Back Again!!

Hey Everyone!!

Now that I have my pic displayed (thanks Jan!!) I feel like I can finally sit down here and tell you a little about myself.  First, I want to thank EVERYONE for welcoming me to this forum.  I truly feel its the best place for me.  So as promised, a little about me...Ok, here goes, might be a little lengthy.

My name is Kimberly (or Kim) and I live in Massachusettes.  I moved here a little over 2 years ago from Oklahoma City Oklahoma where I grew up.  I met a wonderful man thru a BBW dating site.  We did the fly-back-and-forth scenerio and that obviously grew old, so I packed up everything I didnt sell and moved up here.  I absolutely love it!

I am a Registered Nurse and work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (hence my profile name).  Ive been a nurse for 25 years, everything from bedside nursing to upper management.  I decided when I moved to Mass that I just wanted to be a bedside nurse and not deal with the 24 hour responsibility that goes with middle to upper management.  I also do Legal Nurse Consulting on the side and love that very much.

I have two kids, a son that just turned 21 and a 16 year old daughter that stays grounded most of the time.  They are both wonderful kids albeit challenging at times.

Ive spent the past year researching weight loss options.  I tried the usual stuff, Weigh****chers, Adkins, etc etc and I would initially lose, then regain.  My weight has gone up and down for years but basically Ive been overweight most of my teenage-adult years.  As a nurse I wanted the best physician, best facility that I could find and then I research both of those options as well.  I had my GBP surgery on Aug 26th and just celebrated my 2 month anniversay, currently -44 pounds.

Im still amazed at how this is working.  Some weeks I lose a pound, other weeks I lose 5, some none at all.  Its all been very challenging to me.  Ive basically been grieving food.  I honestly dont really enjoy eating very much now, its more of a chore to me.  Its extrememly challenging at work b/c some days I will go all 12 hours without taking a break b/c it can be that busy.  Im still struggling to figure out how to maintain my protein and fluids at work....Ive been back for several weeks now so still trying to put the pieces together.

I have enjoyed the information, commraderie and overall support that this board is known for.  There have been dissapointments in watching people tear others apart, name calling and overall bad sportsmanship but Ive come to realize that some people will never be happy with themselves and will take any opportunity they can to put someone else down in order to make themselves feel good.  That is why Ive enjoyed reading the 50+ board because everyone is respectful, adult and at the complete opposite end of the spectrum than some of the other boards.  I thank those so much for all of the encouragement and support you have shown when I requested to join the 50+ club....I look forward to getting to know everyone, trying out all of these amazing recipes and continue to share my journey with all of you.

kim

Kim - It is nice to get to meet you.  and hope to get to know you better as time goes on.  You are doing an awesome job with your weight loss. 

This board is warm, generous and I feel quite close to many here.  I look forward to *seeing* these people every day and feel lost when I get behind.

Welcome!
Shelia

Kim, thanks so much for letting us see you and get to know you.  

I still haven't figured out how to get my picture up there yet, some day.......


Jeane 

Welcome back Kim.  Good to "see" you.  I'm a RN too, so I wondered if NICU was your specialty when I saw your screen name.   Looking forward to getting to know more about you!  Glad you are here.

Ev

Great to get to know you.

Am getting anxious as I am still preop.  Good to see you are doing so well.

Sheri

I will do a quick intro of myself.  57 yrs old, married 34 years.  All happy years.  Wife had RNY open 6/6/06, I had laproscopic 12/13/07.  I am retired Air Force, who works overnight shift now.  I have internet access at work, which allows me to surf the net.  I live in Texas because that was my last Air Force assignment.  Native New Yorker.

One of the biggest things I can say about WLS, you seem to be doing just fine.  Don't compare yourself to others.  You are you.

As far as this board goes.  I think we are too old for drama.

 

hi kim and welcome to OFF!!! best forum that OH has to offer!!! since i found this OFF i haven't left!! its addicting let me tell you!! met some of these fine people and loved it!!! wish i could meet each and everyone of them too!!

i am just over 2 years out now and had so many stalls along the way i still do not understand how i lost 145 pounds!!! LOL just hang in there and you will be amazed on how the pounds melt away!!! can you keep a protein bar in your pocket or desk? that helps me when i am at work...i am not supposed to eat while working unless its my break but sometimes i just have to sneak a bite or two of my protein bar!!!

wishing you the best on your journey and hope you keep coming back so we can get to know you and you know us!!!

hugs

Hello Kim....thanks for the introduction.

I am glad you decided to join us and look forward to getting to know you better.

This is the most awesome board. NO trama and drama every single day!! Some boards tend to thrive on that.

Hugs, connie d

Kim,

Very nice to see you and hear about your journey, as well as hearing you comments about what you found elsewhere, which I've heard before, both here and on the local board I participate on, which is the PA board (I live in SWNJ, just outside of Philadelphia and had my surgery in Langhorne, PA, not to mention that the NJ board just is not all that active), anyway, I happened upon a post by Margo on the Main board one day while I was still going through the pre-surgery testing and I've been participating here ever since, I've even had the luck to meet some of the board members in person last spring. 

Everyone here is truly supportive and at the very least, if they have a differing opinion they are not rude about it, the only rudeness usually comes from people who happen along, the occasional lurker, who chimes in with some negative comment and generally we just ignore it (lol). 

So welcome back and best wishes on your continuing journey towards a healthier and more quality filled life, Laureen