Catalyst

And what was it ? – simple! My nephews and a family BBQ
You see, I was born to be a mother.  From a very young age I absolutely loved kids. At school I chose to do a ‘Child Development’ course which meant I spent one afternoon a week working at a local nursery school and I absolutely loved it.  It was also then my ‘teenage me’ mapped out my whole life.  I was going to get married at 30 and then it was going to be all about the children – two of my own, then adopt a child and after that foster as many children as possible.  So finding out at the age of 22 that I was infertile, had an absolutely devastating effect on me.  

Imagine then how blessed I felt when my nephews came along and my brother and sister in law allowed me to be as hands on with their babies as I wanted.  I got to do loads of ‘mother’ things with them from day one.  I changed nappies, I fed them, I cleaned up sick,  bathed them, had days out, sleep overs, the works.  I quickly became ‘Mad Aunty Melly’ and they instantly became my ‘raison d’etre’.

All good so far….. Then came the day of the BBQ.  It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in July 2003 and the BBQ was at my brother’s house.  

Back then my youngest nephew was not yet 3 and the oldest was just about to turn 5 and all they wanted to do from the moment I arrived was play with their Aunty Melly.  Their excitement at me just being there was delirious but they wanted me to chase them, play football with them, go on the trampoline and generally rough and tumble.
But I couldn’t do it
Amongst other things, my back was giving way, my knees were giving way, I had severe skin chafing and I could barely walk and talk at the same time.

To top it all, I looked over at my mother who was also severely obese and had so many health issues that she was registered disabled, in a wheelchair with swollen blistering legs and I clearly saw my future
I had way outstayed my welcome at the last chance saloon!
Not being able to play with my nephews left me bereft.  BUT it was also what empowered me to acknowledge that I could no longer fight this fight alone.
I NEEDED HELP AND  I REALISED THAT THERE IS NO SHAME IN ASKING FOR IT
Let’s face it – even a top accountant needs a calculator and a team of people to do his job effectively.
And the job I needed to tackle ‘effectively’ – was ME!

I took a deep breath and asked my brother for help.  

We set a plan in motion and the very next day we drove 60 miles north to purchase a heavy duty treadmill and bike with a back support, that were designed for professional gyms and would be capable of coping with the pounding under my weight.

Then I booked an appointment with a bariatric surgeon.  My journey had begun.