I've been unhealthy for 30 years and up and down the scale my entire life! I think my lightbulb moment was seeing photos of myself at my 50th birthday party in 2019. Later, I did extensive research on Chronic Kidney Disease for my husband and I realized that if I didn't change my way of living, I too would end up with CKD. I had previous success with weight loss medication and then in 2021 I convinced myself that I couldn't attain/sustain weight loss without it. Throughout this time, I felt like my PCP offered NO help for me and I became FRUSTRATED with lack of options and assistance! For years I have been hearing, "JUST DO IT!" After losing my husband in April 2022, I regained all the weight I had lost and then some! Thanks to encouragement from a kind Registered Dietician, I maintained enrollment in my BC/BS ShareCare program and continued attending the on-line meetings. As a Christian, I thought surgery was a cop-out and I needed to rely more on my Faith and mature my fruit of "Self Control." I know others who have had the surgery and now I realize that Bariatric Surgery is another tool to help me get healthier. I do realize, however, that I will need to mature my fruit of "Self Control" in order to be healthy for life. I want to live a long, healthy life as my husband wanted for me and I'll try not to live with the regret of not doing this sooner while he was with me. I want to be available a LONG TIME for my adult son with disabilities and I want to serve the Lord passionately! I want to do something for ME for the first time in my adult life! I'm worth it and I deserve it!