Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Becoming More Than Just A Pretty Face




I have been overweight most of my life, since I can remember. From early on I was shamed into thinking that my weight was an issue. I can remember my father saying "she is going to end up just like...." filling in the blank with someone we knew who was morbidly obese. I know he meant well and was concerned for me but the way he showed it was wrong.
My whole life I've inadvertently been the funny fat girl and the girl with "the pretty face". I had grown to accept my overweight life. I began to think that was all I would ever be. I had family, friends and a fiancĂ© who loved me regardless of my weight. It wasn't until I started to notice the health affects that my weight had on me that I new something had to change. I had chronic headaches, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs and sleep apnea. I was working two jobs, sun up till sun down. By the time I got home I could barely walk and was in so much pain I wanted to cry. I hobbled round like an 80 yr old. This terrified me. I knew the heel spurs and plantar facilities wouldn't just go away, if anything they would get worse. What if I ended up with a walker or wheel chair!? I was only 29 years old and refused to be immobile simple because of my weight. Daily task like walking up two flights of stairs was painful on my joints, I couldn't keep up with the fast paced work environment. I had to explain to my 7 year old niece why I couldn't go to the water park with her. Because I knew I wouldn't be able to walk the park all day on my sore feet. I refused to go kayaking with my fiancĂ© because I feared not being to fit in the kayak. Public events that required a lot of walking were out of the question. Fear of not fitting in the stadium seating at the Buffalo game almost prevented us from going. My weight had officially gotten in the way of my life. I want to do all of those things plus 100 other things that I knew I couldn't do at the weight I was at. I want children. I want to marry the man of my dreams and start a family. But I want to be able to play with my kids and take them on adventures without being held back. I knew I had to make a change. Diet and exercise never worked for me. And at this point exercise was hard to do since I had all I could do to make it through the work day. That's when I consulted with a Bariatric Doctor. I needed to make a change before it was too late. I had wasted too many years being overweight and just surviving, I wanted to LIVE. 
This is my journey of Gastric Bypass. My struggle to change my life, become a healthier person, live life and become more than "just a pretty face". 

1 comment:

  1. You're an amazing woman and I'm so proud of you for taking charge of your life and health. I know you can do this and I'm behind you 100%! I love you!

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