A New Journey

For as long as I can remember, I've always been a big girl. I remember dreading shopping for school clothes because, while my friends all got to shop for the latest fashions in the average size department, I was trying to find something in the husky girls department that didn't look like something my mother would wear. I was always active and loved doing all kids of activities outdoors like hiking and sports, but I always felt like an amazon, even at five feet, five inches. As I got older and my knees started to suffer from years of damage from hiking, snow skiing, ice skating, volleyball and racquetball, I got even heavier. I stopped doing the things I loved because the pain was too great and recovery took longer and longer. I knew I needed to lose weight to get the pressure off my knees, but that is easier said than done. I've tried a gazillion diets and nothing worked for me. Then, last summer, I started taking meds for high blood pressure. I didn't want to be on meds for something I could put an end to just by losing weight, so I made the choice to have weight loss surgery.
It's been a long journey and a lot of hoop jumping to get here, but I am finally here. On Monday, August 1st, I will have my gastric bypass. I'm starting off at 280 pounds and a lot of body fat. As I lose, I'm going to blog my progress and post pics as I go. I'm excited about the new journey. Thank you to all my friends and family who have supported me in my decision. I'll try to make you proud as I make myself feel better!