Let's get to know each other

hi stephanie!!! great thread...sorry its taken me so long to reply to it...(rick's pc is SLOW!!!!)

i had RNY (lap) back in oct '06... i was 53 almost 54 when i had my surgery. my only regret is that i didn't have it sooner!!! i started out weighing 334# and am now at 180-185 and have been stuck for well over a year. ( i say its caused by the stress i had in my life then) by getting my life back gave me courage to leave my husband of 23 almost 24 years (most of which were horrible verbal abuse). i moved from saginaw michigan to willoughby ohio just over a year ago. i am living with a wonderful man that loves me to pieces and treats me like a queen!!! life is good for me once again...i can do so many things now that i never thought i would be able to do again. as you can see in my avitar i rode a horse again...thanks to my friend jenny that i met through OH. sooo many things that i can do and smile knowing where i came from. i was a chubby kid and then slimmed down to 145 then had 2 kids and the weight came on and never left...i have met several people from OH since being on here back in early '06 looking at before and after photos and reading profiles. so many nice people that understand just what we are all going through!!! i thank GOD and  dr foote that saved me from an early death!!! and i thank all my wonderful friends here on OH for being here to love and support me when i needed it most!!!!

congrats to all of us for being here and wishing good luck to the ones just starting out on their journey...hang on its a wild ride!!!! ;-)

Judy, it's so nice to meet you.  Isn't it amazing how really good life can be?  NO ONE deserves to live a life of abuse.  Life is too short to not make the most of it.  If nothing else, we all now have the self confidence to go after what we deserve.  You're an inspiration to those in a troubled marraige to find a way out.  Way to go!!

Here in Texas we have huge get togethers amongst our OH family that mean more to me than anything.  We have a dinner in the Dallas area every other month with about 80-100 in attendance.  No one "gets me" like other OH'ers.  Last weekend I held a BBQ at my house with almost 60 of us-talk about fun and friendship, it's incredible. 

hi, my name is vickie osenbaugh but my friends call me vick. i am 56 years old. i had open rny on 1/22/09and it was real bad for about two months. during my third month i got a huge hernia.i have three kids and two grandkids. we have been watching the grandkids this month during the day when their dad is at work and boy am i exhausted.  i am leaving in a day to go see one daughter in austin and then my other daughter in san antonio.  i have actually gotten down to a size 12 and i am anxious to see the expressions on my daughter's faces.  i have three dogs, one is a 5 pound yorkie, and one damn cat. since i have a hernia i will be having surgery in either the latter part of aug or in sept. i hope it is in aug because the hernia is starting to do really strange things.  i can hear and feel it moving around and making all sorts of noise. i have recenetly lowered my goal weight to 140 from 155 (doc wants 160). i figure i can do the surgery at 150 and loose all the weight i need from the panni being cut out and the rest from lack of appetite that i hear about after surgery.  i am scared shi-less.  don't know why, just am.  live is a joy, i went horseback riding the other day. they had a 250 limit and i was reliefed when nobody asked my weight(i weigh 163.3). thanks for letting me share and it is nice to read about all of you. vick

Hey Vick, I see you often on the Texas board.  Good luck on your panni removal, you will be amazed at how much better clothes fit.  Like I told someone else.  On my profile, there's a list of plastic surgery tips and suggestions that might help you.

i looked on your profile and they were very helpful. i am giong to copy them and email to myself. vick

My name is Pam I am 62 orginally from Iowa moved to Maine in 1983.I have 4 kids ages 37,32,22 and 14. One 5 year grandaughter that lives with us so I get to see her alot. I volunteer during the school year at an alternative high school as part of the "foster Grandparent program and LOVE it. I have fibromyalgia and severe arthritis, I have had 2 total knee replacements.
I am still at 326 I started at 470 I haven't lost any weight since 15 months ago. BUT I am happy I use to be in a wheel chair and now I don't. I am MUCH healthier !!! I am new to this board and everyone seems so nice.

Wow Miss Pam, you spread those kids out, almost like 2 seperate families.  You've lost a ton of weight and it must really make a difference in your ability to function.  I have a friend that started out at 514 and was wheelchair bound who has lost over 250 lbs and just completed her first 5k walk.  Talk about proud, we were thrilled for her.  Hang in there and stick to the basics and I bet you'll start losing again.  I find if I post what I eat everyday, it makes me think twice about eating something I shouldn't.  Just a thought, accountability is key in my opinion. 

My 32 and 14 year old are adopted!!! I also have raised my neice whom is now 26 and nephew 23 they both still live with us there are 10 of us in the house. never a dull( or quiet) moment:0)

Hi Stephanie and all of those *****sponded

My name is Sylvia and I am from Wisconsin (between Milwaukee and Madison).  I am 54 years old, married for 33 years and have one daughter (Lisa) who just graduated Magn *** Laude in Secondary Education English (she can teach Middle and High School) and our son in law Joe joined our family when he and Lisa got married on January 3, 2009.  We also have a part Himilayan/Persian cat named Candy who is a crabby 17 years old.  She still is a spry old lady though.  I am a Payroll Manager and have worked in that area and in Human Resources for 15 years for my most recent work life.

My journey to WLS was interesting.  I have had weight issues all my life (my mom always says it happened when I was 5 after my tonsils were removed).  I have lost and gained a lot of pounds in my lifetime but things got out of control after I had a complete open hysterectomy in January of 2004.  8 months after that, I had a hernia that was pushing against my abdominal wall that I needed surgery for (even though it was Lap, I still had a large piece of mesh and 40 stitches). 

My turning point came in December of 2007 when we went out to New Hampshire to meet Joe's family.  I couldn't walk through the airport, I was uncomfortable, constant pain, etc.  While all of his family were very nice, I was uncomfortable, self conscious and miserable.  When I got back, I heard about my surgeon's program on the radio, checked the web, did other research and made an appointment even though they told me that people went to the info session first.  I said fine I would do that but I wanted my appointment (I thought I would lose my nerve). 

During the 6 months after my appointment, I had all the tests and found co-morbidities I didnot know about.  I had severe sleep apnea (suspected but not confirmed), asthma, edema (I could watch my ankles swell), back pain, knee pain, degenerative disc disease and others I can't think of at the moment. 

I went to my 3 week diet appointment weighing in at 407 at 5'5 (BMI of 67).  After the liquid diet, on 7/9/08 (6 days after my actual birthday), I weighed 386 (BMI of 64).  Fast forward to date--on 7/9/09, I went to my 1 year follow up.  I weighed 226, down 181 pounds from my heaviest and 160 from surgery.  My BMI is now 37.  I went from a Roamans 5x to a 20-22 (weight is in the chest still).  My goal is to continue exercising 3-4x a week and to be under 200 by the end of the year.  It is slowing down now like I knew it would.

I like to exercise (I did the 99 minute program 2 days in a row a week or so ago and got one huge blood blister but I did 5 miles (3 mph average and 5.2 incline) both days-now recovered.  I like to watch Law and Order on my DVD's for the first 5 seasons, CSI, NCIS, like to read John Grisham novels

Nice to meet all of you.

Sylvia

Hi Sylvia, thanks for posting to this thread.  It's a pleasure to hear everyone's stories.  Sounds to me like you've done an incredible job of losing weight and getting healthy.  I hope you're feeling better as far as your bones and joints go.  I also have degenerative bone disease in my right hip and lower back.  Since I've lost weight I don't limp nearly as much as before so in that respect alone, it's been a godsend.