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I am an A type personality. A former athlete and self proclaimed workaholic (okay maybe more than self proclaimed...as I am told regularly that I work too much). I spent a lifetime playing baseball, softball, rugby, indoor soccer and pretty much anything I could sacrifice my body to in the name of winning competitions. My knees started to go as a teenager (first surgery at 14). Now at 43 I have osteoarthritis and I am nearly bone on bone in my right knee. The pain in my knees have progressively started getting worse as one, I quit playing sports about 5 years ago and two...and extra 110+ lbs will do you in too! Its an awful pain. I have paid the trainer and worked out diligently for 2 years with a 258 going down to 213 lbs. During this time I dislocated my right knee a few times (once while walking in the pool!!) and this of course makes for a great setback. Oh...I worked out with a leg brace on but not getting a 1000 calorie per hour burn does not help my A type personality when I only burn 400 in an hour. And lord forbid I only get to burn 250 because my knee has gone out again. *sigh* How did I get overweight? I weighed 160 lbs in 1995 and gave birth in 1996 at 290 lbs! I weighed 330 lbs when I gave birth to my second child in 1998. Gestational Diabetes. I did not have diabetes nor did I carry over diabetes into my life after pregnancy. But I did get down to about 208 and hovered there. As I played more sports (now with another 50 lbs in tow) my arthritis got worse and the weight began to rise. Second, I developed a sugar addiction. I work and dont eat...I come home and I crash/binge eat. This is the mental game I have to change going forward. Eventually I quit playing sports (2008) and easily added 20 more pounds. Here I have remained. Not one person, no matter what your backstory, goes into WLS flippantly. If I could control the sugar and workout without ending up in a knee brace every few months I would have done it! There is a mindset that needs to be achieved and I know I have a joint replacement surgery coming 10 years down the road. So while I have a plan that is 10 years long, I have short term miles stones to achieve right now. I read about people's outcomes and successes after WLS. I realistically understand that my arthritis will still be here and still be painful even after the weight is off. I hope the weight loss eases my knee pain. I know I will be able to relearn the food because I am/will take the time I need (something I never do) and I am committed to each step of this life long change. I am a very assertive person and will take each step as it comes and not worry about all the steps that will come in the future. I just want to focus on what I need to do today and change that. Tomorrow I will focus on the next step and so forth. Oh--I have a killer support group. My family and friends are going to be very helpful and my employees and my bosses are supportive. I am blessed to have these people in my life. For the first time, maybe ever, I am asking for help and I am going to openly receive it. That has been a huge step for me in the past few months. I tend to do everything for myself an not ask for help. Things are changing

Hey guys! My names Sarah. This past week has been completely filled with making calls, scheduling and going to appointments, watching VLOGS on YouTube, researching the hell out of this surgery, and spending hours lying awake at night fantasizing about how much this surgery will change my life. I'm so dedicated and so determined. I would looooove someone to talk to about everything that comes with this surgery. I'm just so excited and so ready!!! I also am down to talk music and memes and all the other normal stuff outside of this life hahaha! Preferably looking for someone close-ish to my age and maybe even height and starting weight (I'm 5'2'' and around 250) but honestly that isn't a huge factor!! Im so excited guys!!! And feel free to comment if you live in the Midwest too!