My Journey Through Weight Loss Surgery: Eureka!!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Eureka!!

Seven girls from my surgery support group and I went to Eureka Springs last weekend. We left on Thursday afternoon and got home on Sunday afternoon. What FUN we had! We stayed in a rental vacation home in Holiday Island just outside of Eureka Springs. It was a beautiful house and the perfect set up for us. On Friday we left the house at 9 AM and headed to Branson, Missouri for some Outlet Mall shopping. We got some amazing buys and did not get home until 10:30 PM. We all wore the same pink shirts which made it easier to spot each other in the crowds, and we got lots of looks and comments. One of the last purchases we made that day was matching Brighton "sister" charms and a commitment to add matching charms to celebrate the things we do together. On Saturday we headed into Eureka Springs to do some more shopping. This day we wore matching yellow shirts with the same results as the day before. We did not find near the bargains we did on Friday, but did manage to pick up a few things. We got home before dark this time and spent the rest of the evening just having fun -- which included more alcohol than I have consumed in a very long time! On Sunday we were up early to pack up and head back home after a stop at Wal Mart. For three days we laughed (and shopped) and let go of any of the stresses going on in our lives. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much! We had such a good time that we have vowed to make Eureka Springs a yearly trip around the same time of the year - and in the same rental house. I can't wait until next year!

By the way -- we figured it up and between all 8 of us we have lost 1300 pounds!!!

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The Start of My Journey

Below is my first post. It explains how and why this blog came to be.

I have struggled with my weight most of my life. Right after high school I lost weight on Weight Watchers and managed to keep it off until I started having babies. With each pregnancy I gained more weight. I tried most every diet plan out there. Some were successful, but each time I eventually gained all the weight back, and more. There were a few fleeting moments where I thought of weight loss surgery, but always talked myself out of it as being too dangerous. I also berated myself for not being able to lose weight and keep it off. At some point I just decided to stop trying, but that also meant I just gained more.Earlier this year, this all started to change. It was becoming harder and harder to come up with excuses as to why I did not want to participate in family activities. The truth was I just did not have the energy to do so. All aspects of my daily life started to suffer the results of my weight, including my relationship with my family. In other words -- I was miserable. Even then, as much as I wanted to change my weight, the thought of how much I needed to lose and how hard it would be just made me more miserable. I was to the point that I was not even sure it was even worth trying as failing would just make me more miserable. It was a viscous circle that always brought me back to the same point -- I was unhappy but had no desire (or energy) to change that. A chance meeting finally opened my eyes to the person I could be, and wanted to be. That chance meeting landed me a new friend for life and started me on the road to a new me.I heard an ad for weight loss surgery sponsored by WeightWise and decided to do some more research. This was in April. On May 3rd, Chuck and I attended a free seminar at their clinic and I scheduled my first meeting with Dr Walton on May 8th. I started researching like crazy. Initially, I shared my decision with just one person, besides Chuck. I then told my sisters and 1 other friend. I knew that before surgery I needed to tell the rest of my friends and family as support will be a major factor, especially in the early days. I decided the easiest way would be to create a blog for everyone to follow along with me. You will have to read the first few postings backwards to get the full picture up to the present but after that updates will be at the top. I hope you will come away with the understanding that this is the best thing I have ever done for ME. Read on to find out the results of my first meeting and my research.

My Surgeon

Gregory F. Walton, MD, F.A.C.S.

Dr. Gregory Walton is an Oklahoma native who earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He began his career with a general surgery residency at the Carraway Methodist Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama.
He was awarded a fellowship in burns and ICU medicine with the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research at Brook Army Hospital, Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
His interest in bariatric surgery began during his 1989-1995 general surgery residency under the direction of the prominent bariatric surgeon Henry L. Laws, MD.
Until joining Foundation Bariatric Affiliates, he operated his own bariatric surgery practice in Enid, Okla. He serves on the board of directors for the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. Dr. Walton is a Diplomat of the American Board of Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Dr. Walton’s professional memberships include the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, the Southwest Surgical Congress, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Surgeons.

My Journey Through Weight Loss Surgery

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Eureka!!

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