NurseSophie

I am a registered nurse who is almost 6' tall and who wasn't always overweight. After choosing to stay home with my second child, Little Debbie became my best friend. I went from a size 13/14 to a size 24 over time. It didn't happen overnight but by the time I was 25, I was a very large woman. I still remained proud, however, of the fact I did not smoke nor did I drink, something I was raised around my entire childhood. About five years ago, I was humbled when I saw a physician on a television talk show who said that obesity is as bad for you as those other vices I had so proudly stayed away from. I was crushed. I felt helpless. I was diagnosed with DM. With each day that I have remained this size, in spite of the exercising, in spite of the change in food habits, I would only lose no more than 30 pounds and put it right back on as soon as I went back to my old ways. I also walked around like a horse that was being kicked day by day. In March of ths year, at the age of 39, I was placed in the hospital where I worked with what was believed to be Congestive Heart Failure. Thankfully that came back negative but I had a blood test (troponin) that was high and if it came back high again, I was "being shipped to the city" for a heart cath. I also have GERD so my diet is very limited yet I remain with a BMI of 40. I did a research paper back in 2004 about Gastric bypass. It was too much information and I knew that I would never have the courage to do that surgery. The last four years, however, many other people I know have gotten the lapband and over time, have done very well with it. After my appointment with Dr. Warnocke, I realized this would not be an easy way out in any way. It was merely a tool. I actually felt better about getting it when I realized the outcome relied on my choices and that I wasn't taking an easy road out. Quite the opposite, my entire life is about to change and it's up to me how much. I'm also petrified because I am an RN and work in Recovery room and Same Day Surgery so surgery does frighten me as well but not as much as my declining health due to my weight. Thankfully I have an amazing support system via my immediately family, a husband of 21 years, work family, and a praying church family who loves me, no matter what size I am.