wbfine
I don't think I'm all that different from many of the other people on this site. Growing up in an overweight family, I can't say that I've been obese my entire life, but I've certainly always felt that way. I know that I was always among the biggest of my peers, but it's only been in the last 10 years or so that my weight has, for lack of a better term, "ballooned" to its present level. My weight has always been an issue for me, but after being diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea in 8/05 and being put on blood pressure medication last October, I finally reached a point where I realized that WLS was going to be the tool to allow me to take control of (and truly LIVE!) my life.
I've always been an active person, but over the last 10 years, I've found myself becoming increasingly less active....no longer joining recreational softball leagues, no longer riding my road bike, etc. I've found that most physical activities have become either uncomfortable, painful, embarrassing, or all three combined. Either way, I've retreated from things that used to give me joy.
My wife is exceptionally supportive of my efforts to change my life, and without her encouragement, this journey would be unthinkable. Still, it's my 3 year old son Ben who provides the most encouragement of all. I want to be around to be the kind of active father he truly deserves and to see him grow into manhood, and I truly believe that without the surgery, that might never happen. That thought alone keeps me motivated to make the lifestyle changes I'm going to need to make in order to be successful.
