I'm sure you have heard them all and I am also sure that my story is not new or different, so that being said ...here is my story!!!    (Updated 3/31/09)

   I was born with a healthy appetite and had to watch my weight from a young age.  I remember putting myself on a bread and water diet in 6th grade.  (What did I know about carbs then, haha)  I weighed 120lbs when I was 11yrs. old. (I am only 5' tall now)   I peeked at 145lbs in 8th grade.  ( I felt like a blimp)  At the age of 16 I went on a low carb diet and did lose weight, down to 115-120lbs.   I maintained this weight (except for a few times I snuck back up to 130, but managed to get it off) through high school and college and my first marriage at 22yrs old.  Most of my 20's I kept my weight between 110 and 125 lbs. , but it was an uphill battle at best.

    In 1982, at the ripe old age of 28yrs. I moved to Dallas and found myself at 135lbs again, so I joined a health club.  I loved what was happening to my body.  I was actually doing aerobics 2x a night and weight training.  I was a lean 106lbs.          I was hooked, no more fat body for me.....Yeah, right!!!!    Two years later, while married to my 2nd husband, I was back up to 135lbs, then we moved to Beevile to help with his family's ranch and I ballooned up to 165lbs within 3mos. from eating his grandmothers good cooking.   I got pregnant a few months later and was at 200lbs when I had my daughter.  I lost that weight and was back to 130-140 or so, but alas...it didn't last.   Depression saw to it that I gained back up to 200lbs.

 I had a friend who was doing Medifast and I decided to try it.  I managed to scrape together the money to pay for the dr and shake mix and off came 80lbs. withing a few months.  Yippee!!! Back to 122lbs and feeling 10 yrs. younger. (I was now 35-36yrs old.) 

  But, alas, this too should come to pass as I had to go back on solid food eventually and the fact that my will power sucked, up my weighed soared again....this time I got up to 260lbs.  (Keep in mind, I am still only 5' tall,  yeah, I was a little porker )   By this time my second husband told me he didn't want to be married to me anymore and , yep, you guessed it....my old friend depression again.

   I went to my dr for help in late 1996 and he put me on fastin.  It worked, I lost down to 178lbs, and felt great again.   Well, my gallbladder picked this time to ask to be taken out and while sitting around the house recouperating I slowly started to gain weight again and was back over 200 before I knew what hit me.

     I was at 210lbs when I started dating my 3rd. husband, I even got down to 202 shortly after, but that didn't last since he loved his snacks at night while watching tv.  I was back to 230lbs soon.   About 2 yrs later I went on The Six Week program, and lost 28lbs.  WhooHoo!!!   By the time I got married for the 3rd time I weighed 240lbs.   Which is about what I was at in January of 2006 when I joined Curves.   Tryed dieting and going to curves till May when I weighed in at the same weight as when I joined I cried right there. 
   I saw an ad for Dr. Spiegel, in Houston, about a free lapband seminar being held the next day (saturday 5/6/06) and decided then and there I was going.  My husband was very supportive and went with me.   We agreed it was worth the money and I made the appt. for Monday 5/8/06.  Dr Spiegel said I was a good candidate for the lapband so I was scheduled to come back for my preop blood work and ekg on Wednesday 5/10/06 and my surgery Friday 5/12/06.   (I was not going through any insurance co. so I didn't have to wait)  

    Although it hasn't been easy the whole way, It was worth every penny of the $15000 it cost me to have it done.   I still have about 10lbs to lose to get to my goal weight of 130, but I know I will make it and that I will keep it off for ever.

    I switched to Dr. McDaniel in Victoria, Tx. for a few reasons...the first being the fact that I live in Beeville, Tx. (3hrs from Houston and only 1hr from Victoria) ,  but more important was the fact that I was pretty much left to fend for myself  after my surgery with Dr. Spiegel.  It was up to me to call them to see if they thought I needed a fill or if I had a problem I had to wait to see him and then it was like I was keeping him from something else.   I had to find a dr who would see Joanie, not a number on his appt sheet.  
That's where Dr. McDaniel comes in....

   Dr. McDaniel and his staff make me feel like I am his only patient for the day and he sets me up with follow-up appts before I leave his office.   He's great and I wish I had heard of him first.    I am now his patient and I am following his guidelines and I am happy to do it.  He treats me as if he has been my surgeon all along.  

    Well I guess I have gone off the path alittle, but that's my story and I hope it wasn't too long for ya'll.  And I hope I didn't leave anything out, since while typing it I had a few interuptions.    "Live Long and Prosper" everyone!!!