In Our Own Words

I love life. During the last 10 years or so I have felt life was passing me by. Always the excuses that I could not do this and could not do that because my body was just too cumbersome and uncomfortable. When my daughter was small she used to be embarrassed by me and did not want me to come to school because the kids would tease her mercilessly about her “fat” mother. She was only little, maybe 7 or 8 and this used to just tear at my heart.

I had tried and tried to lose the weight, following every plan that was prescribed by my doctors along with diet pills and supplements. The way I beat up my body and my self-esteem was horrible. The scars are still there today and my self-esteem is still extremely poor. Society tends to look at fat people as low-class people and that just is not the case.

Four years ago my health started taking some rapid nose dives and I felt just terrible. For about three or four months I spent most of my days in bed because I felt soooo sick. It took those months for my health and my mind to finally start to mend, and the cardiologist I was seeing mentioned again, “why not consider bariatric surgery?” My response was an immediate, “No way! I don’t want to die.” My ignorance was speaking. After spending two more years battling yet more drugs and ill health, I finally came to the understanding that my weight was slowly killing me and I wanted to live. My GP again mentioned gastric bypass surgery and this time I agreed and started the road of learning and preparation.

Today I am a little closer to receiving the tool necessary to help me experience better health and prayerfully a longer and more fulfilling life. To have the energy to life and experience all that wonderful things out there will be a blessing that has no measure.