I'm Back

[Guest guest]

Nice to have you back!

Stacey

From: gastric-bypass-support-kaiser-patients [mailto:gastric-bypass-support-kaiser-patients ] On Behalf Of sfmaniso1Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 9:48 AMTo: gastric-bypass-support-kaiser-patients Subject: I'm back

Hello everyone:It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs, and my life has been forever transformed.Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man, and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to "she/her" when I mean "he/him." I have always discussed these relationship issues with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power. However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain. For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel safe here once again.Francisco

[Guest guest]

It's nice to have you back Francisco! I know I've missed you!

Tina

>

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding

my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when

I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay,

lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't

always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries,

and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts

to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used

to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity

removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my

pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my

ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can

feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

I know I didnt really get a chance to know you before - but I am very happy you are back!

Barbara (LTLJSMOM)

>> Hello everyone:> > It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open > RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs, > and my life has been forever transformed.> > Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but > the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also > took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my > sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man, > and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with > myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid > obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are > relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to "she/her" when I > mean "he/him." I have always discussed these relationship issues > with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all > who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would > be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.> > I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian, > bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people > too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual > way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted > for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who > work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we > partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always > have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can > bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and > have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is > partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to > kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude > we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to > action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the > world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from > time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power. > However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they > be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.> > There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the > joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have > experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to > have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill > that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most > passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed > from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain. > For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.> > So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the > need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing > success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel > safe here once again.> > Francisco>

[Guest guest]

Hi Francisco!I am new to the group! I enjoyed reading this post. Thank you for your words, they are encouraging to me on my journey! I too feel that this is my cry for help and that I am being heard!Congratulations on your weight loss! I hope to have my surgery early in 2006. Looking forward to getting to know you!Sincerely, Hadsellaka: Katchick!www.katchick.com --- In gastric-bypass-support-kaiser-patients , "sfmaniso1" <sfmaniso1@y...> wrote:>> Hello everyone:> > It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open > RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs, > and my life has been forever transformed.> > Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but > the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also > took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my > sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man, > and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with > myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid > obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are > relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to "she/her" when I > mean "he/him." I have always discussed these relationship issues > with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all > who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would > be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.> > I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian, > bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people > too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual > way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted > for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who > work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we > partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always > have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can > bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and > have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is > partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to > kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude > we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to > action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the > world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from > time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power. > However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they > be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.> > There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the > joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have > experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to > have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill > that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most > passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed > from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain. > For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.> > So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the > need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing > success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel > safe here once again.> > Francisco>

[Guest guest]

OMG! OMG! OMG!! I have missed you sooooo much my dearest friend!!!!

As everyone who has been a part of this group knows....I LOVE YOU

VERY MUCH and have missed you soooo much. The bond you and I share,

created by going thru so many of the same things at the same time and

the friendship we have formed crosses over, gender,

religous,orientation, cultural differences. I am so happy you have

come back. And if anyone hurts you again, I will personally beat them

up!! LOL just kidding!!!! Welcome back with big Huggles and big

Smoochies!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YA and Huggles

>

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when

I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used

to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

OMG! OMG! OMG!! I have missed you sooooo much my dearest friend!!!!

As everyone who has been a part of this group knows....I LOVE YOU

VERY MUCH and have missed you soooo much. The bond you and I share,

created by going thru so many of the same things at the same time and

the friendship we have formed crosses over, gender,

religous,orientation, cultural differences. I am so happy you have

come back. And if anyone hurts you again, I will personally beat them

up!! LOL just kidding!!!! Welcome back with big Huggles and big

Smoochies!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YA and Huggles

>

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when

I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used

to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Francisco,

How wonderful to hear from you again!!! I've really missed you - your

wisdom, insight and support have been invaluable to me. We are such

very different people - in many ways almost polar opposites - yet so

often, it seemed that what you posted spoke directly to what was

happening in my life. I have learned a lot from you.

I just recently resurfaced here myself. I guess we occasionally need a

break - for any number of reasons.

