Schmeesa
I was chubby all my life, but didn't become obese until after college. I then moved to Brazil and lost 40 lbs. I kept it off for the entire 9 years I lived there. When I moved back to Portland in 2001, I gained 110 lbs. in just 6 years. I never thought I'd consider weight loss surgery, but once I was 100 lbs. overweight, my health became more and more compromised and the weight seemed impossible to lose. I could barely walk, much less exercise, and I was completely obsessed with food, thinking about it 24 hours a day. Once I was 100 lbs. overweight, I started to have an insatiable appetite. The bigger I got the more food I wanted. My world got smaller and smaller, as I stopped doing activities I loved, such as hiking and dancing. I starting watching a lot of TV and going to bed earlier and earlier. I already had arthritis, which was exacerbated by all that excess weight. I also had sleep apnea, borderline hypertension, and peripheral edema. My mom suffers from Type II diabetes and I saw my future if I couldn't get the weight off. I had tried pretty much every diet out there throughout my life and always managed to gain the weight back plus more. I finally admitted I had a serious problem when we went on vacation to NYC and I had serious difficulties getting around. My feet and ankles were swollen and extremely painful, and I was constantly hot and out of breath. Just walking a block was a nightmare. Although I was just 38, I felt like a frail elderly person. My insurance started approving WLS in January 2007, and I immediately booked an appointment. My lap RNY was 4/4/07 and it was the best decision I ever made.
