Kirsten :-)
Where do I begin? I have been overweight all my life. I vaguely remember my mom making me do Weight Watchers at about 7 years old. UGH! Back and forth, up and down for the next 28 years. I tried everything....Weight Watchers, Atkins, SouthBeach, Diet Pills....sure they worked (some better than others), but eventually the weight came back, plus 20 lbs each time. I researched the LapBand and Bypass surgeries about 3 years ago, but research was as far as I got. After yet ANOTHER failed relationship, I also lost my job. I had reached my heaviest, 248 lbs. I again started researching the Lap-Band and Bypass surgeries. I found my insurance would cover Bypass, but not the band. For me, I just couldn't go through with the Bypass. It was too risky for my own comfort. I have been one of that .1% that has something go wrong before. You never think it can happen to you, but it can, and it did. In 1999 I was pregnant with my daughter, and had a son who was 4. I was full term, in labor, and suffered a Uterine Rupture (less than .1% chance of this happening). I almost bled to death. My precious daughter Mia left us after her 3rd day on life support. A healthy baby except for this trajedy. It almost left my son parentless (I am a single mother and dad abandoned us during my pregnancy with my daughter). The reason I was wanting WLS is so I could be healthier for my son...be there for him. The risk of life threatening complications with Bypass is low compared to the life threatening complications of being obese, but with everything we've been through, I wasn't willing to take the chance on being that rare person again. We're all each other has. So....I ended up going with the band.
I love my band! I was banded on Aug. 16th, 2006 in TJ by Dr. Ortiz. I was at 248 pre-op, 238 at surgery, and today I'm sitting here at 203. I'm almost at ONEDERLAND!!!
