I come from a morbidly obese family.  My poor eating habits and lack of physical activity lead me to weigh 304 pounds.  I do not blame my parents.  I am college educated.   I even have a Masters of Science in Nursing.  I realize the apron strings were severed long ago.  No one forced me to overeat.   I convinced myself that if one perspired or was a little short of breath during exercise that they must be out of shape and lazy.  Boy was I wrong!  I was not living life.  I was on the sideline cheering everyone else on.  Happiness eluded me.  Finally at 41, I made the decision to have a RNY.  I knew the risks.  I was an RN.  But I felt that I was already dead. 

Having had the procedure has been an "awakening ".  It is like going from living in a black and white world to one that has all the colors of the rainbow.  I finally can breathe.  I can finally live.