Brandi Herrington
I've been overweight my whole life. Ever since I popped out of the wound, I've fought the battle of the bulge. I was put on my first diet at age 9 and that set a ripple effect for low self esteem, insecurities, and a waist line that never seemed to stop growing.
At 16, I was succesful with Nutrisystem and lost about 40 lbs. from 260, but it was short lived. I gained back about half of that weight and graduated high school at 5'6'' and 245 lbs. or so. Of course the freshman 15, was more like the freshman 25 for me. Before I got married at 19, I gained and lost back and forth. I was probably around 250 when I got married. As soon as the honeymoon was over, I started to gain the weight. I'm sure it was emotional eating because I was in a new town with no friends and no family. I eventually got up to 315 lbs. In 2001, I saw a picture of myself at Christmas and decided that I'd had enough of being overweight. So I went on a low fat, low calorie diet and lost 130 lbs. I was at an all time low since my pre-teen years of 182 lbs. It was bliss, but like my weight loss before, it was short lived.
In December of 2002 I was faced with an emergency surgery......brain surgery. I had a pre-natal cyst the size of a grape-fruit growing on my left frontal lobe. After this life changing experience, I was left with with scar tissue that caused me to continue having seizures. So hence the cocktails of seizures drugs that caused me to put the weight back on. I had already started putting back on the weight shortly before the surgery. But the drugs helped add it fast. Then I was put on an anti-anxiety drug called Desyrel, and a anti-deppressant called Prozoc. The weight was already coming on fast, and those drugs helped it along. The seizure drugs didn't help, so I had a vagus nerve stimulator put in. This didn't help much either. I am house bound, can not drive, can't get a job, and am now miserably overweight.
So today, I'm at the second highest weight I've ever been. I'm 310, as of my last visit to see Dr. Salameh. My neurologist recommended me for this surgery because he believes that my seizure medication is getting confused and going to my belly fat instead of my brain fat. He believes this surgery will finally reduce my seizures down to where I can live normally again. I'm hopeful and excited. Even if it doesn't help my seizures, I will gain confidence and mobility. I will be able to face the world.
