ANOTHER WARNING! ANOTHER COMPLICATION!

[Guest guest]

Terri Congrats on your Complications! I am proud to report similar

complications.

Three months ago tomorrow, I took a leap of faith. I borrowed what was for

me, a large sum of money, drove hundreds of miles, and allowed my digestive

system to be modified. I had faith in my research, faith in my surgeon, and

faith in my ability to follow post op instructions.

I needed to have faith. I was losing my life. My weight had reached the

point to where my small 5'2 " frame could not function, standing up from a

chair was torture.

When life became so challenging that all I could do was move from my bed to

my car to my desk and back again, I had to do something. The something I

chose was the MGB with Dr. Rutledge. ***Shout out to all my littermates!***

Faith is a wonderful motivation! I am so proud to report that I have lost 55

lbs. and feel fantastic! I belong to a wellness center where I do 30 minutes

on a treadmill every single day. For a total aerobic workout, I also ride a

stationary bike and an arm bike. In addition to the daily aerobic workout,

on M-W-F, I also do an extensive muscle regime: 100 lat pulldowns with 50

lbs. weights, 40 Leg Curls and 40 Leg Extensions with 50 lbs. weights, 40

Rowing Pulls at 70 lbs., 50 Leg Presses at 110 lbs., 20 biceps curls at 8

lbs., and last but not least 40 abdominal crunches.

Whewwww I am tired just typing all that! But I wanted you all to know the

extent of my health turnaround since my MGB and how tough the complications

are!

Before I close, I want to point out another ugly complication of the MGB.

Every night when I walk out of that gym, I feel deserving of my wonderful

life. I feel proud of myself and determined to go after what I want because

I deserve the BEST. I don't feel like the fat chic who needs to take what

she can get because she is weak and proves it in how she looks, which is how

I have felt for many years. Post MGB, I don't feel weak or " less than. " I

feel FABULOUS! and damn it, people are treating me that way! They are not

treating me differently because I have lost weight, they are treating me

differently because I require that they do. They can just look at me and see

that I am a " Phenomenal Woman " ! That I give and expect to get respect and

compassion. I love this complication the most. I feel like I am going

through a whole body and mind make over. I love what I see!

Here's to us all loving what we see and feel.

Warmly,

Beth in Florida......Enjoy the poem by Maya Angelou:

Phenomenal Woman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me

I walk into a room

just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down to their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

that's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenol woman,

That's me.