About me--

I am a 34 year old mother of 3. I have 2 boys ages 14 & 10. Our surprise came in 2008. A little girl. A blessing in disguise. At the time, I was TOLD i was pregnant with her we didn't believe it. We were not trying and we had decided that we were happy with the boys (My husband has another boy age 18 from a previous marriage) and were done. We were so shocked. We wondered if this was the right thing to do now, but at this point it was too late for that even to be an option. She was on her way.
It is amazing the ways she has changed out lives. The boys dote on her more than I could have ever imagined. She is also where my gastric band journey begins, although I didn't know that at the time.
I started my pregnancy at 185 pounds. I had never been this big in my life. I had just failed miserably at a Weight Watchers diet and had recently put on 15lbs during it. (I think I was seriously doing something wrong!) So here I sit bigger than I have been in my whole life and find out that I am pregnant! I cried and cried the month that I went to the obgyn and they had to move the weight bar on the scale to 200. I felt like it was such a defeat! I have failed to mention that I am 5'2" so 200 is a lot for me. I never realized that it was virtually impossible to find plus size maternity clothing. And since I work, I had to have nice clothing.
I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I dealt with all of the insulin injections and figer sticks associated with it in my mind that I would wonly have to deal with this for awhile and it would go away when she was born. My mother had been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. She constantly reminded me that I really needed to watch it... I still dismissed the advice.
My pregnancy ended on November 12, 2008. I was 36 weeks. Pre-eclampsia! My blood pressure has slowly risen along with my weight. Add that to the gestational diabetes and I am a walking time bomb! I have a beautiful baby girl to show for this massive assault on my body.
After she was born, I waited and waited for the diabetes and high blood pressure to go away. I ended the pregnancy at 208lbs which is where I still stand today. In February 2009, it was determined that I was now a type 2 diabetic and was going to be also placed on medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I was 33! This shouldn't be happening. The consulation that I got from my mother was, "I told you so!" Thanks mom.
I knew I was big, but I also was aware that there were women much bigger than myself so I was still OK. I had to start shopping in the plus size department of the store and OMG a 1x just didn't cut it. There is NO SELECTION in the plus size area. Just getting it to fit seems to be the goal. There seems to be no regard for if it looks good. I still do not fit into my pre-pregnancy clothing. I still (my daughter is 16 1/2 months old) have a pair of maternity pants that fit me well and I wear to work frequently.
I have watched my grandmother die from complications of diabetes. Of course not before she lost a leg. She was diagnosed at age 38. I am starting this journey 5 years earlier than her. I don't want to have to get the point in my life where they will need to take a leg! My mother is a type 2 diabetic. She was able to keep it away until her mid 50s. My mother just told he recently that her grandmother, my great-grandmother also lost a leg to diabetes. This means on my maternal side, my great grandmother Type 2 diabetes, my grandmother Type 2 diabetes, my mother Type 2 diabetes, me Type 2 diabetes. Oh my, I MUST do something!
I first got to talk with my doctor about my idea for a gastric band in February 2010. I had already researched my insurance and everything I could about the gastric band. He stated that this was my "best idea ever!" I started on my physician supervised diet at 210lbs. I thank my daughter for screwing up my body enough to make this all possible for me to hopefully overcome the diabetes curse in the maternal side of my family. I also want to take this opportunity to start her life with very healthy eating habits so that she may avoid this and break the cycle.