What Was Your Defining Moment???

Cheryl, Thanks for sharing. You've done an amazing job. Keep up the great work. Debra

Great topic!! I mainly stayed in denial most of the time until I had pictures taken,,then I'd look and think..what in the he)) happened to you Melanie?? But my defining moment was when I went to Niagra Falls and while driving there my feet swelled like sausages to the point I'd thought they'd bust. And while there I honestly did not have a good time because I was obsessing about how swollen I was, and the pictures taken of me I am not smiling,,,just sitting there thinking,,I am the fattest person here looking at a dang waterfall in Canada and there ain't nothing to eat to make me feel better about myself......that pretty much was my AHA moment.

Hey Melanie, Thanks for sharing. You are a success at 120 lbs lost. Keep up the great work. Love your pic. Debra

Debra, Here's my story... I weighed 250 lbs at 5'3 tall with a BMI of 47! I had tried EVERYTHING to loose weight from Weigh****chers to excercise, you name it. I just did not have the will power to stick to anything for very long because loosing 20lbs was just stupid.......I needed to loose 120 lbs! I seen a friend that had WLS and she looked great. I ask her if her Insurance paid for the surgery and she said yes. I began to pray, God, You know what's best for me, if you want me to have this surgery please hold my hand and guide me throught this. Then I started checking with my Insurance and found out that they did covered it so I began to look into WLS clinics. I went to my first consultation at Dr. Avara's office in Ocean Springs, MS and walked into a room full of women that were lots bigger than me at that time. I sat through the seminar and thought to myself, what am I doing here (forgetting that I had given it to God) and who is this Quack! I then went into the exam room and Dr. Avara came in. The first thing he said to me was, "so your from Wiggins", I said, "Yes sir,he said that he had releatives in Wiggins. He named a few of them and it turns out that I am really good friends with his family in Wiggins! A peace came overme and then I remembered that God IS in control, not me and I new that God sent me specifically in to see Dr. Avara. Well, time went on and it came time for my psyc evual. I had to pay a copay of $45, here I go again doubting God's plan for me, I thought $45, I could have bought a pair of shoes for my son with that.........Got home from the Psyc evual and had a $45 check waiting for me in my mail box from overpayment to another doctor that I had seen. I began to think how I needed to just let God take the control that I asked him for and leave it alone. ONE MONTH later I had WLS! It was an easy process for me and the surgery went fine! I know that it's because God's hands were on me from the beginning! I am 8 months post op and have lost 106 lbs weighing 144. Life is good again for me and my whole family! GLORY TO GOD! My advice to you....Pray and ask God to take control, but remember, let him have it if you ask him.......don't try and do it yourself. May God Bless! Lorrie E.

Lorrie, Thanks for sharing. Your story is so inspirational. Thanks for the advice: Let go and let GOD. You look wonderful and very happy. Thanks, Debra

Hijack! On your profile, the Mardi Gras Ball, was that in Wiggins? I was there. We have been to that 3 years in a row now. My parents are good friends with Durwood Stephens and Johnette Dees. I could have met you and didn't know it. LOL. Melissa

I was there! I know them very well. Durwood is my 2nd cousin and I have know Johnette my entire life. Durwood's daughter Nikki and I are very close. Did you go to Johnette's house after the ball for breakfest? I skipped out on that because I was afraid to eat!!! My DH was so upset because I didn't want to go. Yall were at table 1 and we were at table 3. We may have met! It's a small world after all! Lorrie

We usually go to the breakfast but didn't make it this year. Nikki and her husband are lots of fun. We see them at the ball and then usually at the super bowl party that Durwood and Johnette have. I don't know if I met you or not but I did meet another of Nikki's friends last year that had the surgery. This lady's surgery was some time ago. I can't remember her name. I meet lots of people every year as Durwood and Johnette know everybody. LOL. Melissa

You ask interesting questions, Debra. For me it was going on insulin. While the insulin brought down my blood sugar, and I'd gotten to where I didn't mind the shots, just the idea that I would have to watch this the rest of my life decided me on this. That and being tired of having to take a handful of pills in the morning and another handful at night. Like you, I'd been researching it for awhile, but finally made up my mind to do it. So far, I'm glad I did, but I'm only a couple of weeks post-op. We'll see later on... Marcia

Marcia, You have done an amazing job in three weeks. Has the amount of medicine changed since you have lost weight? Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work. Debra