That moment you decided things had to change.

[Navigating the Wilderness 824]

I was thinking it over yesterday and was trying to find that one moment in time where I truly decided I needed to change.

Over the years there have been quite a few embarrassing moments (I don't think you can truly weigh in at over 400 pounds and not have at least a few).

Over the past 15 years my kill list includes:

• 4 beds
• 3 living room chairs
• 1 couch
• 5 or 6 office chairs
• 1 chair at a friends house
• A seat in a car I owned for 13 years
• My mother's favorite living room chair
• 2 toilet seats
• An office chair in my boss's office

Needless to say rooms to go was bookmarked and frequented for many years.

That said, the moment it all hit was two years ago when I went for an ultrasound. They put me on a steel table and the tech kept asking me to move, then she asked me to sit up...and I couldn't. I physically could not sit up. I had to wiggle like an infant back and forth until my legs dropped off the table, then push myself up. The look on the face of the tech while I was doing that was worse than if she had just come right out and called me a disgusting fat bastard. It was that point that I realized I simply could not go through it again, and thus my navigation through the wilderness of WLS began. It has been a fun trip, one that while I have made excellent progress has really just begun.

[GassyGurl 428]

For me, I think I have sort of been in denial. I thought I had only hit my high weight twice, 2015 and now. Plus, I thought my HBP has only been for a year or so. Looking back at records, I Originally hit my high weight back in 2013, and my HBP has been longer than I remembered. Crap!

I used to think "I'm not that fat", but now I have begun to realize that i really am, and have been, for a while. The pain, the medications and research are opening my eyes. My Dr told me once your BP goes that high, the damage is done. And that sort of scared me into action.

Sent from my XT1254 using BariatricPal mobile app

[blizair09 3,250]

One of my colleagues had to tie my shoes after we went through security at the Norfolk, VA airport. Since I have Pre-Check, I never had to take off my shoes, but their metal detector was extra sensitive (and I had never flown through that airport), so I had to take them off. And with the winter clothes on, I could reach the laces. Even though Jenn was so kind and sensitive, I was mortified. I got the ball rolling soon after.

And seeing 397 on the scale at the doctor's office was also telling...

[FabNFit@40 52]

My PCP called me a fat heifer at my wellness exam. I was first in shock that a Doctor would say that to a patient let alone to their face. I explained that yeah I had gained some weight but was working on taking it off. Needless to say after that visit I had all these emotions going on, I felt embarrassed, mad, sad and of course depressed. I started eating more and exercising less. Then it hit me that I could no longer fit a lot of my "skinny" clothes. I had lost about 4 sizes and gave all of my "fat" clothes away. I knew then things had to change. I had went from 265 to 170 back to 256ish. Yep that did it

Edited July 7, 2017 by FabNFit@40

[Stephanie 73]

I was at 283 , we were planning on going on the first vacation we had in 20 years in 2 days. We went to have some keys made for the neighbors and an elderly man pulled out and turned in front of us and nearly head on hit us. Most of the impact was on my side of the car as he hit us on the front passenger side of the front bumper then the car sort of turned and it bumper car'd all along the passenger side. This put us in a spin and when the car went off the pavement into the dirt the car flipped and landed in a drainage ditch on the drivers side roof and side panel. We couldn't get out and I had struck my head twice in the initial impact then again in the roll over. My husband was bleeding badly on his left arm where the window had broken and it had been dragged across the pavement. The fired dept got there and I was suspended almost upsidedown , they had to cut the roof off the car, then when they went to cut the seat belt my husband started screaming not to because he was afraid if I fell on him it would break his neck. They decided to try and take me out from the rear of the car (an SUV) and by then they had my husband out and in an ambulance. They tried to put me in the ambulance with him but I wouldn't fit. So they decided I needed to go to a trauma hospital and had a second ambulance take me to a helicopter pad . They had to literally stuff me into the tube that holds the patient because of my size. I kept obsessing that they wouldn't be able to get me out. I won't even go into the ordeal with the MRI . After I recovered, I immediately started the process for WLS and 6 months later I was sleeved.

Edited July 7, 2017 by Stephanie

[bren23swc 3]

My PCP called me a fat heifer at my wellness exam. I was first in shock that a Doctor would say that to a patient let alone to their face. I explained that yeah I had gained some weight but was working on taking it off. Needless to say after that visit I had all these emotions going on, I felt embarrassed, mad, sad and of course depressed. I started eating more and exercising less. Then it hit me that I could no longer fit a lot of my "skinny" clothes. I had lost about 4 sizes and gave all of my "fat" clothes away. I knew then things had to change. I had went from 265 to 170 back to 256ish. Yep that did it

That is terrible. I hope you changed doctors

[Newme17 3,444]

I must be extra sensitive today, but I'm tearing up at all of your stories/experiences. It breaks my heart and no one should have to go through these things. Sure, we've done damage to ourselves, but here's to the hope of WLS that we all had or will have. Blessings to you all!

