In just a few short days I will celebrate not 1 but 2 birthdays with pleasure.  I will celebrate 53 years on this earth and 10 years as a post-op VBG'er.

I was told I would never succeed and if I lost any weight I would gain it ALL back in just a few years.  Those that know me can tell you those words were all it took to keep me on the road to success.  Yes I have had periods of regain which is NORMAL but it would come back off.

In 2001 I was over 300 pounds.  I had beat cancer so I decided I could beat the weight.  What a road it has been.  10 years later I am still proving people wrong.  No I did not lose the amount of weight that some thought I should but I lost the weight I was happy with.  I am back to the weight I was in my early 20's which is fine with me.

There is an old song that I love dearly that says it all so well

I Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now !

 I will soon be in my 10th year as a post-op VBG'er.  I look back over these past years and see the dramatic change my life has taken.  It hasn't been an easy road.   I fight regain every day of my life.  Some months I am up 10 pounds and the next they are gone.  That is the life of a person with rheumatoid arthritis.  

I find myself looking at old photos and wonder why I ever let myself get that way.  I vow to never go back down that road.  I will do what it takes to live my life as a normal person.  To not be laughed at and made fun of behind my back.  I will enjoy my grandchildren and NOT have them shy away from introducing me to their friends.  

I will remain a success.  10 years down and ??? more to go.

Tomorrow I will be 52 years old.  In 10 days I will celebrate my REAL birthday.  The ninth anniversary of my new life.  In these 9 years my life has experienced so many changes.  I can't begin to list them all.  The biggest change has been the addition of grandchildren into my life.  The day of my surgery I had 1 grandson that was only a few months old with a new grandson on the way. A granddaughter soon made her arrival.  Without this surgery I would not be able to participate in their little lives.  

Without this surgery I would not have had the stamina to care of a terminally ill mother for 9 months  followed by a terminally ill mother-in-law for 6 months.  

Was this surgery a cure to my obesity?  NO.  Was it a cure to all my problems?  NO.  Do I have the ability to eat anything I want without gaining weight again? NO.  Would I have this surgery again if the clock were moved back 9 years? YES.  Am I happy with my choice to have VBG instead of the more commonly used surgeries?  YES

9 Years And Counting with many more to come

 Moving day is finally here.  We have been living in a century old farm house for the past 7 years.  Neither of us are getting any younger and with all our parents gone and our kids grown we decided to move.

We found a beautiful home that has been recently renovated near the Andrew College campus.  This house will be better for my arthritis as it has a flat rear entrance and also has central h/a.  

So goodbye farmhouse and hello new town.

Sometimes I have to put my current photo by my old photo to keep reminding myself of where I started.  It helps remind me that bite by bite and mouthful by mouthful I can be right back into that size 26. 

Is my journey over?  Not by a long shot.  As long as I live I will continue to fight.  Life is easier now and full of wonderful surprises.  I am back to being GWEN again.

Tonight I found an online photo album that I had totally forgotten about.  By some miracle I was able to log in.  Right in front of me were photos I thought were gone. I cried tears of joy.  We have very few photos of the three of us "kids" together with Mama since we are grown. Now that Mama is gone these photos are so precious to us.  I found several taken 3 or 4 years ago after Mama first began to decline in health.  Cherish each day with your family.  You never know if you will have a tomorrow.

 

I am still amazed everytime I try on something different to wear.  I still see myself as a size 26 but the tags are saying 10 and 12.  You would think after 6 1/2 years my mind would have adjusted but so far it has not. This dress is a 9/10 and belonged to my late mother-in-law.  I never dreamed it would fit but before taking it to Goodwill I gave it a "try-on".  Low and behold if it didn't fit!

Mama left us a year ago today for her heavenly home.  She endured 9 months of chemo before her body said "no more".   Only 8 weeks ago my mother-in-law joined her in heaven.  

The past year has been a roller coaster of emotions as we learn to live alone for the first time in our lives.  So many times I find myself going into Mama's room to make sure she is ok only to find she isn't there.  I still catch myself saying "I need to tell Mama about that" but Mama isn't here to tell.   With the cold weather this week I would give anything to sit down with Mama and eat one more bowl of her chili.    Memories?  We do have memories.