Angela S.
I think pretty much from third grade on I started gaining weight and it was a vicious cycle that never ended. In 10th grade I went on my first diet, which was Slim Fast. I dropped 30 pounds, was feeling great, got my first boyfriend and thought, wow losing weight was all I needed to be accepted. Of course by 11th grade I had gained it all back plus probably 50 more and was over 200 pounds. Senior year of high school I was pushing 250.
When I first decided that WLS was right for me, I had just given birth to my son. I was married to man that loved me no matter what size I was, he was big too. When I got married I gained 100 pounds and was over 300 lbs. We were two fat people living on fried food and we were content to get bigger together and eventually die together. Having my son was a pure miracle, I had PCOS and concieved him with fertility drugs. I was over 320 pounds when he was born. My periods were non-existant and I had no idea, due to my weight, that I was pregnant with him. When I was 6 1/2 months along I had an ultrasound to check for cysts on my ovaries and that is when they found my baby. He was born 8 weeks later and despite all my issues and lack of prenatal care he was perfectly healthy.
He was my motivation to get healthy. I realized he would learn his habits from me and his dad. My husband was not happy with my decision to have surgery. He did not support my decision at all because he knew his life would change too. He was all afraid I would "get skinny and leave him". Even without his support I knew I had to do something. I went through 3 insurance companies, multiple denials, multiple appeals and thought my surgery would never happen.
Finally in January 2006, when my son was 3 1/2 I got my approval. I had surgery on March 1, 2006 and on my surgery date I was at 325 lbs. Which was already down 27 punds from my highest weight. I had a rough start my first 6 months after surgery were hell. I underweant a total of 3 surgeries in a 5 month time span including the RNY. I developed gall stones immediately after the RNY and 3 weeks to the day had my gall bladder removed. In July of 2006 I began vomitting and became severely dehydrated. I went through many tests and no one could figure out the problem. Finally I was admitted to the hospital where I spent 9 days undergoing test after test before they decided to just go in and "look around". I had a hernia that was poking inward and blocking my small intestine, nothing was getting through because of the blockage. Once that was fixed, things have been wonderful.
Unfortunately, my marriage did not survive the surgery aftermath. He cheated before I ever got my approval and continued to be unsupportive until we just finally went our separate ways in January 2007. We are since divorced and I have found true love with a new man that loves my son and I more than anything. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives. He never knew me at my highest but I know in my heart he would love me through thick and thin.
I am now2 years and 6 months out and have begun losing again after a long plateau. I am down a total of 179 pounds and would ideally like to lose 30 more before going on with plastic surgery.
