Re: Happy New Year Everyone

[Guest guest]

Happy New Year, ! You worded this post beautifully!

Open RNY 10/13/03

303/244/160

> To all members of this lovely Yahoo family:

>

> I woke up this morning, this January 1, 2004 thinking about all the

> things that I am so thankful for (I'm a little late huh? Should

have

> thought about this at Thanksgiving) and I thought who better to

> share them with than my wonderful family--the only ones who can

> truly understand what I go through on a daily basis. For even

though

> I've never seen your faces except through pictures, I would know

> each and every one of you in my heart. I am very grateful to the

> owners of these groups who have the courage to stand up and say, " I

> am just like you. I have been through the same things you have, I

> will share my story, will you share yours? " Knowing that each

> individual here has wisdom and advice to share, anecdotes and

> stories that each and every one of us can relate to makes this

> journey all the more special for the road traveled with every one

of

> you.

>

> We all know that our friends and family in the real world can be

> supportive and empathetic, but they will never truly understand how

> we feel about things. They won't know how it feels to not see the

> scale move (for those of us who are scale obsessed) one little 1/2

> lb. in two weeks or more during a plateau, they will not know what

> it is like to feel that tightening in your chest when you eat too

> fast or the sickness in your stomach if you over eat or eat

> something you shouldn't. They don't know what it's like to have

> people look at you with that quizzical look on their faces when

they

> ask, " What would you like to drink? " and you reply " Nothing,

> thanks. " They will never know the reluctance to answer questions

> like, " What do you weigh now? " which I get asked every single time

I

> see certain relatives, or " How are you doing it? You're doing so

> much better than I am. " from friends who either have had the

surgery

> and aren't doing what they are supposed to, or those who although

> they are overweight and might need the help this surgery can

> provide, refuse to seek the help they need.

>

> Those people will also never know the joy we feel as each milestone

> is reached. Walking up a flight of stairs (for me it was the four

> steps of my front porch) without having to step up them one at a

> time. Walking that first 1/2 mile or mile or eventually 2 miles

> without being so out of breath you have to stop every 10 minutes

for

> a rest. Going on vacation and flying to your destination without a

> seat belt extension and actually fitting into the tiny sardine

seats

> with room to spare. Going to the movie theater and fitting into the

> seats without any problems and being able to use the cup holders as

> well. Having to either buy new clothes every 3 months or have your

> clothes taken in because they are too baggy (or even having your

> underwear fall off in the checkout line of the supermarket because

> they were too big which happened to 1 unfortunate lady). The joys

of

> having sex (yes......it's fun now!--forgive me if I offend anyone)

> without having to move things that shouldn't be in the way. Going

to

> the bathroom without any help....all these things.....I am grateful

> for getting through them.

>

> Though I started these changes in my life in 2003, I am starting my

> new life in 2004 with a renewed hope that I will make it through to

> my goal and will be able to follow through on the rest of my

> journey with you all by my side knowing that I wouldn't have made

it

> this far without you and hoping that I can help others as much as

> you all have helped me.

>

> I hope you all have a wonderful day today, and that each day in

2004

> becomes better than the previous one. Live live to the fullest, you

> never know how many days you have left.

>

> Trout