Newbie

Hello All, I am a newbie. I've been reading the boards and profiles for about a week now. I am in the beginning stages of strongly considering the surgery. 296lbs, 5'8 with a BMI of 45 and totally disgusted. I was 143 when I graduated from highschool 20 yrs ago. I didn't attend my highschool reunion because I was voted most likely to succeed and most intelligent. I don't considering doubling my size smart or successful so I passed. That's when I knew this was a serious problem. Anyway, I decided to stop lurking in the shadows and get to know people. I have an appointment with my PCP on Monday to feel him out about WLS and request he put me on a supervised diet. Thanks. Blessings and Peace, Rhonda

Rhonda, Welcome! You will soon see for yourself what a great bunch of people we have here! It doesn't matter at what stage of this process you are at, the support here at any stage is wonderful! Good luck with you drs appt. Cathy Martin

WELCOME! Boy I can relate. My gang of friends from High School are now Dr's, professors, and one Vet. Then there is me, a stay at home Mom! They all waited to get married and still have their figures! So I am so there with understanding why you didn't go. I started my journey March 04. I had surgery in Aug 04. It was at times a clearly marked road, other times is it was a maze. BUT let me tell you well worth every ounce of worry or loss of sleep. I have regained myself back and boy I missed her. Welcome to our GA board. We are a huge family. Everyone here is friendly and understanding. Open up to us and we will gladly be your support team and friends. Welcome Lynn

Hi Rhonda! I can sooooo relate to your post! I'm 5'9+" and by 1995 I'd reached 298lbs in my 3X clothes. Since I really didn't see myself the way I appear to the rest of the world, I went to my 30th HS reunion & was pretty depressed when I flew home. My doc put me on an Optifast diet & I worked with his nutritionist & got down to 226 lbs, which put me back in size 18-20 clothes. And then. By fall of 2002, I was back in 2x-3x clothes. My PCP was of no help on the question of WLS. I surfed the net, went to an "open" monthly support group meeting in Atlanta that Dr. James K Champion hosts and that was the beginning of my transformation. The men and women at that meeting were mostly like me, morbidly obese & beginning to investigate this as an option; or they were waiting for their surgery date. There were "normal" sized people their too, & I figured they were accompanying potential patients. Was I shocked when the slim lady next to me handed me a small photo album & told me these were her "before" & "during" photos. I started to cry as I looked at the pre-op woman that bore absolutely no resemblance to the lady next to me. I had my RNY on Feb. 13, 2003 and now, 130 lbs. later, I'm one of those ladies that'll hand you her small photo album & watch your face as you cannot see the resemblance between the before & after me! The key to WLS LONGTERM success is something that I've been studying in myself & others. I've taken the knowledge, practices and emotional satisfaction of succeeding on this path into my PERSONAL COACHING practice. Learning to stay conscious of being in my body as I shed the fat, build muscle and melt down to a size 10 has made alllll the difference in the world. I joined the nearby LA FITNESS CENTER the day after my 3-week post-op check up when Dr. Williams, who assisted Dr. Champion with my surgery, told me it was time to start a program of weightlifting IN ADDITION TO THE CARDIO. Weight lifting has been one of the single most important factors in learning how to happily inhabit my body. Regardless of what option you choose to shed the fat and embrace your healthy self, personal coaching can make the difference between succumbing to self-sabotage or pushing past the usual panic point and going on to a life of vitality and joy. You can find out more about me & my coaching practice on my website, inspiredcoachingresults.com. Thanks for sharing with all of us your inspiring courage and loyalty to saving your life, Rhonda! Lovingly, Lauralyn :fairy

Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I feel confident that the sharing on this site will help me determine if this is best for me. I'm sure I'll have many questions over the next few months. I appreciate knowing the answers are here. Blessings to you all. Rhonda