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

I was overweight my whole life. Always around food. It was everything tto me and my family. We were all fat and happy. Nothing made us sad and if we were we turned to food. At the age of 20 I met what I thought would be the man of my dreams. Never complained about my weight and he always made me feel important no matter what size I was. I had three children and kept packing on the pounds. I was fat and happy. My mom who was my biggest inspiration in life was also overweight and too scared to get the surgery. She encouraged me to get the surgery and be healthy for my children. I took her advice and now she is the one whos not here to see me. She lost her battle with obesity two months after I had my surgery. What gets me thru is her saying do it for the kids they need you forever.

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

Always having to limit yourself with clothing choices. Eating so much that you make yourself sick.

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 enjoy everything. I love excercising, playing with my children and doing things that I have not done in years. Such as ice skating, diving off the diving board and funniest thing is fitting into my 12 year old sons clothes....making him laugh. I am 35 and in the best shape of my life!