Newbie here!

My name is Sharon, "CandelLife" is the name I use on Forum boards. For the sake of introduction I thought I'd personalize it with who I really am. I was diagnosed with PTSD and chronic depression during a low point in my life when my father was finally arrested and went through the whole long court process and is now in prison where he belongs for doing to my youngest sister what he did to me when I was a child. I'm 47 now so anyone older will know times were different 40 years ago and shorten it to say, I never got any help until a few years ago.

I had let myself go because I just didn't care any more. But it got out of hand and I hit the scales at just a hair under 300, it scared me enough to do something about it. The picture I posted is from that starting weight. Over three months time I have lost 50 pounds just from walking, bike riding 30 minutes per day, cutting off my non-stop soda drinking and replacing it with water. Food wasn't a problem because surprisingly enough, I didn't have an appetite at all over the past 2 years and hardly ever ate. However I was sitting at my desk all the time and never getting any exercise before I got up.

Because of the weight gain and the sedentary lifestyle, I also gained a ton of health problems. I had already lost my appendix 15 years ago, 2 1/2 years ago I had surgery to remove my gall bladder and repair two abdominal hernias. I have fibroid tumors and had a problem causing me to be on my cycle almost non-stop leading to the low iron, B12 and D levels in there too. Not to mention the bad knee I had to get a cortisone shot for and physical therapy. I was a mess!

Right now near the end of all these dr appts, have an enlarged liver, need to remove the fibroid tumors, low RBC (Red Blood Cell count) low Blood platelet count, and the dr thinks it's Lupus. I had the IUD removed and now get Depro Provera shots which has finally helped me to feel more normal again. I start Chantix next week to stop a 30 year smoking habit.

I gained 7 pounds back in one week when i tried to quit smoking before getting the chantix and not only started eating but was guzzling sodas again. I could really use support from others doing this battle as well. I'm at 257 right now, I need to take an updated picture, I'll get that up there soon as I can. I haven't liked taking pictures of myself in quite some time, I'm the one behind the camera.

My two wonderful sons are the reason I do everything, they are my world and I would be lost without them! My oldest is 25 this month and just graduated college in Culinary and my youngest is 16 and highly involved in church and Marching Band as well as Symphonic band. It takes alot to keep up with them!

Nice to meet you all! Thanks for letting me ramble on!
Sharon