Call It What You Like, But I Call it.....

GOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL! "It's very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life." - Inigo Montoya ? The Princess Bride Of course, Montoya was referring to his life-long search for the six-fingered man. In my case... replace the word "revenge" with "weight loss"... See where I'm goin' with this? My Official Weight: 199 lbs That's One Hundred and Ninety Nine Frickin' Pounds. Okay, okay, I'll say it... "One-der-land". This lovely little nugget of information was revealed to me this morning after stepping on the scale for the 366th consecutive day since surgery. Yup, today just so happens to be the first anniversary of my lap RNY. Coincidence? Synergy? Harmonic Convergence? You can call it what you like, but I call it... ? 218 lbs... gone. (BMI down to 26.3 from 55.0 - Current body fat at 13%) ? Back Pain... gone. (So long, Mr. Chiropractor) ? Sleep Apnea... gone. (No more snoring, either) ? High Blood Pressure... gone. (Along with the expensive medication) ? 56 Inch Waist Pants... gone. (Replaced with 32's) ? 5XL & 6XL Shirts... gone. (Replaced with Medium & Large) ? That secret, awful, sickening feeling deep down that I might drop dead of a heart attack at any moment and leave my sweet little girl without her Daddy, knowing full well that I could have prevented it....... Gone. I'm gettin' a little misty, here. Ya know what? Screw Inigo Montoya... I know exactly what I'm doing with the rest of my life. Be Well, A.J. Oh Yeah...Here's my official 1 year pic: http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i229/Gyrofork/1YearBeforeAfter.jpg

Unbelievable! Congratulations to you AJ on your achievements! Hats off to you for making no excuses....hats off to you for taking full advantage of the gift you've been given - the gift of WLS that's given you a new lease on life...hats off to you for sharing your experience with others inspiring them to push a little bit harder, go a little bit further and trying things they've never thought possible before. And screw those out there who say what you've done (what we've done) is the easy way out! You EARNED every single pound lost and it shows in your pics. Thank-you for fighting the good fight - showing others how it can and should be done! I'm keeping low profile these days, but I just had to reply to this post! Keep fighting the good fight! Cards Fan PS - Not only did AJ "Step off the sidelines and get in the game"....he is the GAME. Learn from it friends, learn from it!

Mike, This might be the single greatest thing anyone's ever posted to me on OH. I've read it a dozen times now and it makes me feel great each time. Just a little "thanks" to you for helping make the day a bit more special for me. I really appreciate it. We all miss seeing you 'round the boards lately... but you do what you gotta do. So, just for you (and it KILLS a Met fan like me to say this).... GO CARDS! Be Well, A.J.

AJ Your progress is amazing, inspiring, and envyable. I'm really happy for you dude. You look great and the idea that you will likely live a lot longer is even better. Way to go. Scott

AJ, Great job, buddy. Your pics are awesome. It's a great feeling to see how far we've gone. You are a true inspiration. Thanks for sharing. Floyd

AJ-- Your achievement needs to be commended. Your degree of sucess is an inspiration to us all. Best of luck. Sonny

awesome and awe-inspiring. keep inspiring me, man. kewlness!

Big congratuations...it's 11:23 AM here, and my brother-in-law is on his way over to take me to the hospital now. RNY at 2:45pm.....your whole story is very, for lack of a less cheesy word, inspiring. I wish you continued success, and a long & happy life with your daughter.

Damn A.J. Nice work there.

ALL I CAN SAY IS AWSOME!!!!!! It's so inspiring to see someone who is making all this work. Your definetly an inspiration for someone like myself. I was just a touch bigger than you when i started all this at 495.5 lbs i'm 5 weeks post op now and i am down 81lbs so far including the 53 that i lost before the surgery so i cant wait for my year date to see where i'm at. Anyway AWSOME JOB!!!