LiteraryMinded
I have been overweight most of my life with varying degrees of "less" overweightedness. I was in an awful marriage that lasted way too long, 13 years, and I came out of it thinner, 169#, but with little self-confidence. I had a good job that I spent too much time on and with so that I wouldn't have to deal with my personal life. I started dating a co-worker, who was normal of all things!, and as my happiness increased, so did my weight. I had had Type 2 Diabetes since 1996 (gestational that turned into regular Diabetes) that had been well-controlled. Then I got pregnant at 39. It was discovered that my kidneys were ot functioning as they should, I was put on bed rest at 5 months, and feared that my baby and I would die. Well, the baby, Catie, was 6 weeks early, but a healthy 4 1/2 pounds. I was told that future pregnancies would kill me, so I had my tubes tied. I went back to work too soon, 10 weeks, after having Catie but my original job was not an option. My husband was transferred to another site and I was in a dead-end job that I hated. This was the impetus that sent me back to school to finish my bachelor's. I am from California, had gone to UCLA at 17, but dropped out after one year. After living in Texas, I had gone to school at night some but, again, not finished. By now I had units from two different states. After talking with my husband, I decided to quit my job and go to school full-time to finish my degree in English with the goal of teaching same. Now, I gained weight like crazy and was soon over 300# much to my shame. I finished school, started teaching classes at the univeristy and then got a full-time teaching job. I started my master's degree, too. My two daughters were doing well -- one is now 17 and the other is 7--and my marriage was great, but I felt bad and oh soooooo fat and cumbersome. My diabetes, however, remained under good control and my kidneys stablized. My primary care physician recommended the lap-band saying that it was far less riskier than RNY. I went to a seminar, liked what I heard, but my insurance was a no-go. I waited two more years and tried again. This time, the insurance agreed to pay for the procedure. Having the lap-band was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I felt like I was able to finally take charge of my life and my health. Yes, I still fight the "evil" food demons that crowd my head, but I also manage to exercise every day. I feel so much better. I finished my master's degree last summer, have been teaching for over five years, 8th grade English, and life is good. I needed a tool and the lap-band has been that tool.
