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My Newsletter: Through Thick and ThinA Note from Glenn:Welcome to my archive of newsletters sharing my WLS experience, challenges, successes and recovery. I started writing these articles once I decided to have the surgery, and continued writing every two weeks or so until two years post-op. I encourage you to take your time and read them in order, starting with the first. Based upon the experience of the 700,000 people who have visited my website and read the newsletters, I believe that they will help you in your consideration and use of Weight Loss Surgery as a tool for reclaiming your health, mobility and longevity. I hope you'll share this resource with others in your circle who can benefit. Enjoy... 1. [Making the WLS Decision] Why I'm Choosing To Make My Stomach The Size of My Thumb or When the horse I've been riding is dead, it's finally time to get off and find a new mount!As far back as I can remember, my weight has been a defining, limiting, painful and self-destructive issue in my life. Today, as I approach age 55 and a “morbidly obese” (life-threatening) 360 pounds, I am preparing to have some form of Weight Loss Surgery this fall. Why am I now choosing to make my stomach the size of my thumb?...2. [My Story] My Long and Winding Road or The habits, lifestyle and weight persist even after the emotional hole has been filledAs I’ve reconstructed my long and winding path to morbid obesity, I’ve made observations that have surprised or interested me. I share them with you now in the hope they’ll be relevant, illuminating or instructive… Now, after all these years and all these diets and after the emotional rollercoaster ride of my struggles with my weight, I’m finally ready to undergo the surgical procedure that I know will deliver the outcomes I yearn for: a long, healthy life…3. [Pre-Op] Jumping Through The Hoops to Gastric Bypass Surgery or At long last. Hope!For the first time in 45 years, I’m truly believing that, through the miracle of WLS, I can achieve a healthful weight and physical state. Although I have come to feel hopeless about resolving my morbid obesity through careful eating and exercise, I no longer feel helpless. I’ve come to realize that I have a medical condition that requires a medical intervention and that my obesity is not an issue of my character, intelligence or competence. There’s no shame in that realization. For the first time, I feel hope…4. [Relationship with food] Preparing for My Weight Loss Surgery or Food As Fuel -- Not Drama, Mama, Karma or TraumaI’m totally intrigued by the notion that with my little, redesigned stomach pouch I’ll just be eating to sustain and fuel my body. Not for all of the other reasons that I’ve always devoured excessive amounts. Food has supplied so much of my life’s drama, sometimes played the role of a nurturing Mama, seemed to be an preordained part of my Karma, and been the source of much of my life trauma. As I look forward to my surgery, I like the idea of leaving this all behind. Of being liberated from the burdens and perils of choice. Of letting go of all of the emotional content and connotations of food…5. [Overeating] Stuffed in Seattle: Pigging Out and Waking Up or There really is no Free LunchI was staying overnight in a hotel, and I failed to recognize the dangers inherent in breaking my normal meal routine. And so I reverted to old habits and brought snacks, as well as dinner, back to my room. Just in case. That's when I lost it. And found it. What I lost was my "food sobriety" — my consciousness and awareness of what I had already consumed, how full I was, and when to stop eating. And that's when it hit me: I simply cannot afford ANY lapses after my surgery. After all, this is not a game or a diversion; this is my life that's at stake...6. [WLS Unity & Divisiveness] My Brothers and Sisters of the Scale: What Unites Us, What Divides UsAs I’ve linked up with other WLSers, I’ve been moved by the instant rapport, understanding, empathy, acceptance and intimate connection I’ve experienced with so many of these strangers. I find it to be both thrilling and terribly sad that they understand me so much more deeply than my family ever did. At the same time, my early ventures into the wacky world of WLS email groups have reminded me that some of the members our club display what seems to be a need to divide people into categories of “us” and “them”, and to judge and diminish those who are labeled as “the others”…7. [Exercise] My New Second Job Or Play Becomes Part of My Life WorkAs I continue preparations for my WLS, I’m learning that I now must take on a second job. Not to pay for the procedure, or as part of my career path. My new job is vigorous daily exercise and it’s a vital precondition to reclaiming my body, restoring my health and prolonging my life. Unless I perform this job with as much commitment and consistency as my others, I will squander my time and money on WLS. After all, what meaning will my other life work have if I don’t live long enough to perform it?...8. [Eve of Surgery] Imagining A Life Where My Weight Doesn’t Run Me, As I Pass To The Losing SideAfter months of waiting and imagining, my WLS is just days away. I’ve been busy completing my work