed 180 kilograms. “I did not feel bad at all,” said Mr. Jogewat, adding that no policeman wants to become fat. The cop said he had earlier consulted a few doctors but only to come back home worried. “Some said there will be a huge cut. Some said the fat will have to be sliced off. I was extremely scared,” said Mr. Jogewat whose surgery now involved merely five tiny holes in the abdomen.
The next few months may be challenging. He will be on liquid diet for the next 15 days and will then move on to semi-solid food for a month. Later, he can get back to the regular food but will have to limit his intake. He will also have to take B12, calcium and iron supplements for life time.
“There will be some difficulty in swallowing for the next few months. Also, sometimes a patient overeats even as the body tells him to stop. This causes discomfort. But gradually they learn to stop,” explained bariatric surgeon Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, who operated on Mr. Jogewat. He is positive that Mr. Jogewat would shed more than 80 kg in a year. “In another six months, he can be our poster boy for bariatric surgery,” he said, adding that his sleep apnea, diabetes and hypertension will gradually subside and then disappear completely.
Mr. Jogewat said his case should be a turning point for the police. “It is time that the police department provided funds for such procedures.”
Mr. Jogewat had began gaining weight post a gallbladder surgery in 1993 which led to an insulin imbalance in his body. “I cannot be negative about any woman. Naari shakti mahaan hai . Shobhaa De ke tweet ke wajah se jagruti ho gayi,” said Mr. Jogewat, who will head home in a train on Tuesday.
