Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) Journey Review (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) - Torrance, CA

When I started to develop early (at the age of 8) and I started to really gain weight, did I ever think I would end up 347 pounds? "Hell No!!" I used to tell my friends, when seeing someone who was 350+ pounds, "if I ever get that big, just shoot me!" Yet, on December 17, 2010, I stood on the scale at my doctors office weighting in at 347 pounds. So terribly close to the 350's that scared the hell out of me! That was the day that changed my life forever. I knew something had to be done.

My mom died of complications due to her diabetes. She battled the scale all her life. She was always the one that people said, "you have such a beautiful face! If only you lost a few pound." After having me she gained even more weight and was topping the scale at 340 pounds. There was even a time my mom and I wore the same size. After finding out she had breast cancer at the age of 50, she decided it was time to loose the weight. She lost over 100 pounds in 2 years. She kept most of the weight off, but it didn't help with her diabetes. A year before she died she was put on insulin. On December 21, 2009, the scale finally won the war and she died. I knew I had to do something, but here I was an only daughter still living at home trying to take care of my grief stricken father.

My father was a very proud man. Tall (6'8") and slender most of his life. He accomplished so much in his 62 years. He had been a premie at birth and over came many obstacles. He was a flat foot and couldn't serve in Vietnam, so he chose to help in the Peace Corp in Africa. After marrying my mother he had an accident at work and had been on disability my whole life. The car accident and a work injury that left him with six herniated discs in his back. He figured how to work through the pain and live his life to the best of his ability. However, my mothers passing was to much for him. He had gained and lost weight over 27 years, but after mom died it got worse. He turned into hermit and didn't want to do anything.

Through all this my wonderful boyfriend was trying to help as much as he could. He even moved in to help take care of my father. He loved me no matter what an had been with me through so much. My thought of weight loss went out the window and I had to focus on my family.

On February 28, 2010 my boyfriend asked me to his wife. Then the thought really left my mind, I had a wedding to prepare for. Our wedding date was set for May 15, 2011. The thought of not having my mother was hard but at least I would have my father. Then on September 27, 2010 my father died in his sleep of a heart attack. I was devastated and couldn't believe that I wouldn't have my mother or father with me on my special day. I had just lost both of my parents within 9 months of each other. I couldn't believe this was happening to me. Why was I being punished? I started to think about everything my parents would miss, not just my wedding but being grandparents. They would never get to hold their grand babies or watch them walk or spoil them! I knew that I wanted that, I wanted to see my children, grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren. I needed to do something drastic to change my life.

Diet and exercise were never in my daily life. Sure I would try and eat right and maybe walk a little, but I never really tried. I needed something, a tool, to help me through this process. That's when I started to look into the lap-band. With much consideration I realized that wasn't for me, neither was gastric bypass. My final choice was VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy), the "best" of both worlds. I am not near my long term goal, but I am the closet that I have ever been before. I love my choice in surgery and am working hard everyday. My surgery is a tool to help, I have to make the real choices of good food and exercise.