Mom6kids

I've been considering weight loss surgery now since this past spring. Originally, I thought I wanted to go with the gastric bypass. However, after an informational session at Park Nicollet, it was obvious that the risks and drastic lifelong changes and issues were not worth it for me. Instead, I became interested in the Lap Band process, a much less invasive surgery. While the weight loss is much slower than with other surgical options, that is okay with me. I am willing to do what it takes to make this a success. If it comes off more slowly, that is okay.

Since the informational session, I've received a referral from my primary physician, who supports my decision for the surgery. He has seen me gain and lose weight several times through the years. I am actually a very good candidate, because I don't have the health issues often accompanying obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Overall, I am healthy, just FAT!! I don't share this with many...actually, anyone, until now. My BMI is around 42, which is "morbidly obese". How awful does that sound!? Morbidly obese? It makes me face the truth that my weight, while not causing major health issues now, will take years off my life if I don't get it under control.

Right now, the main issues I have are with my legs and knees. Since my car accident four months ago, and after nearly losing my leg to compartment syndrome, I'm unable to go walking or exercising without a great deal of pain. I hope that taking off some weight will give me that initial boost to get exercising again. I love working out and the feel of the pain from pushing hard. It's a "good" pain. You know it's making you healthier and is for the better. I actually miss this. I hope, if I do go ahead with the surgery, it allows me to have less pain in my legs so I can enjoy exercising.I was very active when I was younger and never had much problem with my weight until 1994, when my first son was born.  At the time, I was 27 and living an awesome life...great husband, 3 year-old daughter and new baby boy, our lives came to a crashing halt. One day, my first week back to work after having our little boy, Matthew, I got a call that devastated us. Our little boy had died suddenly in his sleep while at daycare. He was just 10 weeks old...73 days. At that time, I weighed 152 lbs. Not skinny, but only about 15 lbs above my highest high school weight.

We were pregnant just three months later, and experienced every emotion possible. We were happy, scared, sad, happy and everything else at once. I assumed that since I had not gained enough weight with my pregnancy with Matthew, that had been part of the problem. Actually, I did everything just the opposite with my next pregnancy, and weighed 190 lbs when I delivered Connor.

I never really lost the weight from that pregnancy. Three years later, we were pregnant again. Life had begun to turn around and we were healing. Then, at 6 months into the pregnancy, we were told our son would be born with half a heart. We were again devastated. We chose to go ahead with the delivery and a three-staged heart surgery process. Ben, our little boy, went through three open-heart surgeries and about 10 hospital stays his first year. From there, he thrived and was doing great. He turned two years-old March, 2000, and was doing wonderful. Suddenly, at the end of April 2000, Ben died suddenly. No words can describe that pain. Once again, we were forced to plan a funeral for our child and watch as he was laid to rest next to his "big" brother Matthew, at the cemetery.

Food, while never a conscious part of my day, obviously became a release for me. We went to support groups, and I went back to school and got my Masters' Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with an emphasis on grief counseling. By the time I was done. I weighed nearly 235 lbs. I've since been blessed with two more wonderful children and a few more pounds. I've lost 35lbs, as recently as two years ago, but have gained it back and then some.