Describe your behavioral and emotional battle with weight control before learning about bariatric surgery.
I spent many nights crying and begging for the ultimate cure all. I tried all diets. The Duke diet, Jenny Craig.... you name it I tried it. I thought I was all alone in my struggle. Coming down with diabetes I felt my life was over. I had for years watched my weight grow and grow. I kept telling myself .. one day I will do it , One day .. all the while driving to the closest Burger King to soothe my ever longing need to feel comfort. I came to a point where I thought purging would do it .. or laxitives.. all the while loosing weight only to regain double what I had lost. I was on a downward spiral with the feeling of no way to climb out. Feeling the shame of having people watch me eat at buffets, having men let the door close in my face... all for what ... because i was Obese... Not normal ... what was normal ? Size 2 . or Size 22... ? I fiought with the idea that as long as I could hide my eating , no one would know the severe battle that was raging in my soul to be thin... No one knew that I cried each night as I threw away yet another half gallon of ice cream.. No one cared .. No one seen my pain ... I hid it behind a big Moo Moo dress...They could not see me .. I was hidden ... or was I .... Somehwere in my mind I knew there was an answer and it called Bariatric Surgery.
Bariatric surgery was out of the question as my father had forbid me to ever have it . So I figured I would die fat and happy ... that was until the day I met my weight loss surgeon Neal Hutcher. My life was forever changed from that day. I gained a feeling of control... a sense of gaining respect and most of all getting healthy. With emotions running high , I ran to the surgical suite... I knew that on May 27th 2004 would be MY DAY.. THE DAY I REGAINED MY LIFE .
What was (is) the worst thing about being overweight?
The wose thing about being overweight was being unhealthy. Having diabetes. Not being able to keep up with my children. I wanted so bad to exercise ... to play with my grandchildren one day. When I was younger, the worse thing about being overweight was being a disapointment to my father. He would say, but you have such a pretty face. The last words I remember him saying to me 2 days before he died was , I love you but dang your fat.. so I lived with that after his death and it hit me like a ton of bricks.. did he love me ? Or was I just a big fat embarrasment ? Embarrasment.. now what could be worse than that ? Disapointing your father , mother , children, co-workers , friends? Did my weight really make a difference in our relationships.. you bet it did .. Ever played that game where you pick someone for a game , then the next person and somehow you end up standing there alone because no one wanted you. Why ? because you where fat.. who wants a fat girl on their team ? My brothers where so embarassed by me they never told anyone I excisited.. it was not until I had surgery did they introduce me .. how lame is that .. There are so many things that are bad about being overweight... but it would take me a thousand pages to explain. But all in all just the word OVERWEIGHT is bad enough.
If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?
Oh goodness.. I have ran 5 miles , I ziplined through the rainforest in St. Lucia. I rode amusment rides. I have been able to play with my children. I can buckle my airplane seat belt . I can sit on my husbands lap with out crushing him . I can wear sexy bathing suits and beautiful clothes. I have self esteem that I never thought I would have. I am a leader now , where before I was a follower. I love riding with my convertable top down knowing I am beautiful and I am free... Free from all that bound me to my home. I now have better relationships with my family. I have walked up the stairs to the lighthouse in North Carolina . I can now sit down and eat and not feel embarrased. My life has opened up to so many new things .. and I am 8 years out.. and I still have WOW moments .. I have no regrets for anything. But out of all and I mean this from the bottom of my heart.. the most enjoyable thing I love doing is hearing my doctor say .. YOUR SUGAR RESULTS ARE GREAT... YOUR HEALTH IS GREAT.. NATALIE YOU ARE MY HERO .. Me a hero ... I get such a charge out of telling my story and mentoring others just iike I was and showing them the life that awaits them if they work their tool. I make no wholes bared.. surgery is a tool .. you still have to work at this . It is not a gimme .. Weight Loss surgery is and has been harder than any diet I ever went on ... and to know I am going to live longer because someone took time to tell their story .. I find is the most enjoyable .. because if one person reads this and this helps them make up their mind ,,, THANK THE HEAVENS .,, there is one more person that will get to enjoy more sunrises , more trips to amusement parks..... and no more bad health reports. All in all .,Weight Loss Surgery Saved my Life ,.. Now how more enjoyable can you get than that !!
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