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I had my surgery Jan 29/13. RNY. By Dr. Reed at Guelph General Hospital in Ontario.  In preparing for this surgery i was put on a strict protein, no fat, no sugar liquid diet. I lost 9 lbs during that time. Since surgery on Tuesday, i have gone down another 2.2 lbs. I am so happy i chose to do this. My diabetes has stopped and same with high blood pressure. Within 24 hours, i gave up all but 3 medications. There were up to 22 meds per day only a year ago. 6 of those meds were for diabetes and 5 of them were for high bp. all gone now, traded in for vitamins. Im so okay with that. I feel wonderful and thats only on the 4th day of my new journey. I made the right choice. I have no regrets.

I always dreamed of being a slimmer me.

As a kid i was always a little overweight but was very active so it wasn't much of a concern. I lived in the country, and had a vast variety of activities ready to be tackled. We rode bikes, played in the village pond (sliding down the damn, until told there were snapping turtles in there, hence this activity stopped out of shear fear), played at the ball park, had a private golf course to go wandering around to find golf balls and sell them back to the players, went fishing in the creek, had a 5 acre ravine to explore, thousands of trees we all tried climbing, rode our bikes miles to the local race track to watch drag racing,...the list goes on and on and on....

When i was 13 i started working at the local golf club as a banquet server, for 2 years, then on to a local restaurant for 4 years as a short order cook. my weight started rising as there was this whole plethora of food choices just needing to be tried, tweaked and tested. So then i finally became aware that this was going to be a problem. I did take a modified version of a weight watchers program one of my co-workers was trying and did this myself, also was riding my bicycle everywhere.  The weight started coming off!!! I started working out at the gym that was just behind my highschool.

Then my work hours turned into full time and i seemed to not find the time to work out. I then moved out on my own at 17 (though wasn't forced out) i still worked and rode my bike 14 kms to work and back. The weight started to level off.

Then i decided partying was the new me......

Big mistake and i'm now suffering from that inability to realize at the time i was damaging myself for life. And i did....

So my years as a cook stretched out to a span of 20 years. a few other odd jobs throughout that weren't cooking, but it was extremely easy to get work as i was highly experienced.

Cooking then became my enemy.

After marrying and having my 3 children, (1 full term stillborn) in a span of under 3 years, my body began to rebel. Then separated in April 2003. ...Single-mom that I planned never to be.

In May 2003 i was diagnosed with : sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and bilateral carpal tunnel. The solution....stop working as a cook.  Easier said than done.

The stress of the job (making sure everyone else eats on time, not taking care to eat on time myself) but it just doesn't work that way in a restaurant. You eat after the rush and the work is cleared up.....sometimes that means no breaks and grab and stuff whatever you have in front of you in your mouth........we all know where that's going to go.

Finally i made a break out of the kitchen and went back to school, i graduated with honours from Trios College in London with a Pharmacy Technician Diploma!!

So now the lack of care id given myself is coming on with a vengence......I started working very part time as a Pharm tech and then started another part time tech job as well. It was stressful. Trying to make ends meet all by myself. (I never collected a welfare cheque throughout any part of my life) . Then, ..wait for it.....another part time job landed on my lap.

I somehow made all three schedules work together, wasn't easy. Then the fatigue started to really sink in.....I then had to let go of the first two jobs and continue with the third one, due to my being the ONLY technician at that location and didn't have to share hours with another person. This is where i am now, permanent part time, but i do get benefits and my boss is extremely laid back.

Thankfully , i have the most awesome boss in the world. He also was told point blank before his decision to hire me that i was going thru the process of gastric bypass journey and there would me many days i would not be able to work due to travelling long distances for my appts.

Hes been very patient with me and allows for my days where i feel like crap....more crap than good days. i have constant pain due to diabetic neuropathy (permanent damage), i am so fatigued most days i barely make it past 2 o'clock in the afternoon and i've only started at 9 am. i am cranky, sore, fatigued, and still manage to put in some time at work. He is looking forward to the improved me also. And By Golly so am I.

So, was first referred by my endocrinologist to the Ontario Bariatric Network, in November of 2010.

Had orientation in April 2011, many appts throughout the year to come, now its December 2012 and i am finally scheduled for January 29/2013 for surgery in Guelph. It has been a long road.....all caused by my inability to foresee the future and what  I was doing to myself.

I am looking forward to the future of the new emerging of my new self.

I vow to pay attention to advice to stay healthy.

So now its nearly that time, i'm feeling terrified.....