BobbieJay
My weight problems really began after having kids in my 20's, although I don't think it was a real issue up until the last 15 years or so. I've done many diets; as I'm sure anyone who struggles with being overweight has also done. How strange that being thin comes so easily for some. What's that about, anyways? So we who easily gain weight are working the hardest to be thin, and yet we are not. My biggest weight loss occurred in the '90's after both of my kids were born and young. I had lost about 50 pounds and gotten to a reasonable weight of 160 after the birth of my son. But over time, the weight just continued to sneak up on me until I reached my high weight of 259. When I saw the reading on the scale at the doctor's office, I cried. Then of course I felt like an idiot for crying about it. But it certainly was a big wake up call. I've had other friends and acquaintances seek out and have Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), and had been thinking about it for many years, wondering if it was just one step over that line that society tells you not to cross. That line that says, "you shouldn't do this because it's not normal to change the inner workings of your body". And yet...
Then one day in May of 2013, my husband and I got a knock on the door. It was Memorial day weekend on a Saturday. When we opened the door, it was a policeman. He was there to tell us that our son had been killed in a car accident. Fast forward one year. My weight issues were getting worse. As a normal part of the grieving process, depression set in. I didn't want to get out of the house, go grocery shopping or look for work. I sat in front of my computer for hours just slipping away into all the distractions. My weight was actually about the same, but I could feel an unhealthiness in my body that I'd never felt before. I went to a seminar at Grand Health Partners of Grand Rapids, MI. Dr. Kemmeter laid it out in layman's terms for all of us to see and understand. He showed the options and I walked away with a sense of hope that maybe this is something that can be conquered with a great medical team like that to help me out. And I really need help since it's extremely hard for me to get motivated to do this for myself and on my own. I just know I need the tool.
I went through 6 months of supervised dieting as required by my insurance company. They initially denied my claim, but the great people at GHP had my back, wrote some letters and although it took me nearly 11 months, they got me approved. For my Duodenal Switch. My surgery is scheduled for Nov. 17, 2014. I can't wait to see the joy on my face when I reach my goal!