I would love to make it over to your support group in the city. I

actually did get over there once - for the very first meeting, the one

that was cancelled. That should teach me to stay more current on my

e-mail. LOL

Do take care.

Love,

Kay (in San Leandro)

Open RNY 12/1/03

sfmaniso1 wrote:

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

[Guest guest]

Welcome back Francisco. Nice to see you here again.

Ron

I'm back

Hello everyone:It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs, and my life has been forever transformed.Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man, and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to "she/her" when I mean "he/him." I have always discussed these relationship issues with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power. However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain. For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel safe here once again.Francisco

[Guest guest]

Welcome back,

You and Kay have missed alot over the months during your " breaks "

Many have gone on to have thier surgery, have it scheduled, or like

myself, still struggling with the 10%. Your wisdom and insight has

been missed.

Glad to have you both back.

Jeanne

>

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding

my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when

I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay,

lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't

always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries,

and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts

to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used

to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity

removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my

pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my

ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can

feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

WOW.

I am impressed. I am new, and unaware of what drove you away, but I

would hope that this would be a place you are welcomed. I can only

speak for me, but you are welcome as far as I am concerned.

[Guest guest]

WOW.

I am impressed. I am new, and unaware of what drove you away, but I

would hope that this would be a place you are welcomed. I can only

speak for me, but you are welcome as far as I am concerned.

[Guest guest]

Welcome back, Francisco - I'd only joined a few weeks before you left,

but even so I could see that you brought a lot to the group and I've

missed your voice. It's good to have you back again! Welcome " home " .

Cathy C.

[Guest guest]

Welcome back, Francisco - I'd only joined a few weeks before you left,

but even so I could see that you brought a lot to the group and I've

missed your voice. It's good to have you back again! Welcome " home " .

Cathy C.

[Guest guest]

Kay:

The support group in San Francisco never got off the ground. I had

to pull out to take a break from all that was going on. And work was

just too much (thanks Arnold for that special election...don't get me

started).

It's still such a balancing act: me (I need a lot of attention and

work), dating, dancing, chuching, working, living, loving, being.

But I need a refuge, a repository for my feelings in a place where

everyone gets it. You know? While we may not always agree on all

things (variety is the spice of life after all), we all get the big

picture--our need to hold each other's hand from time to time, our

need to celebrate .5 lbs lost, our understanding of the joy of

fitting in a chair, or the tears that come the first time you fit

into a medium shirt, and it's just a little big!

The effort of starting a support group was just too much at the

time. I felt so horribly bad that I bailed out on Robynn, but she

was very gracious. She understood that I really needed to regroup on

my own and be part of groups that had nothing to do with gastric

bypass surgery.

Francisco

>

> > Hello everyone:

> >

> > It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> > RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> > and my life has been forever transformed.

> >

> > Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> > the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> > took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding

my

> > sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> > and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> > myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> > obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> > relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her "

when I

> > mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> > with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> > who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> > be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

> >

> > I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay,

lesbian,

> > bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> > too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> > way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> > for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> > work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> > partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't

always

> > have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> > bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries,

and

> > have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> > partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts

to

> > kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> > we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> > action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> > world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> > time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> > However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> > be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

> >

> > There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> > joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> > experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul

used to

> > have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> > that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> > passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity

removed

> > from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my

pain.

> > For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

> >

> > So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> > need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my

ongoing

> > success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can

feel

> > safe here once again.

> >

> > Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

Kay:

The support group in San Francisco never got off the ground. I had

to pull out to take a break from all that was going on. And work was

just too much (thanks Arnold for that special election...don't get me

started).

It's still such a balancing act: me (I need a lot of attention and

work), dating, dancing, chuching, working, living, loving, being.

But I need a refuge, a repository for my feelings in a place where

everyone gets it. You know? While we may not always agree on all

things (variety is the spice of life after all), we all get the big

picture--our need to hold each other's hand from time to time, our

need to celebrate .5 lbs lost, our understanding of the joy of

fitting in a chair, or the tears that come the first time you fit

into a medium shirt, and it's just a little big!

