Michele Washam
Hello Everyone!
My name is Michele Washam but everyone calls me "Shell". I'm a 39 year old wife and mother of three terriffic kids. Ashley (18), Cassie (15), and Louie (14). I live in the beautiful foot hills of the Smoky Mountains in east Tennessee and have for the past five-years. My family relocated to TN in 2003 from Palm Beach, Florida after my husband retired from a 28 year law enforcement career. He retired from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as a special agent supervisor and I am SO proud of all he accomplished while there to include the infamous 2000 re-count, the 9/11 terrorist investigation with the FBI as well as the anthrax investigation. He was even commended by the president for doing such a great job! My husband is my hero and my inspiration and he takes great care of himself and always looks so good for me. I want to do the same for him.
Although we were planning to come to Tn to retire in the mountains, my husband, Mike, couldn't stay out of police work soooooo he went back to work! Being a law enforcement family is tough but we're used to it, so the rotating shifts and overtime, etc. don't effect us much. We work around it and make the best of the time we have together even if it means holidays are a day later or birthdays have to wait till the weekend. We make it work.
I have not always been heavy. Up until about 12 years ago I was about 120-130lbs (depending on the week) but during a pregnancy (I lost the baby) I was placed on steroids for several months and balooned to a WHOPPING 267 lbs. For the last 12-years I have tried EVERYTHING to get the weight off... I've done every diet, Weight Watchers, diet pills, etc. I have every piece of exercize equipment known to man, (treadmill makes a GREAT clothes hanger!) but to no avail, I haven't lost the weight and kept it off.
I work at home writing books and developing commerical web sites and marketing campaigns and it's tough to be disciplined when the refirgerator is just in the other room and I can break whenever I want too. I am originally from Buffalo, NY and my favorite food is ... you got it... CHICKEN WINGS!!! Add the fact that I'm italian to that and every single life event revolves around the kitchen table wheteher it is good or bad and well.... it's really not easy!
After about 2-years of research, my hubsand and I went to Dr. Robert K. Williams for a consultation for Lap-band but decided on the RNY after speaking to him. He is great, by the way. Soooooooo.... today is April 17th 2008 and after reading about a gazillion other profiles I am really excited to be posting my own in hopes that someone will read it and it will inspire them. My consultation was just this past Tuesday and I know my journey is just beginning but I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! I can't WAIT to be thin and healthy again! No more back pain, or joint pain, no more out-of breath.... I will be able to climb the mountain we live on with my husband and kids and I am just SO looking forward to the day when I can tell you all that I reached my goal!!
I will do my best to keep this updated and good luck to everyone who is just starting!! We're gonna be LOSERS!! HEHEHEEH