commitments; pursuing emotional closure with family and friends; visualizing my successful surgery and recovery; completing post-op preparations; and gathering up and focusing 100% of my energies upon surviving the surgery and emerging on the Losing Side. I find myself dreaming about the time when my weight will no longer be a primary, defining or limiting issue in my life…9. [Post-Op] This Man’s View From The Other Side or I’m Glad I’ve Made It Here, But the Trip Was AwfulThree weeks ago yesterday I had my WLS. Today is the first day that I have felt well enough to share my perspective about this transformative journey. My bottom line: I’m glad I had the surgery, and this trip has been far, far more painful, agonizing and difficult than I ever imagined it would be. I seemed to have invested most of my energy in preparing for the surgery, without ever understanding how nasty a ride these first few weeks would be…10. [Gratitude] My Gratitude Attitude At ThanksgivingThanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, since it gives me an annual opportunity to count all of my blessings and to re-cultivate my gratitude attitude. Here’s what I’m most grateful for this Thanksgiving, just about exactly one month after my Weight Loss Surgery…11. [Post-Op Recovery] The View From Eight Weeks Post-Op or I’m So Surprised I’m Still Fat When I Look in the MirrorHow completely different, and how wonderful, things look from two months out! The pain, frustrations and challenges of my weeks of recuperation have already begun to recede, and I’m feeling better, stronger, thinner and more myself each day. The strangest thing is the shock and disbelief I feel when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I feel like I’m already at my goal weight and then I’m confronted with this image of a still very obese man in the mirror. I know it’s just a matter of time until these two images merge…12. [Relationship with Food] The End of My Love Affair With FoodI’ve lost 70 pounds, my diabetes is controlled and my sleep apnea is gone. I look and feel great. There’s just one thing I find myself missing and grieving: the end of my lifelong love affair with the drama, smell, taste, texture, appearance and excitement of food…13. [Success Rules] Why I’m Succeeding With WLS When Nothing Else WorkedWeight Loss Surgery is working for me because I now have a well-functioning appetite regulator. Also, both behavioral conditioning and positive feedback work well for me. For today, I am very happy to be bored with my food and thrilled with my life…14. [Plateaus] WLS Peaks and PlateausI don’t need any help dealing with my WLS peaks – dramatic weight loss, improving health and fitness, freedom from blood sugar pricks, insulin and CPAPs, shrinking circumferences, compliments and praise. These are very easy to handle. However, it’s no fun feeling stuck. Dealing with my present weight plateau is a real challenge. Here’s what I’m trying…15. [Post-op Complications] Blocked!It was a very scary and uncomfortable episode when my reconstituted and diminished stomach became blocked. With help from my doctor's staff, I was finally able to dissolve the blockage by nightfall, by which time I was exhausted, famished, remorseful and grateful. I learned a few useful strategies I want to share with you…16. [Acid Reflux, Ulcers, Post-Op Complications] The Agony and The EcstasyI hadn’t been able to keep down anything for the past several days. That’s when I called my doctor and went in for an endoscopy. The problem: acid reflux and ulcers in my esophagus and stomach lining. Here’s what happened...17. [inches lost] The Tale of the Tape MeasureEvery month, on the anniversary of my WLS, we carefully measure the changed circumferences of 12 different parts of my body. Five months after surgery, and down more than 100 pounds, here’s the tale told by the tape. I’m happy to let the numbers speak for themselves…18. [Shame] The Origins of My Obesity or It's A Shame That Shame Is CounterproductiveOne of the primary reasons for my obesity was my unhealthy reaction as a child to the “blame and shame” approach my parents used to fix “my problem.” Down more than 100 pounds, I've taken a second look at pictures from my childhood and adolescence. Surprisingly, they suggest that I was NEVER truly obese until my hurt, pain, anger and resentment pushed me into active, defiant rebellion. Every judgmental word, look or action prompted me to stuff food down my throat as a political act. Night after night, I would sneak down to the refrigerator to exercise the only power I felt -- the power to make myself even sicker and fatter…19. [Juice Plus] How I’ve Solved My Fruit and Vegetable ProblemIn my first five months post-op, I had done absolutely everything ahat my WLS doctor asked me to do – except for one glaring omission. I just couldn’t find a way to eat my five recommended daily servings of both fruit and vegetables. I wasn’t being rebellious or self-sabotaging. I just couldn’t figure out how to squeeze this important nutritional source into my tiny tummy. Then I found a product that has really worked for me, and now, for me, the problem is solved. Here’s how it worked…20. [Downsides] Top Ten Reasons Why WLS is NOT “the easy way out”Here are MY top ten reasons why Weight