dian1963
I would like to think that I just woke up one day and I was fat. It wasn't like that, but it was like a slap in the face when I looked in the mirror one day and realized that the person standing in front of me just could not be me. What had happened to the person I used to be? How did my eating and weight get so out of control? I knew I was going in the wrong direction and I tried many diets and programs to try to reverse this trend. My biggest success was about 20 pounds of weight loss and then it would stop and I would get frustrated, angry, and of course, hungry. In late 2006/early 2007 I realized that my health was at risk. With the family health history that I have inherited, it was not in my best interest to continue eating and gaining. After saying I would never have gastric bypass - God made me who I am and I have to accept that - I realized that this would change my life for the positive (and God would probably like that too). I attended one of the group informational sessions in April 2007 and I was sold. I found this drive in me to get the paperwork submitted for approval. Convincing my husband that this was the right thing to do was more challenging. After some before and after pictures and thoughts of how our relationship could change for the better, he was on board and has been very supportive. I held on to that packet for about 2 months - just to make sure I wasn't just making a rush decision. Once submitted it was approved. Wow!! Then I received the call in July, that my surgery date had been scheduled for Oct 19, 2007. I was ecstatic. As Aug and Sep came, Oct seemed so far away. I counted the days and tried to fill them with activities so time would go by faster. I couldn't wait. I wanted to begin the weight loss phase of my life. But the 19th of Oct, 2007 did arrive and now I am 4 months post op. I have lost 63 pounds to date and I feel awesome. There have been some bad days but far more good days. I now have what I need to be successful at not only weight loss, but a healthy life. I can be more active and play on the floor with the grandkids - what a treat. Gastric bypass has proven to be one of the best decisions in my life. And my family has been a fantastic support group. I hope this is insirational to some and insightful to others. Good luck to you wherever you are in this journey. 