The effort of starting a support group was just too much at the

time. I felt so horribly bad that I bailed out on Robynn, but she

was very gracious. She understood that I really needed to regroup on

my own and be part of groups that had nothing to do with gastric

bypass surgery.

Francisco

>

> > Hello everyone:

> >

> > It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> > RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> > and my life has been forever transformed.

> >

> > Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> > the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> > took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding

my

> > sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> > and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> > myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> > obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> > relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her "

when I

> > mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> > with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> > who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> > be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

> >

> > I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay,

lesbian,

> > bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> > too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> > way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> > for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> > work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> > partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't

always

> > have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> > bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries,

and

> > have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> > partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts

to

> > kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> > we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> > action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> > world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> > time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> > However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> > be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

> >

> > There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> > joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> > experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul

used to

> > have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> > that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> > passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity

removed

> > from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my

pain.

> > For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

> >

> > So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> > need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my

ongoing

> > success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can

feel

> > safe here once again.

> >

> > Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

Hello. I do not know you but you sound very profound and right on

target. I have my Ph.D is sexology from the Institute for the Advanced

Study of Human Sexuality in san Francisco. Perhaps you have come

across it. It is right down the street from a great church on

Divisidero that ministers to many people of all persuasions. I wonder

if you are speaking about that church. You sound like a person who can

talk honestly about the sexuality of large people. You did not mention

sex in your list of love, feeling love, that we all need. I am one

pound away from the 10% goal and am still very large but I wrote my

dissertation on the sexuality of large women and I am wondering about

how this operation affects large people. What do you think? Lilka

[Guest guest]

Hello. I do not know you but you sound very profound and right on

target. I have my Ph.D is sexology from the Institute for the Advanced

Study of Human Sexuality in san Francisco. Perhaps you have come

across it. It is right down the street from a great church on

Divisidero that ministers to many people of all persuasions. I wonder

if you are speaking about that church. You sound like a person who can

talk honestly about the sexuality of large people. You did not mention

sex in your list of love, feeling love, that we all need. I am one

pound away from the 10% goal and am still very large but I wrote my

dissertation on the sexuality of large women and I am wondering about

how this operation affects large people. What do you think? Lilka

[Guest guest]

Francisco You are welcome here, and honesty is the best way of life. We are all human, and I respect your honesty. Sounds like your church has really helped you and is reaching out in so many ways, that is great. I run an in home daycare and I do many things for the families and children also. Everyone brings there outgrown clothes or some they just don't want and I size them to the ones they will fit here, what is not needed then is given to churches for the homeless. We also gather toys for "toys for tots" for the children who don't get to enjoy Christmas the way we do. We also pick old people at the convalescent homes who don't have family and take them a present, so they feel loved at Christmas. I never done serving food for the hungry, which I think I'd like, but we do donate food. So you be yourself and welcome back. I'm fairly new around here about a month and a half, I guess. I'm almost 8 months post

op, will be on Dec. 11th. You have a nice day. Take care. Donnasfmaniso1 wrote: Hello everyone:It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153 lbs, and my life has been forever transformed.Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I also took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man, and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms

that are relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to "she/her" when I mean "he/him." I have always discussed these relationship issues with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for all who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect would be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved, accepted for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they can bathe in a safe environment, get

fresh clothing and toiletries, and have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The gratitude we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make the world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So from time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power. However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever they be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but the joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used to have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill that

void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my most passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain. For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel safe here once again.Francisco Donna JordonDSJordon@...

Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less

[Guest guest]

Francisco....

Welcome back. I've missed you wit, knowledge and love. I look

forward to reading about your adventures again. Did I ever tell you

I wanna be just like you when I grow up ??

Regards,

Gordy

>

> Hello everyone:

>

> It's me Francisco. For those of you who don't know me, I had open

> RNY at Kaiser Richmond on June 3, 2003. As a result, I lost 153

lbs,

> and my life has been forever transformed.

