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Goals
Category: Health 0 People in progress, 1 Person achieved this |
Member Interests
- Computers & Internet - Computers, desktop publishing, website design, EBAY!
- Dogs - Buttercup is my darling baby - a min-pin-chihuahau mix.
- Musical Performance - Music -- singing light opera, musicals, popular, country, etc.
- Parenting - MY WONDERFUL KIDS!
- Sewing - I LOVE to design and sew all kinds of stuff! A fabri-holic....craft-a-holic!
- Christianity - Jesus is LORD.
Latest Surgery Support Comments
 Comment by calgal on 3/31/07 5:56 pm
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Wishing you a smooth
and safe surgery,
speedy and easy
recovery and all the
best as you begin
your exciting,
life-changing
journey. Many
Blessings!
Click here for the surgery support page
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Hello! My name is Merrillee and I live in beautiful NW Washington. Married 27 years to the love of my life, Dave. We have 2 kids. Rebecca, 26; and Jonathan, 20. Both fabulous, outstanding people. We also have 2 sweet dogs, Buttercup and Sweetpea Our daughter, Rebecca is married Rod, and they have two dogs, Jake and Daisy May, my grand-dogs. I do love to design and sew and craft and decorate. It's a passion passed down from my mother. I have a fabulous craft/sewing room created for me by my dear husband...God bless him.
Recent news is that I have been cast in a Star Trek fan film as the President of the Federation. Do I really have that kind of commanding "presence"....guess so....LOL My friends love me anyway..... Check out the website for Star Trek Phoenix! www.startrekphoenix.com
New Support Group Meeting in NW WA on March 23, 2008 10:23 pm
Just wanted to let anyone in the area know that we are starting a new support group in Gig Harbor EVERY Thursday from 6:30-8:00 pm at the new Borders Books in the cafe. Please come!
Address is:
4601 Point Fosdick Dr. NW
Gig Harbor, WA 98335
For info call 253-265-2276
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Archive
My Story
I've just about always been overweight, except for the couple years I starved myself in high school. Once I got married and had kids it was all over for me. Couldn't keep up, gave up, whatever. I truly like who I am and what I do.....but food had a hold on me.
I was beginning to have some issues with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2diabetes. SO! a few years ago I decided to look into weight loss surgery. I was all ready to go with a bypass -- even had insurance coverage for it.....and got cold feet. Part of it was that my diabetes was not in good control, and when I went on the pre-op diet I got very ill. Also, a friend's mother, who is a super prayer warrior, really didn't sense this was a good thing for me at that time. AND I was REALLY thinking I wished the band was available, which is was not at the time.
Fast forward to 2007. I weighed almost 250 pounds. My type 2 diabetes was under fair control, but that was with HIGH dosages of both metformin pills as well as insulin. Blood pressure was not great, but ok with two meds, cholesterol was high, too, but I tried to combat it by eating lots of oatmeal and taking the "right" vitamins, etc. since I was intolerant to most cholesterol meds.
I decided to check out the band....costs, etc. I had a new insurance which had a written exclusion to any weight loss surgery, so I knew that if I wanted to do this, I'd have to PAY! My husband and family was extremely supportive and felt I should go ahead and finance the thing to try to gain back some health, if nothing else.
I found my surgeon, Dr. Oh and got the process started in March of '07. My financing went through without a hitch, so I was banded on April 3, 2007, which happened to be the Jewish Passover. This had much meaning for me, being a Christian and understanding the Old Testament story of how the Angel of Death "Passed Over" the homes of the Jews in the time of Moses and left them alive. I felt like I had passed over from death to life. Or at least a chance to live a long life, see my grandbabies grow up, etc.
It has been a rough road, but also a joyful one as I am re-learning to eat the band way....and adding exercise has been super, as well. I started by just walking as much as I could.....but by the winter there weren't many places to walk, and I got tired of the mall. So I joined the YMCA in January and have been working out as much as I'm able to. To date, (July, 2008), I have lost 110 pounds and am at a healty weight for the first time in my life. I am off all diabetes and blood pressure medications. My cholesterol is well within normal. I have tons of energy and I finally have hope for the future of my health and body for the first time in my life. I did it with the help of God, the lapband and my surgeon, Dr. Oh.
On April 5, 2008 I also had a massive tummy tuck with Dr. Art Foley in Olympia. It is fabulous. I honestly have NEVER looked so good. I still have some hanging skin here and there (tops of arms and legs) but it's really not so bad that I will be doing anything about it. Now my face.....we'll have to see. It is much slimmer than it was before the weight loss and I can definitely see some sagging. I guess it takes a year or so for the skin to snap into as much place as it's going to, so I will give it until next spring or so to see how it really turns out.
ALSO! I lead a Support Group here in Gig Harbor. We meet EVERY Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:00 at Borders Books in the cafe. Anyone in the area is invited. Please come!
Borders Books
4601 Point Fosdick Dr. NW Gig Harbor, WA 98335
For info please call: 253-265-2276
Life is always new, always evolving....I'm starting to do things I only dreamed of before. Recent news is that I have been cast in a Star Trek fan film as the President of the Federation. Do I really have that kind of commanding "presence"....guess so....LOL My friends love me anyway..... Check out the website for Star Trek Phoenix! www.startrekphoenix.com
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