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

While I've never been "skinny", my battle with obesity started during my first year of marriage when I was 19 and I gained 80 pounds within 12 months. Since then, the only significant amount of weight loss has been when I was pregnant, and once I quit nursing all the pounds came back plus some. For the past two years, I feel like my body is just totally out of control. I have tried ever single diet and exercise program out there short of prescription weight loss pills (amphetamines scare me!) and the most I seem to lose is about 10lbs. I have a very short frame and the weight gain has put a severe toll on my back and spine. Additionally, my breasts are so large (F!) that every night I'm on a heating pad by 5pm. I used to ride horses, and did so professionally, but now I'm too heavy to ride. I also have two beautiful daughters that I would love to go to the beach and go walking with but I'm just too exhausted.

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

The worst thing about being overweight have been the medical problems. I'm only 27 and I already have back & neck problems, diagnosed sleep apnea, and I've watched my usually very low BP creep up in the past several months. Additionally, with diabetes on both sides of my family, along with high BP, cholesterol and a myriad of other problems, I know it's not a matter of if but a matter of when those issues are going to happen to me as well.

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 just had my gastric yesterday and I'm looking forward to having more energy and to be able to start riding horses again, this time with my 4 year old daughter!