My childhood was what most would deem boring. The Mountains of West Virginia were nothing short of heaven to me though. Growing up in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains provided me with many valuable life lessons, all the while having a beautiful scenery to enjoy. I lived at one of the highest peaks on the mountain, we were so high up we called it West By God Virginia, because that high on the mountain you certainly are “by god.”
My father was a coal miner, so I am truly a coal miners daughter, and coal mining was a job that took my father away almost all of the daylight hours. The coal mines did not even allow for too much time for weekend visitation. I remember sleeping with the hall light on most of my life, it was important for me to stay awake long enough to at least see my dad walk down the hallway as he came in from work.
There are a few things that stand out in my memory about my dads work. He was an electrician in the mines and he had this meter with two sticks that, I think measured energy. I was fascinated by them. Often, I would lay down my toys to play with this meter. I also remember he took me once to pick up his payday and I stood at the entry of the mines crying to go inside. He told me it was dangerous and I couldn’t go, but all I could see was a big opening into a mountain, and I surely wanted to go inside.
My mom an Avon lady and stay at home domestic Goddess. She always had dinner on the table either at our house or my grandparents when I would get in from school. In the past year I have gotten interested in my ancestors– I am Cherokee Indian and Irish, but I have an Italian Pallet. There is no doubt that came from our neighbors growing up like Rosemary Dominick. Manga, manga, manga and our neighbors usually did not mind too much to have an extra lil’ cousin hanging around, my name is Teresa after all. I fit right in!
Most of my life growing up was spent hanging out with my grandfather listening to stories he would tell and learning valuable life lessons. My childhood was spent in the woods learning about trees, flowers and animals. Basically I am just a simple girl who prefers bare-feet, but I do clean up rather nicely.
Somewhere a long the journey at a very young age, my boundaries were crossed and my innocence was violated. That day changed me, and my behavior also changed. I kept my pain and hurt inside, and on the outside I continued to shine and smile and my world seemed wonderful. The anger and hurt only grew inside. This led to comforting with food, and to many insecurities that grew and festered like a hot disease infecting my soul.
My pre-teen and teen age years were spent with a lot of insecurities and self doubt. During those years, I spent a lot of time in the hospital with Rheumatic Fever, Chorea, Allergies and Sinus’s and Ovarian cyst disease. Most of the time I was actually puny looking, only I saw myself as fat. If only I had of known at the time, my real issue was body dysmorphia and eating disorders (bingeing and purging). It never occurred to me I was trying to lose weight when I wasn’t even over weight.
My insecurities led me to make poor choices in a spouse and found myself in an abusive relationship that it took years to get the courage to break away from, and in the mean time I comforted myself with food. In the years of my marriage I also battled several illnesses and injuries. Including two miscarriages, kidney stones, a battle with what was thought to be Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis and a horrible knee injury from roller-skating at 385 pounds and falling.
In 2003 I was in a serious roll over car accident that changed my life forever. The car I was driving was a Pathfinder, and I swear to this day.. that wreck was a blessing in disguise as it led me to Find my path! I realized life was entirely too short to waste. Within 3 months I was being rolled down the hallway of CAMC to have gastric bypass surgery by Dr. Robert Shin.
What I found was surgery was the physical piece that would help me heal from obesity, but after the weight loss much work and therapy was needed to heal the mind and spirit. During this work I have been able to go back and find my inner child and embrace her, and bring her out of the shell in which she was hiding. By grace I have been able to overcome my insecurities and self doubts. Each day is new and the past a story of the past. Each day, I learn new things about myself and work through them. By living in the now and embracing each moment, unconditional love surrounds me.
Today I am almost 7 years post op and have maintained a total loss of 235 pounds. My life has changed drastically. Writing for WLS Magazine and being a blogger allows me the opportunity to pay forward some of the wonderful lessons I have learned.
Blogging is my way of expressing my inner-most thoughts…don’t ask me how I can take a walk in the park and relate carvings in a tree to my reconstructive surgery scars, but I can…it is just how my mind works. When I put those thoughts into words it somehow releases some of the energy that stores up over time, and in addition I get to share my journey with you.
My other creative outlet is making jewelry art. I work with precious gemstones and create necklaces, bracelets, belts and earrings. Really, I don’t look at it as I am creating beautiful things, but more I assemble beautiful things together with the help a power much greater than I will ever be.
I hope that you will join me by reading my journey as I Celebrate Life!
Thank you for reading. Please leave comments!! I love to hear what you are thinking and hear your thoughts! 😉
Love and Light
~Teresa~
I am 7 years post gastric bypass and struggling. Family and friends closest to me cannot relate and really don’t understand or know how to help. I’m back to working out (trainers twice a week, Wii Fit and my own workouts). This past week I purchased an Amazon Kindle and found Melting Mama’s blog and subscribed. Through her I would your blog. I see how these blogs will help me and keep me motivitate. I want to go to them throughout the day when I need that extra support or motivation. Is there a way for me to see your blog without being on the computer? I have the Kindle and a blackberry. Tonight I set up a seperate Facebook account I will only use for my post bypass support and a Twitter account that I can send thoughts to and am looking for a few people who might follow and support me.
