longercurlz

Surgery Date was April 28, 2000... lost 200 lbs...

My name is Betsie and I'm a So California Native...grew up in LA and moved to San Diego in 1985 for college. I have had a weight issue my entire life. I grew up in an Italian/Irish family, but was more "Italian" than anything. I grew up with junk food, soda, pasta, garbage and never learned how to eat. When I met my husband (whom I divorced in 2000), I was about ten pounds heavier than I am now but, by the time we divorced, I was 357 lbs. We had two kids, who are now 17 and 21, and I never gave it a SECOND thought that I was eating things like Hamburger Helper, two/three helpings of spaghetti, meatloaf with fried potatos and washing it all down with a Coke. Finally, once I left him, I saw a special on Carne Wilson of Wilson and Phillips and how she was getting gastric bypass at a local hospital. She had her surgery in August and I had mine that following April 28th, 2000.

To be honest, I feel lucky to be alive for a number of reasons. My doctor didn't put a lot of emphasis on my before or after care but I didn't know any better. He turned over a folder, drew what resembled a stomach and said 'this is how big your stomach will be..are you ok with that?" Then, within a month, I was in surgery. Recovery was tough because I had the incision that goes from my sternum to my belly button.

Few people know what it feels like to go from not being able to sit in a movie theater seat to wearing a size 8 pants. Very few people know what it feels like to be fat and very few people knows what it feels like not to be. emotionally, I am still that full sized lady, I still have my insecurities, I still have my issues, but I am so happy with my body now.

I do miss my holidays and big, pasta dinners. I am vegetarian now and that suits me but, trust me, I still love my pasta and tortillas...and carbs!

I work out daily, often three times a day but that's my lifestyle now. I think that people who do at least 20 mins of walking three times a week is more than enough. Me, I'm just a fanatic....

Please ask me anything you would like..I'm proof that the surgery works!

Betsie