Born and raised in Nova Scotia. Lived in Miami for 2 years but aside from that have spent all my life in Nova Scotia. I work in the Administrative field and really enjoy it. My employment background is very diverse. I have worked as a nanny, private investigator, anti-racism educator, public relations coordinator and as director of homeless shelters. I kind of fell into the admin track during a period of unemployment and absolutely love what I'm doing so plan on this being my career for the rest of my working life. I am currently employed by the provincial government.
I have two senior cats who I adore. I consider them my kids. I know my time left with them is short as they will both be 17 this year and one has cancer. I am cherishing every minute. Their names are Pico and Fuzz.
I truly am an absolute sports junkie - as bad as, or worse than many men. I love hockey, baseball, football, figure skating, and curling. Afraid I don't have an athletic bone in my body and I have horrible balance. But I'm a great fan.
I am 47 and have never been married, had a few close calls but escaped before it was too late.
As for my background with obesity. Well I am walking around in my mother's body. She weighed more than 400 lbs when she died at the age of 63 of chronic renal failure - just 2 months after her identical twin. So I know what's in my future if something drastic doesn't happen to change the road I'm on. I have struggled with my weight all my life. My lowest weight as an adult was 150. Most people thought I looked anorexic back then. I don't carry my weight proportionally. So when I lose weight my face, arms and legs are very thin. Most of my weight is centered right in the middle. Personally I think my best weight is 165. I look healthy when I'm there. But I'll take whatever the surgery can give me. I did maintain my weight fairly well until about 7 years ago. At that point I had a severe asthma attack and was hospitalized for 6 days. I was on mega steroids and while they may well have saved my life, they cause me to gain an insane amount of weight. I put on 60 pounds during that time and have never been able to get rid of it. A few years later I was dx'd with diabetes and within a year of that dx I was on insulin. Insulin makes it even more difficult to lose weight. I also suffer from mild oesteoarthritis in my knees and hips and have developed venous insufficiency in my legs. That has complicated things even further because I can't walk. Then I topped all of that when I was struck by a car in a crosswalk on November 2007. My left knee and hip were injured and I have not been able to recover from that despite more than a year of physio, massage, wearing a brace, using a cane, steroid injections, and taking oral and topical anti-inflammatories. My life is becoming exceedingly sedentary since the accident as I am physically unable to do much with my injuries. I know my weight is contributing to the slowness of my injuries healing. But I can't do anything to get the weight off because of the injuries. Talk about damned if you do...
I have been waiting for wls since August of 2007 and have been told I'm on the list to have it done in 2009. The surgery will be VGS on the recommendation of my surgeon. So I am just waiting and researching so I can learn more about what I'll face when it occurs. I so look forward to the day when I can walk again without a cane or brace. I know it's coming and for me, it can't come soon enough.
Big update: Surgery on March 8, 2011. 2009 turned out to be a pretty bad year in my life. In June I came down with H1N1 - nearly killed me. For several months I was on massive steroid doses to keep me alive. The side effects to those meds were devestating. I gained 70 pounds and couldn't even recognize myself when I'd look in the mirror.  Much of that was fluid retention. None of my clothes fit me any more. Thank God for my brother - he donated many of the one's I would wear then. I was massive. After a few months of the high dose steroids my muscles became depleted of protein and glucose. I started collapsing. Could no longer walk. I spent 22 days in hospital in October and another 5 the following January. While hospitalized in October they also discovered I had thyroid cancer. My weight gain maxed out over 300 pounds. Not sure of the exact figure b/c I stopped weighing myself at 298. Finally got off the steroids in December 2009. Was still far too sick for the thyroid surgery. I was hyperT. That was fun. I lost 110 pounds in the next few months. Oh yay - the joys of simutaneous stretch marks and loose skin! My weight loss bottomed at 190 pounds. Thyroid surgey was in August 2010. Then I reverted to hypothyroidism. Bring back the weight! All the while the gastric surgery team are telling me not to gain more weight. Like I had a flippin choice in any of this!
Anyhow, had my surgery on March 8th, 2011. Including pre-op diet which lasted an extra week for me b/c my surgery was post-poned for an emergency liver transplant, I have now lost 14 pounds. Within one week of surgery I was able to stop taking insulin. It's been one heck of a ride. Hoping now I am on the road to good health.
As a footnote, the steroid induced myopathy has left me wheelchair bound. But anything is better than where I was 2 years ago. It's been a long haul but am hoping for a much better future at this point.

About Me
Halifax, NS
Location
37.9
BMI
Aug 06, 2007
Member Since

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