elle_mae
I am 34 years old, living in the south. I was a very athletic child, never had a weight problem. I had a child at a young age, and slowly my life started to become more and more sedentary. I've been overweight for many years, and very overweight for at least 10 of those years (off and on of course with the yo-yo dieting). My lowest weight since my weight became a problem was 189 lbs (except for that time that I almost died as a result of dehydration...I was 169 lbs at that time). I'm currently 288 lbs. I'm 5'8.5...I used to be 5'10...I've heard of people's weight compressing their spines such that they lose a couple of inches in height. I do hope to get my 1.5 inches back, lol.
I have been trying to lose the weight by typical means for many years, diet and exercise, from the healthy to the extreme. I've gone from liquid diets, to mashed vegetable diets, 2 hours/7days a week workouts. At this point, I'm very overweight. My right knee is in very bad shape, my left hip is paining me occasionally, and I've been taking medication for control of my blood pressure since the age of 27...I'm up to 5 pills/day now (and my dad has had 3 strokes...under the age of 60, and with a BMI lower than mine).
I've researched this procedure for many years. I can admit that I'm stubborn when it comes to attaining my goals, and so I have struggled to the point where I have wrecked my joints in trying to beat my obesity. I've really wrestled with the decision to have roux en y gastric bypass surgery, but I have finally reached rock bottom in my fight to continue to try to do this my way. It's not working, and I've had to admit to myself that I am unable to will myself through this one. It feels like failure. At the same time, it is very physically painful for me to continue this battle in the way that I have been fighting it. I keep thinking to myself that I am burning my knees out to reach a certain weight goal, and that if I am not successful...again, I will be in more pain than I was in when I started. I will have less mobility than I did when I started.
I'll be 35 years old this year. I'm not getting any younger. I ended a relationship if 17 years in October of 2009 (so I won't be having problems with a hubby as a result of having this surgery). I am a single mother (my daughter is 17 years old next month). I don't feel like I have low self-esteem (the behavioral therapist that I had to see as part of my pre-op assures me that I have body dysmorphic disorder, lol....despite the fact that I'm practically 300lbs, I look in the mirror and see a gorgeous, curvy chic). I do have problems finding clothes that fit me in a flattering way. I really don't like the way they put flowers and sparkles on so much of the plus-sized clothing either....everyone sees me, sheesh! No need to embellish and further ornament my clothes! Anyway, went off on a tangent there. Of course, I do have typical issues associated with being overweight. I am uncomfortable in plane seats and at movies, don't go to public pools very often (I do go to the beach when I get the chance though).
I'm just in a place in my life where I feel that the timing is right. It's just time to sart moving in a different direction. Time to meet my weight loss goals in a different way. I have Kaiser Permanente insurance. I have jumped through the hoops that Kaiser has set forth for me. I told my primary care doctor that I was interested weight loss surgery in July of 2011. I saw my endocrinologist in August of 2011, I started seeing the prescribed behavioral health therapist and the prescribed nutrtionist in August of 2011. We have completed all of my required pre-op sessions. I went and met my surgeon on January 5, 2012....My roux en y gastric bypass is scheduled for February 1, 2012...looking forward to the next chapter.
