blondie92655
Hi, my name is Lorene. I'm a 53 yr. old female living in the Atlanta Metro area and planning to undergo gastric bypass surgery. I'm nervous, a little afraid, but excited too.
Currently, I weigh 248 lbs. (as of yesterday at my eval for the surgery). I'm 5' 4". Like most of you, I've struggled with weight issues and eating issues for most of my adult life, and some of my childhood. However, the last 70 lbs. of my weight have been acquired over the past seven years - after I started perimenopause. Much of my excess weight is centered in my abdomen. I suffer from high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and fibromyalgia. Moving around has become increasingly uncomfortable for me.
I've tried just about every kind of diet out there - including Weight Watcher's, Jenny Craig, Nutri-System, and just "doing my own thing" or cutting back. I lose some weight, usually - though not a life changing amount - and then regain it plus an extra 5 - 10 lbs. This has been going on for years.
I have concerns about undergoing weight loss surgery - including experiencing the risks that come along with it, losing my hair, experiencing 'dumping syndrom', rerouting my anatomy, etc. There is also a concern about the extreme change in lifestyle I'll be undergoing. However, I know there will be great health benefits as well - like avoiding diabetes which runs in my family, improving or recovering from high blood pressure, experiencing an improvement in sleep, decreasing the amount of pain I experience on a daily basis.
Right now I'm trying to read as much as I can about my upcoming surgery, and what to expect. My first goal is to educate myself and find support.
Looking forward to getting know some of you on here.
Lorene
