imorgner
Like many, I've been overweight my entire life. I have a strong family history of cardiovascular disease (mom had first heart attack at 38) and nearly everyone in the family is obese (many morbidly obese).
I have dieted numerous times (as many of us have) with no real sustained success. My wife (skinny little thing that she is) has been incredibly supportive and is concerned for my health and has been since we first met. I have hypertension, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, joint pain and the usual culprits that go along with obesity.
I finally decided last February that I was not going to take it anymore and I requested a referral from my PCP to the Bariatrics program. I was denied on Round 1 and tried to lose the weight again on my own. In November 2006 I finally decided that enough was enough and that I was going to appeal again. I was denied again. I appealed again to the regional level and they agreed that I should be seen by a surgeon. He agreed that I was a candidate for the surgery and now, just a few weeks after my initial consult I have a surgery date for the end of the month.
It has been a lifelong battle, but I am excited at the prospect of being healthy for once. I would like to see my 40th birthday and feel that this tool (surgery) will augment my efforts in a way that will see permanent weight loss.
