Many of you know that Diamond Dallas Page ran a contest promotion on The Backstage Pass Radio Program searching for an individual to work with, challenge, and motivate in their weight loss journey. The winner received the entire YRG Fitness Program, along with a weekly motivational phone call from Dallas himself.
We got lots of great entries, but Dallas was particularly moved by Jenn's story, and she was selected as the winner. (Note: after speaking to Jenn today, she informed me that she's already down -5.2 lbs. Go Jenn!) Jenn has agreed to share her YRG Fitness journey publicly, even bravely giving us some "before" photos.
Here's her winning entry:
While I am writing this to tell you about me and the things I face every day and to understand what's it is like to be in this 348 pound body.
I started at the Wharton Medical Clinic May 2009 and at that time I was my heaviest 374 pounds. The Clinic has been a blessing and very supportive in my weight loss so far.
My body on the other hand, is 25 and it seems the more interest i put into my health and improving it the more my body rebels. I feel 90!
I woke up March 2009 and realized i have been attempting to get pregnant for over a year with no luck, I was finding i was having allergies pop out of nowhere and my snoring was becoming a big self conscious area preventing me from over night visits anywhere. My boyfriend has also been telling me that i stop breathing every so often and i found i that i have been getting a lot of headaches. So sick of being ill all the time i traveled 3 hours to my home town of Cambridge, ON to see my family doctor because in Peterborough i have been on Doctor waiting lists for approx. 3 years with no luck. Because of the distance i prepared fully for my appointment, I had an allergist and all the referral information as well as a Sleep Clinic in Peterborough and the referral sheet to Wharton. Wharton Medical Centre i found on a blog about WLS.
Two weeks later i was in with an allergist and found that i am allergic to dust and certain cleaners but not longer allergic to ragweed anymore. He placed me on eye drops and nasal spray and my sneezing/crying fits for no reason have almost completely stopped. He also sent me for a chest x-ray and breathing test due to my Asthma (which I have never had before). The chest x-ray came back showing my diaphragm is lopsided and the breathing test best way to put it I FAILED! So they placed me on a new steroid inhaler (doesn't help lose weight) and are still testing showed my lung function is diminishing.
About a month after the referral i got into the Sleep Clinic, had my over night (that was not fun) and then over a month after got my results and found that I have enlarged tonsils and that i am definitely suffering from sleep apnea. I was told I stop breathing 23 times an hour on average and my blood oxygen drops into the 70's. I am now sleeping with a CPAP machine and as sexy as that is i have found one benefit beside from the obvious living, If I want the bed to myself all i need to do is start talking dirty to the fianceé wearing it and he will start laughing and leave the room and not come back till i am asleep.
Wharton I have been extremely impressed with! They are a weight-loss clinic in Hamilton and Burlington Ontario and are fully OHIP funded. Every time i go in they test my blood pressure, weight me and do an EKG, which is nice to know how my weight loss is affecting my body. They also due all kinds of testing like ECG, and Ultrasounds on my liver. The staff is amazing they cheer you on and give all the support they can. There is where i got the Bariatric Educator and Meal plan to follow and has helped quite a bit.
During all this my medical conditions have become a list:
Asthma
IBS (Irritable Bowl Syndrome)
Rheumatoid Arthritis (Beginning stages)
Allergies
Sleep Apnea
High Blood Pressure
Diverticulitis
DUB (dysfunctional Uterine Bleeding)
Other the medical issues big a "Big Girl" has many obstacles. I am limited to friends i can visit in their homes due the floor the live on. In many public places i am forced to use the handicap washrooms because i am to large to wipe properly in the "normal" ones. I can no longer enjoy amusement parks with my Step-Daughter because i am to large for most rides. February 2008 I went to England for my Nana's funeral, the plane ride was 8 ½ hours and i had to hold going to the washroom because i could not fit through the door. When we landed in Scotland to pick up more passengers the stewardess show me where the washroom was because i was bouncing in my seat i had to pee so bad, to which i responded to her "you don't have enough butter to get me back out" she didn't know how to respond until my mum started laughing. I think the worst thing i have to deal is work, I work in an office and i sit in a computer chair that just barely fits my butt and with my heavy weight sitting for an extended period of time my legs go numb so when i stand i need to lean against my desk for 3-4 min to allow blood flow back to my legs or i will fall over.
All I wish is to be healthy and one day have a family of my own! I am waiting for my gastric bypass, but wait times in Canada are horrendous and from Dec 1st 2009 I was told it would be another 12-14 before my first appointment with the surgeon. I am trying to get enough weight as I can off to make sure when I get this surgical tool I am safer.
Here are Jenn's "before" pics:
Jenn, you and I have the same "before" body shape...so I know exactly how you feel right now, and I also know exactly how you're going to feel after the weight starts coming off. And I'm SO. EXCITED. FOR YOU!
I want everyone to wish Jenn the best of luck. Girl, we are totally routing for you, and DDP and the YRG Fitness Program have produced some amazing results! Jenn will be checking in with us once a month with her progress and updates, and she'll even be doing a guest journal entry every now and then.
Jenn's going to totally rock this - so let's give her a big "you can do it!" applause for being brave and motivated enough to take this journey with all of us!
