What Was Your Final "straw That Broke The Camels Back"

[Lesommeil 18]

I used to play the "well, I'm fat, but I'll never get so fat that I can't...." game. But then I did. I got so fat that it became hard to find pants that fit at Lane Bryant. I got so fat that sitting in stadium seats or booths at restaurants became a problem. I got so fat that going to an amusement park would have meant sitting on the sidelines while everyone else had fun. I had a friend turn against me and post all manner of mean nasty things about me regarding my weight and I couldn't defend against any of them. I realized I didn't want to be the person sitting at 50 wishing I had had the courage to have the surgery before I had all the comorbidity issues that plagued my dad before his RNY. So now I'm 4 days post op, and I hate not eating food, and I despise my Protein shakes, and I'm depressed that my body forced me into something this major just to even the playing field, when i am surrounded by people who can eat what they please without gaining weight. BUT, I'm losing weight, and have the chance to be under 200lbs by the time I turn 30, when I haven't been under 200lbs since high school, and for me right now, that's reason enough to push through.

Looking back on this, I'm so happy I had this surgery. I'm 6 months out and find I can eat small amounts of everything I love(except chicken), I'm now at 216 when I started at 322. I've done two 5K's(walked, not ran), and I am no longer terrified of booths at restaurants or chairs with arms. It's not always been easy, but it's the best thing I could have ever done for myself.... plus, the other day a complete stranger told my guy friend that he thought I was hot!, I've never been hot! I've got a bit more to go, but I'm over halfway there and hopeful. I hope this might be a help to anyone who is on the fence about this surgery. If you have any questions about the surgery or recovery process, feel free to send me a message.

[davidbarz 6]

What finally made my decision knowing that I was in bad health was for my daughter and son. She told me that she wants her daddy to walk her down the aisle to gets married. That's all took it was over I will for my life on the line for them so if I went to Mexico and had my surgery and I died there it would be better than dying later in life slow death and watching my kids watch me do it.

[Ivoryowl 13]

I really had the straw that broke the camels back. I feel out of bed and my husband couldn't help me up and had to call the fire department to get me up. I do walk with a cane and do Water exercises at the ymca so I can get around. But I promised I would never let that happen to me again.

[Brenda0928 145]

my FINAL straw was last summer at the beach, I could not get down on the sand (or should I say I was afraid I could not get back up) so I used my cousin's camp chair...and it BROKE! I landed in the sand anyway ......there are MANY, MANY other reasons listed previously by others but that was my final straw that pushed me into being more serious about my research into the sleeve and other wls options. BTW--I plan to zip line in Costa Rica too!! I am pre-sleeve, just got verbal approval Thursday, waiting on the letter then will get a date finally!! Cannot wait to start my new life!!

[mikeyaintskerd 38]

I would say, what finally did it for me, was having added two new medications, or constantly switching the medications I was on. I had always been a big guy. My freshman year in high school, I weighed 315. I had some issues that happened before then, that I am told is probably what really caused my weight gain, but the final thing that did it for me, was getting put on diabetes medication. Being told I was borderline diabetic. My mom is a diabetic, and has infections all the time because of it, and has been in the hospital several times. That is not something I want to go through. I also had a fatty liver, sleep apnea, High BP, and so on. So, I just got tired of sleeping at night, and waking up tired, and do not feel like taking a whole bunch of medications.

Once I was told I needed pills for diabetes, I decided, that was enough. So far, only 6 weeks post op, I no longer snore, my sleep apnea is gone, and I am off almost all my medications. Most of my goals are accompished. I am not signed up for 2 5k runs in October and a Mud run in December. Something I would have never thought I would do.

[Buttercup 14]

One day I was walking through the local grocery store in the chip and soda aisle and I smelled a terrible smell like rotting meat. I looked over at the man next to me and he had ulcerated diabetic feet and his cart was filled to the brim with chips and soda. I made a mad dash for the produce aisle and started to think things over.

