Well i was printed to share my story, so here goes..

I'm 26, Mexican-Iranian... That's important because that means that I was raised on rice and corn tortillas. I'm female btw.

Both of my parents work two or three jobs, so I was also raised on costco and walmart a frozen meals, like lasagna and chicken and rice... My sister has a disability which mean the I spend the better part of my early childhood in the waiting room of various doctors... Speech therapy, occupational therapy, at the ER, an the mental health therapist... But that not to being said to make you feel sorry, rather so you know that I again was subject to cafeteria food, Jello from the nurses and McDonalds.

In high school one of my cousins said I was fat, and a kid in school said I had too much facial hair on my arms and cheeks... Thus the body image phase hit. And so did the diet programs... Slim fast, Jenny Craig, weight watchers, curves, just To name a few. In college I got a personal trainer and a dietician an got put on phentermine, then my knee cap popped sideways and I had to get knee surgery, that was 2009. Then I severely sprained my ankle and was on a boot for 6 weeks...

So what brought me down this path for the Sleeve.... I need surgery on my other knee, same thing that happened on my right knee, reconstruction. Due to my weight says the doctor. I've got plantar faciitis on both heels of my feet, that doc said to "to try to loose 50lbs".. Like that was easy before. Ha. I've got pinched nerves on my lumbar and on my neck... That doc said to loose weight, that'd help. And lastly I'm pre-diabetic. My pcp said I'd for sure be on diabetic meds within the next 6 months if no change is made to my weight.

No let me also say that since I moved away from home in 2006, after high school, I became semi-vegetarian...eating fish or chicken twice a week, pasta-rice-or-bread three times a week.... Also in high school I learned to cook for the family, and since dad is vegetarian, I learned all sorts of recipes to make. So it's not like I was eating out all the time or eating junk food all the time.

So surgery was on 12/4/2014. Thanks to my crap Obamacare insurance I was dropped in June and either way this surgery is not covered. My dad had a good year financially and with the self-pay discounts at the hospital, my dad was able to get a loan for the procedure.

Did I mention Ive been living at home with the parentals for the past two years, and I've been in grad school the last two years.

My knees feel 1000x better. I've lost 25lbs so far, and even my heals don't get the stabbing shooting pain that they used to after walking for more than three hours.

Only negative so far is that I haven't been able to take my anti-depressant/anxiety meds Effixor because when I take it I feel dizzy, light headed, nauseous, weak and that lasts for hours.

That's me. Not sure why I had to share.

Welcome. Thank you for sharing your journey.