less than a month away

OMG!
I have less than one month until my gastric bypass surgery!

I have decided to blog about my gastric bypass surgery starting now. My surgery is schedule for March 3, 2010 with Dr Shahzeer Karmali. I was approved for this surgery back on September 1st 2009, and was initally told that my bypass would be scheduled before Christmas. The average turn around from the inital surgery approval was 6-8 weeks, but due to recent cutbacks from the Alberta Government I have/will be waiting 6 months and 2 days.

I guess I should tell you all a little about myself. My name is Jen and I am from Edmonton, AB. I am 26 years old and am a transit operator. I have been married now for 4 1/2 years. I have no children, however I do have 3 dogs and 4 cats.

Weight has always been an issue with me. Growing up I was always one of the heaviest children in my grade and age group. I remember starting the seventh grade at the weight of 167 pounds. Over the next 6 years I kept gaining weight. However, in grade 12 I thoIght I had conquered my weight issues. I started out my senior year at 237 pounds, but by the time I graduated I managed to lose about 55 pounds, and by the following September I was down to 169 pounds. I'm not sure how I was able to shed the pounds, but I was happy about my weight and seemed to be quite healthy. I was able to keep this weight off for about 3 years. At the age of 20 in 2003, I feel into a deep depression and was prescribed a medication called Seroquel. I was warned that weight gane was a possible side effect but I never expected to gain 70 pounds in 6 months. I couldn't seem to shake this new weight, and in fact I kept putting weight on.

My heaviest weight was in the fall of 2008 at 287 pounds. I attribute some of the additional (almost 40 pounds) weight gain, since being on the seroquel, to being comfortable in my marriage and going through two miscarriages in 2008. Triplets in Feb 2008 and an ectopic pregnancy in July 2008.

I have been involved with the Weight Wise Clinic since November 2008. The Weight Wise Clinic is a Bariatric Clinic in Edmonton, that helps patients learn stratagies and lifestyle changes to lose weight. Along with these stratagies, surgery is also an option. My inital weigh in was 287 pounds. Since starting with the clinic I have lost 22 pounds. I am a little disappointed with the low number of the weight loss, but it was pointed out to me that at least I have not gained any weight.