Getting to know you!!!!

Hi Everybody, It is soooo slow here in SMO-land isn't it?  Let's try to liven things up around here by sharing a little about ourselves.  Let's start out by giving our names, where do you live? and any other fun things you want to share with us.  Maybe you might want to add in your post the biggest reason that you decided to have weight -loss surgery.  I have always been so inspired by each of you.  Sometimes I worry that I'll never make it to goal..but seeing your success reassures me that I can do this!!! Hugs and Smiles Ginger

Great idea Ginger: My name is Jeanne, I had my surgery in June 2006 and have lost 150 lbs.  I still have 100 more to go.  I live in Philadelphia, PA  I am a Quality Assurance Specialist in a Welfare to Work Program.  I have 3 furry children, Ralphie, Adrienne and Maggie.   I decided to have the surgery because I was terrified of being immobile and having to go live in a nursing home if I became disabled.   I am thrilled with my decision.  The best part, beside the health reasons is that I get to shop in what I call Jeanne's basement.  Wear a different outfit everyday. NEXT...

Hi Jeanne, So glad to meet ya!  Your 1-year surgiversary is just around the corner and you have already lost 150 pounds??? WOW!!!!  I bet you have co-workers just a buzzing over the "new" Jeanne and her snazzy new threads!!!  Glad you're out there!!

Hugs, Ginger 

OOOOOps!!! I forgot to introduce myself.  My name is Ginger and I live in Chandler, AZ. which is southeast of Phoenix.  I am 48 years old, been married for 26 years and have two sons and another furry one!  I had open RNY Nov. 23, 2005...which by the way makes me 15 months out.  Seems so hard to believe that it has been that long.  I had a little ruff patch at the beginning, but my health is doing so well now.  I am very greatful I had this surgery.  My life has changed so much for the better..life is so full.  Carbs are still my enemy and binge eating is constantly a battle for me.  I really thought that those food demons would just disappear after I had my surgery and started to lose the first 100 pounds..but it's still hard and I have to remind myself every day..why I had this surgery to begin with.  Wow..I didn't mean to go drama queen on you guys!! Who will be next??? Hugs, Ginger

Jeanne, one of my PHA postings years ago was in Philadelphia, over at Health Center #1 on Broad Street.  I enjoyed it a lot (except the time I got a really bad sunburn falling asleep on the beach in Atlantic City).  I lived in Center City and walked to work every day. Even though I can't eat it now, I still miss white pizza.  I never did develop a fondness for Scrapple, though.  Kix PS:  You should come to Kix's closet -- a friend from surgery class just brought me another gross of clothes she has "undergrown."  I feel like the Sak's fairy visited me during the night! 

Hi,

I work in the JFK Mental Health Building.  Philadelphia has many types of Pizza and a pizzaria on every corner, next to the bars.  I love scrapple but I am a native born Phillie girl (soft pretzels, tastykakes and I still catch myself saying Yo.)   I am so glad to have found a board that responds.  With having so much to lose it gets depressing to see people getting to their goals in the same amount of time that I am at.  I am only a few pounds from being in the 2's.   Let me know how to get to Kix's closet.  I have many clothes but I am such a clothes horse.   BTW I am 51 years old so I am reliving my younger years, this time with many more aches and pains. Thanks for the response. Jeanne

HEY GINGER,            I WANT TO PLAY! I WANT TO PLAY! I AGREE THAT THE BOARD IS VERY SLOW LATELY.... WELL LETS SEE..... I AM 46 AND HAVE A EVIL TWIN LOL... BEEN MARRIED ALMOST 29 YEARS IN NOV AND HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS, TWO SON IN LAWS AND ONE ON THE WAY LOL... SON IN LAW THAT IS LOL ON JULY 4TH THIS YEAR IN TEXAS LOL.. AND HAVE TWO UNBELIEVEABLE GRANDCHILDREN THAT ARE 3 AND OTHER ONE WILL BE 6 THIS NEXT SATURDAY.... I HAVE NEVER WORKED.... BEEN MARRIED TO THE HOUSE (HOUSEWIFE) LOL... RAISING RUGRATS IS ALL I KNOW BUT LOVE INTERIOR DESIGNING STUFF.... ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR THE INTERIORS....BORING NOW I KNOW, WAKE UP!! ANYWHO I HAD SUGERY BACK IN JANUARY LAST YEAR AND HAS BEEN THE BEST THING I EVER DONE... SO THAT MAKES ME 13 MONTHS OUT AS OF TUESDAY.... WOULD I DO IT AGAIN... PLEASE. ... IN A NEWYORK MINUTE....I HAVE LOST 195LBS AS OF THIS MORNING AND WORDS CANT DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCE. HAD NO COMPLICATIONS AND HAD IT LAP RNY.... LIFE IS GRAND.... YALL JOIN IN NOW!!! YA HEAR? HUGS MARGE

