annierose_2000
Hello friends! I guess it's high time that I get in gear and introduce myself. I'm Deanne, and I'm 27 years old. I'm married and together we have a 3 1/2 year-old son. I have been overweight to some extent for a large portion of my life. I remember the first time that someone brought my weight issues to my attention. It was the summer before I went into the 3rd grade, so I had just turned 8, and I wanted my hair cut short-short. I told the lady what I wanted, showed her a picture, and she proceeded to tell me that if I cut my hair that short, it would make my face look like this, and she proceeded to puff out her cheeks and use her hands to emphasize just how fat my face would look. I was devastated. I am from a very small town, and this lady was someone who I thought I could trust. I mean she was my hair stylist AND my Sunday School teacher! But, I went ahead with the haircut anyway. And, she was wrong, I liked my haircut very much (until shortly thereafter when I began gaining weight). I was a very self-confident girl up until that day. Something in me changed then, and things haven't been the same since. And, to top it off, I was probably ONLY 20 or so lbs overweight, if that. I was very tall for my age and very active. It seems like that day set off a domino effect in my life, maybe not directly, but something in my surroundings changed. I was never teased before that, and suddenly that year, I began getting teased. That's when the weight really came on. I'll never forget the names...Chunky Cheese being the most hurtful, I believe. By sixth grade, I weighed 199 lbs. I was very sad on the inside...happy on the outside, but sad on the inside. I remember eating and eating to ease my pain...bear claws, candy bars, pop, etc. My highest weight in high school was 250 lbs. My junior year, I lost around 35 lbs with diet and exercise. I was heavier than I should have been, but felt better and looked better, too. I enjoyed the attention that I got, but it wasn't the most positive or most healthy attention that I could have received. I met my husband two years after I graduated from high school, and we married a year later. He rarely, if ever, commented about my weight. But, I was still unhappy with myself. In May of 2005, I began taking Phentermine 37.5mg, and combined that with a low-calorie diet and moderate exercise and lost 83 lbs. I then weighed in at 193 lbs. The lowest weight that I had been since the 6th grade! I was ecstatic!!! THEN...the deal-breaker. Eight months after beginning that diet, I found out that I was pregnant. And starving! 
I had never been able to get pregnant before this, so I was overjoyed for the most part. However, I gained 72 lbs while I was pregnant 
, and have fluctuated up and down ever since. More recently, I have been up rather than down. Which leads me to the decision to have WLS. I attended a seminar in July of 2008 and then found out that my insurance did not cover the cost of WLS. My husband started a new job in September 2009, and has fabulous insurance from his employer. I am hoping that they will come through for me! I am currently in month 4 of my 6 month supervised pre-surgical diet, and I'm hoping that when July rolls around, I will have an approval. I'm looking for more friends to share stories, so please add me if you are too!!! Blessings to all of you! 
