Engteacher

I'm exploring bariatric surgery after 30 years of obesity. As a teacher, I find that as class sizes grow,so do I. This fall I have 38 students in one section of English, and I don't know how to arrange desks so I can move between the rows. My weight is in the way all the time. I can't kneel down next to a student and have a quiet conversation or help him/her with a question. Instead, I have to bend at the waist. Just standing in front of the class or walking around the room is exhausting. My knees are shot, my feet swell, my back is sore...you get the picture.

I met with my PCP yesterday, and she was supportive in a way. Her response was, "Well, this is a choice of last resort, are you sure you haven't tried everything you possibly can before making this step?" What do you say to that question? She suggested we try phentermine for three months, exercise 30 minutes per day five times a week and then see where we're at. She would gladly refer me to a bariatric surgeon at that point.

So, in the meanwhile...I went to a seminar last night at a local hospital - a bariatric center of excellence - and had many of my questions answered. The surgeon and nurse, a bariatric patient herself, ran the seminar and I was impressed.

I should mention that I'm just over 50 years old and have a BMI of 39. My relatives have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and sleep apnea, but so far I've been able to avoid those diseases. My husband says I snore a lot, so maybe I do have sleep apnea. My biggest weight related complaints are arthritis and weak bladder, but I know where this road is leading me. I made my list of "I can no longer...." and it's two pages long! It's everything from "I can no longer pull weeds in my garden because my belly gets in the way of my bending all the way over" to "I can no longer wear my wedding ring." I'm sure you all understand, so I'll move on.

What I'm wondering is this...should I start the process and see where it leads, or follow my doctor's advice and give diet/exercise another shot? I would not consider surgery until June 2015, because don't want to be absent from the classroom during the school year.