debkelley

I was banded October 2007. Initially things went well. I weighed 332 before surgery and after quickly dropped pounds. But, the best was the pain in my knees seemed to magically go away. I was on routine pain meds because the pain was always there. I found I could walk further and not lose my breath. It would take a book to go over the things that happened after this so I will shorten it to say, my life totally changed about 5 months after my surgery. I was no longer employed, my husband was no longer employed and our city where I had been most of my life had been hit hard by the recession/depression. I lost my home and retirement funds trying to keep my home. I was uprooted and taken to a city I really didn't know. Some of my husbands family but none of mine. No friends, just work. The pain in my knees returned with a vengance. Going to find a new bariatric Dr was not high on the list since we were just trying to keep food on the table and keep our family together. My pain meds no longer worked and I didn't want to keep going up on the dose so I quit taking the pain meds. I was depressed and in constant pain. Great sleep was a thing of the past. At night I would sit up and eat to keep from feeling the pain. I was mirred in a very deep depression. As I started working my way out of it I finally had health insurance again and found a primary care Dr. He has been wonderful, my health hasn't. My blood pressure is very high and I now take medications everyday but it's still not down to the level he wants me to be at. The worst is the medications cause me to urinate more frequently and due to the arthritis I can't always make it to the bathroom on time so now I have joined the ranks of the incontinent. I don't like how my body does not respond to my thoughts. I am always hungry, always in pain and now I always have to pee. My plan is to go back to square one. But, financially I probably can't go the bariatric Dr until January. I am really fearful of the damage I may have done to myself by overeating or drinking soda. I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I did this to myself and I will have to dig myself out of this hole I stuck my self in. I am not sure what I expect here, I was just compelled to tell my story.