flybaby46
I've been heavy more of my life than I've been thin! When I got married, I weighed a hefty 97 pounds. Three children and 13 years later, I weighed 135. I stayed there for about 3 years and gained to 145. In 1985 I weighed about 154 pounds and stayed there for almost 5 years. Then, up the scale I went again -- by 2004 I weighed 168 pounds. In February 2004, I was at Mardi Gras in Louisiana and had a heart attack; had one stent put in. By that time, i had developed high blood pressure, type II diabetes, high cholesterol and numerous other co-morbidities. My cardiologist recommended exploring weight loss surgery, but I wasn't ready to do that. I thought I could lose the extra pounds on my own. Don't know why I thought anything like that . . . . . I had lost weight and regained it more times than I can count. Well, another year or so went by, and my journey up the scale continued all the way to 179 pounds. We have a two story house, and the trip upstairs was getting more challenging every day.
In 2006, I did some more research about wls. I researched the lap band and the gastric bypass. I talked about it with my husband, but neither of us was convinced that either of the two was right for me. So, I forgot about it for a while.
In December, 2008, I had a followup with my cardiologist. She again recommended wls. This time she told me about the VSG, and I listened to her. I began my research (again), and liked what I was seeing. It seemed perfect for me. She even recommended the surgeon I ultimately chose. It still took me another month to make the final decision. I consulted with Dr. Kennedy, and before I left her office that day, I was convinced that I had made the right choice for me. My surgery was 7/31/09, and I have not regretted this for one minute. It's the best thing I've done for me in a long time.
Now I go up those stairs, and I don't even notice I've done it. Such a wonderful feeling.
