Just Over 3 Weeks and Counting... (written on 6/21/08)

Today is Saturday, June 21st, and my surgery is 3 weeks from Monday. I have a small confession: I sat down with my husband last weekend and wrote down some of my favorite things I will soon have to avoid for the rest of my life. It was kind of scary to see that about 80% of that list was sweets. I don't have a desire to sit down and binge on anything, but I just wanted to have one last taste of all the things I know I'll miss. I'm actually hoping I won't miss them too much, and that eating will become more like something I have to do to live, rather than the other way around.

Just so I can look back on this later and see how things have changed, here's a sample of what I wrote down:

• See's Candy
• Almond Butter Ring (a Danish pastry that was one of Grandma's favorites from Solvang)
• My Grandma's Lemon Meringue Pie (I haven't had this in years)
• My Aunt Shelley's Strawberry Cake (white cake with cream cheese & fresh strawberries)
• Olive Garden (what can I say - I'm Italian...)
• My own Mexican food (tacos, spanish rice, and corn cake)
• Ritzy Chicken and Funeral Potatoes

Now having said that, here's what I'm looking forward to as a thinner, healthier person:

• Crossing my legs
• Shopping in a "normal" size clothing store
• No swollen feet and ankles
• Having a neck again!
• Fitting in an airplane seat and not having to ask for an extender belt
• Not having to worry whether or not I will fit in a booth at a restaurant (or break a chair!)
• Being able to fit on rides at amusement parks
• Not having to use the handicapped stall in public restrooms (because I don't fit in the others)
• Swimming in public
• Riding a bike
• Not being out of breath all the time
• Ditching my CPAP machine

I'm sure there are others I'm not thinking of at the moment, but I will be sure to write down all of my milestones as they happen.

Here are some official "Before" pictures.