BJSkates76

It has taken me over 5 years to make the decision to move forward with the lap-band. I've had 3 different doctors tell me that I need bariatric surgery to get my weight under control. Each time, I went home and told my husband. He and I were both convinced that I could lose the weight through diet and exercise. Hello! If it hasn't worked in 11 years and... as heavy as I am... I obviously need help.      I'm to the point where my back and knees are in so much pain that it drives me to tears. I had no idea that the pain is as severe as it is until recently when I took a muscle relaxer, and the back pain disappeared. I thought the tears were just me being a whimp. Turns out I'm a lot tougher than I thought. It wasn't until the pain was gone that I realized that it is severe. I'm that person who goes into a doctor's office who's asked to rate their pain on a scale of 1-5 and thinks that there are people out there in more pain than I am surely! Therefore, I must be a 2 or 3. I now know what 4.5 is! If ya can't function... you're in trouble! LOL      So, I went to see Dr. Duc Vuong and started the process on June 3, 2010. We submitted my packet September 1, 2010. I get to go on the insurance merry-go-round. I might hit the magic roulette number and get approved the first time, but I'm not that optimistic. Insurance companies are in the business of making money not handing it over even for a surgery that can very well save my life.        My co-morbidities are high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, GERD, and host of other "minor" issues. Those can make life difficult at best. But I've always dealt with it with self-depreciative humor and a wink and a smile. I do what my doctors tell me as far as everything but the weightloss issue which has now come around full circle. There's no ignoring the fact that I AM going to die an early death if I don't do something about my weight. There are so many people I would leave behind that would be devastated.       My husband, who's friendship and love I treasure above everything else, is worried that something will happen to me albeit by my current situation or in surgery.      I understand that I won't wake up and 150 lbs will be gone or that the band will do all the work. I fully embrace the idea that the band is simply a tool. Albeit a very useful one. I must change my lifestyle, and the band is there as (so well put in a book I recently read) a "drill sergeant" reminding me when I step out of line.        I'd like to close with a very short tidbit regarding my screenname. SESAME STREET TIME!!! B is for Bonnie. J is for my maiden name. S is for my married name as well as starting the word "skates". Figure skating is a huge chunk of my life history. Yes, there is ice in Texas; you just have to pay 10 per hour to step on it! I was a part of the Houston figure skating community for well over 20 years with 10 competing and 10 as a coach. I use WAS because I slipped out of it when I gained so much weight that I am now afraid of serious injuries if I try to get back on the ice and have an accident. I LOVE coaching! If there's a singular thing that I dream of doing once I'm a bit lighter (other than enjoying life with my husband, GIVEN), it's volunteer coaching. I used to charge big bucks for this service, and now, I'm in a situation where I can do it for free if I were just fit again. Ideally, the lap-band can help realize this GOAL (not dream because dreams don't always come true).       Thanks for taking the time to read my story. It's long, but it's mine. I look forward to meeting more people, making friends, and a lifetime of better health for not just me but everyone else here.