Month six in the life of the future pin-up girl

Yesterday was my six month followup appt with Dr. U. The appointment went well - Dr. U's very happy with my progress - all of my labs came back great, my blood pressure was perfect, and he thinks I'm right on target with my weightloss. (I weighed in at 208 at his office - yea!) The most important part of the journey has been accomplished for the most part - I'm healthy!

I always look forward to my visits to Dr. U - he's like a rock star in my eyes. I have so much appreciation for him and what he has chosen for his life's work. As I sat in the waiting room, waiting to be seen (and it was a long wait - almost an hour), I noticed the other patients and thought about how this surgery would impact and improve their lives. There was a very pretty lady in her early 40s who I would say weighed between 350 and 400 - the edema in her legs was so bad that she was walking with a cane. I thought about how wonderful it will be for her when she can walk comfortably, unaided.. when her body doesn't feel like a burden any more. I noticed a couple that came in - the man had to be between 600 and 700 lbs. I was amazed that he was able to make into the office - I'm sure it hadn't been easy for him. His wife was around 300 lbs. After they checked in with Dr. U's receptionist at the desk, they looked a little frazzled as they decided on a place to sit. The office has a long bench in the room, that can accommodate very large patients that can't fit into the chairs. The man sat on the bench .. and though it's a long bench, there wasn't enough room left for his wife, so she squeezed into a chair. I caught the man's gaze and smiled politely and then looked down at my magazine. I thought about how sad their life together must be. It was obvious that simply because of their girth, physical intimacy must be nearly impossible. And I'm not talking about sex - I'm talking about a hug, or a cuddle - the things that make you feel really connected to your partner. I thought about how much energy and time during the day must be spent trying to get through life - driving a car, working a job, possibly raising children.. the day-to-day stuff. How do they do it? And how miserable has it become? Thankfully for them and for me - there is hope.. there's an answer. I can only imagine how frightening that answer must be for that gentleman and his wife - he will be a very high-risk patient. He could lose his life in the pursuit of a new life. But how fortunate we all are to have the chance.

I was called in not long after that couple came in.. I visited with Helen and DeAngela, who both gave me lots of compliments and congratulations on the progress that I've made so far. I felt like I should have tipped them! Then I saw my friend, Dr. U. I thanked him for all that he has done for me. I didn't put into words what I really wanted to say. I'll try to get the words together on my next visit - when my one-year anniversary rolls around in September. As I was leaving the office, I stopped and told the man in the waiting room that he was going to love Dr. U. He gave me a shy smile and said "Oh good". I said "Good luck" and went on my way. He's in good hands.