Scott B.
I've been battling my weight all my life but my mother's family was also large so at home I felt normal. I only noticed I different when I was in a social setting, like school or with other kids out playing in the park. I was large but not excessively so my parents weren't worried about me until I hit High School. I started smoking at this time. As a freshman, I wanted to play football so I joined the team and had a great time. As a result of all the practicing, I lost a lot of weight and was starting to look good. I hurt my shoulders and had to put an end to my football career. So I put the weight back on and although my family encouraged me to keep the weight off, I gained it all back and added some pounds. In my 20s I dieted and yo-yoed my way to 285 pounds.
I got a good job as a dry cleaner and was now 25. My boss and I were also friends so we decided to join Weight Watchers (although I joined without conviction that it could possibly help me). After a week on the diet, I found that I had lost 10 pounds and my boss had a weight loss too so we were now in competition in poundage lost and total loss and we really had a good time doing it. We decided that with every loss, we would have a whopper once a week for only one meal. We enjoyed the break with no noticeable effect on our diet. During my six month membership, I had lost 80 pounds and I was THIN! I enjoyed the energy and the looks that the girls were now giving me. I even had an experience where a customer was referring to the old fat me as if it was another person. That was odd.
At that point in my life, I felt I didn't need to continue with Weight Watchers and I was successful for a long time. But slowly, I started to gain the weight back. I was always telling myself about the Weight Watchers period and I could lose it all quickly and easily. I meet my lovely wife while I was still at a low weight. She said that she would marry me but I needed to quit smoking at some point in our marriage. I agreed thinking I could keep all my habits and enjoy her cooking as well. I was 260 when I meet her. Over the next two years life was good and so was the food. I had gained weight fast at this point and by 1995, I was up to 300 pounds. My wife demanded that I keep my promise and quit smoking so I did. I quit smoking and when straight to the food. I put on 50 - 70 pounds in six months. I saw the weight gain, panicked and started smoking again.
I lost some of the weight and over the next five years, I quit and started smoking over and over. By 2000, I weighed over 400 pounds and back to smoking. I dieted back and forth and then I quit smoking for the last time. My mother had died of lung cancer (not the smoking kind) and I knew if I wanted to live, I needed to make some changes. I quit smoking and went to the doctor and was diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, apnea, and a few other weight-related problems. By 2005, I weighed 480 pounds but managing my problems with drugs and now smoke free. In 2006, I was permanently disabled with arthritis. So depression set in and I put on just a little more weight.
By 2007, I was at 495, still all my problems, and disabled so I sit at the computer all day. I had started to hunt for a bariatric surgeon for a consultation. I was going to use Dr. Oakley but my insurance wouldn't pay his fee. In October, I found Dr. Korn and while I was going though all the pre-appointment tasks, I contracted a staff infection and was in the hospital for a week. The doctor that treated my staff infection made a powerful statement to me at that time. I told him that although I'm Super Obese, I've been relatively healthy. He told me that that might have been the case but I was experiencing the beginning of the end and that I was going to die without the surgery. I had to call Dr. Korn and reschedule my appointment. I attended the first appointment and we both agreed that this surgery was needed to save my life. He scheduled all the tests and labs and set a date. All the tests went fine and I had my surgery on January 31th, 2008.
I dehydrated during surgery and combined with my low body functions, I ended up in ICU for 3 days before going to my normal room for recovery. Because of my weight, I had to have an open RNY instead of the laparoscopic style. Anyway, at this moment, I've been out of the hospital for 24 hours. The pain is manageible and I'm struggling with the stage 2 part of the diet. I hope that this helps others looking into this surgery and others with the same story to find me.
