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I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT MY FIRST STEP TO A NEW LIFE . I HAVE FOUR GREAT KIDS AND A WIFE OF 17 YEARS THAT LOVES ME JUST THE WAY I AM .SHE IS ALSO SUPPORTIVE OF MY DECISION TO CHANGE BOTH OF OUR LIVES. I AM CURRENTLY AT 350 LBS AND LOOK FORWARD TO ANY OF YOUR INPUTS OR PICS. LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW EVERYBODY!!!! TOM

WELL IT IS MAY 20TH AND I HAVE BEEN POST OP FOR 3 MONTHS AND 2 WEEKS. ALL IS WELL ....AND THINGS WENT GREAT . THE SURGERY WAS NOT EVEN THAT BAD . THE ANESTHESIA HAD TO BE THE WORST WHERE THE GAS SET IN,BUT THAT WAS MY OWN FAULT BECAUSE I DID NOT GET UP AND MOVE AS I SHOULD HAVE AT FIRST.AS FOR THE WEIGHT, I WENT IN AT APPROX.350 POUNDS AND NOW I AM LOOKING AT 258 POUNDS . WHAT A DIFFERENCE . MY LIFE HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY . I HAVE ENERGY I HAVE NOT SEEN IN 15 YEARS . ONE THING ABOUT THE SURGERY I WILL SAY IS "DO WHAT THE DR SAYS" IF HE TELLS YOU WHAT TO EAT DO NOT EXPERIMENT .... LORD KNOWS YOU WILL PAY FOR IT. THEY HAVE A GOOD VARIETY OF FOOD YOU CAN EAT . AND THE SUGAR FREE ICE CREAM IS GOOD IN MODERATION . IF YOU HAVE HAD THE SURGERY....ONE GREAT LOW FAT AND STOMACH SETTLING DESERT FOR WHEN YOU FIRST COME HOME IS....... TAKE SOME SUGAR FREE VANILLA ICE CREAM ,2% LOW FAT MILK , AND HALF A BANANA IN A BLENDER FOR A MILKSHAKE.....DOES WONDERS AND TASTES GREAT AND LOWFAT ,LOW CALORIE,AND SUGAR FREE .WELL I WILL UPDATE YOU GUYS SOON AND FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME.I WILL BE GLAD TO CHAT WITH YA ABOUT THIS SURGERY ...TOM


JULY 28,2001 .WELL HERE WE ARE AGAIN....I AM NOW AT APPROXIMATELY 240 POUNDS , MAYBE LESS I HAVENT WEIGHED IN LATELY.THINGS ARE GOING GREAT AND I AM ACTUALLY RUNNING CIRCLES AROUND EVERYBODY ELSE.I AM STILL TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT EAT. MY TASTE BUDS HAVE CHANGED SOOO MUCH . THE THINGS I USED TO LOVE TO EAT JUST DO NOT TASTE GOOD ANYMORE. ONE THING I CAN EAT THAT SEEMS VERY GOOD TO ME IS STEAMED SHRIMP.IT IS VERY SETTLING TO YOUR STOMACHE.YOU JUST REALLY AT THIS POINT JUST HAVE TO TRY DIFFERENT THINGS.BUT BOY IF THEY DO NOT WORK FOR YOU ,YOU WILL SURE FIND OUT QUICK.THAT IS THE BIGGEST DOWNFALL TO IT ALL.I AM AND HAVE NOT BEEN ON BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS SINCE MY SURGERY . I DO TAKE THE B-12 SHOTS EVERY MONTH.I FIND THAT ALOT MORE CONVENIENT THAN TAKING THE PILLS.THAT WAY I DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FORGETTING TO TAKE THE PILLS AND ITS AN EVEN FLOW OF THE B-12 ALL THE TIME .IT KEEPS YOUR ENERGY INTACT.MY WIFE AND WENT TO WAL-MART THE OTHER NIGHT AND SHE HAD TO TELL ME TO SLOW DOWN SO SHE COULD KEEP UP....ISNT THAT TOO FUNNY? WELL AS OF NOW I AM FEELING GREAT AND HAVE GONE FROM A 3-4X LARGE TO AN X-LARGE IN MENS .I AM SO EXCITED I CAN BUY AND WEAR WHAT I WANT TO WEAR.I DO NOT HAVE TO SETTLE FOR WHAT I HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MAKE THINGS IN MY SIZE. THAT IS SUCH A GOOD FEELING .AS SOON AS I GET A SCANNER I WILL GET SOME PICS TOGETHER FOR YOU GUYS.YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE DIFFERENCE .MY BROTHERS ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT MY WEIGHT AND SOMETIMES EVEN HAD A JOKE OR TWO AND NOW I AM AS SMALL AS THEY ARE ...OH WELL ENOUGH FOR THIS UPDATE . ANYBODY OUT THERE THOUGH THAT ARE LOOKING INTO THIS SURGERY I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WILL DEFINITELY CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BEST.EVERYTHING ABOUT MY LIFE HAS CHANGED . I CAN WALK INTO A ROOM AND FEEL PROUD THAT I HAVE COME THIS FAR AND KNOW THAT I PROBABLY WILL HAVE ALOT LONGER LIFE WITH MY FAMILY . WE CAN DO EVEN MORE THINGS TOGETHER NOW AND I STILL HAVE ENERGY WHEN WE GET BACK HOME.ANYWAYS TAKE CARE TILL NEXT TIME .......TOM

