My story is simple. I am a 52-year-old extremely obese male seeking to become a 53-year-old healthy human being. I have been told that at 420 pounds either I get gastric bypass surgery or prepare for the inevitable. I have all the complications of the disease including sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes (type 2), renal kidney failure (with 50 percent function left), to name a few. I am on a 12 pill cocktail twice a day to treat the various complications and I am scared.

I have tried weight-loss techniques and have been to nutritional classes and the diabetes education program in my local area and cannot seem to lose weight. Water retention is a big problem and I cannot take any increase in my lasix without it deteriorating my kidney function. The list goes on and I have not even got to it all. It’s all overwhelming to me.

If there is anyone out there who can identify and help me, I am willing to listen. The hardest part is watching the effects this is having on my wife (my caregiver) and my children. I am retired on permanent disability which has caused depression. I have been retired for 10 years. I never thought that at 42 I would lose my financial security and trade it for financial ruin.

This is a horrible disease! And, it needs to be taken more seriously by this country.