Life is great. I am 135 lbs down and feel great. I have found so much in the last year. My journey has been amazing and I can't wait for the future. Congrats to all my surgery month brothers & sisters. You have done great and should be proud of yourselves. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season. Courtney

......So I thought I would too. November 17th was my one year happy rebirthaversary A.K.A. my one year anniversary Life has changed drastically for me. When I started this journey (this time) I weighed in at a mere 378 pounds, my B.M.I. was only 69.1, my height was 5'2" ~I was super morbidly obese. My shoe was a 10 or 11 with no back's in them so I could slip them on. My kids were tired of having to help their mother get dressed, so the backless shoes were a real help. My jeans were a size a 30/32 but were too small, my super stretch pants fit (kind of) My tops ranged in size from a 4x to 6x. I couldn't wear nylons or heels so I didn't bother with dresses. I spent the majority of my life laying in bed or on the couch. I got up to eat and use the bathroom. Every two week I would have to get up and go to the Doctor's office, I would go to church every two or three weeks. I would also go grocery shopping (didn't want to miss that). I could hardly walk. I was in a lot of pain. My insides felt like they were being squished. I was miserable. I laid in my bed (or on my couch) and thought of ways to kill myself that wouldn't leave to much of a mess for someone to have to clean up. Needless to say I was very depressed. Skip ahead a year. I finally get approval and have my surgery at Henry Ford Hospital Main Campus Detroit with Dr. Arthur Carlin. (an incredibly skilled surgeon, and an awesome person). I feel pretty good post-op but took a ride on the emotional roller coaster for a little bit there. At 6 weeks out I hit a plateau, that lasted a full 6 weeks, finally on week #7 I started losing again. I honestly thought I was the only one this surgery wasn't going to work for. Jump ahead ~Today I weigh 164 pounds down a total of 214 pounds. My B. M. I. is 29. I am moderately overweight. I would not qualify for surgery today. My height is 5' 3" (yes I gained an inch) I wear a size 8/10 in jeans. A size 6/7 in dress pants (which I prefer). I wear a size 8 jacket/coat. and my tops range from a medium to a small. I wear a size 6 to 8 in dresses. I still have big feet an 8 to 9 depending on what kind and who makes them. I enjoy wearing heels, and boots (the tall ones). You won't find me laying in bed unless it's between midnight (to 2:00am) and 8:00am. You also won't find me laying on a couch or even sitting on one or in front of a television. You can find me walking, playing with my grand kids, rollerblading, shopping, working, jumping out of airplanes, dancing, going to boy scout meetings, on line, and even running ~if you look hard enough you will find me on a pair of snow skis for the first this January. I have become very active, (at least until I got sick, but I am doing better). I love life and never ever think about or plot my death anymore. I pray that the Good Lord will grant me a long life now that I am able to enjoy it. I still get depressed sometimes but that's alright I've learned how to work through it, if it gets bad I seek the help of a professional. I am happy for the first time in my life. Now if anyone has a single male friend between the ages of 49 and 54 lol...... Thanks for listening. God bless, A forever thankful, Annette

I ALWAYS have cold hands, and many times am just plain freezing all over and my iron is quite good. My guess is that I have lost almost 115 lbs of insulation..... and I am bound to be cold. janet

Wow congrats to each of my November 2005 family. What an awesome year this has been, I am down to 245 from 417, gone from a size 32W (wide as my husband thought that W stood for), to a size 12/14 jeans/pants, and LG/XL shirt...depending on who makes them. It is strange still to see yourself in the mirror and still see the image of that fat girl, even though I am a whole person smaller than one year ago. I am so proud of each and everyone for the awesome accoplishments of their weight loss... so give yourselfs a hand... We have so much to be thankful for and a reason for a party... Love you all... God bless and have a wonderful holiday! Susan

Today has been a great day. I have now celebrated my 1st year anniversary of my RNY. I have lost 130 and am loving the way I feel. I can now walk everyday. I would do this again 1000 times over. Smiles, Jan Brown