Alison B.
At 5'10" I've always been taller than most women, and my feet are definitely not an adorable size 6 
As a college student and young adult I wasn't fat, although I believed I was. For as long as I can remember, I felt my appearance was somehow unacceptable. I look back at photos after my sons came along and see that I wasn't fat. I was in good shape, but I didn't know that or appreciate it. I had learned poor eating habits growing up, including overeating when I was sad, angry, upset, you name it. During a particularly difficult patch with a close family member, I began to pile on the weight. I needed arthroscopic knee surgery, developed obstructive sleep apnea, and had a really difficult time finding clothes that fit. My behavior and my emotional overeating brought me to a point where I was unhealthy, in pain, and obese. The emotional toll this takes is just as difficult to live with as the physical problems.
I began to look into WLS in 2011 but had to let that dream go when my husband's insurance coverage changed and excluded WLS as a covered benefit. Major upset and further overeating.
Fast-forward to 2015, when I changed jobs and acquired health insurance that did cover WLS, IF I had it done at Mayo Clinic. As I live 1.5 hours away from Mayo, this began to seem like a burden. However, I've made it work and have just passed the last hurdle: a surgical consultation and review of my medical file. I'm told the surgery dept. will send a written request to obtain authorization for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy. (Update: I got the call this morning, 4/30/15, informing me that the insurance co. has approved VSG surgery, and I'm scheduled for surgery on May 28, 2015. Major excitement mixed with minor nervous butterflies in my stomach!)
I've discovered a wonderful resource in OH and am so appreciative of all those who post, offer encouragement, and share their wisdom. I hope to be able to do that as I move along in the process toward WLS.
