It’s September - in a few days I will be turning 70 years old.  I remember being 14 and not believing I would ever be 18, then 18 and not believing I would be 21, etc, etc, etc.  When I was 55 years OLD and weighed 424 pounds and could barely walk and breathe at the same time I ignored my inability to thrive.  That was, until my doctor looked at me after taking my blood pressure 6 different times and started me on blood pressure meds.

Oh, and I couldn’t leave her office until the sublingual pill she gave me had lowered my BP enough that she wasn’t worried about me stroking out.  Suddenly I got serious.  I was scared into having Weight Loss Surgery.  I am thankful for everyone who has been there for me these past 15 years of my journey - Dr. Helmuth Billy, his amazing office staff, my steadfast husband, my daughter, everyone in the Weight Loss Surgery world, all my friends, and family.  I could go on and get sappy, but I will stop there.

Not only am I alive and well, I am living my BEST LIFE.  I eat delicious food, I exercise daily and feel good, I travel when I choose, and I get to give back to all of you, sharing my ups and down and what works for me - and what doesn’t.

In early 2004, who would have believed that an entire community worldwide of Weight Loss Surgery patients would be tied together sharing their lives, their successes, their marriages and divorces, their kids, their dogs and cats, their favorite recipes, their favorite activities, and on and on…

But we do.

So, Happy Birthday to Me and to all of you, may I just say THANKS.