Erin Marie

I was always an overweight child, starting in the third grade and growing progressively worse as I felt even more alienated from my peers.  I didn't make friends easily and my self-esteem was in a constant downward spiral.  I was teased and bullied for this and the double whammy of actually enjoying the learning part of school.  I have tried pretty much every diet out there, from South Beach to Weight Watchers, and none did more than help me lose ten pounds.  I felt frustrated and constantly hungry and of course I felt totally useless.  At my heaviest, I was 290 pounds on a 5 foot 5 inch frame.  Towards the end of High School I had a little luck with finding friends, oddly enough, some who are notoriously thin and athletic.  While generally kind, sometimes the things they said still burned.  "You're so energetic for your size!" They meant well, but I'd honestly had enough.  The winter of my freshman year at college I traveled to my first bariatric seminar.  The lap-band sounded perfect for me.  Minimally invasive, possibly reversible, no nutrition absorbtion loss and gradual food restriction.My insurance company did not think the lap-band was as perfect a solution as I did.  They made me jump through every conceivable hoop and even ignored their own extra demands until it was pointed out that, yes, I have completed that step and it was sent to you over a month ago.  Finally the Columbus Bariatric Center stepped up and had thier lawyer send in a letter essentially saying exactly what all other letters from three different doctors had said.  This was medically neccessary and there is no reason to deny me coverage. I was approved in Feburary of 2009, over a year after my journey began.Because of school, it was decided that it would be best if my surgery were scheduled after I got out for the summer.  I had my surgery on May 14, 2009 and it was the best day of my life, pain and all.  Before surgery, I lost about 20 pounds prior to surgery and since surgery I have lost a further 40 pounds.  I'm hoping to be under two hundred for the first time since junior high by Christmas!