The struggle with my weight has been an almost ten-year process. Ever since my son, Jordan, was born, my weight never got back to what it was before I had him. I didn't have unrealistic expectations, but I did think that with the active lifestyle that my hubby and I had at the time, I would be able to keep it up. Wrong!

Deciding to have gastric bypass has been a year in the making, preparing for it. Both for insurance criteria and trying to decide if it was something I really wanted to do, considering I was very much leaning towards the Lap Band.

I did not have gastric bypass so I can be "thin" again. I did it because I know me: I like to EAT! I don't think I overate, but I ate all the wrong stuff. And when you don't exercise and take in all those calories, they sit on your hips quite nicely as fat. And that's just what I was doing.

Every year, I gained 10 - 20 pounds, consistently. It got to the point to where I didn't go shopping for me, anymore. It was just too hurtful to look in that dressing room mirror and see the tragedy that had become my thighs, belly, and arms.

Most women have the problem of being a shopaholic. Not me. I guess shopping in the Women's section lost its appeal.

When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in 2007, I was devastated. I've always been "healthy" in every other respect, and to hear I had to take a pill for the rest of my life did something to me. It made me "behave" for a while, and I started eating better and exercising, but life just gets in the way sometimes, and I wasn't able to keep up with it. So, I stopped.

At my next Internist appointment, my doctor smacked me on my thigh, and she said, "Sweetheart, have you ever thought of weight loss surgery?" I said, "Actually, I have. But I keep telling myself I'm strong, and I can do it on my own." She said, "And how are you doing so far?" I laughed but realized how good it is to have people on your side who tell you the TRUTH.

She said, "Nicole, you're young. And this may help you get off the meds I put you on. I really think the only reason you have hypertension is because of your weight. Diabetes is usually next. You don't want that, and I don't want that for you." And that was all she needed to say. She hooked me up with a Nutritionist and a Surgeon and the rest is history.

It's been an adventure. But through it all, my precious family has been right there by my side rooting me on. They made the decision to have gastric bypass easy for me. Every time I look at my baby, I know he deserves to have his mom around. He deserves for me to be active and healthy and able to rip and run like he does so well when we take him to the park.

Then, I look at my big baby, my husband, and he deserves to have a healthy wife, who if the Lord blesses, allows us to spend our Golden Years together, and not have me being on a million medications or something crazy just because I had no discipline in the area of my health when I was younger.

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