Obese Is My Middle Name, But Not For Long!

[Jess081704 3]

Hello All,

With my surgery date rapidly approaching, I was in search of a support group that did not require an hour drive. Alas! Here I am! I will share with you all my journey and look forward to sharing yours with you.

Obesity, I shared my whole life with it. Not by choice. I have been overweight from as early as I can remember. Pictures to prove it :/ However, I did not let my overweight issue affect me until I was in the 5th grade. Of course when the bullies took turns with the insults and degrading remarks. Which all began the onset of depression. It continued to become an everyday issue. The hatred of school itself was born, (even though I liked the subjects). School shopping was no longer exciting. Ecspecially when I went to the men's section for pants. I have been shopping in women's plus for over a decade and this past September, I finally decided enough was enough!!

March 2011- I convinced my aunt (obesity runs in my family) to get a bariatric procedure with me. I chose the bypass and she chose the lapband. At one of the first meetings, a patient in the waitingr room asked what procedure I was getting done and then replied, "You don't need bypass, you aren't even that big". At that time I weighed 337, and I am 5'11". My height was my savour. I then realized. Jeesh, maybe she is right? Maybe I can try again and concour this battle myself. In addition to the scary paperwork that I needed to inital with complications, and being unemployed (I was worried about finances) needless to say, I opted out of the surgery at that time. My aunt still went through the procedure.

June 2011- I got a really great job working for a really great company. Throughout the summer of 2011, I again joined weight watchers and dieted which I lost another 10 or so pounds.

October 2011- I found out I had hypothryoidism. The medicine helped me lose another 13 or so pounds so I was down to 303 and felt much better about myself!

My husband and I have been together since August 2004. Married since 2009. Fertility has become a problem for us that we both faced and battled for a few years.

December 2011- Finally made our way to a fertility clinic per my doctor's recommendation. Fast forward several tests, ultrasounds later, PCOS was the diagnosis. Fertility shots and IUI's were next.

January 2012-April 2012. Three failed IUI's left us puzzled. A laporoscopy in June 2012 to unblock a fallopian tube..resulted in - - - - a fallopian tube spasm, no blocked tube, no endometriosis, all was well! Disappointment to be honoest, was the first feeling. I wanted my "broken self" to be fixed. I felt even more depressed that I was still unable to conceive! The emotions for those 6 months were by far nothing I've ever expierenced. Truely heartbreaking. Another IUI of course with the shots was scheduled when I came back from the outerbanks in August 2012. A skipped menstral cycle pushed the IUI back until mid September. Early September is when I saw my other aunt who had the Gastric Sleeve done and had AMAZING results!..which prompted me toi investigate more! I was on the phone with my fertility clinic and explained I wanted to a take a longer break and decide the next path for us.

Throughout the first two weeks in September, I researched and researched some more about the gastric sleeve. It was then, I called the bariatric center I was going to go to in 2011 and made another appointment. I began this journey again on September 10th .

September 11th I started the lean and green diet again. I had true motivation now and was inspired. At my two week weigh in, I lost 12 pounds already!! The nurse was very impressed! Fast forward to today 10/21.. I have lost a total of 27 pounds so far in about 6 weeks. My surgery is scheduled for November 13th!