Where do I begin to sum it all up. I guess since losing weight is usually gauged by numbers let me start there. Today I am 160 pounds less than the day of my surgery. Since the day of my first consult with my surgeon (March 20, 2009) I have lost 173 pounds. I have reduced my Body Mass Index number from 63.2 (the day of my surgery) to 37.5. I now wear pants that are 7 sizes smaller than the day of my surgery. My T-shirt size has gone from 3X & 4X to 1X. I walk an average of 2 miles a day.
My personal accomplishments are too numerous to list here. Some of those I am most proud of are: walking the 3.1 miles from my house to my church; being able to ride a roller coaster; sitting in a booth at a restaurant; standing up to perform my ventriloquist act; taking a walking tour of some of the sights and museums in Washington DC; climbing up the wooden stairs and getting things out of our attic without breaking the stairs; and playing softball again.
The pictures you see at the top of this post were taken at a fast food restaurant 1 month before surgery and while performing at a local church during VBS just last month. They are visual evidence of the physical changes in me. Those changes have made my life better in many ways.
Also today is memorable day for me in regard to my sister, Peggy. After seeing the results my sister, Shari; my wife, Paula; and I have had with the gastric by pass operation, Peggy had the surgery today. Her and I will now have the same "2nd birthday". I can't wait to see her travel the same road and experience the same success that I have.
Today, I celebrate my weight loss and return to health. This first year has held so much success and accomplishments and it's still not over. I've got more weight to lose. I'm about 60 pounds from my personal goal weight. There are still achievements and things I want to do as I get closer to or reach that goal.
I can't end this post without once again giving the glory and honor to God for working in me and giving me the strength to be what He wants me to be. His greatest vessel for providing me with the help has been my wife, Paula. She has been my greatest supporter and helper in all I've done over the last year. I couldn't have, and never would have, done it without her.
So as my first year as a gastric by pass patient comes to an end and my 2nd begins I look forward to the things God has in store for me over the next year and beyond.
Let me conclude this post with one statement. It's something that is said over and over again by the people who attend the Weight Loss Surgery support group I go to each month. I'd do it all over again. Weight loss surgery has been the tool I've used to bring me back to life and allowed me to serve my God in the way I've always wanted to. Because of those two things it's all been worth it.
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