Vivella

Hello and I am happy to have found this community for support. My story is probably a little different from most weight loss stories, but my goal of losing weight is the same. I will be 67 yrs old next month. I lost my right leg back in 1987 after being hit by a car, and now I also have severe degenerative arthritis, bone on bone now, in my "good" leg, needing a knee replacement. Due to the arthritis pain, I have been unable to walk with a prosthetic leg since 2000. Now it has come to the point of being horribly painful just to transfer from the bed to the wheelchair, wheelchair to bed or toilet, etc. I have been heavy most of my adult life, but never this heavy, and have gained most of my excess weight after getting in the wheelchair. I have fortunately been able to continue working, I am a nurse practitioner.

I have been unable to get the knee replacement due to my weight, as it puts me at great risk for complications, not to mention the difficulty of being able to do proper rehab. necessary. Once my weight is down, I can then get my long awaited for new knee! I also have hypertension and Type II Diabetes, but both have been in good contol with meds,

My quality of life is deteriorating, and although I have been on many, many diets in the past and lost, only to regain and then some, I knew it was time I make this step in order to live! I had my gastric sleeve surgery on June 4, 2014. This first week has been challenging, but I feel there is a light at the end of the tunnel for me and I look forward to seeing it. I know that for me I have no other choice but to be successful with the weight loss, exercise, and keeping it off. I may even be able to walk again. BUt more importantly, I look forward to feeling good again!! I look forward to communicating with people here and offering support when I can.