Vicki D.
I have struggled with weight management most of my life, I can remember being on Weight Watchers in the 5th grade and although I have tried various weight-loss methods throughout the years with limited success, none have been long-term successes.
In 1987, I entered the eating disorder unit at Charter Plains Hospital in Lubbock, Texas and was a patient there for 3 months with a diagnosis of Bulimia. I spent the next few years with a stable weight but not by practicing healthy eating habits (at my worst, I was taking up to 50 ex-lax pills and 80mg Lasix every day). In 1989 or ’90, I received in-patient treatment at Shades of Hope in Buffalo Gap, Texas and I am happy to say that the emotional/psychological aspects of my eating were dealt with and I maintained my weight utilizing healthy eating habits and exercise until the birth of my second child in 1996. I gained about 50lbs with the pregnancy and added another 25lbs afterward. In 1999 with the birth of my third child, I added another 50lbs. The weight gain has continued since then.
I also have degenerating neurological hearing loss in both ears which progressed to the point that I had to go on disability in 2003 (if you can’t hear the heartbeat, you shouldn’t be nursing ) and that plus other ongoing medical issues was, I believe, the final straw for me. I had reached a point of acceptance that my life would be shorter than normal and focused instead, on the quality of life. My prayers were to at least live long enough to see my children graduate college.
In 2010, after 30 years of smoking a pack of cigarettes and day I quit smoking – and gained even more weight and I am now at my highest weight ever--- but something else also happened --- I began to hope for more. I don’t want to settle for quality when I might be able to have quantity as well as quality in life and this is where gastric-bypass surgery comes in. I have tried to lose weight over the past year and half by eating a high fiber, low fat diet but seem to gain a lose the same 20lbs over and over again and I am at the point to where I am afraid I have tipped the scale (no pun intended) too much and will not be able to lose the weight I need to lose.
You see, my 29 year old (college graduated) son is getting married in August of this year and my 16 year old daughter is starting to look at colleges and my 13 year old daughter is ….. (Well, let’s just say high school seems scary enough for her) and I want to be there for them past college graduations, past weddings, and God willing, into the joys of being a Grandparent.
