Back from Florida, Couple of FART's

Back from my first real vacation in a long while. I started a new job in March of 06 and used up my available vacation for the surgery last June. Went to Florida with the wife and kids to visit my Mom and Mickey. Had a couple of nice moments. First and foremost, I fit in the airplane seat. I was able to buckle the seatbelt with some room to spare and did not have to lift up the armrest to sit comfortably. That has happened officially only one other time in my life. While at the Magic Kingdom I rode every ride with my kids completely comfortably. I rode a roller coaster with my almost 5 year old. Think about that. Her first "big" roller coaster and she rode it with me. I get to have that memory with her and I will cheri**** for the rest of my life.  I weighed myself this morning at the gym after not eating entirely well or exercising entirely regularly the past week I was ready for the scale to reflect as such. Nope. Came in at 305 this morning. That puts my BMI at 39.2 which is under 40 which means I am now obese, no longer extremely obese. I cannot possibly put into words how happy I am today.

Sweet! Good stuff there Dan. It only keeps gettting better. Keep the FARTS coming. Joe

It got a little teary on the plane. Again after the roller coaster ride was done. Just so nice to have doors open for me that were previously shut, locked, and bolted.

YAY! That's a fun-filled, family fart. It must have felt totally liberating to ride all the rides.

I was publicly humiliated once while trying to get on a ride at Great America. The over-the-head-pull-down-thingy wouldn't latch. Two employees (carnies) tried to ma**** into place while I squirmed. I was too embarrassed to point out that I wasn't comfortable doing loop-the-loops at break-neck speed with a "make it work" safety harness. It got ugly. People started booing and shouting to get the "fatty" off the ride and get on with it. I very quietly...defeatedly...got out of my seat, walked past the exit stall and found a tree to sit under. It spun me into a month long depression. GLAD THOSE DAYS ARE BEHIND ME.

So, back to you (I'm a narcissistic prig). I bet it was much easier to face the Floridian weather too. My best friend lives out in West Palm Beach, and I know at my heaviest I never dared enter Florida outside of January.

Glad to hear your successes.
--Jake

I had my first (and last) I'm too big to get on a roller coaster when I was in high school. I've avoided theme parks for years as a result. I'm so happy to have that world open up to me again. Just too much fun.  And yes, not sweating through shirts in 90 degree heat was a bit disorienting. I'm so used to doing that. It's going to take awhile for me to realize I'm not going to simply sweat all summer like I usually do (did?)

OUTSTANDING DAN!!! You don't have to put it into words, I know exactly how you feel. I have people ask me how I feel and I tell them if I felt any better there would have two of me just to be able to stand it.  Your post reminds me of a similar cituation when my daughter was about the same age. Wife and the kids went to a small local amusement park and I was in the middle with my son on one side and daughter on the other. When the ride started my daughter got scared and wanted off. I pulled her close and held her tight and told her to hold on it would be alright. She made it through it.  Now she is 24 and lives half way cross the country. She is coming to visit at the end of the week I will have to ask her if she remembers it.  Thanks for jogging that memory. pan head

I don't think I'll ever get tired of her bragging about going on her first big roller coaster with Daddy. I'm so proud of her and of me.  I bet your daughter remembers that experience very clearly.

Dan Those  are some great experiences.  Way to go my obese friend. 

 I've just been to Disney where they reminded me (approximately 259 times) that dreams come true. It's true today at least.

Hi Dan, At the risk of sounding like a gal, "Thanks for sharing." Your post really does confirm that dreams can come true. What a positive, inspiring story--shows how much WLS isn't just about getting thinner, but about living and about our loved ones. Here's to many more such experiences.