I was just commenting about this. I started back on 04 -05 area and was very active. I had since gotten away but am back as I am looking for help from you all to get back to where I need to be and to hopefully get my skin removal before the end of the year. 

I don't have my old email that was associated with my OH account. Not sure how I would go about getting back into my account as I don't remember my password either.

Any helpful ideas would be appreciated!   Rich

Welcome Back Rich! It is so great to have a man post! I agree with you about life...live it with gusto, it goes so quickly! Please stick around, we have a thread every day.

Julia

Hi Rich from MI, here. I was actually very active on here a few years back as I had my RNY in August of 05'. I was very successful going from 420 down to a low of 185. My body readjusted yo yo'd a bit. Gained muscle weight after starting the gym and ended up hovering at around 215 which I was great with. High blood pressure, apnea, reflux along with other ailments all disappeared with the weight.

I've had a lot on knee problems which have slowed me don a bit and drove my weight up to 260 earlier this year. I was side tracked in getting my skin removal due to insurance stumbles, a divorce (Not due to surgery) and a job situation. I've always felt this hole in that I was never able to finish the journey and be my best with the extra skin. 

Well I'm back on OH. A new user name as rich988 could no longer be accessed. I forgot my password and I no longer had the email address I used back then so now I'm rich1451. 

Since the first of the year I've knocked off 20 pounds. I've also had 2 knee replacements in the last 3 months. The right one was replaced for the 3rd time along with a lot of bone reconstruction with steel blocks staples, ect. I am getting around a lot better now and should be 100% very soon allowing me to hit the gym, resume walking and melt some more pounds off.

I am hoping to revisit with my original Plastic Surgeon in late July and get the ball rolling towards a fall surgery. I have a very large hernia which will help the insurance process and hope to have a expanded TT or LBL and thighs as well.

I've always loved helping others through sharing my experience's from WLS in dealing with their trials. I'm hoping to make some friends on here as it definitely helps push me onto my goals and hopefully I can do that for others as well.

I'm going to be moving to the Wilmington, NC area next summer. With all that beach I really want to feel comfortable in my own skin... without all the skin I have now, lol. Best of luck to all on their journey's. Life is very short and meant to be lived happily to it's fullest. Rich  

Kathy,

I am so happy you came by and posted and hope you continue to come by. I am so sorry you lost your husband. It sounds like you are close enough to your son to visit often. It's good you are still working because that will provide you with a community. I can only imagine how horrible it is to be figuring out how to exists without your husband. I know there are probably a million ideas you have had about what to do and communities to join but you will find the perfect fit, keep looking. I have found yoga to be a perfect fit for me and there are a few of us who work together and we do yoga every day...and then I do a yoga class a few times a month. Yoga isn't hard on the joints and you can do it at home or at work, but I do suggest doing it with a group of folks because the relationships that I have built are for life. I would love to bike but I live in a very hilly place so I cannot do that up here.  Maybe you can find a trail that is a little outside of town and drive your bike there and ride and then drive home. 

Please, please, please keep coming back here and stay connected with us. 

BTW, I did zumba a few years ago and it took the pounds off but I never could keep up...when they did hip circles, I was still doing something else but they endured my bad timing. LOL...I did join a ballroom dance group and loved it....I am going to rejoin after my knee surgery.  Look in the paper for a dance club and join...you will love it. My husband wasn't my partner...I drug one of my gays with me and he and I were so good together and we won a lot of competitions because he was driven to win...and scolded me when I wouldn't keep my frame up.....That's what you need; you need a gay man friend who will take you places and who will keep you occupied while you find yourself....

Hey, Hey Everyone

I love this, thank you for doing this. It's great to see familiar names and faces.....  OK, me, myself and I update.

Came on the boards in 2003 and after researching I finally decided to have surgery on 8/04.  OH was my home away from home. I can't tell you what the members support meant to me. I had RNY, lost over 200 pounds and then had 3 Plastic Surgeries to complete my transformation.  In doing so I found a new way of life and it was GREAT until 2010. I kept the weight off and was very active with working out and staying in shape.  My husband had his first stroke on Christmas day 2010.  The next 5 years were all about his health needs and issues and I stopped caring for me and started caring for him full time.  We had lived in Chicago for over 30 years and with our only son moving to NorCal we had no help.  He had met a great young lady and moved here where her family was located.  They live in Pleasanton CA and we decided to relocate near them so I could have some family near. Besides, my first grand baby was on the way.  We could not afford Pleasanton so we re-located to Manteca CA.

I lost my husband 12/5/15 and had weight gain for the first time since my surgery.  This was not where we had thought we would be after 39 years. We were going to retire and enjoy life, but it was not to be.  I met my husband when I was 18 and went straight from my family to being married.  Being alone has been strange, hard and lonely.  I am trying to find my way, I had lost 20 pounds of my regain but have been struggling. I find I have my good weeks and bad.  I did make a list of steps for me to get back to the basics. It's been a great resource for me, if you are interested in a copy PM me.

My son suggested I get back to a gym as I love Zumba and other classes and did some weight lifting in the past. I love biking and would do it more, but the trail goes right through downtown and you have a ton of stops and it's hard to get a good ride in.  I hate/scared riding on the streets so trails are my thing.

I am grateful for my son, DIL and grand babies as we have 2 boys now. Gavin 2 1/2 and Logan 10 months.  I am grateful for my job!  Having a major birthday coming up soon it's going to be very hard.  As we all know, time is flying by and looking back reminds us what coulda, shoulda been. I think we all have to look forward, be there for each other and come hell or high water I have to get back to "me".

Hugs to you all