Hello, I am new to the site, I am 28 and my name is Kristie. I have struggled with weight most of my life. I was over weight by junior high, obese by high school and I am now considered morbidly obese but hovering dangerously close to super obese (under 20 pounds away from a BMI over 50). I have tried diets, pills, starvation even. No matter what I do I can't get below 280. I watch my kids play but don't have the energy to join in, I feel like they are growing up without me and it breaks my heart. I have been mulling over the idea of lap-band surgery for some time now but wanted to avoid surgery if I could. It has become blatantly apparent the I need the surgery. My weight is more of a risk to my health and safety than it ever has been. I have sustained weight related injuries multiple times in the last few months, I have a family history of heart problems (young) and I feel like I am sitting in the middle of an oven hoping I don't get burnt. I want to make it blatantly clear I have no desire to be "skinny", IMHO skinny is over rated. I want to be healthy, I want to play with my kids while they are still young enough to want to, I want to grow old and play with my grandbabies, I want to have the energy I haven't had in a very long time and I want to enjoy all the things I always wanted to but couldn't because of my weight. I know if I could just get the surgery it would work for me, not just because I am determined but because I see it for what it is, a tool NOT a quick fix. I believe I am a good candidate for surgery but I feel I may never see the day that all the wonderful things I mentioned will come to pass. Why? Because my insurance won't touch the surgery, regardless of how badly you need it. There in no foreseeable way for us to come up with $23000 and my credit is non-existent due to nobody being willing to take a chance on me. DH and I are buying a home but for whatever reason they are not reporting to the credit bureau, so that isn't even helping. Due to my lack of established credit, carecredit.com and several others have denied me financing. It would be one thing if I wanted to finance a nose job but this is my LIFE and I can get NO ONE to extend a helping hand. I feel defeated all over again but this time its so much more than after all the failed attempts at weight loss because I look at my history then I look at my future and what I see isn't pretty. I see myself getting bigger and bigger until my heart gives out at the ripe old age of 40 (the age of my mothers first heart attack... and she is so much smaller than me that its scary, about 100 pounds smaller).
Can someone please point me in the right direction for help, if such a thing exists? are there such things as grants for this type of thing? I am a college student and its all we can do just to pay our bills month to month and get the kids the things they need.$23,000 might a well be a million if we have to pay for this out of pocket because we will never come up with it. Any help would be appreciated!