Happy Birthday -- and a dose of perspective (Long)

Happy WSL Birthday to me! It's been an unbelievable two years since my surgery. I have gone from a Size 24, 3X top to Size 8 and medium tops. Heck if it wasn't for losing all that weight, I probably wouldn't have noticed gaining 10 pounds last December and have died of ovarian cancer within a few months according to my doctor. Weight loss surgery saved my life in more ways than one! As it is, my CA-125 is almost normal, which means I'm very close to remission. I'm still on the study drug for another nine months. My hair is actually growing back since I'm not on the chemo. However, since the chemo stopped, my appetite returned, so I've been struggling with a five pound weight gain. I had to laugh at a post on the grad board the other day from Tek who observed that many of us have turned into the very people we used to hate: those "thin" people who stress about 5, 10 or 20 pounds. Those people, he reminded us, that we wished would die a slow, painful death. It is so true. Leave it to Tek to put it in perspective. My only regret about Weight Loss Surgery is that I didn't do it years ago. Life is so much better now, and I can do so much more -- from riding rollercoasters to helping redo our house. I know many WLS patients are so hard on themselves -- sometimes harder after surgery because of skin issues or regaining a few pounds. I think having cancer has taught me to appreciate things more and cut myself some slack. Life is what you make of it. Live today -- and quit being a slave to the scale or the mirror. Have some fun today. Learn to love yourself. Give your friends and family a big hug for no reason. Stop to smell the roses. Take time to appreciate the little things in life. Practice Random Acts of Kindness. Singer Tim McGraw has a point: "Someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying -- Like tomorrow was a gift and you got eternity to think about what'd you do with it." What will you do with it? Everything is perpective. When I was in the hair salon a few months ago, the gal next to me was complaining loudly about her bad hair day. Then I took off my wig so I could have my head shaved. I didn't say anything, but I could tell that by her face that suddenly her hair didn't seem so bad. Yeah, life can suck, but you know what .... you can always find someone who is better off --- and worse off -- than you are. It's a matter of putting life into perspective. I may be battling a life-threatening disease (cancer) but all of us are battling another life-threatening disease: Obesity. It kills more people than cancer. No one knows when their time will come. Have you done everything you want to do? I know I haven't, and I'm making up for lost time. Join me. Let's have some fun that doesn't involve food! Joni

Joni, I hope that all signs of remission are there in all their glory very soon for you! Best wishes! My sister just finished 8 rounds of chemo for breast cancer. She chose to have a bilateral mastectomy so she didn't have to go through it a second time on the other breast. Lucky she chose that... while there wasn't cancer in the second breast - there are atypical cells. On her first day of chemo was another woman who was about to start her first treatment as well. Her hair was finely coiffed. My sister had gone and gotten her hair cut very, very short figuring it was easier to deal with short hair falling out then longer hair. The finely coiffed gal said "Oh, I got my hair cut short too." Not. The gal also said "I didn't mind them cutting off my breasts but I cannot stand the thought of losing my hair." Perspective is everything, I guess. My sister is doing well. Has maintained a great attitude. Luckily things were caught fairly early (1 lymph node involved.) My husband was recently diagnosed with myelofibrosis. It isn't cancer per se though it really depends on one's full definition of cancer. It is abnormal cells (fibrosis like scar tissue) that develop in the bone marrow choking out the blood producing cells. He is completely asymptomatic which is good. It was found based on reduce platelet counts which lead to a CT scan which shows an enlarged spleen and eventually a bone marrow biospy. No treatment is needed now. May not for years. Treatment begins when symptoms appear. This has probably been developing for years based on a CT scan 10 years ago and old blood work. Treatments are some chemos and up to a bone marrow transplant. Potentially we have years before we have to truly deal with it. So for now... we have to live life to the fullest. Hubby and I both had WLS to improve our health and so that we can enjoy our lives. We both saw where we were headed and the direction wasn't pretty. So, overcoming diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea - we are doing great and are very active something that wasn't possible a year or two ago. We have to make the most of the time we have together especially now given his medical issue. We can never take tomorrow for granted. Live for today! Best wishes, Kathy

Hey Joni ... big congrats to you ... and wow, what a journey. It sure seems to me that you are definitely "celebrating life" ... something that unfortunately, some of us need to be reminded to do. Thanks for the very positive and uplifting post ... and may all good things come to you. --Karyn

Joni, Happy Birthday! Glad you posted! It was one that I could relate to as well! I wish you the best and live everyday like its the last! You are right food is not necessary for us to be happy...its there to keep us strong and well we don't need as much as we think to do that! Have a good day! Debbie

Joni, Thank you for your post. it really was great. Congratulations on all that you have achieved, both physically and spiritually. Awesome job. Lynn

Joni! Happy WLS-iversary!! Life is Beginning Every Day!!! I just turned 50 at 11:55 today, so we share a date! I think of it as "My First 50!" 2 more of those to go!!! I want the Distant Memory of Me and a Smucker's Ad On the Today Show, A very distant memory! Glad to hear you're pulling away from your brush with cancer! Hope you get to start many stories with- "Yeah, about 40 years ago, when I had a run in with cancer...." Have the Greatest New Beginning Today!! Best Wishes- Dx

Happy birthday to you too! I too will turn 50 in November. Hey that's not so old if we live to be 100! Of course, having a 10 year old and 14 year old only helps me feel older (or maybe younger) many days! I get a kick that my teen-ager actually admitted that her friends think I'm cool cause I have a video ipod, and know the names of the songs they like. Hey, I'm open to new ideas -- and music. Old -- that's for sissies! Take care Dx! Joni