My journey, can you relate?

[Joni Lynn 6]

I recently downloaded this app, as another resource for me to gain information, on the steps I'm about to take for the rest of my life. I am a happily married, mother of four and a cancer survivor. Right there are reasons enough to Celebrate. After I had a life-saving surgery I gained over 100 pounds the first year following my surgery. As I was gaining the weight so rapidly it didn't really bother me. I have always been a little larger than most girls. And while it is not something that I celebrated being overweight, I have a husband who loves me genuinely the way I am and my children are so pure of heart and had never said a word about it. I have always worked very hard at trying to lose weight and my motivation has always been there for a while. but would die out.. I have tried many pills, shakes, diets, exercise routines and have shelled out a lot of money just like I am sure most of you have too. This past year it has been harder and harder for me to lose weight and I was just putting out way more money than I was making in order to figure out a way to make this happen. A few things this past year happened to me that really was a wake up call first off being told that I am pre-diabetic and if I didn't do something about it now would affect my future, I had a major surgery on my right ankle after falling in a hole. That ankle often gives out on me and I ended up falling down a flight of stairs several months later, resulting in breaking my other ankle. With this I ended up gaining more weight. And now both ankles have problems and doing cardio is a lot tougher for me I now have to seek out ways to do cardio that do not involve excess strain on my ankles. I have slowly watched my self esteem fall, I have slowly watched my pants no longer fitting in a size 16 but moving up to an 18/20. The weight is now coming on so fast it hurts me physically. I can feel my skin stretching. I notice I get winded easily walking, going upstairs, playing with my children. I have experienced a lot more headaches. I have to take a hormone pill every day because I have had a full hysterectomy. The lack of proper hormones in my system has made my metabolism plummet. My moods are incredibly all over the place. Now that I notice my weight a lot more I have developed social anxiety. Locally where I live a bunch of women here targeted me and made fun of me on social media.. That was my breaking point, when I realized how overweight I really was. I tried really hard not to let those girls get to me because who are they anyway? What do they matter? But let's be honest what they did hurt a lot. So I have found myself staying inside a lot more, dreading going up flights of stairs. Improperly eating. I am NOT an emotional eater, I normally feed my emotions with shopping. But I noticed that since I am too embarrassed to leave my home that I have been eating a little more than normal. Which as we all know puts on weight. And that is really the first time I have admitted that out loud. This last year on several occasions my children have drawn family pictures and have made me round instead of a stick figure. I started talking to my family doctor about what they could do to help me with weight loss. And it wasn't so much that I was seeking out surgery at the time. But to see a nutritionist and get this under control. I even had a breast reduction in order to help me with cardio better. Nothing was working. I genuinely want to live to see my grandchildren and I do not want to get diabetes, and I really would love to cherish and appreciate the skin I am in.. I want to be active, I really want to love myself again.. I have done many of the things required for weight loss surgery and have a few left that need to be done and I am looking at surgery in the next couple of months. I'm doing a lot of research and trying to understand 100% what I'm about to get myself into. The good the bad the very ugly. I have been very blessed that I have a friend I have been able to physically see in person her journey this past year who had the rny. Recently someone brought to my attention about experience that is going on with my surgeon, and it really freaked me out. Fortunately for me, my surgeon is pretty awesome and I was able to call and talk to him over the phone. My surgeon is an hour plane flight away and I will have to go there to have my surgery. So I was pretty worried about him being so far away. Hopefully being far away from him and a military spouse will not hinder my recovery. I look forward to this adventure good or bad I have a really pretty dress size 8 that is my personal goal. I can't wait until this time next year to hopefully show it all to you with me in it. -Joni

[395Ron 396]

Welcome @stephens1217. I can say I share many parts of your story. I am once again losing the same weight that I have gone through and lost many times. Only to gain it back. This will be my last time losing those pounds.

I am married and have a wife that loves me and is very supportive.

When I got up to my highest weight of 403 my sleep apnea got a whole lot worse. I would lay down to go to sleep and before I would even get close to falling asleep my airway would shut down. I was now having sleep apnea episodes before and after I was asleep. Even though I had my CPAP machine on I would wake up in the middle of the night because I had stopped breathing. I would be so scared to go back to sleep because I didn't think I would ever wake up again. I would be up for hours.

My left knee, my hips, my leg joints all began to hurt. I could see myself going down hill very quickly.

I would get winded just going to the bathroom.

I am currently on my 4 week pre-op diet and so far all the fears I had where not as bad in reality. 6 October I will be changed. I will start a new life. I am looking forward to it. I look forward to hearing about your journey as you move forward. Keep us posted! Good luck to us all.

[Joni Lynn 6]

I am so thrilled to hear this journey in your life is starting. I can't wait to hear about it.

[lev84u 14]

Hello all. I just had my bypass surgery on August 17. I am 37 years old and my life has changed. I was scared too but my doc stated that it was normal. He said if I wasn't scared then there would be a problem. I miss food. I really like to cook but I understand that my life's longevity is more important than missing food.

It has not been easy these past four weeks. I have fallen in my home, called the paramedics, thrown up several times, had diarrhea and been extremely exhausted. But with all that said, I am still glad that I went though it. You will be too once your clothes fit better and you see the numbers on the scale go down. I wish you all the best.

[Joni Lynn 6]

Thank you so much. Keep up the great work.