phfauche
Well, hopefully, today, August 7, 2006, is the first day of the rest of my life. I finally got the courage to mail my application to the OSU Bariatric Program in Columbus, Ohio.
I'm pretty sure I will be chosen to have surgery. I'm 5' 1" and weigh around 230 lbs. and have a BMI of 44. My co-morbidities include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, depression, arthritis, lower back pain, joint pain, urinary incontinence, possible sleep apnea (I've got all the symptoms),and absolutely no energy at all.
I do have doubts about whether or not I can carry this off. I don't like diet drinks, I'm yet to find one that doesn't leave an aftertaste.
I'm a coke-a-holic. I can't go a day without at least 1 fountain coke. I love food. I enjoy cooking it and eating it. I don't really know if I'm an emotional eater, I don't think I am, I just really enjoy food. My husband says I live for food. I can be eating lunch and planning what I'm going to cook for dinner. My down fall is carbs, I love rice, pasta, bread and potatoes. Born and raised in Cajun country, I love to cook rice and gravies with rouxs. I am learning how to cook Cajun food more healthy though, like using powdered roux mixes instead of making a roux from oil and flour.
I was not an overweight child, in fact, just the opposite, skinny minny. I didn't start gaining weight until I got pregnant. I kept at least 20 lbs. with each of my pregnancies. For many years after my third, and last, daughter was born I weighed the same weight 180 lbs. It didn't bother me too much, I had energy to do what I wanted to do.
Then, when I turned 40, everything went downhill. I developed hyperthyroidism, which totally screwed up my whole system. After 6 months of losing weight, I lost 60 lbs. and was enjoying it, of course, I knew something was wrong. I was tired all the time and couldn't even climb our one flight of stairs to go upstairs withut being out of breath. Afterall, who loses weight without trying. They found my enlarged thyroid gland. I was then sent to a radiology oncologist and had my thyroid zapped. It took 3 months for my thyroid count to level out to zero, during which time I gained back the 60 lbs. I lost previously plus 10 more.
I've tried, unsuccessfully, a number of diets and programs to lose the extra weight. I've been to Physician's Weight Loss and Jenny Craig and have been to Weight Watchers so many times I could teach the class, but who wants a WW leader who is larger than the class.
Fast forward 12 years. Daughter #3 doesn't live too far from me and she is gaining weight. She lives at Fort Polk, Louisiana. She gave birth 2 years ago and weighs more than me now. She has decided to have gastric bypass. Well, since she never has dieted a day in her life, I'm thinking she is taking the easy way out. She will soon be 5 yrs. out in May and she looks great. Knowing what I know now, I know she used the surgery as a tool.
Below are pictures of my daughter, Katy. Katy had her gastric bypass 5/13/2002. Her weight before surgery was 250 and now, in this picture, she weighs 115. Katy also had a baby 25 months ago.
