Hmmm... I guess my story is I had pretty much spent my life a glutton. Since I was a child I have always went to Grateful Dead concerts and other bands with my parents, so I had a very fun and interesting childhood. It wasnt until later (about 12) that I started getting pretty fat and overeating. So basically as far back as I could remember I had been overweight. I later started doing drugs around 14, and basically was a full out heroin junkie by the time I was about 18 so my life was just a total shamble. Then I looked in the mirror one day when I was 23 and really did not know who I was anymore, so decided it was gonna be a turning point in my life, and that I was gonna get off all drugs and lose weight and become a good person. It took a couple years for me to get off the smack, and then everything else plus cigarettes was real easy. So drug free and a clean slate I decided that I had been fat my whole life and was gonna get skinny. Well I had some friends who were still really into Rollerblading and Skateboarding, so since I stunk at Skating but was really good a blading decided to Blade a lot. I mean I skated all over the place and ended up going about 7 miles a throughout any given day. I lost all my weight and was 175 lbs the lightest I have been since getting fat as a child. So then started a new job further away and it took up time so didnt get much exercise anymore. I gained a little weight back which wasnt too bad but kinda maintained at about 190 for a few years. THen I met my wife had a child and suddenly gained 100lbs in a year. I had no idea how it happened because I wasnt eating more, or exercising less. Well another problem comes up. I was urinating all night every 15 minutes, so decided to go to the Dr.. The Doctor before any tests told me I was a diabetic. Then we ran some tests and my blood sugars were in the 400's which is pretty high. So it was kinda obvious that I gained so much weight so fast due to being Diabetic and not knowing it. My body was storing all my sugar. So 2 years ago I was determined to beat it and lose all the weight, and ended up losing 30lbs going to Gold's Gym. My sugars got better and it looked like I was on the road to becomming healthy, until I wasnt. My diabetes faught back and came back with a vengence, and I gained 50lbs back (so 20 extra than the 30 I lost). So for the past year I have been on 170 units of lantus insulin once a day, 20 units of Novolog insulin with meals, and 1000 MG of Glucophage 2 x a day, and my blood sugars were still 350. Some of you wont understand this, but if your a diabetic then you know thats a lot of insulin. So no matter what medicine I did it didnt work anymore. Now I have always been against something like Baritric surgery (due to rumors and things I heard about it) so would never had done something like this. Plus I had the same attitude, like why cant somebody exercise like the rest of us. Well I went back to my Doctor and we ran a bunch of tests, and the conclusion was that my body was Gluco-toxic. Which basically means you can do all the insulin in the world to get your sugar low, but the only thing that would keep it low would be weight loss. So most diabetics know, the more insulin you do the more weight you gain. It's basically in my opinion a scam by pharmseutical(sp) company's. They have to know the more weight you gain, the more insulin you need, and the more insulin you do, well you get the picture your just gonna gain more weight. I think its a scam so these company's can make money. Anyway my Doctor pretty much told me that I would most likely be dead in about 10 years if not less the way I was going, and I wouldnt even be around to see my 6 year old graduate from high school, go to college, or get married. That broke my heart. I asked him what I am supposed to do and I was kinda backed into a conrer. He went into his office for a while, came back in and said "I know there is great success with Diabetis and weight loss surgery, and after thinking for a while that seems to be your only option besides death". He told me to go home and think about it. Well after seeing my daughter and watching her play I decided to call the bariatric center within 3 days of that visit. I went to the seminar and a whole new opinion opened up for me about this kind of surgery. I understood some people are basically backed into a corner and pinned down through weight problems. So after a little more research and talking to friends that I knew had this, I decided I would rather be alive in 10 years. So I had my surgery on Dec. 27th 2006 and am about 2 weeks out. I lost 29 lbs total since my first visit to the Surgeon's office. I am only doing 30 units of lantus, and looking forward to be off all diabetic meds as I lose the weight. I also do not take my blood pressure pill anymore, and will be off lipitor soon, and no longer need protonix for stomach acid. All in just 2 weeks. I am looking forward to the new life I am being givin, and for the first time in my life feel truely alive. I can only imagine how I will feel in 6 months. Thats my story and I'm stickin' to it!

 

Erick

About Me
Eugene, OR
Location
Nov 30, 2006
Member Since

Friends 12

Latest Blog 1
2 Weeks Post-op

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