Lenny

May I share your Reflection to my home support groups?

– Linda
Lapband 6/7/04

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Reflections

Like many of us, I had several reasons to have weight loss surgery.

As the time grows closer to the Jewish High Holly days one of my
reasons draws in the front of mind. As some of you may know one of
the reasons for my weight loss surgery was to be able to go to
temple
again with my family. Mind you I am not religious, nor would you be

able to classify myself in any of the traditional groups of
orthodox,
conservative, or reform. I call myself a reactionary. Both of my
parents are Holocaust survivors. My mother spent the war years in a

concentration camp, and my father was in a concentration for a brief

period of time and then formed a resistance movement in his shtetl
(town) in Poland called Bukaczowce which is now part of the Ukraine.

Last year my goal was to be able to walk to temple when the High
Holly days arrived. It would be a wonderful way to share my gift of

weight loss surgery with my parents. Within two weeks after surgery

I began to walk longer distances. Mind you, like many of us before
weight loss surgery who was able to move? Walking fifty feet or
walking across the street was the equivalent of me participating in
a
triathlon. As the pounds dropped off I began to walk further and
further. My confidence in my ability to walk was growing and my
waist line was shrinking. By early June I surprised myself and
walked
to temple and was two and half months ahead of schedule. So many
emotions entered my mind as I reached this milestone event.

The thought was to tell my parents I will be attending temple or
should I surprise them? Then the next problem was what I was going
to wear. My size 66 suit which prior to weight loss surgery would
no
longer is usable. I stopped thinking about the holidays. As the
summer months progress I began to exercise more and more and became
a
gym rat. I would go to the gym at least four times a week and do
cardio and strength training work outs. The summer months passed
quickly and my old clothes were not usable.

As time came closer to the holidays I took my mother into my
confidence and told her I would attend temple this year, but not to
tell Dad since it would be a surprise for him. She immediately
ordered me to buy a new suit and not to dress like a schlep to
temple. My comment to her was that I am not wasting my money on
something I will wear for two weeks. I purchased a pair of black
pants and a white shirt and dug out one of my ties and wore a one of

my new sweaters. Thank g-d for Wal-Mart’s, and the hell with the
Big
and Tall Man Stores.

At eleven am the day of Rosh Hashanah I entered my temple for the
first time during the holidays in fifteen years. I took the seat
next to my parents and wished them a Happy New Year. I told my
parents they now have there son back. Needless to say I cannot
describe the emotions that flowed through my body. I experienced
happiness, sadness, proud of the journey that I chose to embark. My

father proudly introduced me to his friends of many years. This is
my son Leonard.

This holiday I will be temple with my father. My mother will not be

able to attend temple since she is ill effects the side effects of
chemo and radiation from Esophageal Cancer. My weight loss surgery
enabled me to take care of my mother. I had the energy to schlep
into Manhattan instead of settling for a local hospital. When mom
was too weak to walk I was able to carry her down the stairs. I
walked through the endless halls of Sloan Kettering staying with mom

for endless tests and making sure mom got everything she was
entitled
to.

In January of 2004 I knew the doctors have given up on my mother. I
remember coming home New Year’s Eve and just sitting in my bedroom
and asking myself what will the New Year bring for my mom. Within
two
months she was hospitalized three times and had several visits to
Urgent Care. Each period of hospitalization was longer and grimmer
from the last. Two of her chemo treatments were given as an
inpatient
(not what the doctors wanted). Our oncologist knew my feelings,
let’s try everything and anything but we are not stopping
treatments. After mom’s third chemo treatment she was to be
retested
to see what progress they made and if the poisons that flowed
through
her veins worked. In mid January while hospitalized the PET scan and

cat scans were performed. I waited days for the results. I was told

by a house doctor nothing else can be done for mom look for a rehab
center to take mom to. One afternoon I received a call from the
nurse oncologist about the test results. I asked do I really want
to
know the results. Stephen said, "Are you kidding me." He proceeded

to tell me the tumor is gone. Everyone in the hospital was excited
that this five foot lady finished her first round of treatment. It
is now 2:00 am and I am heading to bed.

L Shanah Tovah to all.

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Thank you for your heart warming story, I have tears in my eyes. It seems
like both you and your mother have a new life, and my how you have earned
it. Two winners for sure. It makes your father a winner too because he has
his son and his wife.

You are doing great!

– Linda
LB 6/7/04 Dr. Weiss Georgetown, KY