Healthy4Ella-Omo-Me
Greetings!
My name is Cindy and I am turning 40 in April, 2010. In Oct. 2009, I celebrated my 5 year wedding anniversary with the greatest husband in the world. My Mom babysat our 2 year old daughter Ella so we could go out on a date. As I was sitting at the table at the restaurant, I could barely hold my head up because I was so fatigued. We spent the entire dinner conversation discussing whether or not I should consider Gastric Bypass Surgery to help me lose weight as I was now at my all time highest weight in my entire life!
My weight issues started in college when I hit the 200's. After I graduated from SDSU in '93, my father died of a heart attack at 48 years old coming home from a business trip. He collapsed at baggage claim at the San Diego airport on 11/19/93. I was only 23 years old, still living at home with Mom & Dad and had always been a Daddy's girl. His death was very hard on me and so I decided to leave San Diego (where everything reminded me of him) and move out, on my own, up to San Francisco.
The first year after he died, I gained 60-75 lbs. Living on my own for the first time gave me this new found freedom to do and eat whatever I wanted - I dealt with the pain of losing my Dad with food. Since that time, I have spent the last 16 years gaining more and more. Whenever I would commit myself to a diet (i.e. Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, you name it!), I could always lose 30-40 lbs. but would gain it back when I stopped the program.
My husband and I tried for almost 3 years to get pregnant. I learned I have PCOS and was pre-diabetic. I trusted in God and finally was blessed with a healthy pregnancy and in October 2007, I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy daughter named Ella. My husband and I love her so much - she's perfect! Praise God for my little Angel!
During my pregnancy and Ella's first year, I was completely exhausted and attributed it to being pregnant or having a newborn around the house. In March of this year, I learned I have severe sleep apnea. I was averaging 130 apneas an hour! That meant I stop breathing over a 1,000 times per night! Very scary! I started wearing a full face mask connected to a BiPAP machine. I wear it every night but I hate it! My doctor told me the only way to get rid of it was to lose 150 lbs!
So here I am, beginning my weight loss journey. I have so much to live for and as I am approaching 40, it is getting harder and harder for me to enjoy life to the fullest. I have put up with being overweight long enough. I have achieved all of my other life goals (earned my Bachelor's & Master's degree, great career doing what I love, married my soul mate & best friend, became a Mom and have a precious 2 year old daughter, bought our first home, traveled to all 50 states and around the world, etc.)... so now it's time to focus on me and my health if I want to live another 40 years doing the things I love to do with the people I love most, my family and friends!
I have decided to pursue Gastric Bypass Sugery with Dr. Mark Takata at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, CA. I have been doing a lot of research and am hoping to get the surgery within the next few months. I'll keep you all posted on my progress!
I look forward to learning as much as I can from all of you on this site. Thank you for the strength and support! May God Bless all of you during your own weight loss journeys.
Cheers,
~ Cindy
Poway, California
