cristine547
Hello 
,
My name is Cristine and I currently weigh 260 pds., am 5'8 and wear a size 20. I suffer from lower back problems, sleep apnea and although I am not on blood pressure medication, my BP is usually up there (last check 11/13 94/140). My surgery is scheduled with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali for Saturday, November 21st. I'm less than a week out and I am very nervous 
. My pre-diet is going good, I've lost 5 lbs. so far. The downer is that I'll be having chicken broth for thanksgiving, talk about being tested! So, here's my story...
Like many of you, my weight has been my life long battle. Although I have always been overweight, I always try to have a very positive attitude rather that sit in a corner feeling sorry for myself. I too have had my fair share of embarrassing moments at the expense of my weight. In the fourth grade I remember getting weighed and one of my friends saying "130, that's how much my sister weighed when she was pregnant." Yep, that wasn't good 
. Then the annual back-to-school shopping was a dreaded 
event. My mom thought believed the way to encourage me to lose weight was by saying "You're so fat, you have to wear women's clothes and I have to pay more because of the extra material" while also pointing out the thinner girls. Yes, painful but I honestly think she thought she was helping . I have also had food issues like binge eating but in the last couple of years I 've been able to control it.
My main reason for choosing to move forward with the VSG surgery was mainly because of my lower back and sleep apnea. In November 2008, I became committed to exercising and eating right. I I had continued this path for about 4 months and had lost more than 20 lbs. and brought my BMI down, I was on the right path, focused and un-relentless, that is until my back gave out on me. Since then, my back has been holding me back from going back to the gym, riding my bike etc.
Although people cannot believe that I am considered morbidly obese, according to medical standards, I am
. People time and time again have said, "don't do surgery we'll help you" but at the end of the day it's just me not them. Although they mean well, this is for me. That's why in January 2009, I decided I wanted to have some kind of weight loss surgery. When I looked into the Gastric Bypass, I knew it was not for me. I wanted the VSG surgery but it was not covered. It wasn't until September of 2009 that I made my decision, even if it meant having to pay for it on my own. After searching this site I contacted several doctors and chatted with several Obesity Help.com members, my husband and I went to visit Dr. Aceves in Mexicali to make sure they were legit, hospital was clean, speak with the doctors and meet some of the patients. Once we did that, my husband and I were excited for me to move forward. It was so nice to have my husband's support especially because he was not very open to the idea mainly because of the cost.
I am glad to say my surgery is scheduled with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali for Saturday, November 21st 
. I'm less than a week out and I am very nervous. My pre-diet is going good, I've lost 5 lbs. so far. The downer is that I'll be having chicken broth for thanksgiving, talk about being tested!
Thanks for reading and I'll keep you posted on my progress.
I'll keep you posted.
