My Anniversary...such that it is.

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I know it's tough. But I can tell you - I had four days between my

WLS surgery and my cancer diagnosis, and they were four terrific

days, let me tell you - virtually pain-free and filled with more

hope and joy than I had known in a long time. And then I had just a

few frantic weeks of preparation for my chemotherapy and radiation

treatments, during which I had less and less time available to

exercise, but during which I almost always felt terrific, healthier,

glad to be losing weight.

When I look at the prospect of dying in the near future, I am often

seized with the urge to spend what time I may have in grabbing every

obese person I see and tell them that they have GOT to consider this

surgery. But you've been in the program long enough to know the pros

and you've been here enough to know that the cons are few and short-

lived for an overwhelming majority of the patients, so you don't

need to hear any more from me. What I have to say is: life is

precious, and if yours is worth anything at all to you, don't you

DARE squander this opportunity. And do NOT forget that most every

reason you might have to doubt the worth of your life will change,

forever, after this surgery. So stay on the path.

Randy

P.S. Of course I also send my thanks to all who posted good wishes

and prayers for me, thank you all so much!

P.P.S. to - If you live in the Fremont footprint, my friend,

then you have to know that every word you said about " weather "

and " winter " affecting your ability to get out and exercise is

absolutely total unadulterated BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT!!!!!!!

There IS NO FUCKING WINTER IN THE BAY AREA!!!!!! If you believe that

for a second, then, in all possible kindness and seriousness, my

friend, I tell you three times to hie yourself to a counselor or a

shrink as soon as possible, because you will need that kind of

professional help to stop lying to yourself and to be able to cope

with the stress that ANY lifestyle change engenders. Really - get

that help. Neither your body nor your psyche could probably stand

one more round of success-and-failure - you need the tools to handle

both in order to ultimately succeed. I know you can. I wish you luck.

>

> Hello All,

>

> Well its been a year since I was initially accepted into the

program.

> I recently received a letter asking if I still wanted to

participate

> and that I would be dropped if they didn't recieve a response by

today.

>

> So here it is...a year later and I weigh more now than I did

then.

> (Yeay me!) I initially lost weight, plateued...and then started

> gaining weight last fall as the weather changed and I spent less

time

> outside. It got to be a little hard for me last fall to see

people's

> success, when I started to move backward. And by the time winter

set

> in, I was done. Oh...and my eating habits weren't helping me

either.

> No excuses...my decisions, actions and inactions led to all this.

>

> So at the beginning of March, I am sitting and looking at this

> letter...trying to decide what I am going to do. I recently had

some

> doubts this was the path I wanted to take, after feeling convinced

> last year. I had let the whole thing slide, hence the weight

gain. I

> wasn't really thinking about GBS anymore at all until that letter

> arrived.

>

> Then a few days later my Guardian Angel...my Guiding Light...also

> known as Robynn...kicked me in the butt! She sent me an email,

gently

> cattle prodding me into action. It took a week for me to figure

out

> how to answer her...and another week to take her up on her advice:

to

> reply to Kaiser and come back here.

>

> I called Fremont and left a voicemail message and sent a letter.

> Hopefully they will keep me active.

>

> And here I am. Thanks for keeping my spot warm. : )

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Jen,

Yes! Be more of a squeaky wheel! Call your surgeon, and if your

surgeon left an you have not been reassigned because of the possible

transfer to Richmond, then call Dr. Stiles ASAP and GET assigned to

a surgeon, either in SSF or Richmond.

Consider staying in SSF even if it means a delay - it looks like

those delays have shortened and they are over the hump somewhat, and

you can use the extra time to recapture your momentum and

motivation.

I also suggest that you check out water aerobics as an interim

method to lose weight via exercise that is kind to those who have

bad backs and difficulty standing or walking for long periods.

This may seem trivial, but when I was having problems with shortness

of breath due to congestive heart failure and thus needed to sit

very frequently, I did one little thing that helped. I always parked

in the back of a parking lot, especially when shopping, instead of

circling for the close-in space. The extra walking did me good, and

I always knew that once I entered most stores, I could either sit

for a moment if I needed to, or I could lean on a shopping cart for

some relief. And, of course, you KNOW that when you go back to your

car, you're gonna be sitting right down on a comfortable seat. It

also got me into the mindset that you can always find, in small and

manageable increments, ways to take a few more steps each day. And

all of us, with our limited choices, live by small steps - at least

until we get to the other side.

And when you get there, no one will love the results more than your

kids.

Randy

> >

> > Hello All,

> >

> > Well its been a year since I was initially accepted into the

program.

> > I recently received a letter asking if I still wanted to

participate

> > and that I would be dropped if they didn't recieve a response by

> today.

> >

> > So here it is...a year later and I weigh more now than I did

then.

> > (Yeay me!) I initially lost weight, plateued...and then started

> > gaining weight last fall as the weather changed and I spent less

time

> > outside. It got to be a little hard for me last fall to see

people's

> > success, when I started to move backward. And by the time winter

set

> > in, I was done. Oh...and my eating habits weren't helping me

either.

> > No excuses...my decisions, actions and inactions led to all this.

> >

> > So at the beginning of March, I am sitting and looking at this

> > letter...trying to decide what I am going to do. I recently had

some

> > doubts this was the path I wanted to take, after feeling

convinced

> > last year. I had let the whole thing slide, hence the weight

gain. I

> > wasn't really thinking about GBS anymore at all until that letter

> > arrived.

> >

> > Then a few days later my Guardian Angel...my Guiding Light...also

> > known as Robynn...kicked me in the butt! She sent me an email,

gently

> > cattle prodding me into action. It took a week for me to figure

out

> > how to answer her...and another week to take her up on her

advice: to

> > reply to Kaiser and come back here.

> >

> > I called Fremont and left a voicemail message and sent a letter.

> > Hopefully they will keep me active.

> >

> > And here I am. Thanks for keeping my spot warm. : )

> >

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for putting this in perspective. I have printed you e-mail

and posted it on my motivation wall.

AMEN

> >

> > Hello All,

> >

> > Well its been a year since I was initially accepted into the

> program.

> > I recently received a letter asking if I still wanted to

> participate

> > and that I would be dropped if they didn't recieve a response by

> today.

> >

> > So here it is...a year later and I weigh more now than I did

> then.

> > (Yeay me!) I initially lost weight, plateued...and then started

> > gaining weight last fall as the weather changed and I spent less

> time

> > outside. It got to be a little hard for me last fall to see

> people's

> > success, when I started to move backward. And by the time

winter

> set

> > in, I was done. Oh...and my eating habits weren't helping me

> either.

> > No excuses...my decisions, actions and inactions led to all this.

> >

> > So at the beginning of March, I am sitting and looking at this

> > letter...trying to decide what I am going to do. I recently had

> some

> > doubts this was the path I wanted to take, after feeling

convinced

> > last year. I had let the whole thing slide, hence the weight

> gain. I

> > wasn't really thinking about GBS anymore at all until that

letter

> > arrived.

> >

> > Then a few days later my Guardian Angel...my Guiding

Light...also

> > known as Robynn...kicked me in the butt! She sent me an email,

> gently

> > cattle prodding me into action. It took a week for me to figure

> out

> > how to answer her...and another week to take her up on her

advice:

> to

> > reply to Kaiser and come back here.

> >

> > I called Fremont and left a voicemail message and sent a

letter.

> > Hopefully they will keep me active.

> >

> > And here I am. Thanks for keeping my spot warm. : )

> >

> >

> >

>