For the majority of my life I have been overweight.
I have been on the ‘weight roller coaster’ for a long time now. I fall into the group of people that have tried all the diets, tried working out and got good results but then just gained it all back (and more) later. Working out normally consists of me going good for a few months only to get frustrated with lack of the results and quit. When it comes to food, it isn’t perceived as sustenance for me, it’s a mission no matter how large the portions. I eat far too much and my brain won’t tell me to quit in time. I’ve tried 6 meals a day, 3 meals, 1 meal, without any lasting results. It’s happened over and over and over for the past 15 years of my life. And I’ve finally decided to do some life-changing about it. I’ve decided to have Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery.
I’ve already gotten a lot of great support from friends of mine with some of them asking questions. So let me see if I can answer some of their questions.
1) Why?
Ahhh, such a simple question but such a complex response. I’ll try and be succinct.
A] – For Me.
Despite my generally happy nature I do feel the effects in multiple ways that others don’t see (sans Jenny).
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Lack of sleep
Pain in my joints
More injury prone
Occasional depression tendencies
Uncomfortable in my own clothes
B] – For my family.
I couldn’t go through this life without my family. I fear that if I don’t correct this now, my children could get the kinds of bad traits I have and could lead tougher life because of my failures. I especially don’t want that. I don’t think it is fair for a wife to have to deal with problems that a husband puts on himself and want to give us a good chance to spend a long and healthy life together.
C] – For my company.
Since running a business over the past couple of years I feel very dedicated to the work and especially the people that I work with. I feel that as someone making decisions for a business and their livelihood it is vital to make sure that the ship sails straight and true and taking care of yourself is a big priority to do that.
But you’re so young…
OK, first off, not a question. But yes, the median age for this surgery is mid-30s now but again it is a proactive measure that I’m trying to take here. Children pick up on things extremely early and I don’t want Kate or any future children to be taught incorrectly.
Do you understand the surgery/options?
Yes, fully. I have been researching in medical journals, forums, research papers for months now about the various types of surgeries available today and have even done an impromptu pro’s/con’s analysis to organize my thoughts. I feel like I’ve organized my thoughts and despite the hefty price tag (my insurance, Aetna, doesn’t assist at all for this type of surgery) I feel like it’s the right choice for me.
Wrapping Up
Hope this help answer some of the questions I’ve been getting…but if you have any other comments/questions/suggestions please feel free to let me know. Thanks again for everybody’s support.
Lastly, I plan on tracking this experience via both the blog and flickr so stay tuned!
Technorati Tags: gastric bypass, weight loss surgery, losing weight, working out, lapband, life changing
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