K_aane

Okay now I'm at my desk in tears!!! You are a strong woman and thanks for sharing it with us.
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Awww, now I'm crying, too!! Thank you!!

I am crying reading your story. Not tears if sorrow but of joy. God Bless you. You are an inspiration!! There us a saying "when you are going thru hell...keep going" you have persevered and came through and your strength is a testament to your inner soul. You are precious and beautiful. May your light continue to shine and help to lead those who may also be on a difficult journey. You go girl!!! You are a rockstar!! Your pics,are beautiful!!!
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I am crying reading your story. Not tears if sorrow but of joy. God Bless you. You are an inspiration!! There us a saying "when you are going thru hell...keep going" you have persevered and came through and your strength is a testament to your inner soul. You are precious and beautiful. May your light continue to shine and help to lead those who may also be on a difficult journey. You go girl!!! You are a rockstar!! Your pics,are beautiful!!!
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You go girl!! Stand tall, you are beautiful. Remember Karma is a bitch...and nasty people always get their due in time.
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You go girl!! You grab the brass ring and hold on tight! I just went yesterday to start the 6 month pre-op prep, diet, test, going thru the insurance hoops. I cried at the office yesterday when the Dr told me, yes you can do this. I was excited and scared at the same but I am going to do this. What will come on the other side of this journey will be well worth it. Hold on tight....!!!! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

You go girl!! You grab the brass ring and hold on tight! I just went yesterday to start the 6 month pre-op prep, diet, test, going thru the insurance hoops. I cried at the office yesterday when the Dr told me, yes you can do this. I was excited and scared at the same but I am going to do this. What will come on the other side of this journey will be well worth it. Hold on tight....!!!! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

I am crying reading your story. Not tears if sorrow but of joy. God Bless you. You are an inspiration!! There us a saying "when you are going thru hell...keep going" you have persevered and came through and your strength is a testament to your inner soul. You are precious and beautiful. May your light continue to shine and help to lead those who may also be on a difficult journey. You go girl!!! You are a rockstar!! Your pics,are beautiful!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

I am crying reading your story. Not tears if sorrow but of joy. God Bless you. You are an inspiration!! There us a saying "when you are going thru hell...keep going" you have persevered and came through and your strength is a testament to your inner soul. You are precious and beautiful. May your light continue to shine and help to lead those who may also be on a difficult journey. You go girl!!! You are a rockstar!! Your pics,are beautiful!!!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

Thanks for writing this. I'm getting sleeved tomorrow and I'm simultaneously ready and not ready. The thought of backing out has crossed my mind several times, but only for a moment each time. I know this is the right thing for me to do.
The past 18 months of my life have been like your last 5 years; there has been so much death and so much loss in my family. Every time I lose someone else, I tell myself that I have to go on, I have to keep breathing and putting one foot in front of the other, but that I will not be able to do it if this happens again. Yet it keeps happening.
In a way, though, this is what tells me I can do this. I've lost so much already. I'm ready to lose all the weight that is holding me back. And I don't want to wait until I need joint replacements, until I have diabetes, etc.
More than anything, I don't want my daughter and my partner to have to lose me early due to heart disease or liver disease or any of the many things that are statistically more likely when you are morbidly obese.
Your story and your pictures are amazing! I can't wait to see what I can do when I've conquered my food addiction.
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The statistics were against me. I went to the hospital completely unsure if I would have the courage to go through with my surgery, and terrified I would die. No one... I promise you, NO ONE, ever wanted to have bariatric surgery less than I. I was an emotional food addict whose life had shrunk so much that food was my entire social life. I weighed 367.8 pounds, had out of control diabetes, and could no longer walk across my own kitchen on most days. I needed both knees replaced and my doctor refused to do it until I lost a lot of weight.
The night before my surgery I was alone in the house and I sobbed a funeral dirge for my best friend, food. I was certain I would lose my mind without it.
My friends, are you hesitating?? Struggling? Regretting?? If you can stay with me, read on.
I will tell you that after the first month there hasn't been one day in five years that I haven't thought, "I never could have done this before."
My journey has been difficult, and you will have your struggles, too. The first year, I cared for and buried my beloved sister--my "person" in this world--who died in my arms. The second year, I had my right knee replaced. The third year, my left knee. My weight loss stalled, but I never gave up. The fourth year, my father died and right afterwards, my husband almost died and needed months of nursing.
I didn't tell you all that to whine. I told you in order to try to put some context to my life, because in spite of all that sorrow and pain, I am filled with joy. I have taken back my life, and you can, too.
When I came out of my surgery, I vowed that having taken the drastic step of altering my body, I was going to be all in. I have honored that vow.
I had to learn to walk again. Now I am a landscape, wedding and portrait photographer.
I had to accept that I couldn't go on vacation and eat like the old me without gaining back weight it took me months to lose. Now I usually drop a couple of pounds on vacation, and I have one thing every day that I really want. To eat, that is!! I get to have experiences instead of food now!
I had to accept that carbs are not part of my daily eating. But I have learned to actually prefer zucchini spaghetti!!
Most importantly, I learned that no one will ever abuse me again. And that includes me.
I learned that emotional eating may feel like self care, but it is self destruction, and self destruction and self preservation can never exist side by side.
Last year, I photographed the cliffs of Maine, the mountains of West Virginia (going by rope down to the waterfalls), beaches in the Carolinas, and so many other things. (Check out my stuff at mlwolfephotos.com if you are inclined!).
I could babble on and on...
Today, I am at my lowest weight in 34 years. I have not met my weight loss goal. I'm still just over 200 pounds--a weight many people begin this journey at!! It may take me a year, but I'll get there.
On January 1st I turned 60, and I cried. A lot. I didn't cry because I was 60. I cried because I wasted so many years... My 30s... My 40s...half my 50s. I cannot get them back. But I have what's left, and I will cherish each breath.
So, I lost much of my stomach. I lost 153 pounds. I gained the world.
I wish that for each and every one of you! May you work to make all your dreams come true!
Attaching a few pics, not just of what I look(ed) like, but of who I am!!!

So glad to hear your stories of success!! I saw my surgeon yesterday and I said my biguest fear was I was too old...he laughed and said, don't you know 57 is the new 27! Lol a stretch..but fun to think. I am anxious and excited at the same time.
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Dr Redmann did my surgery in the Southern Surgical Hospital in Slidel. I have nothing but good things to say about them. I was treated excellent, the nursing staff was second to none! I actually wrote a letter to the hospital and let them know how well the nuring staff treated me, and that both nurse's deserved a raise. I wouldn't think twice about recommending them to anyone.

Hello everyone! I am 57 and today I have my first Dr appt. It took me a year to get to this point to check into surgery and set my mind that this is what I am going to do. I was scared but then I began to realize I am more scared of getting larger and more health problems than I already have. That fear shifted from about having surgery to not having it . It was a complete mind set shift. It also made me get into a totally positive position about doing this with my "failure is not an option" mentality. I hope all goes well today and I start the journey. I am going he insurance route with 6 months diet before surgery. I want out of this body and I am going to spend my energy on doing that instead of bring afraid. I wish you blessings to find the strength to make the change. Yes it's hard and yes it's OK to be scared. Give yourself time, when you are ready you will know.
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Don't feel like you failed! This is YOUR decision and YOURS alone! If you feel this wasn't the right thing for you at this time, then who is anyone to tell you any different? You do what you feel is right. I wish you all the best!

If you didn't feel right about it, you did the right thing. For sure.