This was a "1st" for me...whoever heard of a significantly overweight woman getting on a scale with shoes and jeans!!! Even to get on any scale naked would not be something I would be doing at home in the "afternoon"...always stood on the scale on my left foot, wanting the scale to 'tip down'...the games we play trying to weigh less over the years...waiting for my hair to dry after a shower...and before breakfast...after going to the bathroom...jewelry off. How much did I think a small bracelet and stud earrings could weigh???

Weight (with sandals and jeans and after lunch!) was 238.9 lb. this afternoon at my doctor's appointment. Took the shoes off to be measured though... I am 5' 4.5"...and they calculated my BMI to be 40.37 which should just marginally get insurance to cover, hopefully, since I was told 40 was what I would need at Lahey. I wanted my BMI to qualify me as "morbidly obese" so I could be covered for bariatric surgery. (I am sure those of you reading this can understand this illogical thinking...happy momentarily at least to be 'morbidly' anything!!)

It seems (happily) that I have no co-morbid conditions which would allow me to be considered if BMI was between 35 and 40. So I will not be doing anything to lose weight until I have my appointment at Lahey when I will get officially weighed and submit paperwork to insurance company for approval. I am a bit worried because of my age. Looking through this website and doing some google searches it would appear that it would be unusual for many people at 70 get this done.

My pcp is very much in favor of the band and has had many patients who have done extremely well with it, and a couple at Lahey Clinic where I have my 1st appointment with surgeon on the 27th of this month, just 13 days from today. He was surprised to realize I have never had hypertension, high cholesterol, take no meds for anything routinely and am not diabetic...says I am an excellent candidate for surgery and expects I will do well. He is quite knowledgeable about obesity...and why it is hard for some of us to lose weight and keep it off, just by dieting and exercise. I also got a referral letter from a psychiatrist I have known for many years, stating I have no mental illnesses nor personality disorders and am a good candidate for this surgery.

So I think I am ready to go...looking forward to finding out more and once insurance approved (hopefully) then I can begin working to get as much weight off as possible before having the surgery so that I am an even better surgical risk and can be "on my way" to a healthier, more active ME!

I plan to join a health club...and think some yoga and zumba would be really good for me!