Hi! It's Karen from Washington PA!

Today I honored and happy that I am visiting Judi's great blog as a guest blogger!
First, I will tell you about myself:
*I had Lap Band surgery one year ago! Happy Bandiversery to me!
*I lost 18 pounds on my pre-op diet and so far lost 64 pounds since surgery day. I need & want to lose another 30.
*I met Judi at a group for Lap Band support in 2007. I went to all the meetings with her but then lost my insurance a few weeks before my surgery because of my divorce so I could not be banded at that time. I saved up enough money and I went to Mexico and had the surgery done. I would be happy to tell anyone about that experience. If you have to pay cash, it is much less expensive there. My sister came with me and we did some vacationing for a week before and relaxing for a week after. With all that and paying for my sister's trip, I spent less money there all put together than what I would have had to pay up here out of my own pocked (approx 20K). I would do it again! If it were not for Judi, I do not know if I would have done it. She kept up with me after I had to stop the plans for my surgery and her friendship and support and encouragement and THIS BLOG was what kept me going when things got so difficult.
*I am 42 years old and living on my own for the first time since I was 20.
*I am a single mom with 3 children: Andrew is 20, Ashley is 18 and Aaron is 16. Andrew is a college student going into his final year and just spent a summer in England working and living with his girlfriend's family and he is majoring in Engineering. Ashley is entering her first year of college and just got back from 1 month working at a camp for special needs kids near Boston and wants to be a teacher. Aaron is a third year high school student and spent the summer with his father traveling in the midwest and he is my avid sports boy and wants to be a sports announcer. We moved to Washington PA from Virginia to be near my family after my divorce 2 years ago. Before that, we lived in San Fransisco, Chicago and Atlanta. I am happy to be back to Southwest PA. There's no place like home!
*I have an at-home marketing business and work part time for my family's restaurant as a hostess and a book keeper and also sell jewelry (Silpada). My background is in marketing and advertising and I spent 15 years working for firms around the country. For 4 years, I was a partner with my former husband in a publishing business. We just sold the business as well as our family home in VA last October so now I plan to return to school in January to finish my graduate degree. After that, I would like to open a business of my own here in town.

Now that I have told you all about me I want to tell you that all of that is better because of my Lap Band. I lived a very stressful but very financially secure life for many years and turned to food for entertainment and comfort. By the time my husband walked out the door on me with a new woman, I had gained almost 200 pounds since our wedding day. Now I finally have the courage and confidence to think about doing something more with my life. When I was 300+ pounds, all I wanted to do was collect a paycheck and hide. Even though money was never a problem, it could not improve my life or take the weight off compared to now when I have to work hard for a lesser lifestyle but I feel like I want to join the world! I can look in the mirror in the morning and like what I see and smile because it's good and it will keep getting better. It is not the misery and hopelessness that I felt for so long. When my marriage was going down the drain, I blamed my husband for everything. He was at fault for having other women but I did not see how much my weight was making me a miserable, desperate woman who was not easy to live with. The more my weight went up, the more I pulled away from everything but my job where I could hide in my office and work, work, work and reap the benefits of my work and feel okay.
I want other people to know that if they are thinking about a Lap band, PLEASE DO IT NOW. Do not waste any more time thinking about it or researching it. I am so happy I did and I know you will be too. 3 years ago, I wrote in my journal that I would die from obesity and have to be buried in an oversize casket. Now I don't even think that way because I want to live and be alive. Not just in a physical sense but in all ways. I think I might even take more chances than I ever thought possible. Judi is trying to sell me on Match.com and if she keeps at it, I might just do that.
If you read this posting, I hope I helped you with my story.
Thank you Judi for being an inspiration and a friend. The Lap Band and Judi's constant support and help through daily or more emails and even meeting me for coffee a few times and taking my calls is what I am thankful for.
I LOVE THIS BLOG AND I FEEL LIKE I KNOW EVERYONE AS A FRIEND.
Good luck to everyone!
Love,
Karen