AUGUST 17,2001
WELL HELLO AGAIN,
TODAY I HAD A VISIT WITH GRETCHEN...DR.SCHECNERS ASST. I AM NOW DOWN TO 235 POUNDS.I STILL FEEL GREAT!!!!!! I AM BACK TO GETTING ON THE BALL WITH STAYING ON MY DIET.... LET ME TELL YOU ,YOU WILL FEEL A HECK OF ALOT BETTER. I DID HAVE ONE PROBLEM THOUGH . I HAVE A FAIRLY LARGE ABDOMINAL HERNIA.EVIDENTLY I HAVE A TEAR IN MY ABDOMINAL WALL THAT WILL HAVE TO BE REPAIRED.WHILE IN FOR THAT WE ARE HOPING FOR AN APPROVAL FOR A TUMMY TUCK.I DO HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF LOOSE SKIN ON MY STOMACH. I AM ALMOST SURE MY INSURANCE WILL GIVE ME APPROVAL THOUGH. I GO TO THE SURGEON ON THURSDAY....I WENT TO BUSCH GARDENS ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS ABLE TO GET ON EVERY RIDE.....MY GIRLS AND I HAD SUCH A BLAST....LAST YEAR WE WENT AND WHEN I TRIED TO GET ON THE RIDE , THEY WOULD NOT LET ME RIDE BECAUSE I WAS TOO BIG FOR THE SEATS . MY KIDS WANTED TO LEAVE RIGHT AFTER ,THEY FELT SOOO BAD .NOT HALF AS BAD AS I DID....BUT WHEN I GOT ON THERE THIS WEEK ,IT WAS SOO MUCH FUN...I WAS JUST LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE. WELL ANYWAYS ,I HAVE PICS NOW .....I HAVE SCANNED MY 6 MONTH BEFORE AND AFTER . I HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GREAT REST OF THE SUMMER AND I WILL UPDATE AFTER MY VISIT WITH DR. JACOBS....WISH ME LUCK.....TOM

AUG.23,2001.
WELL I HAD MY VISIT WITH DR. JACOBS TODAY AND AS WE EXPECTED I HAVE A VERY LARGE ABDOMINAL HERNIA .IT KINDA LOOKS TO BE THE SIZE OF A CANTALOUPE RIGHT NEAR THE TOP OF WHERE THE INCISION WAS FROM MY SURGERY . HE SAID IT IS DEFINITELY GONNA HAVE TO BE REPAIRED SOON.WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL THEY ARE GONNA GO FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE TUMMY TUCK . THEY SAID THEY WILL HAVE TO MAKE AND INCISION FROM HIP TO HIP AND PULL ALL THE SKIN UP TO REPAIR THE HERNIA...THEY WILL SEW THE MUSCLE BACK TOGETHER AND THEN SET ME UP AND CUT AWAY ALL OF THE LOOSE SKIN AND SEW IT BACK TOGETHER.I WILL BE IN THE HOSPITAL A COUPLE OF DAYS AND DUE TO THE HERNIA WILL PROBABLY BE OUT OF WORK 6-8 WEEKS. I GUESS YOU CAN SAY I FELT SO GOOD AFTER SURGERY I OVERDID IT . EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL GREAT AFTER SURGERY , YOU STILL HAVE TO TAKE IT EASY . DO NOT OVERDO IT .NO HEAVY STRAINING .IT IS NOT WORTH IT. OH WELL BEING THE ONLY PLACE I REALLY HAVE THE LOOSE SKIN IS AROUND MY TORSO , I WILL BE GLAD TO GET RID OF IT..... WISH US LUCK . IF YOU GUYS EVER HAVE ANY QUESTIONS , FEEL FREE TO DROP US A LINE....TOM