chellt75

Okay, so here is my story....I have always been fat....  I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember.... I was diagnosed with PTC in 1995.  I weighed 160 pounds as a Freshaman in college and was moritfied that I had a disease caused by my excess weight.  I had surgery to releive the pressure on my brain, dropped out of college, and moved home with my parents all within a two week period.  I was terrified and I gave up.... I gained 80 pounds within that year.  I eventually returned to school, and my weight flucuated between 200-250 pounds.  In 1998, I had a shunt placed to drain the pressure off of my brain... The day of that surgery I weighed 199 pounds... I had been exercising and dieting and doing everything my doctors told me to do....  I was happy to be under 200 pounds and finally felt in control of my disease.   After the surgery I continued ot have severe headaches and continued to gain weight.. During this period I graduated from college (2000) and moved away from home....  I joined weight watchers and a gym and was determined to get my life on track.... I didn't...  I continued to gain/lose/gain/lose....It was a neverending battle.  Despite this diease, life was good.  I loved my job, had a wonderful church home, and was enjoying life....  My PTC seemed to be in remission and after five years was considered resolved....  In 2006, it came back.... I was off/on different medications during this period to regulate my ICP, but on March of 2008, my life came to abrupt halt....My shunt had failed and I was not responding to any medication... Within a three week period I had been hospitalized three times and recieved seven spinal taps and visited the ER nine times.... The taps would relieve the pressure for about a day and then I would need another.... THe pain was more than I could handle, and remember begging God to end my life...   I had a HORRIBLE time finding a doctor who could/would perform the surgery...  I finally found Dr. Buono and he agreed to operate.. I went into surgery not knowing if I would wake up with a LP shunt or a VP shunt.... He was able to get a good flow with a LP shunt and I felt like a new woman the next day!!! Things continued to improve, but I knew something wasn't right...  Four moths later I was diagnosis with CHiari.....  Still struggling with daily headaches and many other ill-effects....Sometimes mild enough to continue with my day.... Sometimes so severe that only a dark room and pain meds will do....  But I am no longer a frequent flyer at the local ER and feel well enough to look forward to the future again....  All this has led me to weight loss surgery... My insurance has a approved it at the urging of my neurosurgeon...  I am terrifed and am not 100% sure that lap-band is the answer.  I am terrified of the possible complications but do not want to look back on this a year from know and 20 pounds heavier and regret the missed opportunity.....