mintonbug
I am usually not at a loss for words, but it has been very difficult for me to decide what to write here under my story. My story reads alot like many other people here at OH, I grew up as a "fat" child, enduring ridicule from my classmates and feeling a little inferior to others. Until my middle school years where I went from almost 200lbs down to 145lbs to enter high school. In my own mind, I was still fat. I was popular but some people still made comments about my weight. I was on the homecoming court and always had lots of dates and was really successful in school and college. But I always thought of myself as "Fat". Now I look back at the pictures of me in high school and college and see how "skinny" I was. I realize that I have always had a problem with my body image and my eating habits. I have dieted all my life and as many of you have done, packed on pound after pound after every diet that produced only a minimal weight loss. I traveled this journey kicking and screaming the entire way. Seeing physician after physician to have my thyroid tested, being diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome, anorexia( yes, after one dieting experience, I was actually diagnosed as anorexic and still weighed 270 lbs.) I have been successful in my life but feel like I have failed at one thing, WEIGHT LOSS. My first husband left me after 16 1/2 years because of my struggle with my weight. I am now married to a wonderful man and have 3 beautiful children. Now I feel like it's the perfect time in my life to focus on me, my health and my self esteem. I hope this surgery will give me my life back and enable me to participate in my childrens' lives in ways I haven't been able to before. I want to take them to Disney World and actually ride the rides with them. I have always tried to teach my children through example and I want to be a good healthy role model for my children. And I want to see them get married and have children of their own.
