Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

From the age of 11 or so, I started gaining weight. Through my teen years, I was still gaining weight. Then at 21, I had my first child...I was pregnant, and eating for 2, so I enjoyed myself, gaining about 65 pounds. After delivery, I lost about 20 pounds, but didn't loose any more than that, as a matter of fact, I gained. By the time my son was 9 months old, I weighted more than I did when I delivered him. I got mad at myself, and lost about 50 pounds, just in time to learn I was pregnant again. I gained 27 pounds with that pregnancy. I was then an at home mom with two small boys. On top of that, female medical problems started causing me pain, and then I didnt want to move...so I ate. I had a wonderful husband that loved me no matter what. I on the other hand did not love myself because there was just soooo much of me to love. After another couple of years we decided to become foster parents. I stayed home and raised our children and other peoples children. I was home all the time. I lived in my sweat pants, pajamas, and oversized mens sweat shirts. I was so depressed with being so heavy, I just ate more because I was to the point that I thought I would never be thin anyways, so why try? Nothing worked anyways.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

I think for me the worst part of being over weight was missing out on life. I didnt want to go anyplace because of my weight. I didn't excercise because it was so hard for me to move. Rolling over in bed at night was a chore, and my heart rate would go up..just from rolling over! I didn't play with my kids like other moms could. It was even an embarassing chore to go to the grocery store. Because when your a over weight person people always take the side ways glance in your cart to see what you are buying, and "tut" when they see twinkies, cookies, or any other treat. For me going to a store was almost a shameful experience.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I had WLS exactly 6 years ago today. I had lost 122 pounds at my peak of weight loss. I am still down 104 pounds. I am working on loosing a few pounds again, but now it is a lot easier than before. I can go for a walk and enjoy it, I can ride a bike, jog to my Wii, ride my horse, walk my dogs. The ways to stay healthy and keep moving are now endless, where before I felt it was helpless. I enjoy going on trips with my family, and being in the pictures. WLS saved my life. I am so thankful I took this measure to save my life. I truely don't know if I would be here if I hadn't had the surgery. I am a happy person. I now love myself almost as much as my husband loves me.