>

> Through this journey, I have parted ways with several friends, but

> the new ones in my life have more than made up for the loss. I

also

> took some time away from this group over a controversy regarding my

> sexual orientation. Let me just put it out there. I'm a gay man,

> and I attempt to live my life openly and honestly. Honesty with

> myself and others is a KEY aspect of my recovery from morbid

> obesity. As such, I talk about dating and love in terms that are

> relevant to me; I don't switch genders referring to " she/her " when

I

> mean " he/him. " I have always discussed these relationship issues

> with respectful and sensitive language. I have deep respect for

all

> who belong to this group. I would hope that that same respect

would

> be returned to me. If not, I have no place here.

>

> I also belong to a church that ministers to primarily gay, lesbian,

> bisexual, and transgendered people, but also some straight people

> too. This beloved community influences me in a deeply spiritual

> way. I have found a spiritual home there where I am loved,

accepted

> for who I am, and soulfully nourished by a good-hearted people who

> work for social justice. We provide meals for the homeless, we

> partner with schools to provide materials for kids who don't always

> have enough, we do a shower project for the homeless so that they

can

> bathe in a safe environment, get fresh clothing and toiletries, and

> have access to social services. This Christmas, my church is

> partnering with the Homeless Children's Network to provide gifts to

> kids who have been sheltered from abusive situations. The

gratitude

> we experience and the connection we feel to God has called us to

> action to make positive changes, however grand or slight, to make

the

> world a better place, even if it just one person at a time. So

from

> time to time, I will mention God, the Divine or a Higher Power.

> However, I am respectful of all paths to spirituality, whatever

they

> be, even if it is no belief in a higher power at all.

>

> There is so much loss and sorrow that surrounds this process, but

the

> joy I have experienced has far outweighed the sadness. I have

> experience joy and beauty that I never knew existed. My soul used

to

> have this constant yearning, a deep hunger. Food could never fill

> that void the way love has. The deepest desire of my heart, my

most

> passionate prayer was to have this burden of morbid obesity removed

> from me. God heard my cries of desperation and took away my pain.

> For that gift, I will be eternally grateful.

>

> So I find myself, once again reflecting on my life, and I feel the

> need to come home to a place that was so instrumental to my ongoing

> success. I hope that you all are well. And I hope that I can feel

> safe here once again.

>

> Francisco

>

[Guest guest]

Gordy!

I'm so happy to be in contact with you and all these wonderful folks

here.

You don't know it, but you're my hero. And you're about to get your

badge of courage and valor (some refer to them as scars).

You're gonna do great because you've done so much prep work. Hold on

because the roller coaster ride will be a little scary, but it's one

hell of a wonderful ride. You'll find that all the twists and turns of

life will amaze you.

May you be rewarded with all the joy your heart can hold. Let it all

sink in and be happy. The best is yet to come. You may not know what

the future looks like, but it will be more rewarding than you can

imagine because at last it's just for you.

Thanks for being my friend and mentor,

Francisco

>

> Francisco....

>

> Welcome back. I've missed you wit, knowledge and love. I look

> forward to reading about your adventures again. Did I ever tell you

> I wanna be just like you when I grow up ??

>

> Regards,

> Gordy

[Guest guest]

Francisco, I was just thinking of you on Sat. Welcome

back!

Laurie

__________________________________________

Yahoo! DSL – Something to write home about.

Just $16.99/mo. or less.

dsl.yahoo.com

[Guest guest]

Hi Francisco,

Sorry to hear that the group didn't get rolling. It sounded like a good

idea. But, I certainly do understand about needing more out of life

than just being a bariatric patient. After all . . . regaining our

lives was a huge part of the motivation to have WLS (at least, it was

for me).

I'm sure that I'll always need the support of folks who " get it " - hence

I have resurfaced here and I still attend the Fremont and San Leandro

in-person groups. I am just very, very glad that you are part of that

support network.

Take care,

Kay (in San Leandro)

Open RNY 12/1/03

sfmaniso1 wrote:

> Kay:

>

> The support group in San Francisco never got off the ground. I had

> to pull out to take a break from all that was going on. And work was

> just too much (thanks Arnold for that special election...don't get me

> started).

