For the last month I have been making my round of doctors, tests, and counseling sessions. I hope to be approved within the next couple of weeks. One good thing about the tests is that I found out I have sleep apnea and need a CPAP mask.

While I have had yoyo weight issues all my life, my weight did not become alarming until the last 5 years. Just this last year I passed 250 pounds for the first time, and I have decided I must do something about it now. I am beginning to have problems doing things like tying my shoes. I quit smoking three years ago, and am now in my mid 50's, so these are all factors that are making conventional dieting and exercise less effective. I do not have any real health issues yet, but my mother died of heart disease in her late 50's, and I do not want to follow her path. My plan is to retire in 7 years and be healthy enough to enjoy it.

I am sure that I will be approved for the surgery, but my next step will be deciding when. I have a trip to India coming up in May, and a cruise in June. At first I wanted the surgery ASAP so that I would be thinner before I went to India, but after reading the post-surgery regimen the dietician gave me, I believe that I should not do any traveling for at least 6 months after the surgery, especially to foreign countries. As a result, I am going delay the surgery until the summer.

I see this surgery as a journey, the other side of which I will be a much happier person. After hearing the weight the doctor thought I would be able to obtain, I am getting excited about finally starting this journey.

Good luck to you. I'm waiting on approval hopefully in the next couple of weeks.