To Sleeve (or Not to Sleeve) Series - #1, Background

(This is part of a series I posted on my other (formerly anonymous) blog, tobypass.wordpress.com. An index of all posts in this series is located at the bottom of this article.)

People write blogs for many reasons.

The reason for this blog is my weight.

308lbs this morning and at 6'1", that's a BMI of 41.

A few weeks ago my doctor asked me if I've ever considered bariatric surgery.

(I hadn't).

But because of the trust he had built with me over time, I was willing to hear him out... I did a little research on the matter. I spoke with some friends, read some articles online, and checked out several recent peer-reviewed medical journal articles. My initial investigation provided me with enough positive insight (to my surprise) to at least explore the possibility of having surgery more fully.

This is where I'm at right now. In May of 2015.

So this blog then will become both a personal journal (to make sense of my thought/decision process) as well as a documentary of my experiences along the way (which perhaps will be particularly interesting if I end up going forward with surgery).

My name is Kris and I live in the NorthWest with my wife and two sons (3 & 6mo). I have worked full time as a pastor for about 9 years. It is the only career I've had thus far and while it can be quite stressful at moments, it also is a wonderful gift. At 34 years of age, life is good and full of hope -- except for that nagging worry of health complications that might arise due to my obesity.

Thus begins the journey.

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