I have been heavy most of my life. It's something I've always struggled with and I have never been successful with diets. I lose weight, I gain it back, and often times gained even more. Last year I started thinking about weight loss surgery, specifically lapband. I did the research, talked with people who had had the surgery and discussed it with my doctor. I was all prepared to do it, when my doctor dropped a bombshell: he has only had one patient be successful with lapband. He told me, I wouldn't lose more than 50lbs (which would still put me in the obesity BMI category) and that if I was going to do surgery I should do gastric bypass. Now that threw me. At the time I wanted a procedure that wasn't permanent and frankly doing something permanent scared me. So I decided not to do lapband surgery and instead tried to lose weight on my own (unsuccessfully as usual).
Flash forward a year later and here I am still struggling. In January I was diagnosed as being pre-diabetic and started seeing a nutritionist/diabetic counselor. I tried working out at least 2 times a week, but I hated it. My blood sugar was stabilized but I was frustrated because I wasn't losing any weight. In my family there is diabetes on both sides, history of kidney failure and hypertension. I could see myself heading down the same path as my family members and that scared me.
Then little things started happening. A Facebook friend had gastric bypass surgery and I followed his posts to see his experiences. Then I went to Tennessee and my shuttle driver told me about her gastric bypass surgery. It was a very interesting conversation and got me thinking. Interestingly enough, she was my shuttle driver on my way home from the airport too! I took it as a sign.
I had a really good conversation with my doctor and he was very supportive about it. He gave me a name of a doctor's office and suggested I go to a free seminar. I signed up for the next seminar (June 28, 2014) and started researching the surgery. I found a Facebook group for gastric bypass and read most of the posts, saw the before and after photos, asked questions and soaked up as much info as I could. By the time the seminar rolled around I had made up my mind, I was doing it! I was so excited that I filled out the forms that day and slide them under the office door.
Right now I am completing all the insurance criteria and hope to have all of the criteria done in a month. I should be able to have surgery in the fall. I am using this blog to document my journey and hope it will inspire others looking to change their lives. I am excited to begin my new life and it can't come soon enough!
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