debdoc
i'm 51 years old, never been married or had kids. live alone. i've been overweight the whole 51 years. weighed 80 lbs in the first grade. i had one of the earliest forms of wls in 1980 -- they just called it gastric stapling then. i was 315 lbs at that time. i lost 140 lbs, then the staples "unzipped" and i gained it all and more back. i've lost significant amounts of weight over the years through hypnosis, optifast, etc...but always regained the lost amounts and more.
then i decided to try surgery again. it had been 25 years since my previous wls, and obviously surgical techniques and procedures had changed significantly. insurance didn't cover it, so i used money from my 401k and was self pay. day of surgery i weighed 463 - bmi was 66. i had surgery in a hospital 2.5 hours from home. drove myself down there, had a neighbor pick me up when i was released. went home alone...
now it's 3 years later. my life is SO different -- SO wonderful. i can hardly believe it yet. today i weigh 176, my bmi is 25. i have huge skin issues, but i'm working my way thru dealing with them. money is always an issue, but again, i'm raiding my 401k. (i'll probably be a penniless, homeless old woman someday, but i'll have a "normal" body shape!) i had a lower body lift in december. it's amazing. for the first time in my life, i have a flat stomach! i've spent a lifetime avoiding mirrors, now i'm drawn to them to look at the amazing sight i see -- and incredibly, it's me! i have some issues with body image evidently, as i think i could lose a few more lbs, but others tell me i've lost enough. i'm not sure whether to trust their opinions or mine. sometimes i think people tell me i've lost enough cause the contrast between before and now is so great.
it's a constant battle that isn't going to end, at least for me. but i think it's worth the struggle.
