I'm currently waiting to hear back from insurance. Sitting at work today, I began thinking about my final "Yes, I'm making an appointment to see a surgeon and moving forward with WLS" moment. It had always been something I knew was available, but it had never been a realistic thought.

My "Yep. This is happening moment": 6 months ago I was at the doctor, stepped on the scale and out of habit...or not thinking I said "230-ish" to the nurse. Confused, she looked at me and slowly moved the weight up...because obviously I weighed more. Then it clicked, my head dropped and I said "Sorry, I meant 330." I felt my blood rush to my face, my heart sink to my stomach and the reality of the number set in.

In that moment everything clicked. The fact that my food addiction had spiraled out of control and my inability to drop the weight. It also clicked how badly I wanted a happy and healthy lifestyle. I follow SO many healthy living blogs, instagram accounts and facebook pages. I knew what I wanted, but didn't know where to begin. I had to face the fact that my weight was the highest it's ever been and I needed to fix it.

Immediately after leaving the doctor, I made an appointment with my surgeon, a mental health therapist and a dietitian. Finding a tool to help me reach my goal and finding the WLS Online community has been amazing. Hopefully within weeks I'll know if I'm approved and if I'm not...I won't stop trying.

What was your "I'm doing this" moment?

I had so many moments, but I think what really did it, besides the knee pain, was flying. On landing the seat belt popped open, and it was embarrassing, so I just threw my jacket over my lap, and as the flight attendants came through they could not see the seat belt was not secure. Thankfully we had a smooth landing.

Mine is when my doc told me I'd be dead in three years..

(mic drop)

Bam!

Mine was laying in bed one night with a portable heart monitor strapped to my chest. Just decided "I don't want to do this anymore." Next day I made an appointment with a clinic in Ft Worth to get an idea of cost (no insurance). And after a month of waiting and calls back and trying to juggle financing and educating myself, I found this site and sent an email. My phone rang before I finished filling out the paperwork and I was scheduled for 3 weeks later. I never looked back.

In May 2015 I turned 30yrs old and was 8months pregnant with my 4th baby. I could barely walk or do anything with my other children, so I told myself after I had the baby I was going to work out eat better and change my life. I did that worked out 5days a week with a trainer and I ate really healthy, did that for 3 months lost 25lbs I was happy felt like I had my life in control and was doing something. But we ending up having to move out of the city we lived and between moving finding a new place, getting the kids back into school. I didn't do much working out or eating good I was back to my old ways. 3 months later I sow myself gaining all the weight back my knee pains getting worse, not wanting to do much with my kids. I want back to the gym and the first day I changed into my gym cloth and step on the scale for the first time in 3months and not only did I gain back the 25lbs I lost I also put on another 15lbs my heart for a second I swear stopped. For the first time in my life I sow what I was doing to myself was going to kill me and soon I will no longer be around for my kids. That day I said no more I never want to see the number 320lbs again and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

so I looked into having WLS did my research on the sleeve and toke a loan, found a clinic in Mexico and had my sleeve on March 29th. Even thought I do have Regrets not about having the surgery but that I let myself get to a point where I needed surgery, I know soon I will be over it and this was the right decision things can only get better from here.

I am already down 23lbs since pre op and I am excited to see what the future holds.

Good luck on your journey.

mine was similar to yours, i started out by saying id never be the fat person at 300 pounds, then once i crossed that barrier it was well, ill never be stupid enough to get to 400 pounds. then on day while at the doctors i weighed in at 408 pounds. And after 13 pneumonia hospitalizations on 3 years, it was that moment that set my resolve, i went hope jumped on the internet watched a video and sent an email for an appointment. the rest is history as they say.

For me it was what was supposed to be a romantic weekend at one of those cheesy adult resorts in the poconos. There were mirrors EVERYWHERE. I saw myself from every angle and it was horrible

All of these are great...in the weirdest way. It's so comforting knowing that others have had similar struggles.

We've got this guys! Cheers to healthy, long and happy lives!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'd been overweight for a while (hovering around 375 lbs), and was constantly going to start eating better "tomorrow," which would turn into "Monday" which would turn into "1st of next month."

Then, I stepped on the scale at my Doctor's office and I had crossed 400 lbs (434 to be exact). That scared me and made me realize I needed to do something NOW. I asked at that appointment if my doctor thought I might be a good candidate for WLS. She was happy to give me a referral to their Weight Management/Bariatric Center.

That was in August of last year. My surgery is now just a week away (April 21st!) and I'm finally looking forward to the future instead of dreading it.

All of these are great...in the weirdest way. It's so comforting knowing that others have had similar struggles.

We've got this guys! Cheers to healthy, long and happy lives!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes we do.

Mine was on April 3rd, 2015.

Was near the end of a 14 hour workday......did something my arse shouldn't have done.....lifted shyt in a careless manner.....ended the workday and came home and decided to manhandle a boat trailer (with boat on still on it) in my garage to make it easier on my b-i-l when he came to borrow the boat.

Herniated a disc in the process.

The weeks and months ahead presented me with the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

My regular family practitioner, my spine surgeon and my pain management doc all said to lose weight asap.

So.........bariatric surgery plans were made and followed up on.

Glad I did.

All of these are great...in the weirdest way. It's so comforting knowing that others have had similar struggles.

We've got this guys! Cheers to healthy, long and happy lives!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Yes we do.

Mine was on April 3rd, 2015.

Was near the end of a 14 hour workday......did something my arse shouldn't have done.....lifted shyt in a careless manner.....ended the workday and came home and decided to manhandle a boat trailer (with boat on still on it) in my garage to make it easier on my b-i-l when he came to borrow the boat.

Herniated a disc in the process.

The weeks and months ahead presented me with the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

My regular family practitioner, my spine surgeon and my pain management doc all said to lose weight asap.

So.........bariatric surgery plans were made and followed up on.

Glad I did.

when i developed type 2 diabetes AND when my nephew was born...knew i had to do something to get healthy so i could be the best auntie ever!

i did a lot of research and together with my therapist and doctor decided that wls was a tool that would really help me get back to healthy!

When I got totally, completely out of breath and exhausted drying myself off after a shower (with a beach towel, of course, because a regular bath towel no longer suffices).

I stalked the page of Penn's bariatric surgery program for a few months but didn't get up the nerve to go to an information seminar until my psychologist asked me if I'd ever contemplated WLS. That got the ball rolling.

My driver's license photo.

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Mine was when my 3 year old was playing tee ball this past fall. Running the bases winded me. I played college softball so that really bothered me. On month 4 of diet/exercise visits with my PCP. Looking forward to the sleeve in June/July.

Edited April 15, 201610 yr by kleeper

When I was 8 I had my third hip surgery that put me in a body cast for 8 weeks. Prior to that surgery I was quite small after that surgery I couldn't stop gaining weight. I've alway remained active and exercise regularly so I figured I'm healthy it's ok I'm overweight. I've continued to put on weight over the years but I was always in the 200's. I recently took a trip and the seatbelt on the plane didn't fit. I was shocked, I didn't realize I had gotten that big. When I look in the mirror I don't see it but when I look at pictures I see someone I don't recognize. After that trip I came home and the scale said 310 and I knew I needed to do something. My mother had bypass 5 years ago and lost 125 pounds so I looked into WlS and knew it time for me to start the process. I will do my 6 months with the NUT and hopefully insurance will approve me otherwise I will pay on my own cause I know I have to do this to have a chance. I'm only 30 and don't want to continue to see a fat girl in pictures.

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