Obesity is a
medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that
it may have a negative effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy
and/or increased health problems.
According to
the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric institute:
Obesity has become the #1 public health problem in our country
today -- more than half of Americans are overweight and roughly 12 million
Americans have severe obesity (defined as being 100 lbs. or more overweight).
Ohio currently ranks 13th among the states for this condition.
Morbid
obesity is a serious health condition that can interfere with basic physical
functions such as breathing or walking. An individual is considered morbidly
obese if they are 100 pounds over the normal ideal body weight, have a BMI of
40 or more, or 35 or more and experiencing obesity-related health conditions,
Morbidly
obese are at greater risk for illnesses including:
Obesity is a major cause of premature death and many other
medical conditions,
Type 2 diabetes.
High blood pressure/heart
disease/hypertension
Osteoarthritis of
weight-bearing joints.
Sleep apnea/respiratory
problems..
Gastroesophageal reflux disease and heartburn
Gallstones
Depression.
Infertility
Urinary stress incontinence.
Cancer
Once upon a
time, I use to look at obese people and think “How could they let themselves
get that big?”
“I will never allow myself to get like that”
In 2010-due
to severe stress going on in my life, I slowly started to not feel so well.
This went on until one day severe exhaustion, the constant overall aching &
pain became my new normal. I went
through tests and meds and I was seeing a rheumatologist and PCP every 6 weeks.
Where I once
parked at muni lot (doing the Muni Walk), walking during breaks, walking my
dogs around the neighborhood, I now parked at Willard, hardly moved from my
desk, never walked my dogs. I’d come home crash on the couch and not want to
move. The THOUGHT of going to kitchen to
prep dinner or clean the house exhausted me. Would be in bed nlt 7:30 some
nights. Toss and turn couldn’t sleep. Was falling asleep behind the wheel and
at my desk. I went from having a normal life to a very sedentary life.
Slowly but
surely began gaining weight. By the time we found the right combo of meds to
keep my symptoms under control, I had gained enough weight to make walking very
painful. Excessive weight exacerbated a back injury I incurred in 2 2007 car
accidents. Walking was becoming
excruciating. A bad knee became much worse. While I had the will, the body wasn’t giving
me a way.
Additionally I had also been diagnosed with
severe carpal tunnel (which is also linked to obesity) which led to release
surgery, which leads to having weaker wrists and being careful about how much
weight is put on them.
One year ago
today I was morbidly obese and had almost every one of those symptoms mentioned
earlier.
Walking or
standing more than 5-10 minutes would have me crying and nearly throwing up
from severe pain. My knee was shot. I
was limping and receiving cortisone shots and told by the doc I had accelerated
degeneration of my knee thanks to my weight and I’m too young to have
replacement surgery. I was using a cane on occasions. Prone to depression, I
was severely depressed. I no longer felt like I was a functioning member of
society. My activities were limited to my physical limitations. Additionally, my
family moved out of state and flying on a plane was becoming a normal occurrence
and something I despised. Standing in airport security lines and walking to my
gat, no longer fitting into the seat, requiring an extender seat belt—all this
made me HATE flying. Do you understand
how embarrassing it is to have to ask the person you’re next to if you could
keep the arm up between the two of you?
I couldn’t
put socks on. Funky positions to do that. I couldn’t lift myself from seated
position ESPECIALLY if I was on the floor, due to my wrists. I couldn’t walk or stand without pain. I was beginning to worry we’d have to sell
our new home because I’d have issues with stairs. I was winded climbing them.
My PCP
suggested I look into bariatric surgery as I didn’t have many choices.
Tons of
research and dread and resolve.
Aug 16:
changed my life.
All the tests
to have the surgery. Last hurdle, Insurance requirement. I was to do 3 months
of physician monitored dieting and I had to lose 24lbs.
24 lbs.? I
was so sure I couldn’t do it.
Dietitian gave me outline and told me to walk 10K steps a day.
ARE YOU
KIDDING ME.?
I’m not a
quitter, I was going to do this.
Oct 25,
2013—Weigh in. I lost 44lbs. I realized I could do it. I got the last
approval and I said HOLD ON. If I did
THIS, why can’t I do more?
End of 2013,
lost 52 lbs. Down 2 sizes and was not physically active. Went from not walking
to doing 3 mile hikes with my husband and dog.
Knee.
Cane. Loss of focus. By April gained 15lbs back. Not going back.
At this time
I worked with my BMI doc, PCP, & Dietitian to come up with a plan and throw
in the biggest loser season 9.
I did the
physical fitness test and ‘reinjured’ myself.
Thought I would have to drop out.
I don’t have the normal body to do this.
Sat with team captain and Frankie to come up with alternatives for my
situation. Did not want to do more harm than good. While I couldn’t necessarily work out with
the team, I had my alternatives and I did them.
One year ago
I was 3.5 sizes bigger, had a BMI of 53.3, and could barely move.
Today I’m on
the cusp of dropping below 40.
Between the
BL & my work with my nutritionist and doctors, I was runner up with 38lbs
and 9%of my weight lost. Remember, this
is with limitation. I STILL have a lot
of work ahead of me, but I’m willing to do that. If you don’t have physical
limitation, you have no excuse. If you
do have any physical limitations, do not let that stop you. Work with the captain, Frankie &
Jason. There are alternatives to a lot
of what they want us to do. I can’t
participate in a lot of the “challenges” due to these issues but I am there to
cheer my team on. I am at home working my butt off to make up for it with the
activities I can do.
I walked in
my first 5K in June and will be part of the Foxtrot walking the 5K
portion. A year ago this was impossible.
You get out
of this what you put in. If you barely try,
you will not see results and you are cheating yourself out of a fantastic
opportunity to become healthier. You have these teammates and captain to
support you. They will. You owe it yourself to try. Don’t give up.
If you want
to talk to me more about what I’ve done to get to this point, feel free.
I am doing
everything I can not to go back there. I
belong to a ‘support group’ of friends who are all fighting this battle to
become healthier. I tell as many people
who are interested about what I’m doing. I write a blog chronicling everything
from when I first was going to have my bariatric consult to today. I joined
this program. I want to have as many people know so I have someone besides
myself to know
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