MichelleRN04
June 2009 I was at a concert with some of my friends when I ran into an old nursing school friend of mine. She looked fantasic. She had lost over 100 pounds after getting the Realize band. The next day I started researching WLS, specifically Lap-Bands. I played around with the idea but realized that I did not have a high enough BMI to have the procedure done. In 2008 I had lost 40 pounds using low carb diet and adipex, that weight loss had put me under the BMI limit. I should give some background information here:
In my late teens I started putting on weight. I had always been on the high end of my ideal weight, but I had never been overweight unti then. It seemed like I started rapidly putting on weight around age 17-18. Thats also when my menstrual cycle started to go haywire. Soon I stopped menstruating. Concerned about what was going on with my body I visited my doctor. He out me on birth control and I basically forgot about it. I was still gaining weight, but at a slower rate. When I graduated high school I was about 140. A year later I was 160, and a year after than I was 188. I stayed at 180's for a few years. When I got married I was 180 and 21 years old. I was still having problems with my monthly gift, so I went to an OB/GYN this time. This is when I learned I had PCOS. I did manage to get pregnant (thank God), and had my first child at age 23. I was 203 pounds at delivery time and afterwards I did lose quite a bit of weight from breastfeeding. I made it down to 176. However the minute I stopped breastfeeding my weight shot up to 205. I hovered there for a little while. Diet and exercise were low on my list of priorities, I admit it. I was graduating nursing school, getting a new job and had a newborn. Life was stressful. Eventually life became more stable and I adjusted to all the new changes and started to think about having another baby. Before I ventured on that journey I needed to lose weight, so I joined weight watchers, my doctor put me on metformin (for my insulin resistance and PCOS) and my husband and I stopped trying to NOT have a baby. With weight watchers I was steadily losing weight very slowly. It was very stubborn. I was also doing some walking too. After no success at getting pregnant on our own my OB/GYN had me start basal body temps every morning and I started using Clomid (fertility drug). After the last round and highest dose for the second time I got pregnant with my youngest son. When I delivered him I was 25 and 213 pounds. Went down to 199 while breastfeeding him and when I stopped I went back up to 215. Where I stayed for another 2 years. When I hit 215 I tried meridia and Alli at some point. They didn't work and the side effects were horrible. (anal leakage anyone?...ewww) I ended up going up to 225 and then I tried adipex and low carb diet. It worked. For a minute. I lost 40 pounds. And I kept it off untl I went to rehab. Yup, I said it. I went to rehab. During 2007-March 14th 2009, I was addicted to Vicodin. I was taking 15 extra strength Vicoin a day just to feel "normal" towards the end. So I think that is how I kept off the weight during that time because I wasn't hungry and I was euphoric, well until I wasn't. That was some of the darkest times in my life. I could write a whole book based on that, but I will spare you the details and just say that I have been in recovery for 20 months now and my life is great. And I also packed back on the pounds until I reached my heaviest weight of 241.7. I also want to say that I have the best and most supporting family and friends in the world and my husband is amazing and has stuck by me literally for better or worse and beyond. I am truly blessed.
August 23rd 2010 (My 30th birthday) I quit smoking!
September 13th 2010, I attended the Baratric Seminar given by Dr. Steven Hendrick. It was very informative and interesting. After the semninar I started filling out all my papers and getting my letter of support from my doctor and turned them in a few weeks later.
October 7th 2010, I met with the nutritionist and got a body composition report. It was interesting and devastating to learn I am made up of 118 pounds of fat, giving me a total body fat of 49%!
October 14th 2010 I went to my consultation day. Again, I was given a lot of information and met with Dr. Hendrick one on one. He is a wonderful man and I like him very much. He wanted me to have a EGD (stomach scope) because I tested positive for the H. Pylori bacteria antibody before we scheduled a surgery date. So we did.
October 27th I had my EGD. It showed some irritation in my stomach, and he took a couple biposies to make sure the H pylori is gone. I will get those results probably on monday. If those come back OK I will get a surgery date!
I feel like WLS is the one last thing that is going to help me become totally healthy and stay healthy. It is a tool that is going to help me match my looks on the outside to how I feel on the inside.