Loss Surgery is neither a quick fix nor the easy way out…21. [Emotional Eating] Head Hunger and Emotional EatingFor the first time in my life, I know I can trust the information transmitted by my stomach to prompt, stop or otherwise regulate my consumption of food and calories. And between my vitamins, protein shakes and fruit and vegetable supplements, I always know that I’ve consumed enough protein and nutrition to sustain my body. And yet…Sometimes, even knowing that my body has all the nourishment it needs, I still feel “head hunger”. Unless Emotional Eating is recognized and dealt with, it can and will sabotage the extreme measures I and we have taken to live longer, healthier lives...22. [Clothes Shopping] Off The Rack or From 4X to XLSeven months after my surgery, and with great anxiety and dread, I embarked on my first bona fide post-op clothes shopping trip. I had repeatedly postponed what has always been a traumatic exercise in frustration and humiliation. When I was still morbidly obese, I told myself the story that I didn’t really care how I looked. My shopping expedition, new wardrobe and public display of my new body now convince me otherwise. I LIKE LOOKING GOOD! And that redoubles my commitment to reach my goal...23. [Exercise] Exercise is Not An “Option”; It’s Now My “Default”Down 125 pounds, I’m thrilled with the way I’ve become one of “those people”. I love to walk and move my body. I seek out opportunities to move. Exercise has changed dramatically for me. Now that I can move without pain or fatigue, I love it for its own sake. And of course I love it for the way that it drives my continuing weight loss. I am comfortably and naturally incorporating exercise into every day and into everything I do…24. [Nutrition; Protein Powders & Supplements] My Cuban Adventure: How I Survived – and Thrived – Without ANY “Real Food”One of the most amazing aspects of my trip was learning that I can survive, and thrive, without consuming virtually ANY local or “real” food. My protein powder (meal replacement drinks), multivitamins and fruit/vegetable supplements sustained me, even walking ten or more miles a day. I gained immeasurable confidence from knowing I can survive any place, any situation, any challenge – domestic or foreign – without compromising my health…25. [Post-op Recovery] Getting Real About My WLS ProblemsMy greatest complaint about WLS email groups and books is that the writers often seemed more cheerleaders than realists, and glossed over the negatives. I resented this in my first 10 weeks post-op, because I felt unprepared for the intense discomfort I experienced moving to the Losing Side. So I’ve renewed my commitment to being real about my WLS problems. Getting real means acknowledging my gnawing frustration and irritation at the severe limitations upon what I can eat – not about the quantity of food I can consume, but the variety (or lack thereof)…26. [Shame] Shame, Blame and WLSOne theme that continues to emerge in my coaching sessions is the shame and self-blame WLS candidates almost invariably feel about their inability to lose weight “the normal way” – through diets, exercise and sheer willpower. I have become convinced through my process of WLS and recovery that confronting and disposing of this shame is one of the most vital pieces of emotional work that each of us must deal with before we can use this tool with optimal effectiveness to achieve our personal goals…27. [Self-Disclosure] Dealing with Questions About WLSI recently returned from a reunion where I faced endless questions about my WLS. Until my trip, I had been cautiously selective in what I shared with whom. I’ve now changed my approach. My new belief is that every time we share, openly and candidly, upsides and downsides, about our obesity and our WLS with others who are respectful, we just may be setting into motion a chain of events that may help others who are still suffering to find help and hope…28. [Ethics] Weighty Ethical Issues About Weight Loss SurgeryAs WLS gains in both popularity and visibility, important ethical issues relating to the procedure are beginning to surface. Two of the issues being discussed most are: should very obese individuals be encouraged – or even forced – to gain even more weight just to become acceptable candidates for surgery? Should morbidly obese children and adolescents be allowed to choose WLS? I sure don’t have the answers, but here’s what I’m hearing from the “still small voice” speaking from deep within my spirit…29. [Celebrating WLS Successes] Vows Kept and Challenges MetI made myself a solemn promise when I decided to have my WLS. It was a vow that, at that time, I couldn’t imagine being able to keep. I promised myself that by the end of my first summer after WLS, I would complete a demanding 10 mile hike. I wanted a challenge so unthinkable and impossible in my pre-operative state that its eventual achievement would really mean something. It would mean that I had used the tool of WLS to totally change my lifestyle, dramatically improve my health, and attain an unprecedented level of physical fitness and mobility. I just returned from my hike, joyful and triumphant! It was a powerful metaphor for my recovery from WLS and the miraculous transformation I have