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

I managed to maintain my weight between 130-145 pounds, until I retired from the Air Force in 1998. Just before I retired I began menopause and my osteoarthritis really began to kick in; my knees, ankles, feet, neck, back…basically ever joint in my body. Every time I exercised my knees would kill me and I’d have to stop for a week. With menopause my weight began creeping up which put additional weight on my joints. I tried ever weight loss system and suggestion that came along in earnest - nothing worked. I was frustrated and angry with myself for not being able to lose weight like all those people on TV who had tried the same things I had and failed. My triglycerides were sky high, and my colesterole was right behind it; my parents had diabetes and hypertension...I thought it's just a matter of time.

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

The worst thing about being overweight was the pain in my joints, that I lived with every day; it had become a part of me. Then there was my self image - I was fine if I didn't have to look at myself because inside me I was still the same confident, quick witted, consider person I had always been...but when it came to participating in volleyball, an office picnic, or our office performing community service there were those things I just could not do.

If you have had weight loss surgery already, what things do you most enjoy doing now that you weren't able to do before?

It has only been a month since my surgery and I have lost 32 lbs. I enjoy getting up in the morning and not walking like penguin because my arthritis in my feet and ankles are hurting; I enjly being able to spoon with my spouse - because the hot flashes have diminish significantly; I enjoy dragging out clothes that I haven't worn in years and finding that even now they fit. The one thing I wanted is to jog again, my doctor said he doesn't see me running but he does see me being able to jog again. Weight loss surgery is not a cop out. The surgery was the easy part, trying to figure out the foods you can tolerate and knowing you will never be able to enjoy an entire meal when you dine out with your family - wrapping your head around that is the hard part. Having been through the surgery and knowing what I know now - I'd do it all again because in one month my labs have come back perfect and in 3 months I will be able to try jogging. Weight Loss surgery has already improved my life and I see better health in the future.