cameo1
Weight has been an issue for me since the age of ten. My mom made homemade jam. I recall eating bread, butter and warm jam sandwiches all summer and it was war with my weight from then on. Everyone noticed, even me. I was active in athletics, but I was always the short and dumpy one. Loved sweets and, midwestern style, ate a lot of potatoes, gravy, pie, and jello. In college I gained the freshman fifteen and then some, despite long walks and a vigorous lifestyle. I ate more than I burned. In my early 20's I was 135. In my late twenties I starved myself to 102. I was quickly back to 135. By the time I was forty I was a firm 150. From then on it gets hazy. At 42 I was 178 and, as the years passed, to 180-190-and yes, 220 this past year. In between, I dieted, dieted and dieted. Gained and lost over and over again. Yo-yo. I wanted to look my best, but I just couldn't get there and stay there for more than a month or two. I started wearing big scarves and larger jewelry in keeping with my increasing size. I am only 5'2"!
I still want to look my best but vanity has taken a back seat at this stage of my life. Mobility and optimum health are my major goals. My mother, father and brother, all deceased, each had high blood pressure. My mother had heart surgery once, my brother twice, and my father passed after his 4th heart attack. This is sobering. I want to beat the family odds and get off the blood pressure meds. they, too, had weight issues of varying degrees.
I have an appointment with Dr. Pomp in early January 2011. Three years ago he had to cancel my WLS. It was a prudent decision. It was the third time my surgery was cancelled. This time it was because a thorough pre-op discovered abnormalities in my lungs which led to lung surgery and a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. That was October 2007. I'd gone from 204 to 184 during the time with the nutritionists. I have small bone structure. My wish was to get to the correct BMI and maintain. I have sleep apnea, high blood pressure, high triglycerides....and was fully approved by insurance. It was a great disappointment. In May 2008 I had a second spinal surgery to fuse more of my spine. In April 2009 I had breast reduction surgery with the wonderful Dr. Thomas Sterry. This helped my shape and my spine. Enough surgery for a while, I thought. I will lose, somehow, on my own! I went to weight watchers for a year and did nothing but gain, lose, gain, lose. By the summer of 2010, I was 220. I went to a nutritionist and lost 10 pounds and stalled for three months. Then my knees started to go. Just too much weight for this body. Then a painful heel spur. Spine, Knees, Heel. Mobility greatly diminished. I go to physical therapy three times a week. Sometimes I can't do any exercise, but just get heat and ice, electrical stimulation and massage. Knee doctor, internist, spine doctor, physical therapist and podiatrist all say lose the weight. I come back to WLS hoping to lead an active life again. I know the arthritis won't go away, but the pain will be diminished and the wear and tear on the joints will diminish. I want to be able to walk again, in a normal fashion. My husband loves to walk and I want to be able to walk beside him.
That's my story up to today. I am going to this site for education, inspiration and support. I trust that Dr. Pomp will help me to a healthier life.
