Ok where to begin…This is my story…I have always been overweight my entire life. My whole family is overweight & obese. I had a heavy mom that always told me & my 5 sisters that we were beautiful the way we were. Health was never discussed as far as weight. Healthy eating was never even considered. My lowest weight as an adult was 230 in 1996 when I was on Phen-Fen. That didn’t last a year. I’ve always been around 270-280. I was never one of those people that lost a whole bunch of weight and gained it all back over and over again. In fact, food has always had such control over me that I was always an active person-kick boxing, gym classes, loved to walk- but never lost any significant amount of weight. Any exercising or fitness I did was overshadowed by the amount of bad foods that I ate. I even over ate with healthy foods. I just over ate.

2 years ago my mom died. We were extremely close. That same year I lost my pediatric patient that I’d been taking care of for 17 years. The housing market crashed. The hurricanes happened tripling my insurance premiums. Life happened and I ate my way through all of it. I stopped exercising and ate my way up to 343 pounds.

So now here I am. I can barely tie my shoes. I get winded and sweaty taking a shower. I used to love to walk and now my back hurts when I walk too long and I have to bend over to give myself some relief. When I go out I look for a chair. I have a sister, Amy, that was 360 pounds. When she told me she gets her kids to put lotion on her feet, I’d silently shake my head. I thought it was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard.

Now I understand.

But I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want to be trapped in this fat suite. At 270, I was confident, attractive and at least content with myself. I was obese but I had a quality of life that I could deal with. Of course I’d like to have lost some weight but still I didn’t let that stop me. I dated and traveled and stayed active. I went to visit friends across the country and took pictures. Now…I’m scared to get on a plane for fear of them asking me to buy another seat. Or inconveniencing someone by making them sit next to me stuffed in an airline seat. I hate taking pictures. Who is that fat sad person staring back at me??? She scares me.

For years I’d toyed with the idea of gastric bypass surgery but always thought I could get the weight off if I’d only conquer the food. I even dragged my sister Amy to a few seminars. (she's here on OH as 'taygirl33319')

Last year, she decided enough was enough for her and she had the surgery. It has been an amazing experience watching her lose more and more weight everyday. She’s gone from a 26 to a 16 and still losing. Sometimes when I visit her I forget that she's had the surgery and when she opens her door for a minute I think she's one of her teenage daughters!

At 343 pounds I have also decided-enough is enough. But how do I dig myself out of this 343 pound hole. My insurance at work won’t pay for it so I’d started looking into surgery in Mexico. Crazy huh? I thought so too. Until I started my search and reading the profiles of other members that have had their surgery in Mexico. After much research, I’ve decided on Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexico.

I’ve joined a yahoo group for his patients and I can’t tell you how supportive they all are. It’s truly like a small family.

So….. I’ve put in my application over the weekend and got approved for the surgery. It’s looking like the middle of July and I am so nervous! I am also looking forward to my new life!
This decision has not been an easy one. I'm scared because I realize that this is elective surgery and there is a possibility that I may not return. It's sad that we have to go through such extremes but this isn't lipo-suction or a surgery to get my breasts bigger or some wrinkles tightened. This is life or death to me. I am truly unheathy at this weight. My feet swell. I can't walk for long periods. My quality of life has suffered. Boy I wish I could just go on a diet and just lose the weight without having to cut my stomach. Only another obese person can understand the pain and the struggle...
I've prayed about it and spiritually things have fallen into place that has allowed the money I didn't even have months ago to become available to me. It's a cash procedure and I certainally don't have $10,000 laying around. Somehow though God made a way for me and I do believe things happen for a reason and that this was ment to be.
So I am going on faith and with good karma and positive energy...Keep me in your prayers and wish me luck on my journey ahead....Thanks :-)

About Me
LAUDERHILL, FL
Location
57.0
BMI
VSG
Surgery
07/17/2010
Surgery Date
Mar 01, 2008
Member Since

Friends 23

Latest Blog 14

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