My journey! Updated pics!

It's been almost 8 months now here with MFP, and I don't know what I would do without each and every single one of you. Everyday that I log in, and I have not missed 1 day, I learn something new.

I started my path here as a desperate, defeated, tired, sunken woman. I had an extremely large umbilical hernia, and this was the second one. My surgeon told me as long as I was OBESE, (can you believe at 255lbs he called me obese! How dare him!), I would keep getting hernias, and that I needed to loose 50 lbs before my surgery. My family doctor told me I needed to get under the obese weight before my surgery, which for me is 180 lbs. Well, I thought this will never happen, I've been this way since I was 14, I'm not going to change it at 43. I then tried on my own in January of this year. By March, when I started here, I was only down to 247 lbs, My niece turned me on to MFP, and look what it has done for me. I had tried many programs, that I paid dearly for, and failed at all of them. Now, I would love to stand up to Valerie Bertinelli and say "Hi, I'm Melanie, and I've lost 83 lbs now, on MFP, FREE! People can't afford those programs nowadays. They don't need them. This place works if you want it to work for you, or should I say with you. I couldn't have done this alone, no matter the program I paid for. You guys are here for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, holidays included.

Well, I finally had my FIRST surgery on 9/27 for the huge hernia, at 175 lbs, which is under obese for me right? Well, 10/13 I was back in surgery, with ANOTHER hernia. What happened to being under obese? I AM? Anyways, all fixed, AGAIN. Now here it is, almost 1 month later, and 18 holes in my stomach, I am still going on. After my surgeries I went up to 190 lbs. KILLED me. I am down to 172 lbs now, 3 lbs less then the first surgery. Will be glad when I can start exercising again. I chnaged my shirt 3 times this morning before I left, as now without the hernia, everything hangs off of me. Time for some new clothes!

One last thing before I leave you all alone. Christmas is near, and times are tough. I have been off of work now since 9/26, and I am not aloud to go back until at least 12/01. I have taken up selling jewelery for Premier Designs on the side to try and help bring in some money for bills. We were not prepared for me to be off this long. If anyone would like to see a catalog, please email me at cuppscarats@aol.com. I can email you the catalog as a pdf. We accept all major credit cards, and money order. I ship anywhere in the US. If you live in Ohio, within 100 miles of Dayton, let me know if you would be interested in earning yourself some free jewelry. All of our items come with 100% money back gaurantee. As long as you own it, if it breaks, they fix it.

I'm hoping my images upload, as last time I did only half of them did. Thanks for your time and goodluck with your journey! I am here for you whenever you need it and accept all friends request. Happy Holidays!!