Lisa K.
We can say that life has thrown me a few curve balls in my 22 years. Without my family and their support I would have been hit every time!
I have been over weight my whole life. I was always the more well endowed girl in the fifth grade;) So I have gotten use to being a "failure" to society. I didnt play sports because I couldnt breathe and I felt uncomfortable with my body. My parents had just excepted the fact that I was overweight and I just needed to "diet" so my mom put me on slim fast when I was 12 yrs old. I tried everything, I even got to the point where I had become obsessive about excersising and would make myself sick by doing to much. Excersicing was a huge let out for me... so was bing eating to make up for all the "hard work" I had done. I finally gave up that route.
I went on and just kept getting bigger throughout highschool. By the time I had graduated I had reached 260. I had recently gotten married before I graduated and we had decided to try to get pregnant as soon as I was done with school. We tried with no avail for about a year. I went to the doctor and they ran some test. They determined I had PCOS and this was not only causing my infertility but also contributed to my wieght gain. I began to take Metformin and all the herbal remedies they suggested and still no luck with the fertitlity or the weight. They kept pushing "If you just lose 30 pounds it will help", as many of you know that isnt that easy... I tried for two years to lose the weight. I did atkins and lost 20 pounds. Went off and gained 30. Tried it again and couldnt lose anything. I tried diet pills, but they made me nausues. Tried eating less and walking...nothing. I had tried every imaginable diet out there. I joined curves, only to feel insecure with all the lil' ones around me. I was ready to give up! Finally my doc decided to give me chlomid. I was pregnant with the first round! I couldnt have been more excited.
With my pregnancy I lost 35 pounds in the first trimester. I was scared, but also thankful that my body was doing what it was supposed to for the first time ever. When I went into labor they weighed me in at 270. I had only gained one more pound than I weighed when I got pregnant. I delivered a healthy 7 pound girl with the help of my loving husband, mother and father! I couldnt believe I had my miracle baby.
I new that I had to get the weight off as soon as I could. I thought , YAY, my body will finally let me do what I need to do... For three months I worked my butt off, starved myself... eating only salads, I took stackers and for three months I lost the weight. I only lost 22 pounds with all my effort. I felt good I started eating healthier, kept up my excersise habits (1 hour three days a week cardio, 1 hour 2 days a week sculpting). I slowly began to pack on the pounds, once again. My body was not working with my head:) So I picked up the pace and began excersicing twice a day. I found myself so hungry. I began sneaking rides to arbys, mcd's, and burger king. I would get up in the middle of the night to scarf down the left over pizza. Eat a whole can of pringles. Then go right back and excersise. I was so hungry and felt defeated.
I decided that I needed to do something and now! My daughter and husband need me... I dont want them to have the feeling of losing their mother and wife to a disease so early in out time together. I know all to well that feeling and wouldnt even wish it on my worst enemy let alone the two people that I would die for, or should I say live for:)
I looked into the lapband, insurance wouldnt cover and I couldnt afford the 386.00 monthly payment at the time. I gave up that search... One day I went in for a normal check up and my doctor (it was the first time I had met him) asked me if I wanted to die (after looking over my chart and history). I said noooo, and he flat out said I was going to unless I did something drastic, and soon. I looked at my baby girl and decided I would do what ever I could to be there for her graduation, wedding day, and birth of my grandchildren. I asked him to get me started.
So here I am... waiting for my new life to begin. I have went through the seminar, psych eval.,and am going in for nutrition counsling on the 27th. They sent my insurance papers in on wednesday the 11th of April. They said normally 14 days is enough for a response. I am ready for a fight, but I hope it goes smooth. I have a really good bariatric team at the Muncie Center (Ball Hospital). They have been very kind and patient with me. I am sure they will be like family by the time I am done.
So that is my story... it is by no means finished yet. I have many goals in life, little and big, but I have one main one...
I WANT TO LIVE!!!
