What was the final thing that you encountered that made you say this is enough? I have had numerous.

1. Leaving a wife and 2 sons, Husbandless and fatherless.

2. Not being able to get on amusement park rides with my sons.

3. Not being able to take my wife to a concert, because i could not fit in a seat.

4. Avoiding restuarant,movie theaters and sports complexes with tiny seats.

For me, walking through a a department store and some little child looking at me like im a alien had to be one the hardest things.

Respectfully,

Joe

Hurting a lot and listening to my knees sounding like rice krispies every time I sat down.

That and going to the drive in movies and feeling the camping chair slowly bend closer to the ground until it wouldn't close up any more.

We wanted to go to Six Flags before school starts but I got so depressed thinking about walking, riding and just sitting while everyone had fun, we decided to cancel. And that depressed me even more. We cancelled a mini vacation because of my weight.

Been toying with the idea of WLS, but I just got sick and tired of being sick and tired, you know?

My 14 year old son has been running cross country for the last 2 years. There are 1000 other reasons I wanted this surgery, but, the thought of me being able to go running with my son, still is something that drives me to push harder.

everything especially loosing 60 pounds only to put back on 80 over the next year and a half.... then when I heard about the Sleeve, I knew it was for me. A couple years of looking into bypass and not being able to do that to myself. Talked to Sleevers and researched it and was ready to go.... while waiting the 6 months for surgery a 4yr old asked, "Why are your legs so big?" that sealed the deal for me.

Mine was an inspirtation. A friend of mine (and past diet buddy) ran the NY Marathon. She had been around the same weight as I was and had bypass surgery about four years ago. I had always marveled at her weight loss, and even met with her several times to discuss the surgery. I kept thinking I would try to do it on my own, rather than undergo something so drastic. Well now, here I was at my highest weight ever, feeling tired, disgusting and miserable, and there she was running a MARATHON!! That was when I decided I had put my life on hold long enough and immediately started steps to get the surgery. It took me nine months from that decision to the actual proceedure, but now I am finally on my way to being a happy healthy person like she is. I do not really see the NY marathon in my future (I hate to run and always have, even when I was thin) but who knows. Either way, I know now that the future now looks bright for me and I will have my own "marathon" moments as a new, healthier, lighter me!

My main reason was being pretty much housebound.

Even in my house I couldn’t stand to cook or clean and I couldn’t walk from the top to bottom in one go I had to rest between floors it’s a 3 story house.

This year I hadn’t left my house unless in a car, I also cancelled going to my nephews christening because I couldn’t sit in the car for 3 hours to drive there without my back being in extreme pain, I couldn’t stand or walk for as much as I needed too once there and finding a outfit.

I did get a size 38 pair of pants but no top or shoes I could wear it depressed me more than anything else.

I have other reasons but they are personal to me.

I was on the waiting list to be approved for 2 years but the main reason for me is that I was pretty much a shut in because of my back and knees.

Middle of last year I tried to go ikea with my mum she drove I by passed most of the store and went straight to the bottom level which is pictures kitchen stuff rugs etc sat on a bench while she did all the looking around.

She met me we got half way in the ground floor I started locking up and shaking with pain I sat on the floor, when I felt better I started to go again had to walk through the warehouse bit I got down one isle so locked up and in so much pain I just started crying and forced myself to walk to some stairs near by to sit on and just cried while my mum tried to find the quickest way for me to get out.

Took me over an hour to get out because I would walk for 5mins be in so much pain I had to stop and wait and rest then go again and over and over.

Was the most humiliating experience ever just being stared at like I was insane and the staff constantly passing by asking if I was ok, am I sure and giving me odd looks.

The weight on my body was too much for me and nothing they did helped my back, the bigger I got the less I did the more pain I was in and round and round it went.

I think that’s why I was cleared suddenly this year instead of end of next year like it originally said.

I still have major issues with my back and right knee, still haven’t gone anywhere on my own not in a car but when I do instead of porters taking me in a wheelchair around the hospital I walk.

So that’s my straw that broke my back lol

What was the final thing that you encountered that made you say this is enough? I have had numerous.

1. Leaving a wife and 2 sons, Husbandless and fatherless.

2. Not being able to get on amusement park rides with my sons.

3. Not being able to take my wife to a concert, because i could not fit in a seat.

4. Avoiding restuarant,movie theaters and sports complexes with tiny seats.

For me, walking through a a department store and some little child looking at me like im a alien had to be one the hardest things.

