katiekeith09
I have always struggled with being overweight, for as long as I can remember. This has been made worse for me as I am a twin, and my twin is much smaller than me. People always used to tell us growing up that there's no way we could be twins, becasue I "am so much BIGGER than my sister." So you can imagine my self esteem issues after so many years of that. Affter years and years of struggling with weight, and watching two of my good friends be successful with lap band surgery I decided that was my best course of action. I was banded on June 10th 2008 by Dr. Robert Michaelson. I am going to lay it all out here for anyone who reads this becasue I believe I am not the only one who has had a hard time with being banded and the new lifestyle changes I had to follow. When I was first banded I thought I was going to conquer the word. I "knew" I was going to lose 100 lbs my first year.... well that did not happen. I had every excuse not to try when I didn't see the results I wanted. I didn't change my eating behavior for the better, I changed for the worse. After not eating slowly, or chewing well enough I would eat the soft, unhealthy foods that slipped right through. I always felt guitly but wasn't ready to admit I had been going about the lifestyle change all wrong. Until i saw the pictures of my wedding. I was horrified that I had let myself fail with wls for 8 months. I was so ashamed and sick to my stomach to think about it. The day we got back from our honeymoon in Maui I vowed to start this over, the right way. I signed both myself and my new husband up for gym memberships. My husband knew how much I wanted this. As a wedding gift, he bought me a personal trainer for a year going 4 times a week. And I am happy, and very proud to say that I finally get this. I am now 9 months out and just starting to use my band the way it was intended to be used. No matter what people told me about this being a tool, deep down I thought it was the miracle solution to all my problems and I wouldn't have to completely change. Boy was I stupid! This has been by far the greatest learning experience of my life, and the most humbeling. I am now here to do this...... the way I shoul've way back when.
