I weigh 368 lbs, down from 394 (6 months ago). I have arthritis, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, a suspected but undiagnosed autoimmune disorder, and symptoms of hypothyroid (but no diagnosis), severe sinus/allergy problems, and metabolic syndrome.
I have been on countless diets since the age of 5, and have been morbidly obese most of my life. I finally quit my job when my husband found work in Wisconsin (even though it was less than I was making) where the cost of living was much lower and I could dedicate myself to getting better. We're barely getting by, but it's been worth it. I am getting better, and have recently found that eliminating white flour, white rice, and sugar (but eating whole grains - not an extreme Atkins type diet) is allowing me to lose weight.
My dilemma is that I am at even higher risk for surgery than the norm. I seem to get staph infections very easily (ever since a car accident ten years ago or so, where a little bit of denim got into a scratch and infected badly). I will need blood tests before surgery to make sure I do not have a potassium deficiency (which I've had twice, and can be very dangerous during surgery). I tend to bleed excessively during surgery, even when my arthritis meds were stopped 10 days before surgery (ibuprofen and similar meds thin the blood - Ten days without my arthritis meds were unbearable), and I am an extremely compulsive eater and am afraid I would eventually sabotage myself.
When I was in Illiniois (6 months ago) my doctors, my husband and I decided that surgery was too risky for me at the time because of my breathing difficulties and other risk factors. I've been told that if my health improves and I can get under 350 lbs I can have laproscopic surgery, whch might be slightly less risky for me, but it seems that if I can get to 350, I can get to my goal weight.
I'm just so discouraged because all my searches online of morbid obesity seem to end in surgery. I have found very few stories of people my size losing weight without surgery and none of people needing to lose weight before surgery. It still seems to be such a paradox, I need to lose weight on my own in order to have a surgery that is for people who cannot lose weight on their own.
Aaaaaagh