>

> It's still such a balancing act: me (I need a lot of attention and

> work), dating, dancing, chuching, working, living, loving, being.

>

> But I need a refuge, a repository for my feelings in a place where

> everyone gets it. You know? While we may not always agree on all

> things (variety is the spice of life after all), we all get the big

> picture--our need to hold each other's hand from time to time, our

> need to celebrate .5 lbs lost, our understanding of the joy of

> fitting in a chair, or the tears that come the first time you fit

> into a medium shirt, and it's just a little big!

>

> The effort of starting a support group was just too much at the

> time. I felt so horribly bad that I bailed out on Robynn, but she

> was very gracious. She understood that I really needed to regroup on

> my own and be part of groups that had nothing to do with gastric

> bypass surgery.

>

> Francisco

[Guest guest]

It has been a good month since I have written anything. I was working through some stuff and I am ready to get back in the saddle again. The real block was the way I felt about the way I felt (thanks Yogi Berra). After my Pizza failure, I was lost; I lacked any direction and even got to an "out of control" place. The result was chocolate, hamburgers, soda, and even a couple of beers. Now for the good part, I went to the management meeting at Point West yesterday, and I asked about dealing with disappointment. asked about specifics so I told them how angry and disappointed I was with Dr. Li. Gity spent the next 30 minutes dealing with questions about my topic. I was embarrassed but I felt validated. I know the right answer is we all deal with disappointment all the time, but it took me a long time to get through it. The best news of all is that in the month hiatus I have been on, I still did not gain 1 ounce. I even lost a small amount (.3 lbs). I am re-energized and excited about the next few months. I am pushing my DR appointment back another month so I can get rid of the 20 I was asked to do, and then I will move on – toward whatever my life will bring me.

[Guest guest]

It has been a good month since I have written anything. I was working through some stuff and I am ready to get back in the saddle again. The real block was the way I felt about the way I felt (thanks Yogi Berra). After my Pizza failure, I was lost; I lacked any direction and even got to an "out of control" place. The result was chocolate, hamburgers, soda, and even a couple of beers. Now for the good part, I went to the management meeting at Point West yesterday, and I asked about dealing with disappointment. asked about specifics so I told them how angry and disappointed I was with Dr. Li. Gity spent the next 30 minutes dealing with questions about my topic. I was embarrassed but I felt validated. I know the right answer is we all deal with disappointment all the time, but it took me a long time to get through it. The best news of all is that in the month hiatus I have been on, I still did not gain 1 ounce. I even lost a small amount (.3 lbs). I am re-energized and excited about the next few months. I am pushing my DR appointment back another month so I can get rid of the 20 I was asked to do, and then I will move on – toward whatever my life will bring me.

[Guest guest]

, it's good to see you back. Sorry to hear of your misfortunes, but like you said, we all have them. Glad to see you're back "in the saddle" again though. I know how difficult this journey can be (as if there's anyone here who doesn't). The important part is to not look back... just look ahead to whatever the future presents and go with it. Congratulations for not gaining anything during your "out of control" phase. I don't know how you managed that, but in this case, nothing gained is indeed a GOOD thing. 20 more is nothing when you look at the big picture. You CAN do this...

Ron

I'm Back

It has been a good month since I have written anything. I was working through some stuff and I am ready to get back in the saddle again. The real block was the way I felt about the way I felt (thanks Yogi Berra). After my Pizza failure, I was lost; I lacked any direction and even got to an "out of control" place. The result was chocolate, hamburgers, soda, and even a couple of beers.

Now for the good part, I went to the management meeting at Point West yesterday, and I asked about dealing with disappointment. asked about specifics so I told them how angry and disappointed I was with Dr. Li. Gity spent the next 30 minutes dealing with questions about my topic. I was embarrassed but I felt validated. I know the right answer is we all deal with disappointment all the time, but it took me a long time to get through it.

The best news of all is that in the month hiatus I have been on, I still did not gain 1 ounce. I even lost a small amount (.3 lbs). I am re-energized and excited about the next few months. I am pushing my DR appointment back another month so I can get rid of the 20 I was asked to do, and then I will move on – toward whatever my life will bring me.