snowloft
To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born..... Wait a second, I think that is someone else's story. I suppose I should be original. But can I also be brief? The answer to that question may need to wait until I'm finished.
The first part of my life was normal. My weight was normal, I was a little tall for my age, and I was physically active. Then something changed, and I started to gain weight. I was put on various diets, lost some weight, and gained it back and more. Sound familiar, does it not? I continued to gain weight until college, when another change occurred that made my situation worse. I attended college full-time, and I worked full-time, but I did not have enough money to cover my bills and the necessities of life. I was paid every 2 weeks, and developed into a devastating cycle of feast and famine. When I got paid, I bought and ate lots of food because I was starving. Then I would spend the next ten days with little food. This cycle continued for years, and I developed binge-eating disorder. When the cupboards were bare, I found myself eating everything I could. When the cupboards were full, I ate normally. This cycle added even more weight. Once again, I tried dieting including the Protein Sparing Modified Fast diet, which really worked well for awhile. However once again, I eventually gained it back and more. I finally sought treatment for my binge-eating disorder, and that has largely been successful. I no longer binge, but the weight still climbs. I'm almost 40 now, and I'm nearly 500 pounds. Mortality is staring me down, and along with my doctor yesterday afternoon, I made the decision to pursue surgery. My wife, while initially stunned, is also now in full support along with my family.
I am fortunate to be healthy in many regards. My blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, and my cholesterol is normal. I have severe sleep apnea, but as of last fall that is now being treated with CPAP. My only health concern at the moment, besides morbid obesity, is atrial fibrillation.
I'm both scared and excited at the possibility of this surgery. I'm pursing the Lap-Band procedure, because I do not want my internal anatomy restructured. I've been studying and researching WLS for at least the past 3 years. Much of that time was spent on this website, looking at information, reading stories of others, seeing the successes of some, and the failures of others. I've seen people whose lives have changed for the better, and those who have died in the process.
Well, after lurking here for many years, I've now become a member of your community. Yesterday, 10/16/2006, marks the beginning of this journey. Where it leads me is in God's hands. He knows what is best, and I hope through His guidance I will succeed.
