How I got started on this journey

Oct 14, 2013

I am sure we all get to the decision to have WLS via different avenues. 

My history with my weight is much like that of everyone else.  I have struggled with my weight almost my entire life.  Up until and through elementary school, I was a “normal” weight.  In middle and upper school, I wasn’t ‘fat’, but probably was 5-10 pounds heavier than I should have been.

In college, I gained about 20 lbs over the first two years (living in a dorm).  My last two years were in an apartment.  I got married right after graduation from college, and my weight was 155 lbs.

My highest weight when pregnant with our first child was 181.  With our second and last born, I broke the 200 lbs. mark.

While our children were growing up my weight was constantly up and down.  My ‘thin’ times I was 155-160; for the most part I was able to keep my weight under 180.  In the late 1990’s, I let my weight get up to 240.  With a drastic diet and a ton of exercise, I dropped 100 lbs. in 5 months.  I was only able to maintain my weight in the 140’s for a short period of time.   After that, my weight started to creep again.  I bounced around between 150 and the 190’s for years.  I have kept a written record of my weight struggles beginning in November, 2005 – when my weight was 225.

Over the years, I have tried Jenny Craig and Nutri System several times.  I have done Weight Watchers online.  I have been on the HCG diet, administered with acupuncture.  My internist has had me on Phentermine, 37.5 mg, for several of my weight loss successes.  Every time I have lost weight and kept it off for a period of time, I had to exercise religiously.  Currently I have been on Phentermine for months without any success.

Due to an autoimmune disease, I have been on Prednisone for 2 years.  Needless to say, my weight continued to climb.  I have been going to The Mayo Clinic for referrals with various specialists.  The GI doctor I saw there said I needed surgery for GERD, but because of my weight I can't have the standard surgery done.  He said the only way to fix my severe GERD is with the Roux-en-Y; he then referred me to the Bariatric Team there.  I go back November 19th.  They are expediting the process because my current insurance policy won't be offered after December 31st and all the "Metal" insurance plans being sold by BC/BS exclude bariatric surgery.

The good news of all of this is that if all goes according to plan, I will finally be rid of my GERD and gastroparisis (a condition secondary to my autoimmune disease, in which my stomach does not empty properly).  Changing my lifestyle and my life and losing weight are all wonderful co-benefits of the surgery.

When I saw the GI doctor at Mayo in August, I was at my all time high of 290 lbs (I am 5' 8").  Today my weight is 267; I have been trying to eat the way I will post surgery since my first Bariatric Consultations earlier this month.  My goal is to lose another 17 pounds between now and my surgery, which hopefully will be in late December. 

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