To reach out like this is very hard for me. I look forward to reading your blogs. Is there any other way I can add you to my support team?
Thank you for listening and hope to hear from you.
Sandy
oops I put my e-mail and twitter into in my comment. did not realize that would be public. Can you take the info out?
Hi Sandy, You certainly can add me to your support team. Now I don’t know if my blog can be seen from the Blackberry or not, I will have to ask around and see about that. When you say you are struggling, do you want to say more about that? Are you struggling with food choices? With re-gain, emotions? There are many struggles in the after-life, and I have experienced a lot of them. I would be more than glad to help you anyway that I can.
Teresa
Thanks for sharing your story. I will be checking back in with you. I’m a mountain girl too, raised in the Smokies in Tennessee. I’m a new post op though. I’m about 17 months out but I’m at goal and trying to maintain. I look forward to reading more here.
Karen
Thank you Karen, I love the Smokies, it is my favorite place to be… Are you by chance related to Judy O?? She is Dolly’s best friend. Congrats on your surgery, and enjoy this journey as it is a sacred one. I look forward to hearing more about you as well.
Teresa
What an amazing journey you have been on Teresa. Congrats to you for getting things organized and becoming a much happier person.
Keep it up!
Cheers,
Carol
Thank you Carol… Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you around… Welcome!
Hi, Teresa! I went back to your OH profile last week and re-read the entire thing!! Girl, you are a wonderful writer!
So glad to see that you are doing well; I know what you mean about the post-op dating thing. I’ve never really gotten into today’s dating mode. It sure seemed a lot simpler in my younger days!
I have had a regain of about 50#. I had lost to 203# (which still sounds bad) but I was wearing a size 10. Probably due to the working out I was doing. Due to some severe life changes and depression, I regained and stopped exercising. The time I spend on OH cheering on newbies and helping others is the best way to stay connected to my goals.
I’m going to bookmark this site, so you keep posting, you hear??!!
Thank you!!! I went back and re-read it too!! It is sort of a mess where it looped back and repeated itself. SO right now I am trying to clean that up, and get it going again. I am glad you are here, and I saying it’s bad it just putting a label on you. It’s a great thing you have had surgery and lost weight, and are now working your way through these things. Life changes are just that changes we readjust the sail, we don’t jump ship.
I am so glad to “hear” from you, and I look forward to seeing you more.
Hugs
Teresa
Hi Teresa:
Your “story” brought tears to my eyes. I feel there is probably something “lurking below” from my childhood as well that I haven’t either been able to identify (most of my childhood memories are very obscure), but,, nevertheless, your comment about your inner child moved me. I, too, live in the beautful Smoky Mountains and am scheduled to have gastric bypass surgery on 8/10/10. I am very nervous, but also excited and would like to also subscribe to your blog…what a beautful writer. Thanks for sharing your story.
Hi.. .Thank you for reading!! And for being here, and sharing your thoughts. I love the Smoky Mountains. Beautiful place and it is a place I go when I want to spend healing time in the mountain. Stay in touch and share your journey. I look forward to talking with you. This inner child work is hard, but it is so worth it… I have several book suggestions if you are interested.
I am definitely interested. As my surgery date is scheduled for 8/10, that will probably be a good time for me to do some quality reading..so yes, if you would be so kind as to share those book recommendations, I’ll make a shopping list!! Take care and thanks again for your encouraging words!
Your speaker bio for Melting Mama’s wls event says you are pursuing your education in holistic care. I’d love to know more about that. Have you blogged about it? Can you send me a link? ThankS!!
belovedideas@yahoo.com
Lisa,
I will send you an email, later on tonight about it. Thank you for asking.
Teresa
“T “u r a wonderful writer !!! Falling short of words to explain what u are…..Amazing Human being >>>wonderful mom….Superb GrandMa…….
Wish to meet u in person sometime in future…..is my only wish.
Thank you Akki… One of these days I am going to surprise us all and visit India..You will recognize me right away I will be the one dancing!!
amazing story. congrats
That’s one of the more amazing and inspiring stories I’ve run across, and there’ve been a few.
I will be honest: I’m not on the WLS journey. But close family and friends are, and their challenges motivate me.
I’m interested in hearing from you and others on the journey, particularly if you’d be interested in making a business part of your journey.
My company distributes a nutritional system that is a excellent fit with the WLS lifestyle. The wide spectrum of products are easily absorbed, highly bioavailable, fiber-rich and low-glycemic impact. It’s based on the same gel suspension technology that elite athletes use to pound carbs in competition. There is a certain irony in that, but if it works… and it does. I have presented this to a number of support groups, including at the USC and UCLA medical centers in Los Angeles. Physician friends at UCLA and Cedars Sinai use them personally and for patients with good results. I’ve also
I won’t go into any further detail, but I saw no way of contacting you via email, either on Facebook or your blog. So forgive the intrusion, and I hope to hear from you.
Gregg Moscoe
Gel Nutrition LTD
gregg@gelnutritionltd.com
235 pounds! AMAZING! Congrats. I am also 7 years out! Had surgery on St. Patty’s Day — 3/17/04 — at UCSF (San Francisco). Plastics in 2006. I only lost 165 pounds. You are an inspiration!!