A lifetime partnership ... a relationship ... a commitment ...

It is a daily celebration of life ... with all its ups and downs and turnarounds.  It is more than a tool ... it is a lifetime partnership ... a relationship ... a 2-way street .. a commitment for life ...

Those words were used to describe my WLS on the day of my psych eval when I filled out what seemed to be tomes of papers with questions and more questions ... after filling out the questions there was this interview and discussion of some of my answers and in the process a rapport was developed with the awesome gentleman who I was referred to by my surgeon's office ... I was comfortable and truthful and was very relaxed speaking to him ... it was then he reached behind his credenza and pulled this picture of a morbidly obese man ... morbidly obese like I was sitting in the chair in his office ... he told me that man was he ...the only resemblance was the face ... he too had had RNY gastric bypasss surgery 10 years prior to the date of my interview ... he was so athletic looking he told me he was a cyclist and a gymnast and a runner having had a high weight exceeding 400 pounds prior to his surgery.  I WAS IN AWE ... I WANTED THAT FOR ME ... that is when he uttered the words I typed in bold above ... I took those words and I committed them to heart ...

6 years and 3 months ago on yesterday it was the monthly anniversary of one of the major decisions I made in my life for ME. Tired of 5 co-morbidities, limited mobility and sleeping with a C-pap. I took those words and decided to apply them to my life THEN AND THERE ... even before going under the knife the seed was planted and had started to grow.... I WANTED THIS! health and mobility more than anything else....

I LOVE MY TOOL ... I am in a lifetime partnership with it ... a commitment to myself and my life and I am working it ... ANY REGRETS? YES ... I wish I had done it sooner .... ANY OTHER REGRETS ... I wish there had been more than just 2 options available to me then on there on that date when I went to my first seminar in December of 2006 ... DO I LOVE MY RNY TOOL? YES! YES! YES!!!!!! .... IS IT WORKING FOR ME? YES!!! .... If I started my journey on this day in 2013 would I choose the SAME tool? I think not, despite how much I love my tool there is ONE other better option available to ME today ... If I needed RESTRICTION ONLY I would have opted for the VSG an options which we are considering for my daughter BUT I need malabsortion for my metabolic issues and for that I would opt for the DS.  HOWEVER ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE my RNY ... I AM WORKING MY TOOL in partnership mode ... AS A LIFETIME COMMITMENT ... TO ME an my wellness and happiness ... I am where I want to be and my desire is to stay there .... unless there are any events out of my control I will continue to work my RNY and have it work for me ... should the need arise I would not hesitate to revise to a duodenal switch FOR ME... MY PERSON... MY NEEDS...

I embarked on this journey at a high weight of 327 pounds on the date I went to my cardiologist to get fitted for a Holter Monitor...

Yesterday, I celebrated my MONTHLY SURGIVERSARY ... a goofy yet awesome word I get reading on this site when I first joined in 2007 ... I was determined to see and track my journey and I have done just that by using a goofy tool that I made up that is called "A Picture A day Keeps the Pounds and the Inches Away" ... it is working .... for ME....

Yesterday I sat on my deck enjoying the sun weighing 207 pounds less ... YUP I lost 4 more pounds from my 203 pounds total loss .... and my husband snapped a picture for my journal in the morning...

and in the afternoon too...

This morning before going to work I sat on my deck and enjoyed the awesome morning breeze and thanked God for an AWESOME new day....

I snapped a picture for my journal too ...

then I donned an AWESOME sparkly jacket in a SIZE 2 over my tiny jumpsuit to make it appropriate for work....

I merged my pictures in a collage ... this is my empowerment collage this day ... My BEFORE and MY TODAY ... I do not want to forget! I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK... I CAN SEE IT ... I OWN IT ... AND I AM DETERMINED TO STAY ON TRACK ... if I veer .. I have options ... I have a tool ... and I have awesome groups on here like Getting Back on Track Together or another awesome group another member on here is starting up....

I benefit DAILY from soooooooooooooooo many awesome people sharing their experiences ... before... after..and during ... I remember how much the MOVE TO LOSE thread that was posted here daily at the start of my journey helped me ... I took and take advantage of it all ... THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY .... and I make it work for me....

Oftentimes I post but more than posting I read ... sometimes I have time to reply to other posters ... other times I don't but all in all I am so totally grateful for OH and the wonderful opportunity it gives to allow us to post and benefit from each other one way or another....

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY ... YIKES!!! there is a poodle in my pocketbook LOL ... my awesome poodle CHIP (this was on Saturday) ... he is brown ALL OVER ... including lips, nose, and I ... he IS my CHOCOLATE CHIP ... the best treat for me today...

WISHING ALL AN AWESOME AND VERY BEST DAY!!!! Wherever we are at on our journey ...let's own it and WORK IT! one day at a time ... one choice at a time ... I tell myself  I CAN DO THIS!!!

Congratulations and wishing you continued success!

Thank you Barbara!!

You are a lady of class and a awesome wearer of clothes!  I hope to make it to the OH Convention in October and cannot wait to see you and to see your clothes you are going to bring and wear!  Take care and thank you for being the positive person you are!  Jane

OMG Jane ... I am sooooooooooo looking forward to California and meeting you too!!! My awesome surgery and age group sista! This is awesome... I soooooooooo appreciate your discernment too in not judging me.

Regarding the clothes... I have NEVER been to an OH Conference before bringing BOXES of clothes for the clothing exchange or fedex'ing them ahead of time for the clothing exchange free for all ... in Atlanta I bought AWESOME gowns and dresses .. they were all gone in a split second ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE to share... every time there is a conference I half empty out my closet and bring duds for the Clothing Exchange and I NEVER ever bring anything back or take anything for me from the exchange... that is my excuse to get and/or make more for myself ...LOL...

I would love to meet you... I would ALSO love to paint an awesome canvas of your favorite subject (s) and bring to you too at the conference if you would allow me.... now I am sooooooooooo excited ... can't wait till October YAY!!!! I get to meet Jane!!!

Congratulations!!!  Thanks for the inspiration.

Best Wishes for continued success!!!

Thank YOU!!! beautiful.... best wishes for continued success too!!!