ALT5178
Hello All,
My name is Angel Saulnier and I will be turning 30 years old on May 1st.
I was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit Michigan, but have since made my home in Clinton, Massachusetts.
My journey or shall I say rollercoaster ride started long ago when I was a small child. I was very thin until I discovered McDonald's! From that moment on my weight spiraled out of control. I spent my school years as the quiet kid who sat in the back of the classroom hoping that no one would notice me. If I was unlucky and attention was drawn to me I would pray that no one would pick on me.
I've spent most of my life (including my adult years) being made fun of and picked on because of my weight. I've always had very low self esteem, always thinking that I wasn't good enough.
I've tried so many diets and they all worked to an extent. I even lost 80 pounds on Weight Watchers! Each time I lost weight I'd get comfortable and stop. Then before I knew it, all of the weight I had lost was back! Plus some!
I had been thinking about having weight loss surgery for years but always thought that people would see it as me taking the easy way out. I soon found out that weight loss surgery is by no means the easy way out!
After breaking my leg in January 2005 my weight sky rocketed out of control. This time was different, this time the weight affected more then my self image. It was affecting my heath. I had high blood pressure and had to be put on medication and I also had problems with my cholesterol.
The last straw, my breaking point was in the summer of 2006. I was visiting my mother in Michigan and was about to go swimming in the backyard pool. I was so afraid that the ladder wouldn't hold me. I feared the ladder would crumble underneath me. Little did I know that one of my biggest fears was about to come true! The ladder did crumble and there I was stuck in the pool with no way out! I believe that was the most embarrassing moment of my entire life! There was only a very small group of loved ones around, people who loved me for me, but I was still so ashamed.
After returning home from my vacation, and with the advice of my primary care physician I decided to seriously consider having weight loss surgery. I went to an information session in September of 2006. Before leaving the session I had committed myself to doing everything I had to do in order to have the weight loss surgery.
My first appointment at the weight loss clinic was in October of 2006. It was then that I was told that I was a prime candidate for the surgery. I was also horrified to find out that my weight had now climbed to my all time highest of 353.6 pounds! YIKES!
The first two weeks after my surgery didn't go as smoothly as I had anticipated due to complications. At first I thought "what the heck did I do to myself?" "I wish I could go back and change my mind."
But now, one year later, I feel wonderful! I know that I made the right choice. When I chose to have weight loss surgery I not only chose to have a surgery (which is a big thing for a person with no pain tolerance) I more importantly chose to live! I chose to do what I had to do to be the healthiest 29 year old that I could be.
Since my surgery I have lost a total of 118 pounds, bringing my weight loss total to 138 pounds! I've also had a big change in my clothes size. I've gone from a women's large 34 to a large 16! So now when I'm asked if I'd do it all over again I say... YES, YES, YES!!!