Hi Marge, Your posts aways make me smile!  You have a totally interesting life!  Never apologize for staying home to raise your rugrats girlfriend!! I did the same thing and now feel alittle bit guilty for not being at home when my 17 year old son gets home from school.  I don't regret staying home with my boys. I learned allot of neat things while home too.  Anyways, are you still in the process of re-modeling?  Is the Home Depot still your very best friend???LOL.  So proud of your wonderful weight loss!Take a bow

Hugs,

Ginger

Hi, I'm Kix, age 49.2.  (In my mind, I'm 16, does that count?)  I'm originally a West Coast girl, but I currently live in the SW foothills of Denver, CO (where the storm missed us completely yesterday, woohoo!)  I've never been brave enough to marry or reproduce. I have been on disability for a few years, but when I was able to work, I worked for the Centers for Disease Control as a public health advisor, which meant that I was farmed out to state or local health departments whenever they needed help.  One of the things I used to do in my job was investigate disease outbreaks such as the recent peanut butter drama.  I've lived all over the country, and managed to dodge being sent twice to Pakistan and once to Nigeria (why aren't there ever public health crises in places like Tokyo or London? )   I left my job to finish my masters degree, and just as I was finishing up my studies, my health failed due to being super morbidly obese.  My mobility all but vanished. I didn't know I had sleep apnea and it almost killed me.  At that time, I probably weighed close to 600 lbs.  One day, I just keeled over.  I spent four weeks in the hospital, and had to go to a nursing home for three months (which ate up my savings) to regain enough health to pursue WLS.  My HMO originally turnd me down for WLS, deciding (based on a medical chart review) that it was not medically necessary because I was too fat.    They wanted me to lose 150 lbs first.  HAR! I appealed in-house, and was denied.  I then hired an attorney that came highly recommended by people on the Main OH Board, and even though said attorney did an extremely craptacular job handling my case (and others, too, from what I've heard anecdotally), I won on external review.  Go figure!  The WLS surgeon asked me to lose 10% of my weight prior to surgery, which sounded reasonable, so the bariatric program had me follow a modified Optifast plan (1200 calories a day), and I was able to lose the 10% so quickly that I asked to stay on it until my surgery date.  I started at 530 lbs and weighed 407 on surgery day.  In my case, surgery was a breeze.  It took 1 1/2 hrs and I was home two days later with no complications at all. That was six months ago, and today I weigh 300 lbs.  I think I'm still losing, I lost 40 lbs from Christmas to early Feb, so I think I've hit a temporary plateau.  Life is sure a lot better even at 300 lbs than it was at 500+ lbs.  I still use a walker, but I can manage sometimes without it -- a far cry from when I couldn't walk more than a few steps. I wish I had done this several years ago when I was younger and still working.  I had to hit rock bottom and nearly lose my life to decide to have WLS.  I think there's some shame involved in being extremely fat, at least in my case, there was.  I figured I could lose weight on my own if I just tried hard enough, and I felt like it was a personal failure on my part when I kept getting fatter. I'm pretty sure those days are just about over!  I hope to be able to return to work at some point, but I've been out of the workforce for over three years, and worry that no one will hire a middle-aged sharpei!  That's my story.  Sorry it was so long, but I had a lot to say today. Kix

Great idea Ginger! Thanks for starting this thread. My name is Pam (the J in my profile stands for my middle name, Jane), I'm 41, single and live just miles away from Kix in Denver, Colorado. We are fellow "Sufferers of Snow" this year - we gripe to each other about the recent wild winter activity here in Colorado! I had the surgery in Sept 06 because I was miserable (i think most everyone understands that!) I was lucky that I didn't have diabetes, sleep apnea, etc. Even my blood pressure, cholesterol, etc was fine! But I wanted to have the surgery BEFORE those things became a problem. My main problem was a bad back that was to the point of disabling me - I couldn't do anything physical without extreme pain. I just wanted to be able to walk someplace without the pain. Now, I work out an hour every morning and plan on doing lots of hiking and backpacking this summer. My goal this summer is to hit a backpack trail near Aspen that is 20 miles round trip, but at the top of the mountain is this amazing campground with natural hot springs. I have ALWAYS wanted to do this trail and I have a friend who is willing to try, so we are going to go for it! Next summer, my goal is to attend an Adventure Racing camp and learn how to do an adventure race.  I figure i'll be in pretty good shape by then and would be able to pull myself up a wall of rock no problem! I work full-time at a wonderful job, a church here in town. I am the web designer, although I also do marketing, graphics, etc. It's an unbelievable place that has been so supportive during my surgery - I couldn't ask for a better place to work! I also have my own business - web design & graphics. I just do small jobs, but have been taking a break since my surgery. I figure I will start back in the summer, although i am enjoying my free time a little too much! I have a wonderful family, one brother who lives in Texas and my parents who live just an hour south of Denver. I have a niece who I adore and who will be graduating from HS this May. I LOVE Air Force Basketball and go to ALL the games, at home and away. They are going to the Dance this year, and I will be there! Ok, enough of my book - hope someone enjoys my little story! Pam