experienced through this process…30. [Coaching] The Birth of A Weight Loss Surgery CoachIt takes nine months to grow a baby. It’s taken me eleven months to achieve my ambitious pre-op Weight Loss Surgery goals, and, in the process, I’ve become a Weight Loss Surgery Coach…31. [Body Image] Distorted Body Image, Distorted ThinkingThese days, I’m experiencing problems getting a realistic and accurate sense of the dimensions and boundaries of my new, post-WLS body. I’ve lost 160 pounds (the equivalent of a “normally sized” person that I’ve been hauling around for most of my life), and I’m sometimes very confused and wrong about my size and shape. The distortion seems to work two ways…32. [Clothes; Appearance] Out of the ClosetAs I approach my one year post-op anniversary, I've been remembering how my life was before surgery, comparing my life today, and marveling at the transformations. One of the most surprising changes is that today, at my goal weight, I'm boldly striding "out of the closet" with the astounding revelation that I'm a Clothes Hound and a Fashion Plate! This is about the last thing I would ever have predicted for my life after WLS…33. [Talking Back] Dear Oprah and Dr. PhilBoth of you have revealed a bias against bariatric surgery. Oprah, it stung me when you characterized WLS as the “easy way out”. Dr. Phil, I still shudder at recalling your telling some of the folks in your weight loss challenge, “If you want a quick fix, get your stomach stapled.” I want to help you two “get it” that Weight Loss Surgery can be an appropriate and necessary medical intervention for the serious medical condition of morbid obesity. It’s important that you both understand that WLS offers a legitimate and valuable tool, and that those who use this tool deserve your respect, understanding, support and applause as much as others choosing other paths…34. [Relapse] Falling Off The Wagon… And Getting Right Back On or Beware That Slippery Slope!It wasn’t until the last two weeks of my first year after WLS that I slipped and “fell off the wagon”. It’s not like I started eating like my Former Self.It was more a matter of getting sloppy, taking things for granted, and relaxing what had been, until then, my 24/7 vigilance. By the time I was restored to full consciousness, I had regained 5 of my 160 pounds. In the clarity of hindsight, I can see clearly how I stepped off my path…35. [Self-worth] From Lowered To Great ExpectationsHow much have I held myself back because my expectations were so low, because my self-worth was so impaired? I’ve spent my entire life as a Clothes Consumer so focused on cheerfully accepting bland, style-less clothes JUST BECAUSE THEY FIT that I never considered being entitled to choose clothes I loved. I started taking stock of all of the other areas of my life where, as a Fat Man, I expected and accepted so much less than I was entitled to enjoy. I was flooded with memories of the times when the Story I Told Myself was that it was ok to be left out or get second best. It was a painfully disturbing story of sadly Lowered Expectations...36. [Research] The Times They Are A’ Changing or All The News (About Us) That’s Fit To PrintThe alarming worldwide increase in obesity – and the stunning increase in the number of morbidly obese people choosing Weight Loss Surgery – has captured media attention and fancy. It’s getting harder and harder to keep up with the flood of information. Since it’s “all about us”, I’m sharing excerpts from some of the more important WLS news stories you may have missed…37. [Insurance] Seven Rational Reasons To Require Universal Insurance Coverage of Weight Loss SurgeryMorbid obesity need not be a death sentence for millions without resources. Our community of WLS patients, families and friends faces a difficult, but achievable, challenge to create a society where noone is judged by their weight on the scale, and where each patient receives quality and appropriate medical treatment for their medical needs. Our job now is to convince the rest of America that Universal WLS Insurance Coverage – in both private and governmental health insurance programs – is an idea whose time has finally come...38. [Insurance] 5 Steps To Get Started: Creating Universal Insurance Coverage For Weight Loss SurgeryI’ve become increasingly troubled about the fate of millions who are still suffering and despairing because they don’t have insurance coverage and can’t afford the WLS procedure on their own. I want to share with you my suggestions for how we can now begin the long and challenging process of making Weight Loss Surgery available to all morbidly obese individuals who need it, regardless of their resources. Take what you like, and leave the rest, but please: share this with others to start building the synergy…39. [Oral Fixations] Obsessing on My Oral CompulsionsMy mouth craves constant action, stimulation, and movement. I derive joy and satisfaction from the kinetic energy inherent in chewing, sucking or otherwise mouthing things. My oral fixation began before the reach of my memory, and has continued, unabated, in the fifteen months since my Weight Loss Surgery. I haven’t let my oral compulsions interfere with my post-op eating plan. However, I still find myself struggling to understand