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I have just discovered BariatricPal, and today I discovered the blog section. I have been planning to do a blog to document my surgical journey, just for my own records, and maybe to have a place where I can refer close friends and family who ask about my journey. My journey began in January 2017. I had a partial nephrectomy on January 23rd - due to kidney cancer. My cancer was discovered completely by accident in December 2016. A diagnosis like cancer - even one as easily dealt with as mine - makes you think about your life, your future, your past, and what you want to accomplish. I have been fighting to lose weight and get healthy since about 2000. In my 20s, I got very healthy - working out 5 days a week doing cardio and strength training. In 1996, mid 20s, I gave birth to my lovely daughter, Amelia. I gained a LOT of weight. I think I topped out at about 265 on the day of delivery. I lost the weight rather quickly after birth, getting back down to about 165 over about 10 months with diet and exercise. I held that weight for about 3-4 years. Then, in my 30s, I started to gain. I gained about 15 lbs a year and before I knew it, by 2004, I was around 250. So from the age of 34 til now - age 47, I have yo-yo'd up and down from my highest weight of 287 down to 225 - but have hovered the last 6 or 7 years at around 265-275, going up and down the same frickin 10 pounds over and over again, no matter what eating plan and exercise plan I tried - and I tried EVERYTHING! Most things several times. Then I found out I had cancer, and I am immensely lucky to have had it found early and have it completely removed, not requiring any chemo or radiation. It certainly was a wakeup call. So over the next few months, I researched WLS, and my best friend had her WLS on 2/14/17. Her journey has been phenomenal - and she has been an incredible resource. So I went to my first informational meeting in May 2017, and my official journey started then. I have now completed all the flaming hoop jumps for the surgeon's office and also my insurance company, and my surgery has been approved and scheduled for 1/31/18. I start my two-week liquid diet this coming Wednesday. I am sooooooo ready.