Introducing ME!!!

[Guest guest]

Hi folks! I'm posting this one day early, but I hope you don't mind

too much. I've been lurking here for several months, but my one

year anniversary is tomorrow, May 6, so I figured I'd post a message

introducing myself as a new WLS Graduate!

My name is Rea Price. I'm 26 years old and live in Pittsburgh. I

had lap RnY surgery with Dr. Giselle Hamad at Magee Womens

Hospital. I started out at 324 pounds (BMI of 49). I now weigh

around 160 pounds, give or take a few pounds depending on the

scale. I'm now less than half of my former self! While I was

wearing a TIGHT size 28 in pants and a 3X or 22/24 in tops one year

ago, today I'm wearing a size 12 in pants and a medium in tops! And

whereas the only exercise I got a year ago was when I got up off the

couch to make myself something to eat, today I go to the gym 3-4

times a week and work out for about an hour and half every session.

I'm so much more fit and healthy now that it's amazing. Even my PCP

is amazed. And I'm not even going to talk about the attention that

I now receive from the opposite sex because that's an issue of its

own My self-confidence has increased dramatically and I'm much

more motivated now too. In fact, I will be starting graduate school

this fall after being in a 4 year rut in a dead-end job. I finally

got up the nerve to apply and even got a nice-sized sholarship to

cover half the expenses!

This year has been an incredible one, but it hasn't been without its

challenges. I discovered early on that I dump only in extreme

cases, and I seem to be able to eat more than most post-ops.

Because of these two things, I've had to exercise an extreme amount

of self-control to refrain from going back to my old habits. And

even though I lost dramatically in the first few months, my weight

loss has come to a painfully slow crawl now. In fact, until two

weeks ago, I was on a two month plateau. But I started Atkins two

weeks ago and 6 more pounds finally fell off in that time. Also,

lately I've been becoming more and more self-conscious of my excess

skin. Although it's not nearly as bad as most of the pics I've seen

and I'm fairly sure insurance would never pay for it because it

would definitely be more of a cosmetic procedure for me, I

definitely have the body of someone who has lost a massive amount of

weight. I will never be lucky enough to wear a bikini. Ah well

though. I guess I'm just getting picky now and maybe even a little

bit vain. I'm very thankful for everything that my surgeon and WLS

in general has given to me though.

I'm looking forward to corresponding with folks on this list and

comparing notes. Thank you so much for allowing me to lurk here

until now.

Rea Price

May 6, 2002-- Lap RnY

Dr. Hamad-- Magee Womens Hospital

324/160/???