Sarah C.
I have always been fat. Always. I haven't been below 200lbs since I was 13 years old. I was always pretty healthy, though. I played competitive softball all through high school (started varsity all 4 years). I even played in college. Unfortunately, my knees got so bad that I just couldn't do it anymore.
My doctors were always telling me to lose weight. I did the rounds of nutritionists/dieticians/blood tests, etc. Nothing was "wrong" with me. I was just fat. That sucked, but hey, I was healthy. I had arthritis and fibromyalgia, but it's genetic, so it had nothing to do with my weight.
Until I got to college, I thought my weight was just something that put me through hell mentally. I mean, come on, no one wants to be the fat chick, and high school kids are mean. Then when my arthritis got worse and I developed high cholesterol, I decided that my weight was something to really combat. I wasn't playing softball anymore, so I started exercising. I was doing weight watchers, and I initally lost about 40lbs in 6 months. Then nothing...absolutely nothing...for the next six months. I figured that I was going to just have to live fat. If diet pills, weight watchers, and just about any "diet" wouldn't work, I figured nothing would.
In October 2006, I lost my Aunt Pat to a massive heart attack. She was 42 years old. She had been obese all of her life, and she was trying to figure out if the expense of weight loss surgery was worth it. She died before she could do it. I decided that I was going to live past my forties. I want to see my hypothetical children and grandchildren. I knew I had to make a decision while I was young and healthy.
In January 2007, I began to look at weight loss surgery. I finally decided on my surgeon and the RNY in July. My pre-appointments in September went beautifully. Then....the dreaded insurance company came into play...
After 14 months of bickering with the insurance company, I got my approval in Nov 2008. Had my RNY January 5, 2009.
Now, I'm just enjoying the journey. I feel hope for my life again. It's amazing.
