Was there one special thing ?

Ok all, I think we thirtyish people need to get things going around here! Was there one special thing that made you really think about having WLS ? One event that made you feel like you couldn't or didn't want to go on the way things had been ? For me, it was listening to my Dad say that he couldn't see something clearly one day that he had been reading the day before. "That is one of the side effects of my diabetes and probably tomorrow I will be able to read it just fine so don't worry !" Well as someone who was diabetic, taking medication for hypertension, high cholestrol, and gerd I was scared to think that I would have that wonderful "effect" to look forward to... NO WAY, NOT ME! That started me on a mission... I had done all the WW, liquid diets, Akins, and whatever other gimmick diets that had come around and I had lost weight... BUT the problem was that as soon as I stopped the diet style eating, I would gain everything back and then some. My fiancee's SIL had the surgery and had done wonderfully, so I started to do my research. Here I am, today, 9 weeks out from surgery. I weigh about 52 lbs less than my highest known weight and guess what ? NO medication for diabetics, reduction of my hypertension meds by more than 50% and feeling great ! There are some days when I wish that I could just snap my fingers and have this last 65+ lbs gone or really sit down and enjoy that Quarter pounder value meal with the supersized Diet coke. But I know that with time that 65+ lbs will be gone and well maybe one bite of a quarter pounder will make me happy ! Everyday I remember to realize how lucky I am to have this great tool (thanks Dr P!) that will make my life better, con't to improve my health, and make so many more things possible. Let us know what caused you to start your WLS journey !

I think the thing that made me have it done was a stupid reason. I was married 18 years and caught him cheating. so we divorced. A year later I met this guy. Was with him 5 years and caught him cheating. So we broke up.......Well he still has her and me. Now that I that I weigh 116 lbs. he is jealous. He wasn't before. He don't want me to date. But he does. Anyway I live in a small town. I don't get ask out at all. All this weight loss and still no man of my own! go figure>>>>>> Just my luck. Think I was ment to be manless. Amy

You better move out of that small town and get away from the soap opera. LOL

I had my WLS done because I wanted to be more active with my kids and I could see the hurt in there eyes everytime they asked me to play with them and i said no because i was to heavy. Now they can't keep up with me Im so glad I became a loser!

Well. There was one BIG thing, for me. I'd heard about it, and thought about it. After the birth of my youngest daughter my weight topped at 300. That was the heaviest I'd ever been. And I knew that after having her I'd pack on 40 more. Since, with each child I've had I gained about 40 pounds on top of what ever I already was. I thought 340? three freakin fourty? that's not okay. And I went to my doc to talk to him about it. He was less then supportive, and did blood work on me instead. IT turned out I had really hnigh blood sugar, my blood pressure was bad too. He told me I was pre-diabeties. That drew the line in the sand for me. THAT was no-mans land. I could not see myself living this mockery of a life anymore and have PUSHED foreward to get where I am. I WILL get surgery. No matter how long it takes to get it. No matter how long it takes to be a loser. I WILL get the weight that's killing me off my back.

For me it was knowing that because many comorbidities run in my family, I was soon going to have to deal with high blood pressure and diabetes in the near future. A few months before my 35th birthday, I realized that I was in my mid 30's (I really didn't have the realization prior) and knew that the older you are the harder it can be to lose weight. At the rate I was going I would've been 400lbs by my 40th birthday. I refuse to go into my 40's being super morbidly obese!

It was too many things for me. I was sick and tired of being over looked and taken for granted. I was sick and tired of being passed over at work because I was too big, too big to travel, to visit clients or even to be in front of clients. I was afraid for my health, I had just developed diabetes. The worst was that every day I woke up resolute to start dieting and every day I broke the diet two hours into it. I seemed to have no willpower. Then, believe it or not I saw Amy on MTV one night, just by chance. I ended up crying like a baby. Afraid for myself. Afraid that I would not be around for my children. A few weeks later a friend was telling me about her aunt who had RNY and how well she was doing and how much weight she had lost. That did it for me. At that moment I started researching the subject. Then after I had chosen a surgeon I told my husband and the rest is history. I am so glad that I finally stepped outside the box and did this. Claire

THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU everyone for sharing a bit of your story ! One of the things that I really enjoy so much about these messageboards are the chance to learn from others but also to learn that we are not alone in the journey to a better place in life. Thanks again for taking the few minutes to share with us.

My "one thing" was a rather drastic one. I almost died last year because I was too fat to know that I had a tumor the size of a watermelon growing within my abdomen. In April of last year, I found out that I had ovarian cancer. I went through the surgery, chemo, etc and am fine now. I went on Weigh****chers in January and started to exercise. I hurt my leg and couldn't exercise and my knees and legs have been hurting when I get up from a chair, walk the stairs, etc. I am 32 and am WAY too young for this. I have had enough. That is why I am waiting for approval for the Band from my insurance company. Karen S

Terri; This is a great question although I'll admit, my answer is kind of bad, but I was afraid to quit smoking because I weighed 253 lbs. and knew I was going to gain even more weight when I quit! So, I pursued WLS, had to stop smoking as part of my pre-op preparation and am now 75 lbs. lighter. Woo hoo! Quit smoking and got skinnier! Who'd have thought?!? Blessings, Jennifer 253 / 178 / 137