Merry Christmas September 2003's!

I do check in on this board every now and again, since my surgery was September 29, 2003. I come here for support, and love to read the posts. But...not enough posts! Jesse Lewis Jr. does regular posting, and I think it would be great if we all came back more often and posted more - not just to help ourselves, but to help each other. Anyway, I feel very blessed this Christmas season. Last year at this time I was still in a wheelchair out in public, unable to walk around in stores still, etc. I almost died from Obesity. I am a walking blessing/miracle! This year, I am very mobile, and healthy too. I'm down 274 lbs - more than I ever expected in this ammount of time! I topped in at 479 lbs at the hospital the day of my surgery, and I thought that it would take me two years or more to take off as much as I have ended up dropping this last fourteen months! What a great surprise and outcome for me. Unfortunately I think I had more emotional/mental hangups than some of you. I have lost a lot of weight in my life-time, and gained of course just as much or more. I worry daily about not getting caught up in the crazy idea that I am fixed now. I realize that this surgery is only a tool - one that still works pretty good for me. But I know that it takes much more than just the surgery for continued success. I pray for the willingness to eat how I should to keep this weight off and be healthy - mind and body. But I think I worry about ten times as much as many of you all do! Just a part of me that I hope will gradually get healthy too! (Or fast I guess is certainly acceptable, lol!) Merry Christmas everyone!

Tammy, Merry Christmas! I agree with you that none of really posts as often as we should on this message board. If it wasn't for Jesse's weekly posts, I don't think this board would be very active at all. I spend quite a bit of time on another of the Boards here (the over 50 forum) because it is so much more active and a great group of people. Congratulations on your spectacular weight loss! You should be very proud of your accomplishment. I can relate somewhat to your fears, as I think most of us have traveled the same road of yo-yoing on the scales. I, too, worry a great deal about what I eat and how it will affect me as far as putting on weight. I think it's a natural progression - afterall been there, done that, right? Hopefully, as we continue into our second year post-op our minds will catch up to where our bodies are and we will have better mental health. I, too, have much to be grateful for this year. I am so much more active and participate in things outside of my home, whereas last year at this time I was a couch potato for sure. May you have a great holiday and a wonderful New Year! Patti