Memoirs of a Soon-to-Be Former Fat Guy

There comes a time when we have to make tough choices. Big ones that you know will affect your entire life. I’m in the process of considering one right now. As many readers know, I’ve struggled with my weight for quite some time. Every time I take it off, it comes back. It might be a short time or a long time, but every time that the weight returns, it adds a little more. Couple that with diabetes and the constant nagging joint pain, sleep apnea and the sobering fact that two-thirds of people with my issues don’t live to see their 65th birthday, well I’m considering gastric bypass surgery.

This of course has not sit well with my mother, who thinks I’m foolish for even considering it. She has no comprehension of what I go through with my obesity and diabetes, and when I try to explain it, she’s not hearing what I’m saying. The pain and discomfort of walking (something I always enjoyed), the need for four injections a day, not to mention all the associated problems. She’s never been fat a day in her life, and most people don’t understand that going through life as a fatty is no fun.

I realize that it will require a major sacrifice on my part, changing the way I live for the rest of my life, but if it keeps me around a little longer, well, that’s worth it. Plus, it has the strange side effect of pretty much getting rid of Type 2 diabetes. If the lifestyle change means that I won’t have to continue to treat myself like a human pincushion, well, I’m all in favor.

The appointment for a consultation with the bariatric surgeon and his team is on Monday morning. I’ll let you know what comes of it.