A year ago today I:

• Weighed 295 pounds
• Took BP meds for high BP
• Was borderline diabetic. I was basically there.
• Took cholesterol meds for high cholesterol
• Used a CPAP machine for snoring
• Got tired after running 1 mile
• Had aching joints and knees
• Was generally disgusted with myself and my inability to control the volume of food I ate
• Was worried I'd not see my daughters get married and see my grandkids born
• Was ashamed of myself

Today, 1 year later:

• I weigh 177 pounds
• No BP meds
• No diabetes. Great blood test results. My cardiologist actually said I'd made him the happiest he had been all month after he examined me.
• No cholesterol meds
• No CPAP machine. No snoring.
• Best shape since a young kid. I exercise substantially. Running 5-10 miles daily. I did a 5K in 24:44 which is pretty fast for me.
• No aching joints or knees
• New clothes. New confidence.
• Belief I will be around for a long time to enjoy life and watch my kids Celebrate their important life events.
• Went skydiving, zip line through the jungles, and several other adventures I could have never done before.
• Not ashamed of myself. More of a quiet happiness and pride at what I've become versus what I was.

It has been an amazing year. Never could have wished for anything better when this process started. I wish each of you the best in your journey!

Longhorn

Wow. It seems you've made the most of the opportunity to get your life back.

Last night at a New Years Party I was looking at my beautiful niece who probably weighs what you weighed when you started this. She is so depressed and overdosed on food and probably a bit too much alcohol. And she was talking a lot about losing weight and how hard it is to meet a nice guy, and I was sitting there thinking how pretty she is naturally, but how much the weight is robbing her of her life!!! I was thinking how different her life could be, and how much more power she could have over her life if she wanted the sleeve and went after it. No one asked me for an opinion, me who has now lost over 70 lbs in less than year. Me, who went from wearing a size 20-22 to an 8P. I thought that was interesting that the subject of weight loss is now taboo with me. She is trying to exercise, but of course at 295 it is no easy feat, right? My opinion would have been at her weight it is not realistic to think you can do it on your own without a tool to keep you 'reigned in'. Especially bc she is a single mom with two young daughters. It is possible, but not realistic. And until people realize that they refuse to consider surgeries like this. And they are not even interested in learning about it. That is interesting to me, because I was overweight for 20 years. Until I heard a doctor actually quote the statistics of how many people successfully lose weight and keep it off on their own. KNowing I only had like a 1% chance of that, and knowing I sucked at dieting, let me know I had fought a losing battle for 20 years. And in 1 year I've accomplished it with this tool, something I never even came close to doing in 20 years.

I read in some countries the sleeve is a remedy for Type II diabetes, and yet here it is not well known. I also wonder how many celebreties and models have the sleeve but do not discuss it.

I wish there was more on television about this surgery. So others could be as happy and fit as you are. COngrats!!

That is how I feel, that the sleeve gives you an opportunity to gain more of who you are - helps give back what might have been taken from you for whatever reason (for me it was hypothyroidism).

Wow, Longhorn, great job, Thanks for posting the details. Congrats.

Wow! I feel so inspired by you Here's to all the new adventures you'll have this year! I hope by my 1 year sleeve anniversary Ill have some as well

You make me smile will all the good news of yours. Congratulations on such a great 2010 and hopiing 2011 brings more joy.

CONGRATULATIONS, Long Horn!!

What a wonderful, inspiring New Year's story you have shared with us. I am even happier now after reading how well that you're doing, and LOVE the zip lines through the jungle.

I am 5 weeks out, and over 20 pounds lighter, so I can see that my post a year from now may well be similar to your post today.

WAY TO GO, Mama!! Happy New Year.

Cinderella

A year ago today I:

• Weighed 295 pounds
• Took BP meds for high BP
• Was borderline diabetic. I was basically there.
• Took cholesterol meds for high cholesterol
• Used a CPAP machine for snoring
• Got tired after running 1 mile
• Had aching joints and knees
• Was generally disgusted with myself and my inability to control the volume of food I ate
• Was worried I'd not see my daughters get married and see my grandkids born
• Was ashamed of myself

Today, 1 year later:

• I weigh 177 pounds
• No BP meds
• No diabetes. Great blood test results. My cardiologist actually said I'd made him the happiest he had been all month after he examined me.
• No cholesterol meds
• No CPAP machine. No snoring.
• Best shape since a young kid. I exercise substantially. Running 5-10 miles daily. I did a 5K in 24:44 which is pretty fast for me.
• No aching joints or knees
• New clothes. New confidence.
• Belief I will be around for a long time to enjoy life and watch my kids Celebrate their important life events.
• Went skydiving, zip line through the jungles, and several other adventures I could have never done before.
• Not ashamed of myself. More of a quiet happiness and pride at what I've become versus what I was.

It has been an amazing year. Never could have wished for anything better when this process started. I wish each of you the best in your journey!

Longhorn

What an incredible gift you have given yourself. . .I am so proud of you! You and I had our surgeries the same day! I have a few more pounds left but 145 LBs isn't bad either in one year! I am soo glad that we were given talents when we were born to make the discisions we have. . . we have used our talents wisely! We won't be asked why we wasted them. Congratulations again!

Amazing! keep it up!

That is so amazing! I can feel in your words your happiness. Congrats!

Just the kind of story I need to read!!

Congratulations on the great process, longhorn!

I'm going through a lot of the same things you have. I'm a very sedentary guy, so the transition to being more active is nowhere near as smooth as it seems yours has been, but still I move a LOT more than I used to.

The confidence thing is a big change, isn't it? I'm nowhere near "confident," but I'm so much *more* confident today -- even 50 lbs above goal, still -- that I'm almost like a different man.

Congratulations again. It's good to see my sleeve-brothers doing well!

Wow! Your positive energy and this new life are a true inspiration. If you don't mind me asking--are you male or female? Somehow I'm guessing male. But, reading your post and some of the responses, I am getting past my few remaining doubts about the surgery. Don't have a date yet but hope to know by mid week. I am eager to hear from people who have had the sleeve for a while--one to three or four years (I know there are not many out there from the early years), to see how they are doing. My husband really wants to get some of that information too. Thoughts? And, again, congratulations on what you have accomplished for yourself, but for sharing it with others. This post WILL make a difference for others.

Wow! Your positive energy and this new life are a true inspiration. If you don't mind me asking--are you male or female? Somehow I'm guessing male. But, reading your post and some of the responses, I am getting past my few remaining doubts about the surgery. Don't have a date yet but hope to know by mid week. I am eager to hear from people who have had the sleeve for a while--one to three or four years (I know there are not many out there from the early years), to see how they are doing. My husband really wants to get some of that information too. Thoughts? And, again, congratulations on what you have accomplished for yourself, but for sharing it with others. This post WILL make a difference for others.

Jeffrey,

Yes, I'm a male. I'm a 48 year old father of 2 young adult daughters and a son who is a high school freshman. I'm glad you found my post helpful. There is lots of great information shared on this site and many posters with good insight and experiences to share.

Best wishes to you.

Longhorn

That is a wonderful story and I am so glad your life is so improved. My story is similar, apart from the skydiving and running that is! The sleeve is a wonderful tool to enable people to control their food intake. Good for you and i wish you a long, happy and healthy life