Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

I was a mess!! 1999, I lost my first born to premature delivery. Her name is Kiana. I was 19 years old, had no family support, the "father" no longer knew me, I was on my own. So I turned to drugs and alcohol for my comfort. Then it seemed the childhood abuse came into play, as did every other bad thing in my life, which sunk me deeper. I met my husband on Nov. 30 2002, started to try to get clean for him because he was never a user, I felt I had finally had someone who cared about me. Then, January 7 2003, I found out I was pregnant for my son. I was scared, I was a wreck. I was still using up to THAT point every so often. So that point in the hospital, woke me up I NEVER used again been clean for 10 years now. So between getting clean and being pregnant, the weight piled on. My first weigh in with the doc's was about 175-180. I went in early for my son, which scared me to death. I was 7 1/2 months along. They did a weigh in the day before, and I was at 315 lbs!!!! While the pregnancy was well worth it, I was miserable. So fast, and so much weight gain, made my pregnancy hard, blood work all the time, weigh in's, pee tests..a lot to go along with the weight gain. So, my son was born July 28, 2003 and I was the happiest I had ever been, except for my weight. I had never been this heavy before. But it didn't stop, every time I would lose weight, I would gain it back plus! I tried pills, weight watchers meals, slim fast shakes my husband even went out and bout me a 700.00 treadmill! Nothing seemed to work. I have osteo arthritis and degenerative arthritis in my left knee and right knee from all the years of being so heavy, so exercise doesn't come easy..lol. But here I am a little over ten years clean and sober, I have a wonderful man who loves me, I have a wonderful 9 year old son, I no longer require a cane to walk with the pain in my lower back and knees has decreased some, and I am down from 323 1/2 pounds to 286, my surgery is January 7 10:30 am, 2013! I am very determined to save my life, as well as be there for my son.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

Some of the worst things I would have to say were, people staring, not being able to enjoy amusement park rides with my family because I couldn't fit, or just because I thought I wasn't going to fit. Thinking that I was not good enough for my husband though he tells me other wise. I was afraid of being an embarrassment to my son, though he would tell me different also. Walking was becoming harder for me, I ended up with a cane, I was only 32 years old! Feeling tired all the time, not being able to do much with my family. My "bedroom" life started to become a bother for me, I was embarrassed about my body. It just really affected my everyday life.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I haven't had my surgery yet, but I am so looking forward to getting new clothes, amusement parks, swimming suits, walking, hiking..I am looking forward to living again!!!!