msmkmm
I've always been "big". Believe me, I've heard it a million times. "What's up big man", "Big Mike, what's happening?", etc., etc. I was very athletic throughout high school and the early phases of college. Then it hit me, I finally realized what college was all about. Having fun of course!! Having fun at the time included many things but proper nutrition and exercise certainly wasn't one of them. After college... "real life" hit me like a ton a bricks. A real job with real pressures and real stress. Later on a real wife and real children. I've been married since 1997 and have two beautiful children (a 6 year old daughter and a 2 year old son). With all this reality came more weight. Through time, I weighed upwards of 360 lbs. Believe it or not, my frame carried the weight well. I never had any major health problems, no joint problems, etc. All that changed in October of 2006 when I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. My only thought was, "this couldn't be happening to me.. NO WAY!". I was able to control my blood sugar levels for a while through very strict diet and exercise. I was spending more time in the gym than I had in the past 15 years. I was terrified of the disease and I was going to beat it. Through time however, I got comfortable. My eating habits regressed and my frequency of exercise diminished. I gained all of the weight I lost and as of today (11/02/2007) I am taking two separate oral medications to manage my blood sugar. The next step would require insulin injections. Something has to change, and it has to change NOW!
I've been researching WLS for quite a while, but really became interested shortly after the Diabetes diagnosis. I've been reading different profiles on this site for the past month, and I can only say that WLS (and especially all of the folks on this site) have given me more hope than I have had in a long time. I certainly know that it is no magic pill, and that it requires infinite amounts of diligence and hard work. I've had so many people tell me that this was the additional tool that they needed to succeed in this battle.
I'm hoping to have the VSG as it seems to be less invasive with less risk. I realize there is no data to allow us to understand the long term results, but this is the surgery that I feel most comfortable with.
