February 17, 2015 a date which will always be a life changing memory. I couldn't sleep the day before surgery - slept in my kids room next to my little girl and watched her sleep most of the night.
This journey started 6 months ago and at that point it seemed as my date would never arrive. One month before my date I arranged last dinner, all night drinking binge, and any other activities I might not do again. I am very grateful to my family & friends for there support and willingness to understand my decision.
I grew up in a household that surrounded itself in food (which was also their way of expressing love) and unhealthy eating habits. I can remember up to the fifth grade as being overweight and hating the way I looked. Like most overweight kids I was picked on and missed out on catching the girl's attention I liked. It wasn't until high school that I started playing football and my being big was somewhat appreciated. I desperately wanted to "fit in" even though I had a lot of friends growing up I always felt like an outsider.
After high school my weight went up and down with age and I could never seem to turn the corner with living a healthy lifestyle. Personally, I feel obesity is an epidemic no one wants to address as these large fast food chains and food manufacturers make money off unhealthy products. Of course we as consumers have a choice but if you truly don't know how to make healthy choices. What options do you have? My family's mindset was "if you had a good day - eat!" "If you had a bad day - eat!" "Have a snack while you're waiting to eat - something for waiting!" How can a kid growing up in that environment have a chance to be healthy? Or how can an adult who learned those traits ever be healthy? Now that I'm 37 yrs old with 3 kids of my own I decided to break the family curse and give my kids a fighting chance. This wasn't a hard choice to make but it did require a level of strength and humility that was necessary.
Most overweight people don't understand how they got the way they were or how to get out of the vicious cycle. But it was clear to me and it was something I believe I couldn't do without this surgery. I am grateful for this new beginning!
