Finally!!

[Guest guest]

I can finally post to this group that has been sooo incredibly helpful to me

this past

year!!!

My 1 year anniversary is today and I've certainly come a long way. This past

year has

been one of the fastest years of my life. I can't believe that a whole year has

gone by

-it's mind boggling.

I made a list today of some of the things that I no longer have in my life:

1) high blood pressure (no more daily meds)

2) gastro-esophageal reflux disease (no more daily meds)

3) asthma (no more daily meds)

4) constant joint and back pain

5) pseudotumor cerebri (too much spinal fluid putting pressure on my optic

nerves)

6) nocturnal reflux aspiration (aspirating stomach acid into my lungs at night)

and last but certainly not least,

7) 120 extra pounds!

The weight has come off fast and fairly effortlessly but in no way has it been

easy. I've

taken on a whole new way of life. By having this surgery I've made a life-long

commitment to myself to be diligent about what goes into my body and what I do

with

my body. My objectives each and every day are as follows: to eat healthy, to

take the

proper supplements, to exercise, and to continually educate myself on all three

of

those things. Also, just as important, I'm learning how to ease up and not

expect

perfection from myself all the time. I'm not only becoming more physically

flexible

but emotionally flexible with myself as well. I realize that I am still in the

" honeymoon "

phase and I know that I am not invincible, although it is easy to see how anyone

could

feel that way at this point in the game. I know that the hardest is yet to come

- we all

know from all of our previous attempts that the maintenance part is a killer but

I'm up

for the challenge and I feel like a have a real fighting chance thanks to four

things: the

surgery itself along with Dr Aslam & his staff, the wonderful therapist I'm

seeing, my

newly found inner strength (which is getting stronger every day) and all of the

incredible people who have come before me, have gone through this along with me,

and those that have followed me. If it wasn't for the wonderful wls community

that I've

discovered here and locally I don't know how I would have made it through this

last

year and knowing that you are all going to be there tomorrow and the next day is

incredibly reassuring and comforting to me. Thanks for letting me ramble.

Meredith

lap rny 1/6/03

down 120 lbs