mnieves

I have always been a big girl all my life and after 3 daughters found myself at 271 lbs.  At one point in my life, in 2003, something happened and I worked as hard as I could and lost 100 lbs.  3 years later my husband was diagnosed with kidney failure and was put on dialysis immediately.  Five months later we found out I was a match for him and I then donated my kidney to him.  Life was going good, when I suddenly fell ill and was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation and Tethered Cord Syndrome in 2008.  I put back on 30 pounds of what I had previously lost.  I could no longer find that inner strength to lose the weight, much less maintain what I had already lost.  The weight was coming on faster than I could handle.  That is when I knew I had to do something, and that something was to get the Lap- Band surgery.  Because I was "only" at 197 lbs. I knew my insurance would not cover me because my BMI was not that high, but there was NO WAY I would let myself stare 300 pounds straight in the eye ever again, so I decided to go down to Mexico and get the procedure done there.  It was such a great experience, and they were extremely personable, knowledgeable, and professional.  Anyway, that is where the Lap-Band started.  They trained our doctors.  Anyways.  I am excited to see where this journey will take me, and can not wait to start melting away to a healthy weight.