I got really mad. I wanted to stop the insanity. I had been dieting with various programs, pills, exercise, on my own etc. since I was 9 years old, just like most of the folks on this forum. I was 55 years old when I knew this had to stop. My body hurt constantly. My spirit was broken.

I had made a long skirt to were for a May Day celebration. When it was finished, it was as wide as it was long. That was an awakening. Just a month after that, my brother in law had a high school graduation party for his daughter. We went to Maryland from North Carolina for the celebration. I had done absolutely nothing to gain any weight on the trip, but came home 7 pounds heavier than when we left home. I realized then that I had a medical problem...morbid obesity.

It took a week before I began researching bariatric surgeons in my area. I found a great practice to work with and so my journey began.

Thanks for your post and welcome to the forum!

Blessings,
Spotz

I got tired of being tired all the time, not being able to keep up with my husband and friends. I knew I had to do something to get my life back. I was a 49 year old woman in a body of an 80 year old. That was less than a year ago and to date I have lost 130lbs and found a new life.

I was getting cortizone shots in my knees and had a 2 hour work commute one way by bus. It was also an self-esteem issue. I hated the way I looked in pictures. I carried the weight well and I was still was attractive but enough was enough. Got tired of being the fat girl with my friends. Did the research and found out insurance paid 100%. Had RNY 6/13/12 35lbs lighter. Only regret was not doing it 10 years sooner (im 46 now). I am a totally new person. IT IS NOT EASY NOR IS THIS A QUICK FIX!!!!!

I was getting my hair cut and had such self loathing looking in the mirror.

I was tired of being ashamed of myself every time I ate and looked in the mirror. When I realized there was a way I could swing the surgery financially, I ran with it!

Thank you guys for sharing your stories with me. For me I am tired of the ache and pains in my body and feeling older than my 42 years. Like most of you I have struggled with my weight all of my life and why should we continue to struggle when there is a tool out here to help us achieve our goal. We still have to do all the hard work, the surgery is just the first step. It is so funny you see people who have to lose 20 or 25 lbs and they are the perfect weight, but to be honest if I lose 25 pounds it will not make that much of a difference so I need something that will help me lose more and surgery is the way to go. I am tired of the swelling ankles and swollen feet and I am not even pregnant*lol*. I just want to feel better health wise and live a longer life and I know that this surgery will give me a 2nd chance at that.

I inherited my moms thyroid disease. In the last two years I had put on 35 lbs easy and developed BP, Prediabetes. I lost the most wonderful mother to a stroke. Her quality of life before that was limited because of her weight. My brother said, You look just like our sweet mama...and it all clicked. I didn't like what I saw in the mrror but mor than anything, I was frightened of heart attacks ( 100% increase if you had pre ecplampsia during pregnancy and I had it with last baby) of a stroke and not being able to go places, take care of myself as I aged. So basically for me, though I knew I was chunky, It was all about being healthy and scared to death if I didnt what might lay before me. On a happier note.Welcome to a fantastic group of women and men here!!

My comments are very similiar to the other posts. It's just being tired of carrying the extra weight around, tired of the heel, knee and back pain from the weight, tired of being the fat person among my healthy friends, tired of not being able to exercise, tired of all the $$$$ spent on just about every diet program available and tired of being tired.

I had the Sleeve surgery on June 5 this year; 40 lbs lost so far. I am no longer tired. Heel pain and knee pain gone. Still a little back pain but I working on that. I am now able to exercise. And I am enjoying the compliments from friends and family. It's the best decision I could have made.

Good Luck with your decision and hopefully you'll be joining us on the looser bench.

I was so sick of myself and when I went to my PCP and she told me my blood tests results put me at more than boarder line for Type II Diabeties. That was when I knew I needed to take control.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2008, high cholesterol in 2011, and Type II diabetes on January 27, 2012. I will never forget that day. It was like my "house of cards" falling. I knew my health was bad for a while, but I didn't know just how bad until that day. That was when my doctor first put in the referral for the surgical consult. On the advice of a friend, I changed my mind about the surgery. That was a huge mistake for me. I could have already had my surgery if I had listened to my gut, but I came around in June, and am trying to finish all of these classes so I can get it done soon!

I was also sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I had gotten to the point where walking from the car into a store was painful. In pictures, I took up twice as much room as everyone else. I was starting to have high blood pressure readings. I was also getting pitting edema.

Then, I had a cancer scare...a growth on my right ovary the size of a grapefruit. My OBGYN refused to operate because she thought I was too fat for surgery. I found a different OBGYN, had a complete hysterectomy (it wasn't cancer), and decided I had to do something.

I'd been thinking about GBS for 5 years but didn't want to go through the lengthy, emotional process. Soon after my hysterectomy I found out my insurance was going to change to a plan that didnt' cover bariatric surgery. I realized that if I didn't act quickly I may lose the option altogether. So, the cancer scare and the change in insurance were my final straw. Sad that it took so much to get me to make such a life-saving decision.

JJ

I had been thinking about WLS in 2011 but didn't do anything about it after I went to a seminar. At that time I had lost 70 doing Weight Watchers on my own and thought I didn't need it I guess. During 2011 I ended up gaining back 40 pounds I lost. Come Jan 2012 I joined my fitness pal .com and then thought about WLS again. A co worker had the sleeve done in Nov 2011 and did so great with it I decided that is what I need to do. I was tired of my knees hurting me and not being able to do the activities I once enjoyed due to knee pain. I had sleeve surgery on 6/11/12, I lost 47 pounds pre op and have lost 27 pounds since surgery. I had a couple weeks that were rough but things have been great now for almost a month. I've been obese all my life. Went to Weight Watchers before age 10, never been the correct weight my entire life. I weighed 11 pounds when I was born! At age 48 I made the decision to do this, my only regret is that I waited this long to do it.
Good luck!

I lied to my 4 & 5 yr old boys because I was too fat to fit on a kiddy roller-coaster with them. I told them it was closing down but they saw the line of people and really wanted to go on it. I pushed my lie on them because I knew I would not fit. It has been almost 4 years since that date and I am happy to say that I have never had the awful feeling again, thanks to WLS.

I got upset the last time I went out to eat with my sister. We are both big but I got mad at myself that I couldn't fit in a booth and had to ask for a table instead. Then I realized I had over 200lbs to lose and knew I couldn't do it on my own. After that my mine was instantly made up.

For me it was not being able to walk without being winded. I could not keep up with anyone and I did not recognize myself in the mirror...I wondered who that old fat lady was. When my son went to Kuwait this year I realized that my kids loved me..they wanted me to be healthy and around for them. I worried about him but he also was really worried about me. Big wake up for me. Also after the surgery the Doc came in and talked to my husband and told him that the surgery was pretty difficult because i had so much fat around my organs. He said I might have had 10 good years left without the surgery. Great decision for me..it is hard but I think it might have saved my life.