Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.

Since as long am I can remember I have been over weight. I was the youngest WW member at age 9. I have tried every diet out there and they worked for a short time then the weight would just come back. I never knew what a "normal" weight was. 10 years ago I was very close to having the surgery but backed out of fear. And with that tried yet another weight loss diet. I'm always active but there was just things my body didn't allow me to do. I volunteer time with our teen ministry and love going to the beach, camp and trip with them but was always unable to do the activities with them. And it just broke my heart. After losing my mom at 74 years young of heart related issues do to weight, I vowed to never be in her shoes health wise. It was time for a change.

What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?

All through school I was always picked on, bullied and never invited to anything. I always thought I had friends but they would come and go.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

I had my surgery on Dec. 19th, 2017 and the feeling of no more knee or back pain is AMAZING!!!! The energy I have is crazy good. I can run up a flight of stairs and not be out of breathe. I can run and not feel out of breathe or winded after 5 minutes. I love window shopping and thinking by summer I WILL be smaller "normal" size and buying all new clothes. THANK YOU DR. ARANOW FOR SAVING MY LIFE. My starting weight at my very first visit with my Dr. I was 280. By surgery time 6 months later I was 253 at the hospital the day of surgery and as of today I'm weighing in at 233. As I tell everyone. I was a beautiful butterfly stuck in this ugly cocoon just waiting to come out. Well here I am