If you have questions or comments about my surgery or the blog, please let me know.  I received this question last week from a woman I'll call Dana:

Hello, I just wanted to write a note to tell you that I am enjoying your Project Ramona blog.

My question to you is:

were you scared at all?

Hi Dana,

I was never scared of the surgery, but at one point I started to get tired of the process. There was pre-surgery counseling, visits to the doctor for tests, psychological screenings, calls to track down medical records... The research I'd done told me there was a really good chance of my diabetes going into remission, but so many people gave me the "stink face" when I told them about my plan to have weight loss surgery. I felt judged and a bit discouraged. A few people made it clear that they didn't think I'd have long term success because I'd failed to keep the weight off when I'd dieted in the past. When I ran into an insurance roadblock I thought about giving up. Sure, the diabetes and obesity were taking a toll, but the negativity was wearing me down too.

My turning point? My friend called to tell me about the death of her 50-something brother-in-law. The cause? Diabetes complications. YIKESS!!!!! That's when I got scared. I wondered what would happen if I didn't get help from the folks at Catawba Valley Medical Center. There were two very crappy outcomes: death or a life of potentially cripling deterioration. I thought about my god-mother in the nursing home in New Jersey. Her kidneys have been destroyed by diabetes. I thought about my uncle's amputated toes and I shifted my gastric bypass quest into high gear.

Blessings to you, Dana. I'll keep blogging as long as you keep reading.

Ramona.