Musicmama88
I guess Ill start this story at the most logical place,,my birth. I came into this world in March of 1947, weighing a normal weight of 8 lbs 5 ounces. But by my fourth month, I was 36 pounds. Mom said it was due to all that pet milk and karo syrup baby formula. Anyway, I won the Pet Milk Healthiest Baby contest. First prize was a portrait of naked me on my stomach on a rug. Whoopie! Mama showed that pic to every boyfriend I ever had. Talk about mortified. It marked me for life!
By the time I was 7, I was living in a foster home, and underweight. I went to live with mom, and her mission became, lets fatten up the kid! So, she did. I remember how proud I was of that first roll around my stomach! Mom bragged about that! But it was all uphill from then on. By the time I was 11, I was chubby. I remember Mom took me to town to buy me a dress for a program at schoool. We went to several stores, and couldnt find anything to fit. Fianlly we ended up at one store, in the basement, where they kept all the Chubbette dresses,,well, none of those fit either. I remember my mom cried with embarrassment all the way home. Once there, I got a whipping for being so fat. Talk about mixed signals, no wonder I was confused!!
At my sixth grade graduation, I wore one of my moms size 20 dresses. I remember my feet hurt at the dance, and I was miserable.
High school found me dateless, and unpopular,although I did have friends. But by age 16 I had lost considerable weight,,and had a steady boyfriend. We married when I turned 17, and in short order I had three kids in as many years. Needless to say,,the weight returned plus some, and I topped out at 225 pounds at age 20.
All my adult life, I was overweight. After 5 pregnancies, I found myself weighing 270 pounds when I gave birth to my last daughter. I was 25 years old, and miserable. I tried Weight Watchers, losing 70 pounds, and kept it off for a few years. Then , with an alcoholic husband and a failing marriage, came lots of stress, I started eating again. Afterour divorce, after 19 years of marriage,,I started the Atkins diet. Ilost almost a hundred pounds on that, and kept it off for a year or so. Then it started creeping back. Six years later I weighed 255 again. I met and married a wonderful man when I turned 40, and started Physicians Weight Loss. Again I lost , I got to 199 pounds, the smallest in my adult life. I think I stayed there about ten minutes! Then it was gained again. Diet after diet, year after year. Then I started having heart problems. I had a heart procedure done where they speed up your heart, then go in and kill the cells that make it race. I suffered congestive heart failure several times, and was hospitalized too many times to count.I had gallbladder surgery and, surgery on both feet, Again I tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, Stillmans, Fat Free, Herbalife, Phen Phen, Metabolife, you name it, Nothing worked any more. I got sicker and sicker, and gained until I weighed 325 pounds! I stayed swollen with fluid, and could barely walk or wear shoes, Mike had to put my shoes on me, and tie them, I couldnt do it anymore.
Finally I heard about Bariatric Surgery. My first reaction was, thats the easy way out! But then a close friend had it done, and thenanother. I saw the dramatic change in their appearance and their health, not to mention their lifestyle! I was impressed, and started researching it myself. I saw Carnie Wilsons story on the internet, and sat and cried. My husband came in while I was watching it, and asked what was wrong. I made him sit and watch the whole thing, Then I turned to him with tears streaming down my face and said,,I want this surgery. At first he was against it,,,because of the risk. But then I pointed out the risks of NOT having it. He agreed to go with me to see a surgeon if my doctor recommended it. Well, the rest is history.
Today, I weigh 197 pounds, wear a size 12-14, and am loving life! So far , after 14 months, I havelsot 125 pounds. I am 100 percent healthy. No more swelling, no joint pain, no depression, no medications at all. I put onmy own shoes, cutelittle strappy sandals now! High heels too! And pantyhose!! I walk, run, garden, kneel, climb, and about anything I want to do. Im almost 60 years old, and for the first time, Im LIVING! Ive never been so happy!!
About Me
Before & After
rollover to see after photo
