franks310
My story is probably one that you can relate to very well. I grew up in a large Italian family and food is the center of everything. Food is always there to help you celebrate the good things and help you through the rough times, And it's not just that it's always there, it's the quantities that get ya. I remember going to my grandmother's house for lunch when I was in elementary school. A typical meal would start with homemade chicken and rice soup with meatballs. Then we would have steak or chicken cutlets with potatoes and peppers. And there was always a dessert. What happened to a PB & J sandwich like all of my friends were eating. I would go back to school stuffed. Then there were the days Mom would cook a normal meal and I would feel satisfied. But then Dad would come home late from work with a pizza or Chinese food, and I would get to eat again. And I can't even get in to Sunday dinners. 3 course meals on an average Sunday. It's what my family knows. Food brings love and happiness. Unfortunately, if you don't know how to handle it, it brings a lot of other crap with it.
I was heavy most of my life. There were years that I would grow and not be so bad or one of my million diets was working for me. I looked good and felt good, but it never lasted that long. I luckily had a very fun and social life growing up so I didn't think the weight affected me. I always had tons of friends. I had girlfriends. But looking back I remember the inner struggle and feelings I dealt with. Always feeling anxious about who was looking at me. Would I be able to perform the same physical activities as my friends? Did my clothes look horrible because i couldn't buy the cool clothes my friends were wearing because they didn't make my size? So many other things.
Now it's many years later. I'm married with 2 great kids (17 & 14). I've been diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, gout, and recently sleep apnea. I take 5 pills a day and sleep with a CPAP machine (very annoying). My body hurts - hip, legs, feet. What else can I do? My doctor kept encouraging me to do it on my own because I could get results for awhile. He would see me lose 10-15 lbs. and say, "You see, you can do it." Then the next month it would be back.
So after years of research and trying to beat this on my own, I decided I want some help. Friends of mine had gastric bypass and had great results. I opted for the gastric banding. My doctor agreed with me. My family was on board. I was scared to make such a life altering decision but I knew it was the right thing to do. I started preparing in February, 2008 and 9 months later, my journey will begin. I call it a journey because when you go on a journey, you know where you want to go. Sometimes there are obstacles making the journey a little tougher, but you hope, pray, and work hard to reach your destination. So here goes!
