1 year ago this week I collapsed at work and had to be taken to the ER by ambulance. It was really embarrassing being carted on a stretcher down 2 floors while strangers and and co-workers watched - especially since I was having some pretty impressive projectile vomiting at the time.
At the hospital I was told I had labyrinthitis - an inner ear disorder - which was, of course, completely unrelated to my weight. As a matter of course, they did a CT Scan to rule out a middle ear tumor or a brain bleed. That was clear, but they found a large mass in my brain.
So I had to see my primary MD to have him refer me for an MRI. I went into the office that day and weighed in at 344 pounds. I was scheduled for the MRI in 2 weeks. For 2 weeks I lost sleep worrying about if I had a brain tumor and would die at age 37. I went in for the MRI and guess what? I didn't fit in the machine. It was so humiliating and I begged them to try to squeeze me in. They tried and the machine jammed and it took them a minute or 2 to get me out. The techs were really nice about it, but I was so humiliated, PLUS I had to be referred to another place for the MRI (one of those more open ones) which meant another 2 weeks of wondering if I was dying.
The results turned out fine, the mass was a large, but non-worrisome calcification. But those weeks of worrying about dying and what would happen to my beloved dogs and husband if I died, combined with the humiliation - I think that's what set me on this journey.
I started slow. A little exercise, decreasing my soda intake from 1-2 a day to 1-2 a week and starting to think about portion control. Gradually I got more into it, and more dedicated.
Here I am a year later, having lost 100 pounds. I still have a long way to go, and my life is not perfect. But I have more energy and feel better about my life and future then I have in a long time.
To anyone who's still reading, thanks for "listening". Hitting 100 down has made me very reflective.
