Jamie B.
I first realized I was somehow different in 3rd grade. At the time I didn't realized it was because I was heavier than the other kids. That realization came in 5th grade with teasing. I'm not going to sit here and say how that forever changed me. I had good freinds and family and was confident in my intelligence and felt that was more important.
My weight continued to climb and I graduated from high school weighing 250lbs. During the summer after graduation I decided to really try my first diet. I used Slimfast and what I know realize bordered on anorexia and dropped 75lbs by my second year of college. Unfortunately, I picked a college that was, perhaps, not the best fit for my personality. I went through a stint of depression, for which I have been successfully treated.
Preparing for medical school had its costs. For me it was sacrificing exercise and healthy eating for whatever was quick and at-hand. Then I met the man who I am now engaged to. We both really enjoy dining out and the combination of that and the rigors of medical school has led me to my current weight of 315lbs.
The impetus for seeking Lap Banding was getting engaged. I don't want to have to buy a size 26 wedding gown. I want to walk down the aisle with confidence (and not get short of breath in the process). Additionally, I have residency in my near future. This will mean 80hr weeks and very little sleep. If nothing else, it would just be nice to be able to take the stairs in the hospitals without feeling I'm going to pass out after the process.
If you have actually read this far I would like to say thank you. It has only been recently that I have been able to talk openly about being obese. I used to not be able to separate the real Jamie (smart, funny and willing to say it like it is) from the fat that surrounds me. Being obese is just a disease, it no longer defines who I am.
