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

As a child, I was so little my mother would say to me "you eat so much, it makes you 'poor' to carry it or "You have to drink muddy water to make a shadow". Oh, if she could see the difference now. After I went to college (at a later age), I became sedentary and very rarely exercised which was unusual for me. I developed Type 2 diabetes around the age of 50. That is when I started really gaining weight. It seem like I just ballooned in no time at all. I never was a big eater, but maybe I ate more than I thought I did.

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

The worse thing I encountered about weight gain was that I could not do a lot of things, like going up and down stairs, picking things up off the floor, dancing (which I love), just everyday things. I even retired earlier than I thought I would because I couldn't keep up with the preschoolers I had. i enjoyed going to my grandson's activites, but usually couldn't stay for all of the game.

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 have had surgery (December 1, 2010). I have lost 131 pounds so far and am able to do all the things that I want to do. I walk a lot, do treadmill three times a week for a mile or more, go to pool and exercise there for an hour three times a week. I enjoy both my part-time jobs that I have. I could not have done both of them a year ago, but it delights me now to know I can work both and have energy left over for other things. I get loads of encouragement from everyone that I meet that knew me a year ago. Some do not recognize me. I am not taking insulin anymore (was on four shots a day) and my glipizide has decreased to one 5 mg a day and I am just taking one blood pressure pill now (before it was 2). My PCP has been a tremendous support for me. Without his urging, I may have never had it done.