Chavon T.
Hello - I would like to share my story with people who might be struggling with the same problems. First, I have been overweight since I was 5 years old. I don't remember when I wasn't getting chubby clothes or the dreaded elastic waist pants. As most of us know, its easier to pretend to be happy, jolly and unaffected by the stares and the sighs that come from skinny people who want you to sit somewhere else on the bus, plane, whatever. Stares that bore into your heart when you are at a restaurant and people watch every bite of food you take thinking, you know if you just stop eating you wouldn't be so fat. Well, I can tell you. Being 330 pounds was difficult to look at, but more difficult to live with. I had hypertension from the time I was 23 years old. I took just about every pill made for the disease and toward the end it was a combination of 5 pills and a patch that kept me from seeing outrageous readings every day. At 32 I thought things couldn't get any worse and they did. I was diagnosed with Diabetes. Rapidly my condition worsened and I was experiencing neuropathy in both of my feet. I almost wanted them to take my feet off the pain was so bad. With this in tow, I investigated the possibility of weight loss surgery. I went to at least 4 different surgeons before I chose Dr. Magnuson (An excellent choice by the way) My life before surgery consisted of medicine, half attempts to work, medicine and doctor's visits. My goal of reproduction was strongly discouraged because of all the risks that would be involved. My quality of life was low just based on my medical conditions. However, my spiritual life is what motivated me to remain positive despite all that I went through. My contributions of time and effort toward spiritural goals were also affected by my weight and the medical conditions. Anyway, June 19, 2006, I had RNY Gastric Bypass. It was absolutely the best decision I could have made at the time. 5 months later I am down 95lbs and I am able to do things I only talked about doing last year. I am excercising and going out and it just feels good. I guess that you cannot tell other people to have WLS because it is a personal decision. However, I can tell anyone who will listen that it was a changing point in my life. I have not regretted anything related to the surgery, except that it didn't happen sooner. The nervousness that kept me from trying this earlier may have been the difference in my having such a positive attitude. I know that the knowledge I gained from visiting 4 doctors before choosing the surgeon made me feel that I had done my homework and could feel confident that whatever happened. I had done the necessary leg work that needed to be done. If your quality of life mirrors mine, even a little, give yourself permission to live again...
