My goodness, Dennis, Thta's an expensive worm....lol. Thank you so much! Erin

Hey there hot Mama ! You are doing awesome. I can't believe how tiny you are! WOW! Erin

Hi Connie and welcome to the October 2005 forum. Congrats on the 110 pound loss - quite an accomplishment. I think your thoughts and emotions about your appearance are pretty normal; after losing so much weight, we want our bodies to look more "normal." Unfortunately, our skin just does not have its original elasticity. I think plastic surgeyr can help to a certain extent by making the outside of your body look more "normal." But there are also psychological issues at play here, so I would suggest talking to a counseler or attending a support group; find someplace where you can talk about what's going on. Best of luck on your continuing journey - Kellie

Hi LisaMarie, I guess I'll be next. My name is Kellie Rubesne and I had RNY gastric bypass on Tuesday, October 25, 2005. I've been overweight since I was a child and it only got worse as I got older. I took no responsibility for my weight problems, but just acted as if it didn't matter. So much so that my highest weight as 409 pounds. Ouch. As I got older (I'm 38 now, soon to be 39), I realized that it DID matter and if I wanted to actually LIVE my life, I needed to take action. After several years of trying to lose weight on my own, I decided weight loss surgery was for me. I live with two great women - we've been fast friends for over 12 years now and I couldn't imagine my life without them. I have two cats - Zandar, age 9, and Delilah, age 20. I lost another cat, Phoebe, very unexpectedly in May and my heart is still very tender over her loss. I have a great, understanding, loving family (Mom, Dad, 2 sisters, 7 nieces and nephews) and they have been super supportive of my decision to have WLS. I have a great job as a corporate attorney for an insurance company. The work is interesting and my co-workers are fantastic. I actually enjoy coming to work every day. Okay, well almost every day The company has two great fitness centers, so I can work out during lunch or after work. That makes it easier to stick to my exercise habits. The only other thing I would say about me is that I have a great outlook and positive attitude. I was like that even when at my heaviest - nothing can keep me down for long. I think my positive outlook has really helped me be successful with WLS. My personal saying is "They'll pry my rose-colored glasses from my cold, dead hands..." Not that I don't see the negative things that happen in the world, but I choose not to let them drag me down. Anyway, that's me in a 5-minute nutshell. Who's next? Kellie Lap RNY 10/25/2005 396/242/150-165?

Trust me, I understand budgets. I will check with the lower (but still nice) to mid range hotels. I will check with Bally, New York New York and a few others. I'm very particular about hotels............. Thanks for the advice and info. Have a good one! Keke