5 Years Today

Apr 20, 2009

I can't believe it has been 5 years. It seems like such a short time and then again it seems like my old life never existed, that somehow I started a new life 5 years ago. I have had a great life since surgery. I chose the DS procedure after 3 years of research and felt for me it was the right choice. I am still confident it was the best one for me. I have had a few issues along the way, including having a hernia that needed repair and a few minor blood deficiencies that were easily corrected. If the Doctor told me I had to have this surgery every 5 years, or even every year, I would be at the hospital right now. I would not trade my life of today for the old Charlie. Since surgery I have been to Disney World untold number of times with my wife and children, in fact we have annual passes to all of the parks, been on several cruises, and overall just have been living. The old Charlie would force himself to get up in the mornings and go to work and come home and go to bed. I had no energy to do any of the day-to-day activities we call life, much less do anything that we would call fun. Today I love my job, love my wife and family and just love living. I was a deadman that was breathing 5 years ago.

I think the hardest part of having gone through this is stopping myself from going up to perfect strangers who are obese or SO and telling them there is a cure for this horrible disease. I know it is a personal decision. I have had people call me and ask if I would talk to a friend or family member, and my answer is always the same, Yes but they will have to make the initial contact. I have met with a lot of people of the lasdt 5 years and we have had some frank discussions about the good, the bad and the ugly of WLS.

To those that are on the initial journey into weightloss I beg you to do your own research. Just because something was best for one person does not mean it is the best for you. There are so many choices. Also make sure you research your surgeon completey. I have lost 2 friends who followed me through my journey, but they did not want to travel and instead choose a local Dr. who has had multiple problems. I tried to get both of them to go to a different Doc, and now I have lost both of them. The biggest decision you will make is the choice of a surgeon. My surgeon, Dr. Keith Kim, is located in Celebration Florida. (What a great name of a town for someone who is going through this journey, it truly is a Celebration.)Dr. Kim saved my life. I am forever indebted to him. I have recommended him to several who have talked with me and not one has been disapointed in thier choice of using him for WLS.

I want to thank those who stuck by me before and during my journey. First of all to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, through Him I was able to gather the courage and strength tomake the decision to have WLS and He has been with me throughout - My wife, who is my soulmate and has been my inspiration, my kids who have added so much life to me, my Mom, who I lost in July 2008, she always believed in me and encouraged me to research WLS, my friends who were there before and after surgery, and to ObesityHelp.com. This website established a community that enabled me to decide to go forward with the surgery and provided untold amouint of support to me after wards and even today. While I don't post often there is barely a day that goes by I dont take a few minutes to visit the site.


If you are in the beginning stages of your journey or on the otherside and would like to discuss any aspect of my journey with me, please contact me. I leaned on numbers of people during my journey and supporting others during their search for a cure to their disease is the least I can do. My email address is [email protected]

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