Bariatric Healthy Living

My most recent post was recently included in the Bariatric Healthy Living Newsletter for my surgical support group.

So Much Can Happen In a Year!

It was October 2005 and I was on cloud nine. I was 24 years old, had just learned that I had passed the bar exam, and although my weight was climbing steadily higher, I felt as though my life had just begun. After all, I was still young and had plenty of time to deal with the whole weight thing. A few days later, everything changed. My father called me with the news that my 35-year-old brother, who, like me, was morbidly obese, had just had a heart attack. Less than an hour later, my brother was dead and in that moment, I knew my life had to change.

My brother’s death opened my eyes to how serious morbid obesity can be, even in a relatively young person. I knew that I did not want to suffer the same fate and I understood where my choices were leading me, but I did not know how to gain control. For the next four years, I tried diet and exercise, but with no long term or significant success. Then came the scary diagnoses…high cholesterol, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, swollen ankles…all before the age of thirty. Sure, I got up and went to work every day with a smile on my face, but as I got bigger, my life got smaller and I felt myself shrinking into invisibility. I was scared to travel because I knew I would need a seatbelt extender on the plane. I was scared to try new restaurants because I feared I could not fit into booths. (Admittedly, it’s probably a good thing I wasn’t able to try some of those restaurants). I was scared to just spend time with friends because I worried that my back would hurt if we had to walk further than a block or two. I knew that I had to do something to turn the tide.

That was when I began to consider weight loss surgery and met Dr. Tichansky, Michelle, and Alise. As a result of my gastric bypass in February 2010, my life has been transformed. In the eight months since my surgery, I have gone from 334lbs to 195lbs. High blood pressure…gone. High cholesterol…gone. My family members say I don’t even snore anymore. Recently, a close friend who also struggles with obesity asked me if I still had empathy for those who remain morbidly obese. I told my friend that I have more empathy now than ever. Now, because I’m so much healthier and pain free I have a greater appreciation of exactly how sick I was. I only hope that my friend, and others whose lives are still hampered by severe obesity, will make the choice to make a change.

I have not reached my goal weight yet and I know I still have a lifetime of hard work, and line dancing J, ahead of me. Ultimately, however, this is not about a number. It’s about making healthy decisions, experiencing more of what life has to offer, and feeling comfortable in my own skin. It’s not about existing…it’s about living.