Christina760

[font=georgia][color=#800080]Hello my name is Christina and here is my story.[/color][/font]
[font=georgia][color=#800080]Since I was a child I could eat what I want. In elementary I remember candy, chips, hamburger helper, Kool-Aid and fast food. I do not recall ever hearing "drink water" "eat a fruit" "eat your veggies they are good for you". Nope. It was just eat what we were served and there were no worries. I do remember going to the doctor and him saying the word obese. I was considered overweight at the age of 8 after I had my tonsils removed. The doc said that before I had then removed I could not taste. Well, that was how he could explain how everything tasted so good once I ate after surgery. It was like tasting food for the very first time.
Growing up my family showed love through feeding me. My grandma would spoil me by giving me cookies, cake, ice cream, treats to show she loved me. It is just a part of my culture and that is just how they show love. Even I like to cook nice big meals for company and family. However, it took a toll on me. I just kept gaining and gaining. Slowly but surely my weight increased as I got older. 5'2 1/2 and about 190-200 when I graduated from high school in 2000. I had my child when I was 22 yrs old. I had pre eclampsia (high blood pressure and kidney failure) when I was pregnant. Which resulted to an emergency C-section. She was 2 months early. Upon discharge from the hospital my obgyn said "do you want to see your daughter graduate? Do you want to see your grandchildren one day? Then you need to lose weight". I was so embarrassed. As a child I was diagnosed with acanthosisnigricans which is common in my ethnicity. The more sugar the more my body produces too much insulin and it darkens my skin. My neck and other areas. People would make fun of me and say I had a dirty neck. I never wore my hair in a pony tail again. I did not know that it was sugar that made my skin darker. I had no clue.
In 2005 I had heard of people getting the gastric bypass but my doc said I could not get it since I had no health problems besides my obesity. Since I was never trained or strict with my diet growing up it was so hard to maintain my diet, to watch it daily or prepare. I felt as if there was just nothing I can do. That is was just how I am and this is how I will be forever. I tried so many different diets, and not keeping on them. I tried weight loss pills and working out daily...it was just so hard. I tried all of this till 2011 when I went to see my primary care physician. I had knee pain, high cholesterol, water retention and I asked her if maybe we can get tested for sleep apnea. So, yes I had sleep apnea and was put on a water pill for my blood pressure and water retention. I then signed up for a gym and she said I could also now go to weight management to discuss bariatric surgeries. Well going to the gym was painful since after my workouts my feel were so swollen they hurt. My doc said my body has just had enough.
But I waited. I thought about it till 2012 when I finally went to discuss surgery. I was not looking for an easy way out, but I feel that I needed to be FORCED to change my eating habits. I had tried so many different diets and I realized that guess what, I was raised a certain way and I needed to start all over again with a new stomach. I needed this, it was the only tool I had not tried, and the one that would help me be healthy, feel better....so i could see my daughter graduate and see my grandbabies. I don’t want diabetes, I don’t want to use a CPAP machine or be tired, sleepy, and out of breath after I go up the stairs to go home. I wanted to run with my daughter, ride bikes without getting too tired, and not be embarrassed when a ride at Legoland "needs to click down 7 times in order to ride the ride". So I joined this online forum 7/2012 when I was still thinking about bariatric surgery. Made a couple threads and then was so happy to see everyone responses, encouragement and feedback about the sleeve gastrostomy. My highest weight was 276, Date of surgery 261 and today I am 174! Goodbye high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, being tired, fat ankles from water retention and low energy! I am now seeing my dietician every 3 months, count my calories daily (myfitnesspal.com - ChristinaM760), eat healthy, always look at nutrition facts before I eat or buy something for my home, exercise, breathe easy, and I feel fantastic! My goal is to be 160 and strong! I wake up every day a new me, a new tummy and a new way of living. I am teaching my daughter healthy habits. And we count how many fruits and veggies we had that day during dinner time. I am so thankful I was given the opportunity to do the gastric sleeve and I hope I can motivate people who are thinking about changing their life and getting this tool. Best decision I ever made for me and my family. Each day can be a struggle and family is not always supportive but you have to keep on keeping on so you can be healthy. Much love! :D [/color][/font]