the origins of my oral cravings, and to find healthy alternatives and replacement behaviors – or at least minimally harmful things and substances to keep my mouth satiated and out of trouble…40. [Oral Fixations] Fixing My Fixations II or Ending The Sacrifices At the Altar of My Oral ObsessionsI really want to understand the roots of my oral compulsions, because both me and my mouth are getting tired of this nonsense and wasted energy, and I resent the loss of control and power over my own body parts and functions. I don’t want to continue engaging in old behaviors that no longer serve me or promote my health and inner peace. So I asked Dennis (a very special friend and relative who is also a very gifted and spiritual psychoanalyst) for his off-the-cuff insights into my oral imperatives. Here’s what I learned, and what I’m willing to do to try to free myself forever from this obsession…41. [Oral Fixations] Making Peace With My Mouth While Bringing My Heart Up To SpeedIn my last newsletter, written at the end of February, I continued my explorations of my oral obsessions and my lifelong history of keeping my mouth gainfully employed in chewing, licking, sucking, and other self-stimulating acts of consumption and oral play. And I announced that, effective immediately, I was going to experiment by stopping, cold turkey, my use of gum, mints, and all other substances or implements - other than bona fide food, beverages and medications that are a regular part of my daily nutritional consumption - for however long it took to get to the bottom of this mystery. I reasoned that whatever feelings were underlying and feeding my oral fixations would soon reveal themselves and allow me to address them once I ceased the chomping.Life sure is full of surprises. My Grand Experiment showed surprising results - even before I ended up in the hospital with a pacemaker inserted beneath my breastbone. That's why you haven't heard from me during the last month. Let me explain.42. [18 Months Post-Op] 18 Months Post-Op, I'm Still The Same ManI was a bit anxious last Friday evening when we attended our first real dinner party since my WLS. As we drove to the affair, I noted in passing that I had never met any of these folks before, which meant that they had no idea of my former state of morbid obesity. (I've now lost half of my former weight.) I wondered, with a mix of curiosity and mild concern, how they would see me and how I would feel under their gaze.It was so strange - and also exciting and powerful - when I walked into the host's home, was introduced to the very charming couples assembled, sat down to chat, and realized that I WAS THE THINNEST PERSON IN THE ROOM! I don't know why this should have been so surprising to me, but it was. And I felt this unusual and pleasurable satisfaction in knowing that unless I brought up the matter (or unless we played strip poker and I lost badly) none of them would ever know , or even suspect, that for the first 54 years of my life I was usually the FATTEST person in any gathering....43. [Genetics & Morbid Obesity] It Really IS A Matter of Genetics!"A great majority of Americans who are heavy are that way primarily because of their genetics. It is true that they must consume the calories to put on the weight, but their biology asks them to do that . When their excess weight reaches around 100 pounds, it is virtually impossible for them to get the weight off and keep it off without drastic interventions . The NIH has looked at various therapies for the treatment of morbid obesity (100 pounds or more overweight) on several occasions in the past 30 years, and has found that diet, exercise, behavior modification, and other treatments are virtually never successful. The NIH has stated that the most effective therapy for long-term significant weight loss in morbidly obese patients is surgery . This sentiment has been echoed by Dr. D. Everett Koop, the American Academy of Science, and other prestigious scientific groups."That's the Bottom Line of Dr. S. Ross Fox, a Tacoma bariatric surgeon and a former President of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Ross' paragraph should be required reading for anyone considering, or pursuing, bariatric surgery. There's no need or reason why morbidly obese people should continue beating themselves up over something that is NOW beyond their control and that insidiously destroys their hope and health.44. [Comfort Zones] Stretching Comfort Zones or As I Shrink, I Redouble My Efforts to GrowAs I continue to reduce my weight, and solidify and redefine my lean muscle mass, I'm discovering more and more opportunities to stretch my "comfort zones" with respect to the physical activities and adventures that my normal weight permits. I've lost 100% of my excess weight (180 pounds), so physical challenges that were inconceivable to my Former Fat Self now beckon and dare me to partake. In recent months I have experienced the joys of trying (or re-trying) formerly impossible pursuits. In the process, I've learned that it's just as important to my progression to keep testing and stretching my comfort zones (i.e. the things I feel comfortable, excited and reasonably confident about) as it was for me to tackle the difficult task of losing my excess