Introductions

Hi -

As many of you know I hold in-person support group meetings in Raleigh NC. One of the things that we do at each meeting is go around the room, introduce ourselves and share some about our journey. How much people share varies with their comfort level. I'd like to do something similar here, so I've started this "Introductions" thread that will remain at the top of this board.

I'll start the introductions by introducing myself. I hope that each of you will add your own introduction and will keep visiting this thread to meet new members.

My name is Barbara. I'm 50 years old. I have been married to my DH Ben for over 30 years. We have 3 children; 27 year old twin sons; Chris and Mike and our 14 year old daughter Sarah. Chris married the most wonderful young woman this year and now Christine had joined our family.

I was a normal sized child up to the age of 7. At that point, I started to chunk up. I remember obsessing about my weight at the age of 8 and on and on... I was a chunky, chubby kid in elementary school, a fat kid in middle school and became obese in high school. By the time I married Ben, much to my distress I was well over 200 lbs and wore a size 22 wedding dress. I remained over 200 lbs for the next 30 years. Of course, I'd lose some and gain it back, and a little more... but I never was able to consistently keep my weight below 200 lbs.

In 2006 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and about the same time my dear mother was diagnosed with stage 3 kidney failure, a complication of her own Type 2 Diabetes. I decided that I was looking in the mirror as I looked at my mother and didn't like what I was seeing. Like many others that look into and undergo any type of WLS, I had tried nearly everything else. Sometimes, I'd have moderate success with initial weightloss, but no lasting success. I felt like I had to do something that would give me much better odds at shedding the weight and more importantly better odds of keeping that weight off in the long term.

I had RNY surgery through Duke WLS Center in June of 2007. My high weight was 264. My weight when I entered the program at Duke was 248. I weighed 233 when I had surgery. My lowest weight was 132 and I now weigh 139.

For me the most important thing is that my Type 2 Diabetes is resolved. My quality of life has improved immeasurabily. I wear a size 4/6 in my pants and a 6/8 in my tops/dresses.

I have some excess skin and have struggled some with my feellings about that, but that's getting better.

For me, while getting the weight off was a lot of work, maintenance has been harder for me than losing. I am working hard at retooling my thoughts and actions as they relate to food. Like a marriage, the first year is full of adjustments, but is a honeymoon. It's after the first year, when the hard work of maintenance sets in.

Thanks for taking a minute to get to know some about me. I look forward to getting to about you too!

My name is Yehuda. i'm 22 years old.

I have been a compulsive/emotional/binge  eater since I was just 4 years old. I was a professional yo-yo dieter by the time I was in middle school, and I was 441 pounds when I was 21. I had diabetes, hypertension (196/110), GERD and sleep apnea.  My weight disabled me. I had limited mobility. I couldn't wear shoes (couldn't reach down), and I got to the point where I didn't want to even live anymore. No joke!

I had the Fobi Pouch procedure 10/28/09, and I have lost 250+ pounds and all comorbidities. My life is 1000000000% different (for the better).

I have excess skin, which is hard to accept.I am working on accepting my body the way it is, but it sux being a young stud with excess skin (lol just had to say it like that). I reached my goal of getting t 191 pounds, but my doc wants me down to 170.

recently i have been struggling with some compulsive, emotional eating. this especially happens at night. I really need to work on that if I am to stay healthy.

My name is Mica A. Welsh. I am 47 and hope to have the RNY done very soon. I am 5'5" and weigh 375lbs. I started this journey early in 2008 at 400 pounds and my highest weight was 475. I was an over-the-road trucker and was injured in an accident. I returned to school in 2004 and earned an AAS in Biotechnology. I am currently working on my BS in Biology at Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC. My plan is to go into medical research; my hope is that I live long enough to accomplish something significant in the field.
I saw my surgeon last Wednesday and he wants to see me in another 6 weeks after I have lost another 25 lbs.(because of my lungs) I will have been on the liquid diet for awhile by then and I am hoping that he schedules me for surgery before the end of February.

Mica,

I'm delighted to meet you and look forward to getting to know you better over the course of our respective journies.

Wishing you continued success,

Hi - My name is Kathleen.  I am 42 and I have struggled with my weight most of my life.  I am a teacher and a musician and I love to swim and hike.  Unfortunately, my outdoor activities have become very difficult since I became obese.

My obesity began in graduate school when I was diagnosed with clinical depression.  Since then my weight has fluctuated greatly.  I am currently at my heaviest weight of 275 lbs.  My most significant weight loss was 40 pounds but over the past 7.5 years I have gained and lost - gained and lost, ultimately resulting in a gain of about 80 pounds.  I cannot continue on this path.

I have been seeing a psychologist and psychiatrist about my depression for many years and I'm finally at  a point  where I'm stable emotionally.  Unfortunately, some of my medications have the side effect of weight gain.  I hate where I am physically and I want change.  My RNY surgery is scheduled for 1/20/09 and I'm both excited, anxious and frightened - which, I understand, is normal.  I'm grateful for having found this support system.

Hi Kathleen,

It's so nice to meet you. I think if you read my profile, you will see some significant similarities in our experiences ... and some differrences. I too had to wait until I was stable enough to engage the WLS experience. While I still struggle with depression, I have to say that my WLS journey has not negatively impacted my mental health at all and in some ways has probably helped.

I wish you all the best as you make this life-changing journey,

Hi,My name is Diana but everyone calles me dede.I am 40 years old and 478 pounds.I live in story city Iowa and Im a little scared about my upcomming surgery to start my new life

Hi Dede,

Welcome to the group! Please know that it is very normal to be nervous and even scared. You are not only getting ready to undergo major surgery, but that surgery is going to force you to make many changes. I have to tell you that this is truly the best thing that I've ever done for myself and knowing everything that I know now, I'd do it again.

I look forward to getting to know you better,