JDDKling
Let’s see where do I begin. Maybe, I should start from the age of nine because I can remember vividly the torment I suffered from that age into my adulthood. At age 9, I was considered obese for a child weighing in at 150 pounds. It was very difficult since my Mother put my on all kinds of diets starting at that age. The one that left a very gross impression on me was the boiled egg diet (9 boiled eggs a day). Over the years, we tried everything. Diets, test after test at the physician’s office. By 8th grade I weighed in at 225 pounds. If I had to say from 8th grade until 12 grade was some of the worst years of my life. Kids are very cruel.
The weird thing is that I lost 40 pounds in between 8th and 9th grade. Not sure how I did it but maybe it was that I didn’t want to eat because I was so big and when I took a bite of something I felt guilty for even eating. I can’t say for sure since it was an unconcious thing that I did at the time.
After high school, I moved to Texas for a few years. Then came back home to Louisiana. All the while maintaining about 187 pounds. Over the next few years, I enjoyed life as any person in their early 20’s. Then I got married and had a baby boy. While pregnant, I gained 80 pounds. That was the beginning of the end for me. I lost some after having the baby but not much even though the weight doctor seemed to be my best friend. Four years later, I had another baby boy. I managed to only gain 16 pounds this pregnancy. Thank goodness!
In 2004, I started working for a major hospital and spoke with several medical personnel who recommended that I speak to an endocrinologist. I took the advice and was diagnosed with insulin resistance and morbid obesity (Now that was a new one. HA HA)
For at least 7 years now, I have wanted to have weight-loss surgery. Of course, my insurance at that time did not pay for it and took a stance that an obese person should diet and exercise (simple as that, yeah right). One of the VP’s at my last job even felt that being obese was a choice. Let me see, at age 9 I said to myself I want to be obese and what the heck the rest of my life. I love the abuse that comes along with it from everyone in life including family members. Now, at my current job it is self-funded so the hospital can make the choice to pay or not to pay. Of course, they chose the not to pay option. Now, the reason behind that is what if the obese person that gets the surgery does not do what they are supposed to do and gains the weight back. Ok, I understand but let me pose it this way…what is someone who receives a chemo for lung cancer goes back to smoking. Should they never to chemo for these patients? Give me a break, does the medical community realize how asinine they sound? Not to say that a person who has had weight loss surgery has never gained weight back but what are the statistics?
Ok, I’m rambling like always when I get on my soapbox. HA HA Anyway, I guess you can say that this is where my true-life change begins. Over the past year or so, I have been saving my money to have surgery. I’m in the motions of starting the process and hope to be having the surgery within a month. My emotions are out of this world, elated, scared, happy, nervous, you name it.
My wishes for the near future, is to be able to go somewhere with my husband and not feel embarrassed. Also, I’m sure my husband would like to have a slim, pretty wife by his side. I want to be able to go to functions with my boys ages 14 and 11 without them having to face the repercussions of kids telling them how big their Mother is and them having to defend me. For me, it will mean a life without having to give myself 3 shots in the stomach and take numerous other pills for my health. I want to be healthy and feel good with the perk of looking good.
