I am a mother to 4 wonderful children ranging in age 18 years to 5 years.  I first experienced gastric bypass in 1991 when I had VBG after my 1st son was born because I gained a 100lbs with him and it brought me up to over 300lbs.  I tried to get pregnant again but was unable to due to the weight issue.  I had the surgery and lost 170lbs in 9 months, yes, 9 months, this was great and very short lived because 2 months post-op I became pregnant with my 2nd son (1992) and continued to lose the weight while I was pregnant.  I had to have suppliments, you name it.  In my 9th month is when I started to gain.  I gained 8 lbs and my son was 8lbs 9oz.  go figure.  Then the weight kept creeping up on me and then I became pregnant with my 3rd son in 1993 and my pre-pregnancy weight was 220lbs and when I had him in 1994 I weighed 280lbs.  Sucks big time.  I was having major stricture problems, GERD, Vomiting, you name it, I had it.  I had the VBG revised and had a normal stomach , the weight accumulated The depression kicked in, very low self esteem and the weight continued to go up.  Then my marriage ended in 1997.  I was a single mom with 3 young children and new to the dating world (ha!ha!)  I met a fellow in 1997 and he didn't date FAT chicks but I was a mission to him,  I could not eat in front of him, when we would go out he would have a full course meal and I would have soup.  During this 3 month relationship I lost 50lbs from starving myself and losing the weight for him, well, it ended up he had another couple of women on the side and that ended.  I coontinued to starve myself and got down to 190lbs and then met my 2 nd husband a few months later.  We met in December 1997 and got married in September 1998 and tried for 3 years to have a baby together but this never happened due to fertility issues on his side.  We had IVF and was pregnant with twins and one died and my daughter who is now 5 survived and was born with the mildest form of spina bifida.  She has what they call Notochord closure defect.  She was born with a bald spot on the yop of her head aboout the size of a nickel and blacke hair sorrounding it about 4 inches long.  She was diagnosed developmentally delayed and anxiety/behaviour issues, but I love her just the same.  My pre-pregancy weight with Makayla was 230lbs and when I delivered I weighed 310lbs.  I quickly lost 50 lbs post C-Section and then became depressed and went on a new med called ZYPREXA and gained 100lbs in 5 months. In the summer of 2005 I weighed a whopping 405lbs.  My husband left me because of my weight (He told me so) in 2004 and I (Foolish me) went back to my 1st husband and that only lasted a year (HELL)  and then my 2nd husband and I reconsiled in May 2005 I weighed 299lbs because I went off of the med ZYPREXA.   I then went up to 326lbs in January 2007 and I presently weigh 318lbs because I have to lose the 15 lbs pre-op.  But, right now in my life I am content with my family but not with myself because of my weight. I have been overweight all of my life and the weight just got higher and higher with each pregnancy and  I did do something about it but, it backfired.  If I had to do it again I woould wait until I had all of my children and then do this for myself.  I made the decision to do this for me not my husband, he learned the hard way that it's whats inside that counts not the outside, but, I mean I have a really hard time looking at myself and The rude comments, stares I get from total strangers hurts even more because they don't even know me.  I just turned 40 years old in November and I want to live another 40.  I have sleep apnea, GERD, Osteoarthritis in my lower lumbar, Joint pain, Incontinence, Rashes in the folds, wearing the maximum sized clothing, you name it I am sure you all can relate.  It's pay it forward time for me.  For all the good I do for others this is God's way of paying it forward to me.  Not that I have to be paid.  But when you are a giver alll of your life it's nice to get something in return, my prayers answered to have this surgery.  Thank You God.  Take Care