The Decision

When a close family member of mine told me she had decided to undergo gastric bypass surgery, I panicked. I had heard so many horror stories. I feared for her life and quality of life. But her mind was made up. In the end, I chose to support her as well I could. I began learning about the surgery, it's complications, and how it worked. But I didn't spend too much time on it. She had her surgery June, 2006. She did not die. In fact, her surgery has been quite successful. Despite some complications, her quality of life has greatly improved.

In October of 2007, I weighed in at 330 pounds. My life was in a state of disarray. At 31 years old and morbidly obese in a job I really detested, my husband declared he no longer thought our marriage was working. We separated. I thought all my dreams and hopes were done - shattered. But something funny happened. When I was at my lowest point, I began to believe God had more in store for my life. And then I realized that while some dreams were done, a whole new set of dreams could happen for me. And while I had been kicking the idea of weight loss surgery around, I had not considered it a viable option as my husband was so opposed. But since we had separated, I no longer needed his approval. I had tried dieting for years, but my weight had steadily increased. I felt I had let my life spiral out of control. The time had come to make a difficult decision. With much prayer and thought, I went to the free informative seminar at a local center for bariatric excellence. I felt able to make an informed decision at that point. I weighed the consequences of not having the surgery. I was diabetic. My feet were constantly swollen. I suffered from sleep apnea. I had constant joint pain in my hips, knees, and ankles. I could only buy clothes at specific plus size stores that carried a size 30 in pants. I had not been able to buy regular-sized clothes since my first two years of high school. And I was now facing starting over alone after a divorce. I wanted to start over with a fresh start. I needed my health. I decided to have the surgery.