Thank you.
As many of you know, I began a journey this past year to get healthy for, well really, the first time in my life. Hearing a doctor tell you that you are diabetic and have emphysema, along with high blood pressure... it pretty much sucks the wind right out of your sails. I'm not going to mince words here. Some of these maladies were directly attributed to my obesity and I knew I had to step up to the plate (I don't mean the dinner plate) and get myself healthy.
Fast forward one year and here I am... 45 pounds lighter, a non-smoker and most importantly, beginning to live my life again. I kicked what I thought was my worst addiction (smoking) without even a whimper, but I found out that another of my addictions is food.
It's not so simple to kick a food addiction because we all need food in order to survive. Some would say I should just continue to follow the course I've been on, but that is much easier said than done. I cannot lose another 50 or 100 or more pounds on my own. I need a special tool to help me accomplish this goal, as much as anyone needs certain tools to do certain things.
My cardio-vascular doctor, way back in March of 2014, told me I had best consider bariatric surgery if I wanted to save my legs from amputation. I know I looked at him like he was speaking to me in Latin. No way could I afford an elective surgery, and so I shrugged off his suggestion. Imagine my surprise when I next visited my primary doctor and was told that it was quite possible that my insurance would indeed cover the surgery!
A lot of people are under the impression that this kind of surgery is an easy out for fat people. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, I haven't even had the surgery yet, and have jumped through so many hoops, it's unbelievable.
Starting next Monday, I will start a 2-week high protein, low carb diet plan... or pretty much what I've been following for the past 7 months. LOL At the end of those 2 weeks, on March 9th, I will be having gastric bypass surgery, otherwise known as Roux-en-Y surgery, coupled with a hernia repair. Ultimately, what this tool does is limit me from eating too much, though if I don't follow my training, I can stretch my pouch and regain the weight. This is a life-changing decision for me and one that I am so looking forward to achieving.
I have spent the past many months learning everything I can about this course of action I'm taking. I have not come to this decision lightly and I am more than aware that my journey will not be easy by any means. That being said, it is the right course for me. I so look forward to being able to walk for more than 10 minutes without my back and legs feeling like they're on fire. I'm so excited to go to my grandkids basketball games, or graduations or even their weddings one day perhaps. I can't wait to go home to Superior to see my brother and uncle and my many friends that are still there, and God willing, I will be at my 45th and 50th class reunions.
It's up to me and yes, I can do this!
xxxJBDxxx
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