Jean_H
I am 18 years old *turning 19 in less than a month!* and had my gastric bypass surgery on 7-24-07. My pre-surgery weight was 372, much bigger than your average 5'7" college student!
I've been overweight ever since my early childhood, probably around age 5. Since I've been overweight all of my life, I've never known any other way to live. Not to brag, but there are so many other wonderful qualities about me (just as I'm sure there are about everyone who is on this web site!) like my intelligence, quick wit, and caring attitude and I thought "If my weight is my only problem, I'll be ok." I depended on my intellect to carry me through life, figuring that people would excuse my weight once they got to know my mind.
But this past summer I realized that was not true. I applied for several jobs in retail and was never hired, and I was convinced that the reason was my weight. I saw this as a glimpse into my future, and I had to change it. Of course there were other reasons for me getting the surgery; being morbidly obese is a health risk in and of itself, but I also had gall stones, a fatty liver, and would probably become diabetic in the near future. So in early June I attended a seminar in Houston and decided that night that I wanted gastric bypass. My goal was to get the surgery done in enough time that I would be recovered in time to go back to school in the fall, and thankfully that happened. Although, I told my mom that I was willing to take a semester off if it was necessary because from what I'd experienced, my education would get me nowhere in a world that did not accept obese people.
My recovery is going great and I feel very encouraged when I think about the future. I know that this road will not be easy, but neither was being 300+ pounds in high school! If I could survive that, I can definitely meet the upcoming challenges.