weight.45. [Relationships] Does Weight Loss Surgery Cause Divorce?I read with interest a recent newspaper article entitled “Gastric bypass surgery has its risks, including divorce.” I’m always looking for new data about the long-term consequences of WLS to share with my subscribers, correspondents and clients, so I quickly scanned the story. My first thought -- that some enterprising researcher had conducted a long-term, double-blind scientific study and found some significant association between Weight Loss Surgery and divorce – was understandable, but wrong. I don’t know how you feel about the increasing media sensationalism around Weight Loss Surgery, but I’m rapidly developing zero tolerance and taste for such nonsense and fear-mongering…46. We’re On Our Way To Universal Insurance Coverage for WLS! or An Eventual Reprieve for Many on “Death Row”Yesterday, Medicare announced that it now recognizes obesity as an illness – a change in policy that may eventually allow millions of obese individuals to obtain Medicare and Medicaid coverage and payment for Weight Loss Surgery and/or diet programs. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said, in announcing the change, “Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and to die prematurely.”I see and celebrate this as the first link in a chain of events and policy changes that will ultimately result in universal health insurance coverage of WLS costs for morbidly obese people – and end the unconscionable imprisoning of so many of our peers on “Death Row” because their insurance won’t cover the procedure and they can’t pay for it themselves…47. [Support Groups] The Gift of WLS Support Groups (July 30, 2004)Last night was the first time in a while that I’ve been able to attend the local Weight Loss Surgery Support Group. I’m so glad that I went. It was thrilling to witness the transformation of all these Big-time Losers who had been pre-op or early post-op the last time I saw them. One after another, they shared their stories, challenges, experience, strength and hope, which is, of course, what support groups are all about. My re-connection with my WLS Support Group reminded me what a precious gift these gatherings can be …48. [Eating Logs] Monitoring My Food May Be A Pain, But the Results Are A Comfort (August 20, 2004)There are few tasks that I hate and resist more than keeping a systematic, detailed log of my food and drink consumption. It seems to trigger my “Don’t Tell Me What To Eat” reflex from childhood. Consequently, keeping a food diary ranks right up there with doing my taxes and having the doctor check my prostrate among my least favorite things. However, there are good reasons for doing all three. So I recently kept a detailed eating log for a week as part of a consult with a WLS Nutritionist to make sure that I wasn’t malnourished and that I wasn’t going to keep losing pounds until I disappeared...49. [Feelings/Shame] My Weight Stays the Same, But My Shame Keeps Resurfacing (September 24, 2004)Today, as I write, I am celebrating my 23 month anniversary of my Weight Loss Surgery. The good news is that I’m at my ideal weight, and I continue to be able to make sufficient minor adjustments in my caloric intake and caloric burn to maintain my weight stability. I just wish that I could find some magical way to exorcise the sense of shame that continues to resurface every time I experience any kind of health-related problem or crisis.It appears that I have internalized my sense of shame so deeply and profoundly that whenever something goes wrong with my body I immediately accept that the cause is my years of gluttony and obesity. I take total responsibility and feel completely accountable for causing my corporal calamity. I don’t question, I blame myself. I don’t seek other explanations, I punish myself harshly. These feelings have nothing to do with physical reality, but they have unfortunately become an ingrained part of my interior emotional landscape. This is a pattern I want to break, but I now suspect it will take much longer to lose the shame than it did to lose the excess weight…50. My Bottom Line: I Would Have Been Dead By Now Without My WLS!It was two years ago today that I had my Vertical Banded Gastroplasty. According to my medical team, I would probably have been dead by now without my Weight Loss Surgery -- and its matching gifts of my 180 pound weight loss, and my transformed body and lifestyle. That’s my personal bottom line as I look back upon the path that led me to this day and milestone. Instead, I'm celebrating my Two Year Anniversary with a long hike...50-PS. A Post-Script from Glenn’s Wife or The Blessings of 2 years in a Trim & Active BodyThis is Kari Goldberg, Glenn’s wife, writing this newsletter. I have some sad news. On December 19, 2004, Glenn died, doing what he loved most – walking on one of the beautiful trails here in the Pacific Northwest. He was happy, seemingly healthy, and enjoying being with a friend. Literally in the middle of a joke, he paused for a moment and then dropped dead. This was and still is a shock to all who knew him either in person or via the Internet.
Copyright, © 2003, Glenn Goldberg. All rights reserved.
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Through Thick