I was close to 290 pounds and had border line diabetes. My family has diabetics on both sides, mom, sister, aunts, grandmas...all of them suffer horribly from diabetes. Some members of my family have gone blind and have worse things happen to them because of the awful things diabetes does to the body.

I decided I wanted to lose the weight so that I could avoid getting diabetes because it is a scary disease and so many people in my family have it. Eventually, I too would have it and be like the man in the chip and soda aisle if I didn't make a change or worse...perhaps blind too!

So at that point I went to the doctor and begged for real medical help to lose the weight. I have been trying to control it unsuccessfully all of my life. Having access to medications, support, and nutritional training helped me lose 100 pounds before I got my sleeve. Now I am hoping that after my surgery I will be able to maintain a healthy weight for life and avoid Diabetes and other diseases that effect obese people.

[rebecca_dsu 241]

... Having access to medications, support, and nutritional training helped me lose 100 pounds before I got my sleeve. Now I am hoping that after my surgery I will be able to maintain a healthy weight for life and avoid Diabetes and other diseases that effect obese people.

Congrats on your loss...and what an amazing concept to use the sleeve to keep off the weight you've already lost. I admit, I hadn't even thought of that being a tool to just maintain and not necessarily lose. (though I so see you still want to lose some more...but to already have the majority lost is awesome).

Proud of you! Good luck. I think you are doing a very smart thing by being proactive toward any regain.

[Vixynne 695]

For me, it wasn't any one particular "straw" that I can identify. I got tired, I guess.

Tired of being "the fat friend". Tired of being told what a "bubbly personality" or "pretty eyes" people thought I had. Tired of shopping in specialty stores to buy clothes I could fit into, tired of passing by all the stylish/cute clothes I wanted in the regular stores. Tired of being exhausted all the time. Tired of averting my eyes when walking past a glass surface so that I could keep my mental illusion of what I looked like intact, rather than face the disappointing reality.

I want more from life, and I want more life for myself. I want to live a healthy lifetime with my kids. I want to ENJOY wearing clothes instead of choosing them to strategically hide my flaws and hope I'm fooling anyone.

If there's one "straw" it would be watching two of my really good friends have WLS and realize that it was within my reach to be just as happy and transformed as they are--so I'm going for it!!

[Brenda0928 145]

I have my inital consult Friday' date=' June 7th. I finally decided to take that step because I have tried and failed every other option. I am tired of passing on things I'd love to do! I want to be able to go to a movie or see a play or symphony without having to first check around for a seat width. I want to run. I want to be able to keep up with my nieces and nephews. I want to have a life on the weekends that doesn't involve my husband and I in our matching recliners. I want to THROW AWAY OUR RECLINERS! I want to see places. I want to be of normal size to do all of these things. I want too much and all this fat is keeping me from it. And I am finally ready to make the change I have been putting off for way too long![/quote']

I am right there with you!! Congrats on your journey! I got declined, appealed then got approved and just got my Approval letter today by fax.....my surgeons office said allow them 24 -48 hours to contact me to set up the preop stuff and surgery...more waiting, but it will be worth it when it is finally done and my new live begins!!

[Brenda0928 145]

I have been overweight mostly my whole life & it didnt effect me having my son's BUT it prevents me from being the best mom I can be to them. I limit my boys all the time when they ask me if they can do things and I say no because I am worried about where I have to park' date=' or how far we have to walk, or what will the seats be like when we get in there, how many ppl will look and whisper, if I do take them what will they expect me to be doing while we there ? after ? when all they wanna do is go have fun with mom. Then 1 day the school called me and said my 10yr old was in a fight in class, when I got my baby home I asked him what happened and he said this boy kept calling u fat and I got mad and we started fighting, that killed me ont the inside because here he is defending me and Im supposed to be protecting him. I went to the hospt one time with shortness of breathe and they admitted me, the doctor came to my room and told me INFRONT of my mom, kids and granny that they were worried about me having blood clots in my lungs BUT they couldnt do a CAT scan on me because I was to big to fit in the machine. So totally embarrassed, I was thinking so I could die and they wouldnt even know why or even try to help me. My baby boy asked me moma are you going to die & I knew then that I had to do something. Ppl are always staring and children are always saying she is big and it kills me everytime on the inside. I was married for 7 yrs and for 7yrs he cheated with different women and that just killed my self esteem and I got bigger and bigger each yr. To this day if he gets mad at me about the kids ir something the 1st thing he says is something about me being fat! Look the camels back is broken and he has died a horrible death...so that is it, Im doing it JUNE 3 is my date.[/quote']

Congrats!! Good luck!!

