HAPPY NEW YEAR! 3 Things Crucial For Success in 2015

Another year done and a new one just beginning. Like a blanket of fresh, pure white snow, wiping the slate clean. It is a chance to start new, wipe the slate clean, and make the changes that perhaps didn't come as easily last year. It is also a chance to look back over the last year. A chance to peer through the window of time to assess the successes and failures of the last year and a second chance to make things right.

Pumpkin Mousse

Suz's Muses - “Another test?? I didn’t study for this one either!!”

Greetings, dear readers- and thanks for checking out my first contribution to Jonathan’s blog!  My topic today isn’t necessarily for women only, but it’s something I see a lot of folks ask about on WLS forums…all those pesky TESTS we have to take before we get taken to the OR.  I’ll begin today (as probably with a number of topics) by saying that though we’re all on this same journey together, how we get there is a very individual experience- everyone’s surgeon is different as are insurance companies.  You may not have to have as extreme of a testing conglomeration as I did, but it’s my hope that if you’re required to have any of the tests done that I did, this post can provide some clarification as to what to really expect when you go.

How I Prepared for Surgery Part 3 - My Soul

The final thing I did to prepare myself for surgery was probably one of the most emotional and religious experiences for me. This is a very tough topic to write about so I will do my best to do so with tact and reverence. This part of preparing for surgery made me look deep into my soul and ask some really tough questions. The last thing I needed to do before surgery was prepare my soul. The hardest question I had to ask myself was what if the worst should happen? How would I handle it?

How I Prepared for Surgery Part 2 - My Mind

At the 2012 Heart Mini 5K in Cincinnati, Ohio - This walk nearly killed me, but was a great preparation for surgery.

This is the second post in my series on how I prepared for weight loss surgery. The first post covered how I prepared my body for the surgery and offered a few tips to those who may not be able to follow the same course of action that I took. This post will deal specifically with how I mentally prepared for surgery and all the changes I was going to need to make to be sure I was successful.

How I Prepared For Surgery Part 1 - My Body

Many people over this last year have asked me what I did to prepare for my weight loss surgery. There were many things that I did and not one was more important than another. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your preparation heading into surgery and especially the liquid diet the week or two prior will be the hardest and  most important thing you do as a part of your journey. You will work hard to prepare your mind, your body, and to some degree your spirit to go though the surgery. Once you do have the surgery the hardest part is over. If you can survive the months before taking the plunge then everything you do after will be a piece of cake in comparison.