What drove you to make the decision to have surgery?

Was there a single last straw? Me? I had recently bought myself a gorgeous horse farm and have several horses - jumpers. But have been paying other people to ride and show them for me because I'd gained so much weight and couldn't do it myself. I just couldn't stand it anymore. I hated watching others live MY life - the life I'd worked so hard to build for myself. Although I've never really dieted, I was watching a news program on TV and heard the statistic that only 2 percent of morbidly obese people who lose weight keep it off. That really clicked with me.... what was the point of dieting if there was such a slim chance of success? I knew that I wouldn't be one of those special 2%, so what were my other alternatives? For me, that statistic was the last straw - it pushed me into pursuing surgery. And I'm so happy to say that I'm about 15 pounds away from feeling comfortable enough to climb in the saddle again (my horses may disagree and wish for another 40 pounds, Haha) I'm hoping to be fit enough to be competing by November. Big things to look forward to. So, what's your story? Please share with us!

I was tired of never having the energy to do anything. I was tired of forking out a small fortune every month for blood pressure medications and doctor visits. I was tired of not being able to walk from my car to my desk without huffing and puffing. I wanted to be able to run. I want to be able to put on shorts or capri's in the summer time without feeling completely embarassed. I wanted to be able to go camping, and actually do more than sitting in a chair and reading. I was tired of feeling like a failure, every time I started a diet and couldn't /wouldnt' stick with it. I want to feel normal, instead of having everyone staring at the fat lady. I also wanted to be able to go into a public place, or go to eat, without feeling all the eyes on me. I just want to feel normal. But mostly, I didn't want to die early, just by being fat. I want to be around a looooooong time for my kids.

They told me I was diabetic. I figured out that I wasn't in pictures anymore, I was taking them. I realized that I could make the one dream that I had had since I was little actually come true. So, I said, what are you waiting for, a heart attack?

For me it was not being able to fit into 3x clothes anymore in some stores when that is the biggest they carry.

For me it was getting winded carrying my baby up 5 stairs. He was only 4 months old at the time (March of last year) and I remember thinking "OMG, my child doesn't even weigh 15lbs and I can barely climb a couple stairs while carrying him...what am I going to do when he's 30lbs and needs to be picked up?" That lead to thoughts along the lines of "What if he wants me to race him across the yard in a few years or teach him how to roller blade? I can't do those things! What if I tried and had a heart attack and died right there in front of him?!?!" Those were the fears that drove me to make sure I'd be healthy and active and around to see him grow up and meet my grandkids. I'm happy to say I can run around the back yard after him, I can carry him with no problems and I KNOW I'll be around for a long time. When I pick him up now I think "Wow, I have lost twice his weight at this point! How did I ever carry all that around AND him on top of it?"

For me it was the realization that I would be dead in 16 years if I didn't do something about it fast. My heart was enlarged, high blood pressure, pre diabetic, and sleep apnea. My grandmother died at 65, so I needed to do somthing FAST. Soooo... I did.

What got me was I had two drs. tell me that if I did not do something that I would be dead in 10 yrs. I am only 43 year old. I had sever high blood pressure, dieabetic, bad back, sleep apnea,............. I was blowed away when they said that. I knew it but to hear it was very upsetting to me. Now I cut grass every week. Yeah!!!!!!!!!! God Bless Crystal 320/237/150

For me the final realization that i had to DO SOMETHING came after my dad had a major stroke when he was 80. He was the LAST one we expected to go first. He was never heavy, was considerably active (held an elected public office at the time of his stroke) loved to garden and socialize. His stroke hit 5 days after mom & dad's 56th wedding anniversary. I realized that if I didn't do something, I wouldn't see 55. (I'm almost 53) Worse yet, I knew that if I were to end up like dad, it would take a huge coordination of effort to even move me in my bed. I don't just want to see grandchildren born, I want to see them married!! I want great-grandchildren!! I had diabetes, higher high blood pressure and cronic knee pain. My surgery was May 10, 2006 and I'm off the diabetes meds, my PCP said he's probably lower my dosage of my BP meds in Aug. when I see him next (It's dropping enough to do that) and my knees no longer hurt. I was taking to my DH last weekend and I said "I never had the hope of being thin before WLS. Now, at least I have the hope of it." That was a WOW!! moment for me. Lynne