abp0511

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So I started this journey in March of 2015 thinking I need to do something for myself and my 3 year old daughter. I've been "big" or "overweight" pretty much my entire life. The last time that I remember being a "normal" size was probably in Kindergarten, after that I always remember being the biggest kid in class. Fast forward 25 years, numerous diets, many medical problems, lots of excess pounds, and one miracle baby later. I went to my first consultation appointment weighing in at my heaviest weight (besides when I was pregnant), 329 pounds. I almost died right then and there. The Dr starts going over all of my medical problems. Diabetes, check. High blood pressure, check. High cholesterol, check. Sleep apnea, check. GERD, check. Then he looked at my age. I was only 31 then.. He then went into detail about this surgery and how it could *possibly* take care of all my medical issues and *hopefully* help me get off all the medications I'm currently on. He explained the different procedures and the details of both, the good and the bad. After hearing about it all, I chose the gastric bypass option. I liked the options with the Sleeve but since I already have really bad GERD and without Prilosec I have heartburn that feels like the pits of hell are alive in my throat and chest I decided that the option of having that worsening after surgery just wouldn't be for me. And I liked that after the surgery, my stomach is still in there- just not hooked up. I didn't like the idea of my stomach, something I'd been bonded to since nitted in the womb, being taken from my body and discarded in the medical waste pile. That just didn't sit well with me. So, that started my journey. I had to go through a psych evaluation a couple of weeks after that initial consult, followed by 6 monthly weigh-in's at my surgeon's office, a Gallbladder ultrasound to check for gallstones, an Upper GI so the surgeon could have a look at the inside of my stomach (which it actually took 2 tries to complete this, the first time I still had some undigested food in my stomach from dinner at 7pm the night before- 12 hours later it was still in there). And then I had to go through 2 support group/education meetings about nutrition pre and post op. I started this journey at 329 and on my final weigh in on 9/22 I was down to 316. I was told upon leaving the office that day that they were submitting everything to the insurance for pre-authorization and I would hear from them soon. Today is 9/30 and I got the call I'd been waiting on. The insurance has approved it based on medical necessity and my surgery is scheduled for November 11, 2016. I am so incredibly nervous but anxious. I know this is what I need to help me succeed and lose the weight that's been literally holding me down for so long. I have so many things I would love to do and I can't because I get out of breath so easy, I exceed the weight limit, or I'm just too fat. I hope to use this as a way to show my daughter that you can set out to acheive all your goals and to make myself a better role model for her, I never want her to wind up looking down at the scale seeing 329 pounds. I want to live to see my grandchildren. That's my motivation.