My Story?...My story began the day I was born...

I have been overweight my entire life - well I shouldn't say that - I was premature weighing 5lbs.9oz - I stayed a normal weight until I was about 6 or 7 and then it started to increase. From about age 8 on I was called "fat" - most days of my life.

While my mom's side of the family has some history of being overweight, but my real weight problem comes from my dad's side of the family...history of weight, cholesterol, heart attack etc. issues...that is where the heath worries have come from.

My father was a man of 6'2 and around 320lbs+ and at age 47 he suffered his 2nd heart attack and passed away. This happened in 1993 - I was 8.  I understood that this was partially from family history and weight related health issues, but it didn't worry me. Honestly throughout my childhood/adolescence I didn't have health concerns - I was just fat. It wasn't until I started hearing people like my mom and grandmother telling me they were concerned for me. It used to bug me but I never did anything to change. 

Finally at around age 15 or 16 I heard my aunt was trying to loose weight though aqua fit courses and was succeeding - I started it with her. I felt healthier but I wasn't seeing any results...so I got discouraged. Around 17 & 18 my friend started working at the local gym - so I volunteered and for that had a free membership - again I felt healthier - I stayed at it for months straight - 3-5 times a week. I remember starting being able to go on the treadmill for 5min at barely walking speed and I was out of breath, I still remember the day that I was able to do 15min on an incline at walking speed it felt amazing - but again results weren't surfacing - discouraged again.

In 2004, my family Dr. sent me to a weight-loss management centre and to a wonderful and amazing Dr. in Ottawa (Dr. Robert Dent)...in our first consult he made me feel awesome - he explained to me that I need to take responsibility for my weight, but I under no circumstances can blame myself - to hear someone say that made my day. We talked about different ways to loose weight - there is a program at his hospital that he wanted me to try but do to lack of money I could not do it. He also discussed the option of gastric bypass surgery - but I decided against it, I had no interest, I thought I could do this on my own - and that's when I joined a weight loss centre for woman - again I was going 3-5 times a week but no results - discouraged again. 

This past year I went to college, in the beginning it was fine...but then the walking started around campus -  I couldn't do it! By the end of the school year depression re-surfaced and I was medicated again...my knees were killing me - x-ray's confirmed it I do have the onset of arthritis. I did a lot of "soul searching" if you will and discovered that I need to get on with the rest of my life and I can't do that - at least not currently so I took the step and talked to my family Dr. told him I was ready to discuss surgery - he sent me back to Dr. Dent. 

Today (Sept. 18/2007) was my appointment with Dr. Dent - it went amazingly! I have gained weight in the past 3 years (boo!) - I was afraid he was going to recommend me to his weight loss program in the hospital. 

I won't get into what happened at my appointment but it will for sure be in my first blog!