WOW!!! I can't believe it has been two years since I had the surgery that saved my life. As I look back on that last year when I was waiting for insurance approval, I am so thankful that I hung in there. There were a lot of hurdles to overcome in my journey to final approval and twice I almost died from complications. My body was just giving out. I needed to lose weight fast and was so afraid that I wasn't going to make it to the operating room because the insurance was taking so long to approve me.

But make it I did. And what a wonderful life it has been since then. I have lost 134 lbs and am starting the process of having all the excess skin removed. I had to wait two years before my doctor would even think of starting the process for this procedure. I am excited and can't wait. I feel so "unsexy" with all this skin hanging from everywhere!!!

But it has been a great journey. I can't believe the difference this surgery has made in my health. I was constantly in and out of the hospital prior to surgery. I had all the usual stuff and some unusual stuff going on. I sufferred from congestive heart failure. Twice I went into kidney failure and the last time I nearly died from it because my kidneys shut down and the poison went into my blood stream. I was borderline diabetic. I couldn't exercise because my body just wouldn't let me. But that is all in the past now. I haven't seen the inside of a hospital since my surgery and that in itself is a miracle. My heart has returned to normal size and there have only been a couple rounds of CHF which were able to be treated with medication. There is no sign of diabetis now. My energy level is amazing. I run from my basement to my bedroom on the second floor of our house and never have to stop to catch my breath and this carrying a basketful of clothes!! I can walk a couple of miles now and life weights. I love my new life.

It is a journey that I would do over again in a moment even knowing what I know now. There have been some experiences that have not been so good but they are small and few and far between when I consider all the benefits of this surgery. I lost some friends because of having the surgery. I have been told on numerous occasions that I took the easy way out. But I just look at those people and let them know they have no clue what all is involved in this procedure and in no way is it the easy way out. People treat me differently now and that has been hard to accept. I am no longer the token "fat" person at their functions. People ask my husband and I to go to dinner with them now because they are no longer ashamed to be seen with me (and they have told me this). So there have been some adjustments but compared with the gift I received form haivng this surgery, the prices that I have had to pay are small!!!

Well, I have rambled on long enough. Hope all of you out there are as happy as I am with our new lives.

Debbie