Brooke Spearman
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I, like most everyone else on OH, have been overweight for most/all of my life..Ever since I was introduced to food I have been addicted... Growing up I had a rough life, going from one home to another-between divorced parents..and I think I always used food as my comfort. No matter what was going on, that bowl of ice cream always made me feel loved. In elementary, I was always the bigger child that no one wanted on there tag team, becasue I couldnt run as fast. In middle school, I tried to stay as active as I could. I was very involved with clubs, spirit squad etc.. I may have been fat- but I sure never wanted to play that out! In high school, i started to play soccer..that kept me active for a while...I wasnt losing weight...so I just assumed then, I was doomed to this fat body forever! It was my senior year (2000) in high school I began looking more and more into WLS. My mom, 2 cousins and many family friends had had gastric bypass...and I was getting so jealous seeing them all shrink away! When I started college I met my husband Rickey...we married in 2002 and had our baby girl Lailah Katherine in 2004... from 2002-,up until 2005...My husband was disabled due to a quack messing him up....b/c of this he couldnt work...once his cobra insurance ran out we were both on Medicaid... well, when your on medicaid -we were told we could not make over $115 a month!! and he had to have this insurance to get back to walking. During this time period, we were both just kinda sitting idle..yea for a few years! Sittin at home, with a small child, my husband couldnt walk...I was tending to them both. Then when my daughter was 6 months old I had a hernia repair surgery and also a tumor removed from my inner thigh the same day...so I couldnt lift her or anything for almost 2 months....more less walk. I figure this is when I packed on a good bit of weight! I 1st tried to get approved for the surgery in '01...got denied...then all this stuff happend...After I had Lailah I tried to get Medicaid to cover it, got denied....Once Rickey was able to go back to work in '05 I tried to get two of his different insurances to cover WLS an both times I was denied....So Rickey told me, once we settled his lawsuit-he would pay for it for me. B.c He knew that was the only thing that would ever truly make me happy... In August on '06, my dad got gravely ill... If you read my past blogs you can read about it...Now as a result of that, he is disabled and awaiting a liver transplant.. My dad isnt very mobile at all. When we bought our home last year, we took it upon us to take care of him . I am his only child, so I really didnt see much of an option there. So he is here with me, and he is all the time! Between him and my daughter I dont get to get out a whole lot...
FORWARD TO MY SAVING GRACE! JUNE 12, 2006
I finally had my surgery on 6/12/06. It has been a wonderful, sad, lifechanging, hard, happy --basically an emotional rollarcoaster for me! It was really hard at 1st getting use to the foods I couldnt have. I am able NOW to eat whatever I want...but it took this long to get to that. And it gets real emotional when you hit your plateaus, I started wondering what am I doing wrong. Or did this surgery work for me? Losing the hair drove me CRAZY.. I am almost a year out and I just stopped losing.. I use to have such think beautiful hair...and now its just like "Blah" very "blah" at that! But its one of them sacrifices... The part about diarreah is horrible! I got my gallbladder taken out when i had my WLS - so thats where that comes into play im sure....I am now on some meds that help with that, and I love them..... It had gotten so bad, for the past 5 months, I havent been able to go out to eat in public.. as soon as I got to a restraunt I would smell the food and have to run to the bathroom...my stomache would start turning and thats all she wrote! It's weird how the smells affected me. Like I was pregnant..... I didnt exercise at all up until April of '07. I just could never ever get out of the house during the week to go walk or anything/b.c of tending to my dad. Don't get me wrong, I dont sit down on my butt all day. I clean all the time and play with my child...so I consider that a bit of work there.... I ran into a old friend who is a trainer at curves and she told me to try the walk away the pounds video by Leslie Sansone... I ordered it online from Walmart....and she is my new close friend! I walk with her EVERYDAY..never less than 3 miles a day. It is such a great video. SO EASY! I started off with the one mile/two mile video...but I do it over and over... She has videos up in the miles like 5, I think? But Im not yet ready to do that. I want to get down to wear I am at the toning stage more. Right now, what I am doing is what I can handle..and I am pushing myself! I try and wake up early and get my miles in. It makes me feel better throughout the day. This video works your legs, arms, butt, back...everything! So I TOTALLY reccomend it to anyone who dont have the time to leave their home and workout!! I LOVE IT !!!
I have found this website so helpful in my journey. I have talked to so many people on here when I am having one of my "moments" and get down and its so nice to know I am not alone.... I am very thankful to this site b.c I met my best friend on here almost 2 years ago. We started chatting an only lived about 25 minutes from each other...and ever since we are almost inseperable! She is truly MY blessing! She is still trying to get her surgery approved and is having a heck of a time. Oneday Leslie....Keep your chin up! I know how hard it is...but its worth it!
To anyone else reading this who is thinking about the surgery, trying to get approved.... Never give up!! No, you may not have the money to go out and pay for it. But if you don't keep pushing for this, no one else is going to do it for you. You really have nothing to lose. I know how emotional it is to get denied...but keep pressing that insurance company if you are able to !!!
(I am no longer on any medications)
Brooke
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About Me
Before & After
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