Melissa Gatlin

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I am now at 108 lbs gone at 5 months out!  What a wonderful journey this has been!  I decided to start out with a tricycle instead of a bicycle since I never learned to ride and I just found out that it is in and ready for pick up!  YAY!  I am so blessed to have a fantastic support group in Hattiesburg, an amazing support at Faith Arena church and many supporters oinline here at OH and on Facebook.  My great joy a couple of weeks ago was unpacking all of my winter clothes and finding that they are actually big on me!  WOW!  That felt so great!  I also wore my first pair of jeans to our local fair last month and it made me feel so good.  Life is great!  Thanks for being there for me.  Love, Melissa

Hey all!  Wow!  I haven't been on here in a while.  I apologize for that!  So much has happened since my last post.  My husband and I divorced, so I am single again.  I had Gastric Bypass surgery on June 25th at Mobile Infirmary in Mobile, AL.  Dr. Steven Weinstein was my surgeon.  Everything has gone incredibly good!  I have lost over 60 pounds since surgery and feel so much better.  I have a goal I plan to start working on ASAP and that is learning to ride a bicycle.  I have been overweight all of my life and never learned as a child, but I am determined to learn now, at age 42.  Life is good!  I am excited about the future and what God has in store for me.  Thanks to all of you for your prayers, encouragement and support.  Much love, Melissa

Hi, everybody!  My news is this:  I went to see Dr. Weinstein on November 17th to get a surgery date.  I took a test for bacteria in my stomach and tested positive for H. Pylori.  So I was sent home with no surgery date and tons of medication.  I have to take Prevacid and two different antibiotics for two weeks, wait a month and then go back on January 5th.  Needless to say, when I was told the news, I cried.  My husband was there to comfort me and so were the staff.  It was just such a big disappointment.  But one of the staff told me to go home, take the meds, enjoy my holidays and come back next year with hope for better results. 

So my disappointment has turned into joy.  I've been visiting old friends, making plans for family get-togethers and finding recipes that I can enjoy this season.   Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

On a high note about my visit to Dr. Weinstein, I did lose 2 pounds.  It's not much, but to me it was a happy.   

Hi, everybody!  I am new to this whole thing, so let me start from the beginning.

I have always been obese.  When I say "always" I mean ALWAYS.  I was born with a damaged pituitary gland which caused lots of problems, including Diabetes Insipidus.  I couldn't hardly walk before the age of 2 because I was so heavy.  The excessive thirst caused severe weight gain as a child.  Well, as a teenager I tried various diets and also as an adult.  You know the scoop:  lose 20 pounds, gain 30 pounds.  Lose 40 pounds, gain 45 pounds, etc.  
Now I am 41 years old and am having health crisis' one after the other and I need a tool to help me obtain lasting weight loss.  I have researched and studied and gastric bypass is the solution I have been looking for. 
So a new chapter begins.  God is with me and will help me through this.  I also know He uses people.  So if anyone has any input to give as a help, please feel free to do so. 

Thanks and God's blessings and favor be yours.
Melissa