roundisashape

So...my story probably isn't that much different from most other people here. I was 120 pounds in first grade, and by 5th I was already 5'3" and wore a women's size 18 jeans. I never got any taller, but dropped to a size 12 the summer between 8th and 9th, and was back in an 18 by graduation.

My driver's license says I'm 265, but I know my weight was over 330 at one point a couple of years ago. No need to bore anyone with the whole tragicomedy that's been my life, but I wasn't in a good place at the time. I know I was over because the weight limit on the scale I used was 330 and I spun past it. It probably shouldn't be counted as my official starting weight, but I always mention it because I got myself back to ~300 and I've been there for a while. Since I haven't bounced up and down, I'm calling it a 2 year stall!

A few years ago, I discovered the duodenal switch and the truth is I still believe that's the right surgery for me given the history of diabetes and major heart problems in our family. My insurance didn't cover it, then we switched to one that did - I started all the prep work, and found out the closest surgeon to me didn't do the switch as a single stage operation anymore (the next closest surgeon took self-pay only). Our insurance changed again at the end of the year anyway and no longer covered weight loss surgery. The year we had that benefit reinstated, I lost my job.

Currently, my insurance covers the band, the sleeve, the switch and the bypass, but I've ruled out the band and the bypass because I don't want a pouch and can't live with the idea of a foreign object wrapped around my stomach! The switch is covered but the surgeon issue is still the same, and now that I've found out the success rate of the sleeve and spent some time researching it, I'm committed to being a sleever. It's my intention to work as hard as I can, but I kind of like knowing that I can still have somewhere to go (by adding intestinal rearrangement) if I fail!

Highest ever: ~mid 2011, ~330
Start of 6 month weight management classes: 8/2013, ~300
Day of surgery: n/a
Current: n/a