My story is simple. My mother's list of illness/disease is just ridiculous. Cancer, diabetes, etc...the list goes on. I can almost guarantee all of them have everything to do with the amount of weight she's carried through all her life. So, I have vowed that I won't end up like her. I was a "healthy" fat person, so WLS was preventive for me.

[Apple1 2,572]

Thinking about this is very emotional for me. The moment I knew I had to do something about my weight and my health was the moment I was losing my best friend, my mom. Last October she suffered a major stroke, it was her third stroke, she was on life support and the doctor said she would not wake up.

my mom had, HBP, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis. She was obese most of her adult life. I was following along that same path already having the diabetes. I want to be here for my grandchildren and I want to live a active healthy life.

[LiciKitty 88]

I was in denial for a long time. I didn't grow up plus size. In fact, I was very petite for most my life. It's been the past 10 or so years that weight just packed on. For a while I didn't realize how big I actually was. It started with my bachelorette party. We went to Universal and I just barely fit in the rides. Then for my honeymoon, the plane ride was terrible. I started to avoid mirrors. No matter how cute I felt, the moment I looked in a mirror I broke down. I didn't let people take pictures of me, much less look at pictures. Sure, I'd do the selfie photo with my head in a specific angle, but that was about it. I had difficulty getting out of bed, getting up stairs, tying shoes and even lotioning. I couldn't cross my legs and I had really bad circulation. 15 minutes on the treadmill was murder and my back and knees hurt all the time. I had taken a sabbatical from work late last year and when I returned this year, it really hit me how unhappy and unhealthy I was. My company is pretty health conscious to the point where we receive incentives to join marathons and the owner provides employees with fitness classes and a full gym in the building. To top it all off, my husband and I want to try for children next year. I was heartbroken when not only my PCP, but my respiratory doctor and my gyno told me it would not only be unlikely but dangerous for me to get pregnant at my size. I was tired of waiting to die and putting my life on hold.

[toby585 25]

Its been a slow accumulation of health issues that has brought me to this point. First the pre-diabetes, then the high blood pressure, then the sleep apnea...these issues all piled up over time until I suddenly realize "Wow, I'm actually in poor health"!

The final moment was when my PCP at a physical a couple weeks ago asked me about my weight and struggles with losing and asked flat out "have you considered bariatric surgery?". It's one thing to know I need to do something about my weight, but to have a medical professional bring it up, unprompted, really struck a chord with me....

[key12 18]

Hello all,

Thank you for sharing your stories. For me about 5 months ago, I went to the doctor, and I was shocked. My weight was 212 (5"3). I lost almost 40 pounds (4 years ago) before the visit but gained it all back within a year and a half. My blood pressure was 178/110 and my sugar levels were high. I knew I could not avoid it anymore I was no longer a little overweight like I thought I had health concerns.

My whole life I have lost weight and gained all back. It was time to stop even though I lost about 26 pounds before surgery. I looked at my photos and realized, with the exception of 4 years ago when I lost some weight, I had spent the last 12 years consistently being obesed. Now with health concerns it was my turning point.

I wish you all the most success in this journey to a healthier you. We all deserve the best chance to live a healthier life!

Take care.

[melty29 33]

Thinking about this is very emotional for me. The moment I knew I had to do something about my weight and my health was the moment I was losing my best friend, my mom. Last October she suffered a major stroke, it was her third stroke, she was on life support and the doctor said she would not wake up.

my mom had, HBP, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis. She was obese most of her adult life. I was following along that same path already having the diabetes. I want to be here for my grandchildren and I want to live a active healthy life.

So sorry for your loss. I lost my father 7 years ago mostly due to obesity related illnesses. He was 73 and now at 47 that seems so young. It took me a while to make the choice to change but I am glad I did. Good luck on your journey.

[ElysiaDee 55]

I'd been told that I should consider WLS by my liver specialist about 7 or 8 years ago and I was afraid of even the thought and said that I would try to lose weight on my own first. I've been trying pretty unsuccessfully for all these years, this March I was told by another liver specialist that because I haven't maintained any real weight loss in all these years and my liver is still unhealthy I need to have surgery as my last resort to save my liver at this point. I've been preparing for surgery all these months and I'm still working on it so I can get WLS so I can be alive and healthy to be there for my son as he grows up. This year it was a huge wake up call about the seriousness of my liver health. I've been eating a mostly clean diet for a few years and everything else in my health is great except for my weight and my liver. I have maintained good blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels for a few years now. I saw on a graph how my liver health and weight coincide pretty much pound for pound. Even going to the gym for a number of months didn't help me lose any weight. It's so very frustrating to constantly be fighting with my weight and having nothing work for me. I need to lose weight once and for all. My liver health depends on it and you can't live without a liver. All I have left is 4 nutrition appointments before I can finally schedule my surgery, everything else has been done and I'm ready this time.

[Apple1 2,572]

4 hours ago, melty29 said:

So sorry for your loss. I lost my father 7 years ago mostly due to obesity related illnesses. He was 73 and now at 47 that seems so young. It took me a while to make the choice to change but I am glad I did. Good luck on your journey.

Thank you. Sorry you lost your dad.

I am happy that we are both making the changes we need to make to get healthy. Good luck to you also😊