went horribly! I was up to 168...so gained actually no weight from last year, but I was down to 158 before Christmas. my blood work said my iron was slightly low, nothing major everything else was right where it should be but I am severly anemic. normally this is from your iron being low, but I have all kinds of kindey problems, infact i have very bad infection now they gave me a shot of antibiotics, and some to take at home. My doctor hopes that the infection is causing the anemia. I am dumping protein like crazy, so he told me to back off on the protein, take all the meds, increase my fluids and come back in 2 weeks. if after the infection has cleared and my iron is at a normal level I am still anemic , we would then have to worry about chronic kidney disease, espcially since I've already had one bought with kidney failure. I was warned this might be a problem after having the surgery because of lack of hydration and only having 1 working kidney...was just hoping I would be further out before it became a problem. Thankfully we already know my sister Susan is a perfect match should I need a kidney transplant. So anyway...not the best of news...but it could have been worse.

Size 8/10 and normal BMI are definitely things to be very, very proud of!!! Way to go! We're proud of you too! Hugs, Stephanie

Good morning! I remember every job interview I ever had as a morbidly obese person. I always used to say that I succeeded professionally DESPITE my size. I'm not sure why I was proud of that, but I was. It's disturbing that there is such discrimination in the workplace based on size. Well, it's disturbing that there is discrimination on any level! I asked myself how much discrimination I really experienced due to my weight or did I put limits on myself because of my size? I'd have to say it was a little of both. One of the motivators for having surgery was the realization that I could never move up to the next position in my current place of employment without losing a significant amount of weight. My job requires a lot travel, tons of walking and being on your feet, and is relatively intense. It took me at least three full days to recover from an event or a trip. At the next level, you don't have that kind of recovery time. I'll admit that I often take a nap at some point during the weekend after a trip, but I don't need three days! I think people take me more seriously now than when I weighed 350 pounds. For some reason, I'm seen as more capable. Maybe I am physically, but certainly my mental aptitude has remained constant. What about you? Did you suffer discrimination due to your size? Below are a few statistics about weight discrimination in the workplace. Have a great day! Speaking of trips...I'm headed to NYC and will return late tomorrow afternoon. I'll post the daily musings then! Hugs, Stephanie ********************************************************* Weight Bias in Employment In the hiring process Compared to job applicants with the same qualifications, obese applicants are rated more negatively and are less likely to be hired. Obese applicants are also perceived to be unfit for jobs involving face-to-face interactions. In addition, overweight and obese applicants are viewed as having ? poor self-discipline ? low supervisory potential ? poor personal hygiene ? less ambition and productivity In the workplace ? A 2007 study of over 2800 Americans found that overweight adults were 12 times more likely to report weight-based employment discrimination compared to "normal" weight adults, obese persons were 37 times more likely, and severely obese adults were 100 times more likely. Women appear particularly vulnerable: over one-quarter (27%) of them report employment discrimination. ? Forty-three percent of overweight people report that they have experienced weight bias from employers and supervisors. ? Some companies are planning to regularly charge overweight employees unless they meet standards for weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Consequences Overweight people: ? earn 1 to 6 percent less than non-overweight people in comparable positions, and obese females suffer more than obese males ? get fewer promotions ? are viewed as lazy, less competent, and lacking in self-discipline by their employers and co-workers.9 More than half (54%) of overweight participants in a study reported they had been stigmatized by co-workers. ? can be fired or suspended because of their weight, despite demonstrating good job performance and even though weight is unrelated to their job responsibilities

Stephanie, Thank you for a chance to reflect on my accomplishments during the last year. I think I am most proud of being a part of this forum. I would never have dreamed of being in a positions where I could be an encourager to others in this life long process. It may be somewhat hard to believe but I really am very shy. I feel that writing posts on here about sharing these life changing events has helped me to come out of my shell a bit. It has allowed me to be introspective and try to figure out why I am the way I am. I am always amazed with the number of things we all have in common. I am proud to be a "Marcher". Thank you for letting me be part of this family. Have a great day, Rick

Good for you for walking a mile! That's great! I agree...hurry up spring! I'm sure the pugs are ready too. Hugs for you and the pugs, Stephanie