Lisa, I'll email you. Did you read the post after yours? There are advantages to living in Alabama.
Good to know isn't it? The land with no verb/subject agreement, bubbas, and TRUCKS. I'm just kidding! I love the south and really do love the small, rural community in which I live.
Robin, congrats are coming back to you! We do seem to have similar experiences, don't we?
I have never been "against" plastic surgery. I guess that is because I was never happy with my body. I could empathize with the frustrations that others felt. I was one of those fat women who could never come to peace with it. It didn't fit with the way I felt on the inside. I had a DEEP desire to be thin. I just created conflict by judging my desire---I told myself that my purpose on the planet was to serve others. It was selfish and shallow to spend so much time and effort on myself. Taking the step for the surgery actually helped me face this in-congruence within me. I was creating my own conflict and it really wasn't necessary. I am learning to accept this desire without judgement.
Now I am beginning a new adventure. I am a thin woman. I watched a program on television last night about a transsexual having surgery to change from being a man to being a woman. After the hormone treatments and the surgery, she said, "The transformation is complete." That sentence struck a heart chord. I get that....and can relate to the sentiment. I am not, of course, saying what I have felt is anywhere near the pain transsexuals feel. But I keep coming back to that sentence.
"The transformation is complete." Changing from being a person with a life-long weight problem may not ever be "complete." I will always have to focus at staying with my WOE/WOL. My experience has helped me understand that sometimes this is more difficult than others. But, for today I FEEL thin. That is a huge deal!!! For me it is essential to feel thin in order to be thin. I can't quite find the words to express just how much getting rid of the loose skin is altering the way I feel physically and emotionally.
Today I will spend some time thinking about how this will affect my maintenance program. How do I want to live the next leg of the journey of my life? I suspect it will involve learning to let go of inner conflict. It isn't needed anymore...."my transformation is complete."
Somewhere inside I know that I set aside this summer of "healing" for more than just physical recovery from the surgery. It is about the inner adjustments I need to make, as well. Changing from being a fat person to being a fully functioning thin person is turning out to be a giant lesson in my life. Maybe it isn't so tricky for others. The good Lord knows that I have chosen to walk a very bumpy path in my 48 years. I don't regret any of it. Transforming is NOT about forgetting or regretting. It is about taking what I have learned along the way with me...and learning to live happy, joyous, and free.
Sara<><