Kristi K.
I was born in a little town in WV, into a family that equated food with love-all that delicious southern style cooking started me out on the path to obesity at an early age. I was always a large (tall) child, but I don't think I became overweight until middle school years. The baby fat turned into adolescent fat and then adult obesity.
I have tried dozens of diets in my 47 years of life, and could always lose-sometimes a lot-but it inevitably crept back on. I have even gone to what I would call extremely unhealthy methods to lose weight. My highest adult weight was 355. I am 5'10" tall. Pre-surgery weight was 325.
I developed type 2 diabetes 15 years ago and with it cycles of tight control
and then major denial and ignoring my disease. I watched my dear mother pass away this summer from complications of her diabetes. She suffered for years with heart disease, kidney failure and dialysis, neuropathy and a leg amputation, and even blindness. I see myself following in her footsteps and I need to stop it before it's too late. I am especially terrified of going blind. (I am an artist)
So...after researching WLS (love this site!) for many years, I finally made the decision to start the approval process 6 months ago. I feel God's leading in all of this, and I know it is the right thing for me. I have been so focused on having this surgery to get healthy that I really haven't given a lot of thought to how my appearance will change!
I hate how obesity robs you of your life and activities that you once enjoyed. I used to be an active, outdoorsy type-I love horseback riding, hiking, white water rafting, swimming, biking, etc. and I have had to give these up. I am looking forward to my new lifestyle after I lose some of this weight.
I am not afraid of the surgery-a little apprehensive of the unknown-but I have faith that God will see me through. I have been so encouraged by the weight loss "family" on OH. I don't often post but I am on the site every day. My only sadness is that my mom and dad won't be there with me physically. (Dad passed a year and a half ago) I do know they will be there with me in spirit and they are forever in my heart.
