GettingHealthyAgain

Weight's been an issue since I was 13, and have done a lot of all the possibilities.  Was 113 lbs when I first dieted at 13, got down to 98 lbs using Mayo Clinic diet and lots of exercise.  Then up to 130 and kept going.  Did a complete fast for 37 days using hypnosis tape from a doctor, lost 37 lbs, then binged 60 lbs back on.  Weighed 219 at 17 years of age. Tried Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig various times.  Spent 3 years in Overeaters Anonymous, which was very helpful in a lot of ways, but "abstinence" led inevitably to binging for me.  Down to 135 lbs at age 23 via OA, then up to 257 lbs at age 25.  Stopped dieting, applied principles of "Fat is a Feminist Issue", lost weight over 1.5 years, and spent most of the next 20 years between 185 and 215 lbs.  Did Phen/Fen in 1997, loved it, the first freedom from worries about food and dieting since I'd been a child. Got down to 140 lbs, exercising a lot and enjoying it. When fenfluramine was taken off the market, I ordered it from Thailand, and when that lab was closed, I drove to Tijuana to pick up what was probably fake fenfluramine.  

Finally, in 2006, I had lapband surgery.  But every time the band was tightened until it was effective in controlling eating, I would have trouble with not being able to swallow my saliva when sleeping, and wake up choking.  After 3 or 4 rounds of having to have the band unfilled and starting from scratch, doctor determined that my esophagus was dilating above the band, and it needed to be removed, especially since I hadn't lost any weight. Lapband was removed 2010.  

After that, had some success with the Topamax/Phentermine combination, but eventually the side effects of the Topamax became too much of a problem, I was having nutritional deficiencies, and never felt completely healthy. However, since I went off the Topamax/phentermine in early 2015, my weight has skyrocketed from 165 lbs to my current 227 lbs.  It hasn't helped that during this past year and a half I've had neck surgery (disk fusion to correct stenosis that had cause bleeding in my spinal cord), rotator cuff surgery and bicep repair, and a bad fall that injured my back, in addition to severe osteoarthritis in my feet, all of which cut back tremendously on my ability to exercise regularly, especially walking.  Walking 3 miles 4 or 5 times a week was standard for me.  Now 1/2 mile is a push before the back pain becomes too much.  I always stayed physically active before, regardless of my weight, and that may have kept me from getting hypertension and diabetes.  However, now I've put on a lot of weight around my waist, which was never the case before.  I fear that if I don't lose weight, so that I can return to being more active, I will begin having more of the metabolic syndrome issues.

So I'm having the gastric sleeve done!  Am somewhat scare, and am sure that the reality of how I'll need to eat post-surgery will be a shock, regardless of all the reading and meetings to try to prepare.  But I want to be able to be more physically active again!  The back pain and foot pain is wearing me down, and weight loss will likely help with both issues.  May not be a cure for either, but has to help.  If nothing else, tying my shoes will be easier!