4Anna

I am SO thankful to find BariatricPal!  There was such great info that has helped me prepare for my 12/15/14 surgery.
 
For the first 2/3rds of my life, I was a pretty normal weight. I was active in sports, music, family activities and hung with lots of friends. However, in 1994 I was in a car accident that changed my life. At the time, there weren't immediate signs of trauma. The following year I started losing my strength. Then I had severe back issues and had to go into years of physical therapy. It wasn't until 13 years later that a physical therapist ordered an MRI and they discovered I had a smashed disc in my neck with a bone spur going into my spinal column which had caused permanent nerve damage, neuropathy & muscle atrophy.
 
In 2007, I had a disc replacement in my neck & have a plate & pins. Because I wasn't as active and I was also dealing with depression from losing my entire close-knit family members (parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles), I gained 125 lbs. This weight gain caused a great decline in my health and brought on many co-morbidities. I also recently found out that I have a heart defect that only 0.5-2% of the world's population have which means I am limited with types of activity.
 
This surgery was life-saving and hopefully prevents permanent disability. Good luck to all of you going through this process. It IS possible!!  :)