I am about to start a new journey in my life. Hopefully, it is one that will change a lot about me and about my future.
I have always been overweight, or should I say almost always. I started gaining weight when I was about 11. I wasn't gross, just heavy. I have always been very athletic and active so my weight never really concerned me. I was never made fun of, never had any problems in the dating area, and was extremely healthy.
The first time I got my heart broke I was 19. I was so devastated that I lost 50 lbs. in a month because I couldn't eat and if I ate it never stayed down. I got down to a size 7. Back then all I ever wore was Wrangler cowboy cut jeans and I wore a size 7. The smallest I had ever been in my life!!!! I stayed small until I was 25 when I got pregnant with Stephen. I gained 60lbs!!! I did lose after I had him but I was never back down to a size 7. Four years later I was pregnant again with Chris and gained 50 lbs. It was even harder to get the extra weight off then so it was a constant struggle. Three years later I had to have a hysterectomy and I have continuously gained since then. I have dieted, exercised, dieted more, gone without food, exercised more.....Yes, I could lose 20 to 50 lbs but the problem is I would gain back 30 to 70 lbs. It's crazy what we do to ourselves. I didn't want to be obese but I didn't have the will power to stick with a life change.
I had to start seeing a cardiologist a few years ago and the first thing he would always say to me when I went in was 'You have to get some weight off" I would try for a few weeks and be right back to my old habits. Then last October when I went to see him, he got real with me. He said, you are considered "MORBIDLY OBESE" and you really need to consider weight loss surgery. I was totally offended. How could he say that to ME?? My dad and brother were both very obese and died from complications due to that but I dang sure didn't look like them. HOW COULD HE SAY THAT TO ME?????
But, I thought okay-he is the doctor and I do have high blood pressure and a mitral valve problem and Jody and dad did have congestive heart failure and Type 2 Diabetes and I don't want to go through that they way they had to, I will check this out. There was a Bariatric support meeting scheduled that he told me about so I asked Jill if she would go with me and see what they had to say. We got all the booklets and listened to the Dr. speak. I wasn't interested. I was scared. I was appalled.
We took the information home and I forgot about it for a while. Then one day I ask Jill where the booklets were and she said she had thrown them away since I had no desire to have the procedure. I felt a pull to do more research. God was telling me I needed to do this.
Thus, my journey started.
I went to another meeting and found out what all I needed to do to get going and get approved by the Dr. and my insurance company. Boy has it been a rollercoaster.
I had to get a Psych evaluation, see a nutritionist, go to a Pulmonologist, more cardiologist tests, go to support group meetings. I did all this and rather quickly got approved and got my surgery scheduled for December 10th. I got a call from my Dr. on December 5th telling me that he couldn't do my surgery, due to reasons beyond his control and too much to share on here, December 7th was the last time he was allowed to do any surgery in Amarillo, TX. (not because of anything he did-just more of the idiotic, close minded, bible belt, political crap mentality in the Panhandle of Texas).
I was asked to be patient, that I should be able to have my surgery by March at the latest. March came and went....April....May.......June.......
But now, due to God answering my and lot of other people's prayers, I am scheduled for surgery July 31st in Houston.
I fly down on Wednesday, July 30th, have surgery the 31st and return home on August 4th. I am so ready and excited and have been blessed to have been sent to one of the best groups of Dr's. in the state. I thought I was going to have to be there alone and was a little concerned but thanks to the generosity and love and concern of a dear friend of mine, Jill is going to be able to be with me.
I am going to do my best to update at least once a week. I want to share my journey, my concerns, my accomplishments and my downfalls (hopefully those will be few).
I have always been overweight, or should I say almost always. I started gaining weight when I was about 11. I wasn't gross, just heavy. I have always been very athletic and active so my weight never really concerned me. I was never made fun of, never had any problems in the dating area, and was extremely healthy.
The first time I got my heart broke I was 19. I was so devastated that I lost 50 lbs. in a month because I couldn't eat and if I ate it never stayed down. I got down to a size 7. Back then all I ever wore was Wrangler cowboy cut jeans and I wore a size 7. The smallest I had ever been in my life!!!! I stayed small until I was 25 when I got pregnant with Stephen. I gained 60lbs!!! I did lose after I had him but I was never back down to a size 7. Four years later I was pregnant again with Chris and gained 50 lbs. It was even harder to get the extra weight off then so it was a constant struggle. Three years later I had to have a hysterectomy and I have continuously gained since then. I have dieted, exercised, dieted more, gone without food, exercised more.....Yes, I could lose 20 to 50 lbs but the problem is I would gain back 30 to 70 lbs. It's crazy what we do to ourselves. I didn't want to be obese but I didn't have the will power to stick with a life change.
I had to start seeing a cardiologist a few years ago and the first thing he would always say to me when I went in was 'You have to get some weight off" I would try for a few weeks and be right back to my old habits. Then last October when I went to see him, he got real with me. He said, you are considered "MORBIDLY OBESE" and you really need to consider weight loss surgery. I was totally offended. How could he say that to ME?? My dad and brother were both very obese and died from complications due to that but I dang sure didn't look like them. HOW COULD HE SAY THAT TO ME?????
But, I thought okay-he is the doctor and I do have high blood pressure and a mitral valve problem and Jody and dad did have congestive heart failure and Type 2 Diabetes and I don't want to go through that they way they had to, I will check this out. There was a Bariatric support meeting scheduled that he told me about so I asked Jill if she would go with me and see what they had to say. We got all the booklets and listened to the Dr. speak. I wasn't interested. I was scared. I was appalled.
We took the information home and I forgot about it for a while. Then one day I ask Jill where the booklets were and she said she had thrown them away since I had no desire to have the procedure. I felt a pull to do more research. God was telling me I needed to do this.
Thus, my journey started.
I went to another meeting and found out what all I needed to do to get going and get approved by the Dr. and my insurance company. Boy has it been a rollercoaster.
I had to get a Psych evaluation, see a nutritionist, go to a Pulmonologist, more cardiologist tests, go to support group meetings. I did all this and rather quickly got approved and got my surgery scheduled for December 10th. I got a call from my Dr. on December 5th telling me that he couldn't do my surgery, due to reasons beyond his control and too much to share on here, December 7th was the last time he was allowed to do any surgery in Amarillo, TX. (not because of anything he did-just more of the idiotic, close minded, bible belt, political crap mentality in the Panhandle of Texas).
I was asked to be patient, that I should be able to have my surgery by March at the latest. March came and went....April....May.......June.......
But now, due to God answering my and lot of other people's prayers, I am scheduled for surgery July 31st in Houston.
I fly down on Wednesday, July 30th, have surgery the 31st and return home on August 4th. I am so ready and excited and have been blessed to have been sent to one of the best groups of Dr's. in the state. I thought I was going to have to be there alone and was a little concerned but thanks to the generosity and love and concern of a dear friend of mine, Jill is going to be able to be with me.
I am going to do my best to update at least once a week. I want to share my journey, my concerns, my accomplishments and my downfalls (hopefully those will be few).
Right now I am a size 20.
I cannot wait for the day I can say I'm a 16, then a 14, 12, 10.... I just really want to be healthy.
Thanks for coming on this journey with me!!
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