kharek1
My name is Kasey, I am 30 years old and I have been heavy all my life. I think I hit 200 pounds when I was in the 7th or 8th grade. I have been on every diet ever created or planned from Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The Zone, low fat, carb counting, calorie counting, exercising, Scarsdale, you name it...I have been successful, for a limited time and then I gain it back and more.
However, when I got pregnant with my daughter when I was 25, I gained over 50 pounds and went over 300 pounds again (I had previously but had keep it off for a few years). I never got below 300 again. And then I got pregnant with my son, and luckily, I was able to maintain weight with that pregnancy, no 50 pound weight gain (guess I craved different foods, meats, not pails of ice cream), but alas, I never went below 300 again. So slowly I crept up, and I sat for 5+ years at the weight I was during the pregnancy of both of my children. I know a lot of women know that feeling. "I weigh the same as I did fully pregnant."
One night in the middle of a quiet ice cream snack, I knew it was over, I knew I had to do something. I told my husband I was going to pursue surgery. I contacted a local surgery center and attended the introductory class, and started my journey. I met with a therapist for my initial meetings and found my first roadblock: I was too depressed for consideration at this time. I found that devastating. In essence, I gave up my dreams of surgery. I did start taking my anti-depressant medications and that helped with lifestyle changes. I found out I had sleep apnea and got a c-pap, which led to better nights of sleep. I started working out at my workplace over lunch hours. I brought my lunch instead of going out to lunch. I joined Weight Watchers again. I dropped from 335 to 325. Then I got the flu! and dropped to 319.
I stopped Weight Watchers and gained it all back. A colleague at work approached me and told me she had had RNY gastric bypass 4 years prior, had I considered? I told her my whole story, how I had tried and had been denied due to depression. But she got me thinking about it again. I decided to go forward and called. It took another 6 months, another round of tests, I had a different insurance company, a different primary care doctor, it was almost like starting over. But I was different, I was ready this time.
My journey to surgery took me 2 years, from decision to surgery date. I had RNY November 13, 2008. This page will be a bog of my successes, frustrations and elation's along the way. I am looking for others like me, friends and confidants who are looking to share my journey. My name is Kasey and I finally made the decision to be healthy and happy. My goal is a scale weight of 155, a jean size of 12 and the ability to run a mile without being winded, sit in an airplane seat without feeling like I am hindering my next door neighbor and ride every ride at 6 flags without worrying if I will fit!
