Mack
I find myself at 51 years old, and "Morbidly Obese". I don't think of myself inside my head that way, but I am always a little shocked when I see my self in the mirror. It has been a long time getting here, have been gaining slowly but constantly for most of my life, but I am still here.
I have always liked being outdoors, and now live on 24 acres of woods and meadows in the Hocking hills in SE Ohio. I used to ride bicycles quite a bit - 30 mile trips on the weekends before the traffic got too crazy a few years ago. I still walk my paths but ride the ATV a bit too much. I now work from home (making and selling stands to use computers from recliners, wheelchairs or hospital beds. www.easychairworkstation.com ). But I am way too close to the refrigerator.
I have tried lots of diets, and exercise programs, and the best i was ever able to really do was not gain for a while. Anytime I lost any significant weight 10 lbs or more, it always came roaring back a few months later, and brought a few extra friends a well. Today's prepared foods, and much restaurant foods have so many god awful additives it is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic. I no longer drink soda, but used to buy diet coke by the case. I discovered I have sever reactions to splenda/sucralose in that I loose so much strength in my legs I can barely climb stairs. Off the splenda, everything is back to normal. And try to find anything that does not have high fructose corn syrup.
In addition to the constant annoyance of having the extra weight in daily life, I am beginning to see the beginning of real health issues my parents are going through, heart disease, diabetes, joint replacements. Loosing this extra weight would go a long way to staving this off and hopefully giving me a real increase in my quality of life for this last third of my life.
I have close friends and relatives that have had the band and RNY surgery with some success. After many hours of research especially lurking here on Obesity Help I have decided to pursue the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery with Dr Pleatman in Michigan. I am hoping that this will give me the jump start to get rid of this extra weight, and the "tool kit" I need to bring my hunger and eating under better control.
I am a self pay and with my surgeon several hours away, one of my concerns in the after surgery support. Reading Obesity Help has really reassured me that there will always be a great bunch of people who are going through the same process and always willing to help.
