Novellee
I remember being in the fourth grade. I was the tallest person in my class. I was tall and thin. Then, puberty hit. I stopped growing up and began growing out. In high school, I wore a size 16. I thought I was so huge. Once I graduated 20 years ago, I slowly began to gain weight. I didn't date much and thought I'd never get married.
I met my husband six years ago. My brother introduced us. I had finally found someone who saw ME, not my size. We married six months later. We'll be married six years in March. Since our wedding, I've gained 35 more pounds.
I never thought I'd be one to want to have surgery to make me lose weight. But, at 39 years old, I find myself in that position. The women in my family tend to start having health problems when they turn 40. Those problems are mostly related to their weight. My mother died when she was 55 (I was 15) and my sister died when she was 52. I want to live longer than that!! I've started having joint pain in my knees and have a torn cartlidge in my left knee. I can't exercise because of this. I also have fibromalgia, which makes me extremely fatigued. Being overweight just adds to my problems.
I have two boys, age 7 and 8. They are from my husband's first marriage but we have custody. We also have custody of my niece. She moved in with us when she was 15. Her mother was my sister who died. She has lived with us for three years and is a freshman in college. My boys are active in sports and will only continue to do physical activites as they get older. I want to be there for them and I want to be active with them.
My goal is to lose between 120 and 145 lbs. I know God has led me to this point. Everything has gone so smoothly. My insurance covers the Lap Band with the requirement that the patient do a six month program with their doctor to see if they can lose weight. I had to show records that I've been overweight for the past three years. I started the program January 12, 2007 and finished July 12, 2007. Once all my records went to Dr. Freeman, I got approval from the insurance company the same day Dr. Freeman's office sent the request! My surgery is scheduled for 10/29/07. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!
