One week from today...11/15

[Tjo1982 12]

Will be the day that changes my entire life.

I, like most of you all, have struggled with my weight for most of my life. I was the heavier chick in school. Up until my junior year. Then all of a sudden it just fell off over summer break. It was awesome. Then I graduated. At that time I started having horrific debilitating Migraines. Irregular menstrual cycles, and crazy hair growing everywhere. PCOS and Psuedo Tumor Cerebri (they said). For those who may not know what Psuedo tumor cerebri is, it's basically too much spinal Fluid putting pressure on your brain, sort of acting like a tumor. STEROIDS is the 'magic medicine' my neurologist put me on. "It will cure it all." She's a doctor so I trusted her. Gained 80 lbs in 6 months. So now I feel awful have horrible headaches, crazy cycles, wild hairs growing everywhere plus now I've gone from a size 10 to almost a 20. Whooooaaaaa!!!!

Anyway... We do a spinal tap, drain the excess fluid, still have to stay on steroids for a few months. Not To mention the complications from the spinal tap itself. Which has made me fearful of ever even attempting to have a child for fear of needles going anywhere near my back. And Lord help them if they ever think they need to drain spinal fluid for any kind of testing because I will NOT consent!

So I finally got off the steroids. By this time I've gained up to approximately 270lbs. I'm 5'3". This is NOT GOOD. I started the weight loss journey. I've gone to doctors, weight loss clinics, weight watchers. I've tried every diet pill on the market. I've gone to the gym every day for months. I've cut out portion sizes, I stopped drinking sodas....

I would lose weight here and there, then life would kick me in the gut and I go back to a bad habit, and that one bad habit triggers all the other bad habits... So Id gain back the 10-15 lbs that I lost.

I decided I wanted to be a paramedic. So I went back to school. And that's where I am now. I'm a 5'3", morbidly obese Paramedic, taking care of people who are.... ME in 5-10-15 years, if I don't change my life. I cannot even begin to tell you all how difficult it is to lift a stretcher with an overweight patient on it. And the majority of our patients are in fact, obese, if not morbidly so. It is THE SCARIEST thing I've ever seen. When you see someone who literally cannot breathe laying flat because they have so much weight on them putting pressure on their diaphragm and lungs.

So I've yo-yo dieted until I'm fed up with it. I made the decision to take a hold of my life. Not only for me, but for my family, and my coworkers. I do not want them working a cardiac arrest on their 32 year old co-worker, partner, friend....

My journey to a healthier me began last Saturday with my starting weight @ 246, my pre-op diet began. As of this morning I weigh 232lbs. I start my clear liquid phase in a few days and fly from Texas to San Diego on Friday. My surgery is scheduled for Saturday in Tijuana. I'm nervous, scared, and extremely excited!!!

I cannot wait to see myself in 6 months or a year from now!

It's MY time to change MY LIFE for MYSELF!

Blessings to you all and my prayers are with each of you as you embark on your own journey!

[mz.newlife54 103]

Congratulations and good luck on your journey. Im being sleeved November 11

[Tjo1982 12]

Congratulations and good luck on your journey. Im being sleeved November 11

Good luck to you as well! I can't wait to hear of your success!!!

[Elode 8,093]

@@Tjo1982 Good Luck girl! Keep your heart in it and you will do just fine!

[mz.newlife54 103]

Thank u

[Tjo1982 12]

@@Elode

Thank you very much!

[clautxs 40]

Good luck!!