[abiff 10]

Last summer I didnt get to sleep until 2am because of work, so my 4 year old would lay next to me when she got up and wake me when she wanted Breakfast. One night on the way home from work I had some chest pains. All I could think about was my daughter laying next to a corpse all day waiting for my wife to get home from work.

[Blue73 22]

The final straw was ripping the seat of my pants at work and being told by the uniform store that it was the biggest size they carried and if i wanted a bigger size, they'd have to special order it....humiliated beyond belief. I decided right then and there that I just couldn't do this on my own and needed serious help.

[nickynoonoo 9]

After finding out that (unexpectedly) that I am unable to fall pregnant naturally, I found that IVF was my only chance at becoming becoming pregnant and finally becoming a Mum. Due to my size, I realised that I would not currently qualify for IVF. How embarrassing. Not only that, but when I do have children, I don't want my kids made fun of because their mother is fat. I've lived my whole life as the fat, but funny person. I'm sick of using my sense of humour to cover my shame. I want to wear nice clothes and feel comfortable in when I go out- I want my husband to be proud to be seen with me. Most of all, I want to LOVE MYSELF. I want to look in the mirror and like what I see. I have felt that feeling. I'm crying as I write this because I know that I am so damn close to my surgery date. I can't wait to be given a second chance at life. And dammit, I'll make the most of it!!!

[Brenda0928 145]

After finding out that (unexpectedly) that I am unable to fall pregnant naturally' date=' I found that IVF was my only chance at becoming becoming pregnant and finally becoming a Mum. Due to my size, I realised that I would not currently qualify for IVF. How embarrassing. Not only that, but when I do have children, I don't want my kids made fun of because their mother is fat. I've lived my whole life as the fat, but funny person. I'm sick of using my sense of humour to cover my shame. I want to wear nice clothes and feel comfortable in when I go out- I want my husband to be proud to be seen with me. Most of all, I want to LOVE MYSELF. I want to look in the mirror and like what I see. I have felt that feeling. I'm crying as I write this because I know that I am so damn close to my surgery date. I can't wait to be given a second chance at life. And dammit, I'll make the most of it!!![/quote']

You made me cry reading it because I can relate and totally understand your feelings, been there......waiting for my surgeons office to call me (hopefully Monday!) To set up my surgery date......feel like I have been waiting FOREVER even though it has only been 5 months altogether since I actually started this process.....I thought about it for years, and am finally acting on it....it is time for my new life!! :-) Best of luck to you!!

[nickynoonoo 9]

You made me cry reading it because I can relate and totally understand your feelings' date=' been there......waiting for my surgeons office to call me (hopefully Monday!) To set up my surgery date......feel like I have been waiting FOREVER even though it has only been 5 months altogether since I actually started this process.....I thought about it for years, and am finally acting on it....it is time for my new life!! :-) Best of luck to you!![/quote']

I'm so glad I'm not alone! I have spent so much of my life trying to accept that I would be 'the fat friend' for the rest of my life. Not only that., buy I would never forgive myself if I let this fat get in the way of my chance of being a mother. I have to have my Fallopian Tubes removed later in the year, so finding out that needed to be done really put me into a deep depression. I feel as though my sleeve surgery will give me a new chance at life. And I am grateful for that.

I am on day 2 of my 14 day Pre-Op diet and it is pure agony! The only thing helping me through is knowing that I have a huge prize at the end!!

I wish you all the very best on your journey!!