Living a Life I Love!

Getting a diagnosis of diabetes nearly two decades ago was a critical turning point in my life. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have gotten the surgery in 2003 and turned my health and my life around.

A few years back, I was 1 of 6 people featured in a photo shoot of real people who have defeated their diabetes. And what an incredible day it was! I got to choose the location of my shoot -- the beach -- and was driven there by limousine. The photographer took shots of me doing planks, sprints, and meditation on the beach, as well as hanging out on the boardwalk. That experience was the closest I've come to being a model (a teenage dream of mine).

Across the decades I have been every size, from a junior size 7 to a women’s size 24. Getting a diagnosis of diabetes was a critical turning point in my life. It was a wake-up call that I answered, the impetus for me to have my gastric bypass surgery. Had I not gotten diabetes, then I likely would not have had the surgery and turned my health and my life around. My diabetes earned me a 3-night staycation in the hospital. I went home with 5 prescriptions for diabetes and hypertension. Within a year I had bariatric surgery and I credit it with saving my life.

But getting the surgery isn't a guarantee of success. It is vital, too, that we become skilled in Using Your Gastric Pouch for Weight Loss. Over the years I must have slipped back into old dysfunctional patterns of relating to food because I began to gain weight at 5-years post-op. And I ended up having a revision surgery.

Fast forward to 2013 after my plastic surgery, I became set upon living life larger than ever -- doing all the things that I wanted to do. One might say I am making up for lost time. I came to love planks and squats and HIIT and lifting weights and sprints with my dog Blue and BodyCombat class. I ran with my granddaughter in her first 3k, and we hiked for hours in the mountains of northern California. I learned to row, meditate, belly dance, and tai chi. I completed a strenuous all-day ropes course and overcame my fear of heights. I traveled the USA in an RV and lived in Belize and Mexico for 4-months. And so much more, more, more. I feel that the plastic surgery saved my soul.

I am so grateful for how my life has changed, now having defeated my obesity and diabetes for nearly 15 years. I lead a life well-lived. But when I was morbidly obese, I led a life half-lived. The biotech company behind the photo shoot shares my story with patients and healthcare professionals and with employees to encourage people that they can defeat diabetes, too. It is an honor to inspire people to better health.

Be thankful for who you are now, but keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. Strive for Daily Success.