FloraBama Girl

I was a normal toddler, it wasn't until I started the first grade when my weight problems started. The first grade teacher would not let me leave the cafeteria until I ate everything on the plate. After a few days of being left alone in there until school was over got me to finish everything on the plate. I gained over 30 pounds that first year of school. By the time the 5th grade came around I was up to 160 pounds.

Between the grades of the 6th and 7th grades I lost 40 pounds because of the exercise I was getting from having a horse. I maintained a size 14 until my parents got sick and my father died in 1991. After that my weight begain to ballon back up to 255 pounds. After my doctor put me on Topomax for my headaches I lost and maintained losing 75 pounds. When I lost my job, I had to get off the Topomax to get another job. The nickname for Topomax is Stupomax. It does affect your reasoning power of your brain.

After stopping the Topomax my weight begain creeping back up to hit the highest weight of 269 pounds in 2011. At this weight I was having terrible back pain, joint pain, awful acid reflux and shortness of breath.

Since having my surgery in August of 2011 I have lost 67 pounds. I lost my job in January and have no insurance so my weight loss has stalled because I have not felt like exercising or eating enough or the right things.

I need to get a job and get my head back in the right spot and get my weightloss started again.

The surgery is still the best thing I have every done and still thankful for it.

Update: I start a new job August 27 and have a renewed outlook on life with the sleeve. Down a total of 80 lbs! Feel I can reach my goal by year end.

For anybody going through a tough time, just remember you are stronger than you know. Keeping some faith that things will work out also helped me get through some very hard times recently. Laughing when you should be crying is another good way to get through things.

Another Update: I was having horrible acid reflux with the sleeve and my weight loss had stalled for good. I had a revision to a Mini Gastric Bypass on
July 28,2016. My reflux is gone and I have lost 11 pounds in a week.