Respectfully,

Joe

Joe...I have a similar list

1. Went to a concert to see my favorite artist and could not fit into the seat properly and so had to squeeze in sort of sideways and was in pain all evening.
   
2. Standing in line for a ride at Universal Studios with my grandson and not being able to even get on the ride - he rode alone and I had to wait at the exit
   
3. Seeing a picture of myself as I really was - at the end of my rope
   
4. Huffing and puffing when walking, even from the parking lot to my office right accross the street
   
5. Never feeling full - no matter how much I ate.
   

Thank God I found out that I qualified for WLS with Kaiser, I had been praying for a way to change my life and the option presented itself. I am so pleased with how much better I feel and look!!!

Father passed away at age 63 of massive heart attack. He was not obese and only had hyperlipidemia (controlled with med). He also ate healthy and exercised daily.

There are other reasons for me, but none that matter nearly as much as that one.

Mine wasn't related to an event, or a trigger weight, or anything like that. I was just tired of being fat. And tired of saying, "If I can't do it on my own by this time next year..."

I guess what I'm saying was that it was a slow process, rather than an event.

I think it was more outside events (e.g. getting a recommendation for a surgeon, realizing it could be done, realizing...) Keep in mind this was 2005 when the only WLS you really heard of was RNY and it was far from mainstream knowledge.

_{I took my then 10 year old daughter to a water park that had a lake that you could kayak or canoe. She was insistant that we each get a kayak. I told her I wasn't gonna fit in one but she persisted. I wedged by butt in one and it immediately sunk in the sand and got stuck. The kid working the area had to push me out and as soon as he did it tipped over. I then got in a canoe and rowed away. There were a lot of people in line watching and it was mortifying. I am 5'7" and was about 250 at the time. I knew that day I had to do something. There were also a couple of water slides with weight limits that I was slightly over. I can't wait to go back and do it all this time.}

Mine was my daughter , I had my 2 nd child when I was 38, I'm 39 now , and I want to be there for her, I want to be able to be active for her and my son . I am nearing 40 and I had this great need that I wanted to make a major change in my life, I want to be the grandma that zip lines :-) not wheelchair bound because of her weight .

I woke up one morning and realized my life wasn't going anyway. My boyfriend/ child's father started cheating and had no interest in me anymore. Co workers suggesting better eating habits for me as if they were my mate. I've learned to avoid shopping with friends and family because I hate what I look like in dressing room mirrors. I'm ready to live and stop living in a shell like a turtle.

I walked by a mirror in a store and didn't recognize myself. It wasn't me I didn't look that big. Anyway I did some research for about a week around the end of July and had my surgery August 9th in Mexico.

Finding out that I'm bigger than my mother and that I was at risk for diabetes

I weighted 242 pounds and lost down to 175... and then gained it back in less than 6 months. Stress I guess. I noticed that it was getting harder and harder to walk and then my knee started to hurt all of a sudden. Really bad.

I went to a doctor someone recommended. He did a CAT scan and said it was a bone bruise and it would get better. I went the next month and he still said the same thing even though it wasn't getting better. Finally I asked him to give me something for pain and he gave me a prescription for darvocet for one month. My friends said he wasn't doing anything for me and I should go to another doctor. I went to another doctor who acted like I was some kind of drug addict for changing doctors. But he gave me another prescription for darvocet. A few days later I forgot to take the darvocet and went to work and couldn't get up from my chair to go to the bathroom. I called my doctor and he was on vacation. I went to his backup doctor who actually diagnosed my arthritis but gave me arthritis medicine, how about that, a brace and a steroid shot. He told me if I didn't lose weight I would need knee replacement surgery in 5 years.

Now, I had a doctor recommend WLS for me years before. But that was when most of the people you heard about getting WLS were over 300 lbs and I only weighed about 220. But now smaller people were getting it and I was facing a choice of knee replacement surgery or WLS. And then the wife of a friend of mine had gastric bypass surgery and lost 170 pounds. My friend kept at

me to get it before it was too late.

Then in April of last year, I met my beautiful new granddaughter Desiray. And I want to take her to the park and the beach - museums and festivals. Bike riding and swimming. And I want to move to Central America when I retire and be another grandma doing zip lines in Costa Rica with my granddaughter.

Plus, the process has gotten me diagnosed with Type II Diabetes, sleep Apnea and something called Hypertension-Related Heart Disease, without Heart Failure

Thank you for all those who responded and for those who respond later. I am so glad I found this community to talk about the pains that we all have felt at one time or another and not be judged or looked down on. Good luck to all of us on are new life and cant wait for positive stories!

Respectfully,

Joe