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

My overweight battle started when I was a child. I was told to always clean my plate and don't leave any food. then as I went through things in my life I ate for comfort. I was molested as a child by a family member, raped by a friend, abandon by y mother, saw my father beat women. It was just too much for a young girl growing up. Then I had a baby and he was killed at the age of four by a hit and run driver. I started using drugs and didn't care about myself at that time. I didn't look in the mirror often. I was in complete denial. at the end of my journey i was wearing a size 30 dress. the 's big and I didn't realize I was that big until someone had took a picture of me. I cried like a baby and then I did something for myself. I had the surgery.

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

All the medicines...High blood pressure, diabetic, high chloestral, low blood. Not being able to sit certain places; like a plane or movie theater. Tired all the time. All the eating. Eating just because. Not even thinking, just eating. hiding food around house.

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 jog, walk a lot, can cross my legs, take more trips in a plane..i don't need the extender, just enjoy life more. Today marks 10 years since the surgery. 4/12/02 Am I glad I did it? Yes.