Long Overdue Update

    I have to start out by apologizing for the length of time between updates on my blog but it has been a whirlwind of activity these last few months and I have been on the go constantly. I know, it is no excuse really. How long could it take to sit down and write an entry into a blog but it just seems like I would think I should write an entry and then I would get off onto something else and forget all about it. But enough about that, I am writing now and am very excited to update everyone on what has been going on with me. My life and my body have changed so much since my surgery it is almost too good to be true. If it was somebody else telling me about the changes in their life, I would have a bit of trouble believing that there wasn’t a bit of exaggeration in there. First of all, my diabetes is gone. My blood sugar readings are normal, I don’t suffer with constant thirst and the result of that of having to go to the restroom constantly. I sleep all night mainly because of the not having to get up and go to the restroom and because my sleep apnea is gone. My blood pressure is lower now than it was it high school. My joints are feeling better and better each and every day. The pain in my knees has gone from a level of 7-8 in both knees to a zero in my left knee and 1-2 in my right knee. I can walk 2 -3 miles with no problem, I can ride my bicycle 20 or more miles, and I even backpacked up a small mountainous area in Brazil with about a 30 pound pack and climbed a lot of rock steps to get up to see a waterfall that I would not have been able to do 4 months ago.

     And now for the biggest news of all, I have lost over 90 pounds since the middle of May. My body has reduced in size so much and face has changed so much I barely recognize myself when I look in a mirror. I was wearing a tight fitting 44 waist pants that were down below my belly and now I wear a loose fitting 34 waist at the belly button line where they are supposed to fit. I have some loose skin that I need to tighten up but I think with a little time and exercise that will correct itself also. I cannot believe how much my overall body size has reduced. I am wearing a large shirt size down from a XXL and they are loose fitting on me. The only thing really keeping me from dropping to a medium is the length. I am just too tall for a medium shirt. I have not worn clothing like this since I was in high school or shortly after. I have run into several of my friends and associates that have not seen me in a while and they did not recognize me at all. I had to tell them who I was. You really cannot believe what that does for ones self-esteem and ego. I feel better now than I did when I was 35 years old and I am 55 now. I could not be happier with the results. Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat. This has been the best thing I have ever done for my health and overall well being. I cannot believe how much it has changed me and the way I about myself.

   I am currently on an airplane. Now that I don’t have to carry insulin, needles, test equipment, and worry about keeping it refrigerated, travel is so much easier. I can fly without a lot of anxiety. I can sit comfortably in the miserable coach sections of airplanes, even the small regional jets like the one I am on now. I can sit my laptop on the tray table and actually open it and use it without it being jammed into my belly. It sure does make my job easier to be able to travel and not be miserable the entire trip from being so uncomfortable during the flights and at the airports. Still, going to TSA is a pain but not nearly as much as having to put up with all the BS of having to get my insulin, needles, and supplies through security. I don’t lay around my hotel all evening watching TV and eating everything I can get into my mouth. I like to go for walks. If the hotel has a pool I really enjoy swimming laps and refreshing myself in the pool and or sauna.

    While I still have about 20 – 25 pounds to go, I am so excited about where I am now and yet I am still excited about reaching my goal of getting on the scale and seeing that first number be a ONE. It will be a large difference from the many years of the that number being a 2 and at times a 3. My hope is to be able to get to my listed goal weight of 195. If I can reach that and maintain it for awhile I won’t mind if I go back up to around 210 or so. I think I will let my system pick its comfortable weight and then work my butt off to stay there. I don’t want to ever get back to the weight I was or the shape I was in. My goal for the long term is get this weight off and keep it off the rest of my life. I am so much happier now and I just feel good.

   Are there any regrets for what I have done? Not a one. I don’t miss the foods I can no longer eat. I don’t regret for one minute the loss of the diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, sore knees, lethargic lifestyle, being fat and miserable. My life is improving with each passing day. I have more energy, I look better in my clothes, and I feel human. This surgery saved my life and I am determined to do all I can to help others learn about and to make the decision to make this same move. It is tough starting out, but the rewards are so much more than the difficulties. The difficulties are short lived and the benefits are lifelong. If you are out there considering this course of action, please, contact me and let’s talk. My assistance and advice are there for the asking. I would love to help you get started and get through the process and reap the rewards that a healthy and happy lifestyle can bring you. And to those that supported me through this part of my life, my love and gratitude to each and every one of you cannot be expressed in words on this page. I cannot express how much I appreciate each and every comment and word of encouragement. It has meant the world to me to know I have such good friends and those that love me.