ObesityHelp

I'm currently around 420 to 430lbs after a lifetime of weight problems. I've put off surgery as long as possible, but I've decided that the risks of the surgery do not outweigh the risks of being this obese and am looking for information.

6-11-06

Who knows when I put in the information above. I know it was probably at least a year ago. I've managed to maintain my weight around 440, but that has been with constant yo-yo dieting over the past year. Every day brought a new diet attempt because I knew the decision to have surgery was looming ahead and it scared me to death. I have a child with special needs and my biggest fear is leaving my husband behind to raise him alone (for those of you that don't know me, our little man is definitely not a one parent kiddo). Since the life insurance I have through work would only pay my salary for one year should I die, I know it would make things very difficult on my husband and son.

So, I've spent the last year trying to get the weight off myself. We bought a very expensive treadmill (necessary because I had to get one that would accommodate my weight), but chronic migraines, poor sleep, etc have made it difficult to exercise and difficult to get motivated to exercise. My dieting efforts have been a joke as well. I've tried everything from Atkins, WW, Nutrisystem, and just plain old healthy eating, but if I manage to make it through the first day, the second day is usually when I cave.

With each new failure, I find myself becoming more and more disabled. No matter how fat I've been, I've usually been able to do what I want. It has gotten to the point where I find it difficult to find a comfortable position no matter where I'm sitting or laying. I've been working exclusively from home for the last year and my husband has taken on many of the duties that would normally have gotten me out of the house and given me some outlet for activity (grocery shopping, taking my son to appointments, etc) so the last year has been the most sedentary of my entire life. The first time I tried to go grocery shopping after several months of my husband doing it, I found myself completely exhausted at the end of it. I was red-faced, breathing hard, and had a migraine started by the time I made it home.

I guess you could say that I've finally hit my proverbial rock bottom. I realize that if I do not have surgery, I will be dead in a few years anyway because I will continue to gain and gain and that 500 lb mark isn't too far away.

While I'm nervous about the surgery, I am comfortable with my surgeon, Dr. Duperier and his assessment. We saw him this past Thursday and because I am so overweight and in a higher risk category for surgery, he wants to do a sleeve gastrectomy first. Let me lose about 100 lbs and then go in and do the RNY. He thinks that he can do both laparoscopically which will further reduce the risks of the surgery. I have to have a sleep study and then I think they will submit to our insurance company so hopefully, by this time next month I will be in the OR ready to begin my new life.