cathimajig
I have been overweight nearly my entire life. The last time I was a “normal” weight was when I was 7 years old. I can lose some weight, but then I gain it all back (and more).
I actually started my WLS journey over 5 years ago. At that point, I was interested in gastric bypass. I went to seminars and saw a couple different surgeons. And I chickened out. I was losing weight sucessfully on a low-calorie (1000/day) diet and thought I could just do it on my own. Suffice it to say, that didn't work out. Instead, by the time I was ready to try the surgery route again, I had changed jobs and my insurance wouldn't cover it.
I changed jobs in August 2010, and one of the main reasons I did was because I knew that their insurance would cover WLS. It was a drastic change, but probably the best decision I've ever made. And I'm actually glad that things worked out the way they have...because I've decided to go with the Vertical Gastric Sleeve rather than the bypass. VSG was unheard of when I originally thought of surgery.
I didn't decide to have the surgery for aesthetic reasons, although I’d love to know what it would feel like to buy clothes in a store rather than a catalog again. I need it for health reasons – to live. I want to become a healthy, productive person once again. I am only 30 years old, and I have so many things I still want to accomplish. This surgery is my best shot for a better, longer and healthier life.
