Just me

Apr 04, 2009

I usually don't post here, but I read the OH digest everyday.  Guess I could share a bit about me now that I got the "nudge" from the OH staff!!  LOL* 

I have always struggled with my weight.  I dealt with issues from childhood, my son's suicide, alcoholism, divorce, bankruptcy and all the other crap life offers, and blamed my wieght on these things.  When one excuse would run out, I would buid another!  I had many good excuses, and I ballooned from 112# to 262# over the years.  It was gradual, a pound here, a pound there, and it was hardly noticable unless you hadn't seen me for a year or two.  When I would go home to Minnesota, my family could always tell, and my mother was the cruelest in letting me know.  She knew all the buttons to push, and she had a way of making me feel "less than", or unworthy of the many (then unnoticed) blessings in my life. 

I sought help for my alcoholism, and there indeed did I become aware of the many blessings in my life.  I continued to gain during those early years of sobriety, yet my connection with my Higher Power grew.  Eventually people who loved me and were fearful for me sat me down and told me that I needed to seek medical help for my weight.  I had had a heart attack about 3 years ago, so I knew the dangers I was facing, to say nothing about being pre-diabetic.  Several women in my group  offered to go with me to a seminar, and there I met Leighla Ali, herself having had the LB surgery.  I started the
6-month process of appointments.....nutrition, psych, and weigh ins.  I had to write a history on my weight and all the different programs/diets that I had tried.  I had to write a letter to my insurance company explaining my committment to a new lifestyle and that my health problems would be virtually eliminated by living this new way of life. 

I work for HCA, Hospital Corporation of America, and all my labs and surgery was paid for 100%.  My insurance is Aetna, and aside from my $20 co-pay at every visit pre op, they paid for everything.  They are still paying everything post op, and all my followup visits are covered, without any co pay. 

I have so many blessings today, and my weight loss life style is indeed one of them.  I'm in this for the long haul, and I will pray everyday for the strength to stick with it!!  There are few awful things in life that one can be grateful for, but my obesity was one of them.  Hopefully, I can "live" the example for others.

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