Weight Loss Surgery • Am I a Candidate • Understanding Obesity Weigh Loss Staff • Pathway to Surgery • Nutrition and Fitness • Surgery Options Life After Surgery • Real Patient Stories   Marie
	Anthony Marie Mary Chris Rob

I am a person that believes everything happens for a reason and that every reason has a purpose.  That being said… here I am sitting in the ICU waiting room, my mother is in ICU.  She is not expected to make it.  I find a brochure sitting in the waiting room,  Bariatric Center to open soon, within the next year.  I put the brochure down and went to see mom.  She passed away that September.  I see it this way - even when my mom was dying she was giving me a way to live.  The cause of death for my mother was chronic renal failure consequences of diabetic nephropathy due to or likely consequence of diabetes mellitus.  She was only 64 years old and over weight all her life.  I was 4 months pregnant with my 2^nd child Charli and sadly my Mom never will know her.  I went on living life and gave birth to my 3^rd child Kaleb.  My mom will never know him either. 

I knew that after I had my son I had to change something.  My oldest Stefanie plays sports and I wanted to be able to keep up with her and not be a mother she was ashamed to say “hey that’s my mom”. 

I came home from work so tired I didn’t feel that I was being fair to my family.  Work got the best of me; my family got what was left of me.  I remembered the brochure so I called MCH, and Linda sent me a packet.  I read it and did a little on-line reading and never filled it out.  Waited a few more months and was in a training class and a co-worker said she had the weight loss surgery and that our insurance covered 100%.  I called MCH again for another packet; filled this one out and went to their first meeting.  My husband went with me.  Dr. Davenport went over all the stats and possibilities.  I thought this is my chance to change my life!  I made a decision, YES I was going to change my life.  I turned my packet in that night and set my first appointment.  Little did I know how I was going to change my life. My friend Amy that had the surgery told me that the first six weeks would be the worst six weeks of life (boy was she right).  Funny thing is everyone that thinks this is so easy or it is the easy way out.  I am here to tell this is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and no one will ever understand that unless they have been there.  But all in all I believe that everything in life comes with a price and if you ask me if I am willing to pay this price again you will get a resounding YES.  I have come a long way now I feel better and more confident than I have been in a long time.  I am now the wife and mother I wanted to be.  I run and play with my kids (ages 12, 11, 2, and 1).  I can keep up with them and everything else life has given me.  I am no longer ashamed when I go out in public.  I always hated shopping.  The day came I was going need clothes that fit.  I went shopping with my sister- she handed me a pair of jeans.  I told her I was not going to be able to get my rear in those jeans.  She made me take them to the dressing room.  I was mad. Why had I let her talk me into trying these on?  They are not going to fit.  I will feel like I went though all of this for nothing so I pulled these black jeans up to my thighs and said that’s it, that’s as high as their going……Pulled them up pass the thighs, the butt, the hips.  Oh, my gosh, I can still breath and didn’t need a pair of pliers to pull up the zipper.  I looked in the mirror and I was crying.  I walked out of the dressing room to show my sister.  I was crying so hard all she could say was breathe, and hold me while we both cried.  The other ladies in the dressing room probably thought we were crazy crying over jeans.  But they will never know the journey that brought me here.  The pain, the tears, the hurt feelings, and the tired run down mom…..this is my new life. 

I have arrived and I love it!!!!