Help Mimie with the Cost of Surgery
Donation protected
My name is Mireille, but I go by Mimie, I’m 45 years old and I have struggled with my weight my whole life. In my early twenties I had a few miscarriages and every time I got pregnant I put on more weight. Finally in 1998 I had a viable pregnancy and had my first living, breathing child, however again with this pregnancy I put on more weight that I wasn’t able to get off after. I ended up gaining so much weight that at my heaviest I weighed 298 lbs.
I had the R-n-Y Gastric bypass in 2004 which helped me lose weight, within 7 months of having surgery I had slimmed down to 135 lbs.
In 2006 I had my second daughter which started me back on the path of weight gain. Over the years my weight went back up to almost 270lbs. In 2019 I decided that this was it, I needed to work hard and get this weight off again, because I was tired of being tired and not feeling good about myself. I started going to the Gym 3 times a week and doing Aqua-fit which was fantastic, unfortunately in November I was in a car accident. This put a damper on my fitness as my back was hurt. I was able to continue losing weight even with not being able to get to a gym or go for walks with my dog.
I now walk with a cane, as I’ve developed some issues with my right leg from the back pain, which I am getting help with through physiotherapy. I have lost 75lbs, and have been able to maintain my current weight for 6 months or so, however with the weight loss comes the issues with having excess saggy skin. On its own the saggy skin would not be a big deal, I don’t feel good about the way I look because of it, but I could live with it, as I did so before. The issue this time around is the sores and rashes under the belly and on the inside of the thighs that come along with it, and the strain that it puts on my back. This kind of thing really does take a toll on your mental health, and self-esteem.
I’ve been told that none of this is covered by OHIP, because they consider it cosmetic, even though in my case it really isn’t. The procedure will cost thousands of dollars, which I don’t think I will ever be able to save for, I’ve thought about getting loan to cover this but that’s a lot of money to borrow, which will come with a nasty interest rate I’m sure. It took a lot of convincing, but my oldest daughter suggested that I try this route. I do feel awkward asking people for donations, but my daughter says it’s okay to need help sometimes and that I deserve to be the one getting the help once in a while and not always be on the giving end.
Any donations that are not used towards the cost of my surgery will be paid-forward by being donated to someone else that needs help. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
I had the R-n-Y Gastric bypass in 2004 which helped me lose weight, within 7 months of having surgery I had slimmed down to 135 lbs.
In 2006 I had my second daughter which started me back on the path of weight gain. Over the years my weight went back up to almost 270lbs. In 2019 I decided that this was it, I needed to work hard and get this weight off again, because I was tired of being tired and not feeling good about myself. I started going to the Gym 3 times a week and doing Aqua-fit which was fantastic, unfortunately in November I was in a car accident. This put a damper on my fitness as my back was hurt. I was able to continue losing weight even with not being able to get to a gym or go for walks with my dog.
I now walk with a cane, as I’ve developed some issues with my right leg from the back pain, which I am getting help with through physiotherapy. I have lost 75lbs, and have been able to maintain my current weight for 6 months or so, however with the weight loss comes the issues with having excess saggy skin. On its own the saggy skin would not be a big deal, I don’t feel good about the way I look because of it, but I could live with it, as I did so before. The issue this time around is the sores and rashes under the belly and on the inside of the thighs that come along with it, and the strain that it puts on my back. This kind of thing really does take a toll on your mental health, and self-esteem.
I’ve been told that none of this is covered by OHIP, because they consider it cosmetic, even though in my case it really isn’t. The procedure will cost thousands of dollars, which I don’t think I will ever be able to save for, I’ve thought about getting loan to cover this but that’s a lot of money to borrow, which will come with a nasty interest rate I’m sure. It took a lot of convincing, but my oldest daughter suggested that I try this route. I do feel awkward asking people for donations, but my daughter says it’s okay to need help sometimes and that I deserve to be the one getting the help once in a while and not always be on the giving end.
Any donations that are not used towards the cost of my surgery will be paid-forward by being donated to someone else that needs help. Thank you for taking the time to read my story.
Organizer
Mireille Bilodeau
Organizer
St. Catharines, ON