Erin L.
This is going to be a work in progresss...but I wanted to start this section...I have been putting it off so here goes!!
I have been overweight my entire life, I realized that I was "fat" by the time I started kindergarten. I remember in second grade we all had to weigh ourselves in the class and the teacher announces the weight. Luckily for me she used the kilograms and not the pounds...she said I weighed 55, which was pretty normal I thought...really it was 110 pounds (SAME AS MY TEACHER) but 55 kilograms!?!?! I remember trying to blend in with school cause I really didn't want to draw any attention to myself. I wanted to try out for volleyball in 7th grade, but my dad told me that I was "too fat" for the short spandex short outfits! (I often wonder if that would have changed my life if I would have been able to join, I was bigger, but actually quite good!)
As I got older things got better, I didn't really get ridiculed in school since maybe 6th grade. People genuinely liked me, but I stayed close to my friends. My whole life I held myself back from everything! I felt like my weight was stuck in the middle between me and what I wanted. At many times, I felt like I was feeding myself to shut up the girl inside! Sometimes I could almost see her crying inside myself, dying to hang out with the cute boy that I liked in school, being on the volleyball team, going out to the bar with my friends, dancing with them, just shopping for clothes in a NORMAL size store...
About 4 years ago, I decided to do something about my weight when I reached 355... I went to Weight Watchers, I was very serious about it and in 2 1/2 months I had lost 60 pounds! I went from a 28 to an 18-20. I kept the weight off for close to 2 years or more and then within the last 2 years now, after many nights out drinking with the girls, and just not watching my weight at all...I was TERRIFIED to see that I had gotten up to 380 pounds!! I had a physical in February 2008, and I was going to ask about the surgery...I really felt at that time like it was the quitter's way out...but now at this point in my life, almost 26 years old and 380 pounds...I felt I should atleast check it out! At my physical I was shocked that my normal nice friendly doctor was all over me about my weight. I felt like he turned on me and all he focused on was my weight, he was surprised how mobile I was and referred me to surgery. THANKFULLY, I took a look at it and decided that it was time for me end this horrible fight of my life with weight and actually do this! I just had gastric bypass laproscopically, RNY, on Monday September 15th of this year (2008).
Before operating, my surgeon told me I had to lose 30 pounds, I had to get down to 350 before he would operate...It was a long 6 weeks to do this...but I did and I am much happier already!! I had to change my lifestyle completly! No more nights out with the girls, no more "mobile bars" in our cars at the bar and no more 3 am after bar Perkin's runs(atleast for now
)... but hey...the more I stay away from those nights out, the more I think that I was never really happy that way anyways. Yes, I have some of the best girlfriends ever and we all had a blast...none of them have ever looked at me or my weight as an issue, they all thought I was gorgeous then and stand behind me now. But it wasn't healthy or safe to be getting so drunk and even driving ourselves home! I used to drink that girl inside almost to death...
On a happier note...I love working out, I love being active, I love to dance the night away...right now at my weight, that is not an option! (Well okay, it is an option...but not without a good 10 plus of my favorite shots, southern comfortalities or chery bombs, this is no longer an option for me) I feel like this surgery will be the perfect tool to help me drop the weight and then I will be able to be that active girl that is inside me now...I won't hold myself back anymore from a better job, better relationships, just a better life! I know it's in arms reach and I am close to getting there! 
