Mikes Story
Anyways, Mike was the first morbidly obese person that I had ever been close to. I was truly amazed at how energetic he was. He’s an avid fisherman and would literally climb rocks to get to “The best fishing spots”. Mike was in his mid 30s at the time. He rarely got sick and felt really great.I met Mike October 1997 on Matchmaker.com. We were probably one of the first successful internet couples as internet dating was quite new back then.
Mike was real proud of this catch! Summer of 2002.
I’m telling you his story – because even though your weight might not affect your health at this time – chances are it will create health problems for you in the future.
You often hear about obese peple dying of heart attacks – but you rarely hear of some of the other health risks associated with being overweight. You deserve to live a happy healthy life. Decide to lose weight today.
In 2000 Mike had knee surgery. While recovering from his surgery he developed a blood clot. His leg would swell and became discolored – but the Dr. told us not to worry. For the most part Mike healed and we thought all was fine.
Mike and I were married May 10, 2003. Though he weighed over 400 pounds at the time, he was fairly healthy. We honeymooned on Catalina Island, and Mike had no problem walking up and down the steep hills.
April 2005 – Mikes leg swelled up to double it’s normal size. His leg was discolored and extremely painful. He could barely walk. It took him about half an hour just to get up from the couch. Off to the Doctor he went. We were told he had Cellulitis …
(Cellulitis is a potentially serious bacterial infection of your skin. It appears as a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot and tender, and may spread rapidly. Cellulitis may also affect the tissues underlying your skin and can spread to your lymph nodes and bloodstream. Left untreated the infection may turn into a life threatening condition.)
August 2005 – Mike developed ugly sores on his leg called stasis ulcers. They are extremely painful and take years to heal. There is no cure for them. People have lost limbs due to them – if they get too deep and the infection gets into the bones. If you dare – do a Google image search on stasis ulcers – they are not a pretty sight! Mike’s ulcers took till September 2007 to heal.
November 2005 – Mike began having vision problems. The ophthalmologist stated he had a pseudo tumor. This affects your vision – it is believed that the cause of it is obesity. It can cause blindness.
January 2006 – Mike developed 2 more blood clots. He was admitted to Loma Linda University Hospital. The vascular surgeon told Mike that if he didn’t want to lose his leg and if he wanted to live that he needed to lose weight. Weight Loss surgery was strongly advised.
It amazed me that the Dr. stated that Mike’s weight was worse for his vascular system than smoking was. The doc also told him to quit smoking and begin an exercise program.
March 2006 – Mike had to see a heart specialist. This physician told Mike that he was slowly strangling his heart. The Doctor stated that Mike’s heart was beginning to show caution signs of future problems. If Mike wanted to avoid future heart problems, he must lose weight. This Doctor also recommended surgery.
Note that due to these physical problems Mike was on disability from October 2005 thru April 2006. Mike was in extreme pain. He could not walk at all. Very tough time for an outdoors man.
Weight loss surgery is truly a scary thought. My hats off to all whom have gone through this ordeal. A strict diet needs to be followed after surgery. Often times different foods can make you ill. You may not be able to eat enough to get the daily vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Mike figured that he’d rather lose weight on his own terms, and still be able to enjoy food. I began talking to men and women whom had successfully lost weight. It was at this time I began reviewing weight loss programs to find one that would work for Mike.
On April 1, 2006 Mike and I both quit smoking. Mike began following the eDiets Basic Weight Loss Plan. By September 2006 he was down 40 pounds to 390. He felt good and thought he was well on his way …
But the Holidays came. Mike thought he could cheat here and there. He stopped writing in his food journal and stopped measuring his portions.
January 2007 – Mike was very disappointed in himself. He now weighed 435 pounds again … He changed his mindset and became determined to lose weight once and for all. He was tired of the health issues he was having. He decided to Choose Life! He began following the eDiets Plan again.
September 2007 – I’m happy to report that Mike is down to 350 pounds! This is the least that he’s weighed since I’ve known him. He’s off his blood pressure medication and is no longer having vision problems … His doctor says he looks like a “whole new person”.
It’s been a rough couple of years – but Mike is feeling better than he has in a long long time. He’s anxious to get down to 250 and knows that it’s only a matter of time.
Comapre to our wedding day. Yup, that’s Mikes great sense of humor. He loves this picture