How it started...

I think it is time I explained how I came to the decision to have wls, and why I chose RNY gastric bypass. I have been overweight most of my life. Puberty was early and unkind to me. I grew bigger through late grade school and into high school. Despite many attempts to lose weight I continued to gain. Then I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in my mid twenties. To get the arthritis under control I took prednisone. A side effect of that is weigh gain so I got bigger than ever. Then at 28 I became pregnant with my son Grayson. I had gestational diabetes from the beginning. I followed the diet, but still had to give myself three insulin shots a day by my last trimester. The great thing about being pregnant and obese is that I did not gain one pound during my pregnancy. I weighed less after giving birth then I did when I conceived. Then I did weight watchers and lost a little more. It didn't take long before I got sick of counting points and weighing everything I ate so I gave up. Weight Watchers is a great plan for a lot of people. It was bad for me. I am too obsessive and found myself completely caught up in thinking about food all the time. If I eat this I have this many points left, if I eat that I have this many, ect. I have as an obese person always been preoccupied with food, but this was a whole new level. I quit and I gained. I gained all the weight I lost with Grayson and then some. I tried south beach, and abs diet and failed. I joined a gym and never went. Then a girl Chris worked with got the lap band, and the insurance paid for it. Of course I had the fantasy of getting wls, but without winning the lottery I figured it would never happen. At one time I even thought about at some point taking out a loan to get it done. That would have been a long time from now given the state of our finances. Now, I had a chance. Our insurance had covered a surgery for someone that wasn't as big as me. I got up the courage to call St. Alexius New Start and get the ball rolling. To be continued.......