My name is K and I am obese, morbidly obese to be truthful. I am 55, and semi-retired. My story does not differ from most of the others, except being a man; it was easier to be accepted by society. Most of my childhood I was chubby, but I was very active in sports which helped me to fit in, and to keep the weight down. I was raised on a farm, and hard work and big meals was the norm. I could out-eat anyone, and have a real sweet tooth, but because I played hard and worked hard, my weight was controllable.

As I aged and matured, my eating habits remained the same but my exercise levels dropped right off. As a result I started to pack on the weight and gradually over the last 30 years I went from fit to fat. I yo-yoed through all the fad diets, not really putting a lot of effort into it, and of course I failed at every diet I tried, so I gave up dieting. It stood to reason that it was the dieting that was the problem, not me.

I carried on in this blissful state until I was about 45, and then my body started rebelling. I was 562 lbs., diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a deteriorating heart. I said whoa, what am I going to do? I’m too young to die. I have grandchildren and I want to travel, so maybe I should look into trying to fix my situation. After discussing it with my doctor, he suggested weight loss surgery. I have to say, I was not too thrilled; surely in this day and age there must be a pill I could take. Alas, I had no other alternatives, so I booked an appointment with Dr. Amson, figuring that I might as well get it over with. That was four years ago and I’m still waiting for the miracle. In the meantime I have had the opportunity to do research, join a support group, get roped into moderating said group, and still no miracle.

I have gone through the emotions of elation at finding a solution, disappointment at realizing I had to wait, to bitterness at the whole process. Now I’m just thinking that if it happens, “good”, if not, “oh well”. The delays involved in obtaining surgery have two effects: 1) you have time to research and understand the procedure as well as the changes you need to make; and 2) you become bitter and resentful of the system, the doctors and the hospitals as your health deteriorates.

Regardless of the time it takes to get the surgery, I know that it is the only solution for me. I look forward to better health, easier mobility and an overall increase in quality of life.