Will_B_Healthy

Mine is not a new story. Lots of felllow fatties have tried and failed on fad diets, exercise programs, nutritional changes -- years of time invested, dollars spent, -- some with a measure of temporal success but within a few weeks abandoned for a variety of excuses. I had some success with Lindora, especially when I was visiting the center daily. In ten weeks I lost 40 pounds. My second "session" was less fruitful -- no it was downright frustrating. I could blame it on the lack of continuity between the nurses I met with at the different centers I was visiting yet it came down to me, just not wanting to continue to make the effort, to log everything i ate and plan every meal, logging the exercise, mood, water consumed along with taking the daily quizes. I turned it into joke but the joke was on me. The one true barrier was the cost to continue: it was simply cost prohibitive and it became difficult to justify after hitting plateaus and not showing any progress or improvement. Like others who are larger than life, I am a diabetic and about two years after abandoning Lindora I had a disagreement with my family physician over a medication he was recommending that was being panned by experts and healthcare oversight agencies (It's back in the news again). It took me three months to get in to see a specialist.  My blood sugar was totally out of whack by then and I was getting progressively more depressed, angry, and frustrated. To get me in check I was immediately placed on insulin and my weight escalated dramatically -- seventy pounds in less than a year. I am testing within normal ranges now but what a cost!Two years later I find myself at the cusp of a great new journey, one I know will mark a change like no other in my life. Lap band surgery was a last resort to save my life. It is the knot on the rope I was clinging to, trying to stay alive. I wasn't really enthusiastic about embracing the idea. Regardless of what any one including the doctors may say, it really is a permanent change. And it has to be. It is a serious undertaking and I spend a great deal of time educating myself on the risk/reward question. I am fortunate that I have both primary and secondary insurance that covers a majority of the expense. Plus i have a supportive family and church family who are encouraging and understanding. Perhaps the real "straw" that tipped the scale for me was a recent medical scare; I was admitted to the hospital with symptoms of congestive heart failure. It wasn't that serious but it certainly got my attention. I knew then that if I got through that episode I would dedicate myself to getting myself back on track for a healthy life. My decision to have Lap-Band surgery is the best thing I can do for myself. It offers me a tremendous opportunity to jump start a healthy new direction including exercise and better food choices. It is the most selfish thing I have ever done but I feel no guilt for doing it. Saving my life will let me help those I love and those I owe so much to. I want to be a poster boy for Lap-Band success and help others find a way to live a more fulfilling life.