The Bypass Idea - Starting the Journey

The idea for the bypass isn't and wasn't something that just came up one day and I decided on it. My mom mentioned it once or twice in the past few years. Mostly in passing comments like "you should check into the lap band or bypass". Just comments like those, nothing too dramatic just an idea. That is where I consider the starting point to be, usually around those comments. Its like turning on to a long stretch of road and you know theres something amazing down at the end, but you squint real hard trying to see how much the road twists or how far the road goes...you just don't know. Its a lost and awkward feeling. Another feeling I had was when the weight loss surgery ads started appearing on TV. I looked at those thinking it must be some long, strange process and I wouldn't even know where to start...I thought "it was not something I could do" and I don't mean that I couldn't go through surgery or its too scary or too hard, it just seems like some strange big thing that I probably could never reach and grasp.

How did it start then? Well about a year ago I had a blood test, my doctor has tested me twice...I think he was just waiting and watching for me to get diabetes, and my thyroid level looked a bit low. He sent me home to do the temp test. I actually slacked for a few months...early into this year. I forgot all about the temp test. (If you're curious you can google thyroid temp test, its a common thing done on top of blood tests to figure out thyroid problems.). Finally I do the temp test and my body temp was a little bit low, which confirmed hypothyroidism. I started taking thyroids around May or June, I really can't recall now.

It was when I went back for a check-up that my doctor suggested I start some diet or diet program. He had not known that, like most others in this situation, I have been on almost every diet...with the exception of the "fad diets" like weight watchers (not bashing them just saying its a business, with a good support group) south beach, jenny, etc. I have been on the more common diets, working out, eating salad, veggies, meats. I've been on the low/no carb diet, the eat six tiny meals a day diet, the eat three normal meals a day diet, the low fat diet, the no fat diet, the low cal diet, the no cal diet....since I was about ten years old. My parents never handled the diets well, treated me like a criminal. I was a kid, I didn't know about being healthy and as I got older it just really went away and I ate whatever I wanted. I was always to be the token fat person in our family.

I asked him about weight loss surgery. We talked a bit about my past diets and such and then I dropped the critical detail which I just found out recently at that time. I'm 22 years old, I'm under my family's insurance, at 23 years old I will no longer be covered. That means by early next year '09, I wont have insurance. As of right now I have the best insurance you can get in California at the moment. So we got the ball rolling right then and there. I was sent off to another doctor who focuses on weight management. He is a famous guy around here, always on the news talking about weight and health.

I met with him and he started me on a protein diet. I was to meet with him every month. I believe my first appointment was in June. I also was to walk half an hour on the treadmill every other day. I did good for the first month or so. I was very pumped, just excited that while I was working on this program that my new doctor was working on finding me a surgeon.

At the next check-up appointment I lost a handful of pounds and while its not a huge amount (5 pounds or so in a month) I was getting healthy and I realized that even if its one pound a month (which has happened) its still a loss. Im not gaining anymore.

Later I was to start the "checking off" process.

When I first started this journey I was 289 pounds. I should be 160-180 pounds.