Kristi asked me how I felt the other day. I told her I felt like a Ribeye Roast. When I use to cook a nice roast I would make about 6 small but deep slits in the roast and I would push in some garlic to season the roast. Well here I sit with 7 small slits in my body from the surgery. One is in my belly button where the put the camera in, which I find funny since when I was little my old man would put his eye to my belly button and saw let me see what you ate today. He was always ahead of his time.

Those small incisions have knocked me for a loop, but not the Lord. He has used this time for me to study, read, pray, and write; things that I always push aside so I could be in the field loving on kids and teenagers, whom I miss so deeply right now. So even if I sound a bit whinny right now know that I am being blessed by the Lord every day.

Tonight I sat down with my beautiful bride to watch a Labor Day classic movie Picnic. More years ago than I would care to remember Kristi played the part of Flo and I had built the set and designed the lights. Oh those bohemian days of our youth. It was nice because I wasn’t exhausted and we have had such a great time watching it together. The world doesn’t understand the sacrifices she has made to allow me to follow my call. When you average 15 hour days serving the Lord it does not usually leave much for 9 hours homes, especially if 5 of those are used to sleep. Kristi never says things like; where are your time for me, or why do I only get the tired Scott. She just supports me and loves me.

These are things that God is showing me as I am getting sick of only liquids and ugh protein drinks. I don’t sit well but I am trying,

Well today is Friday, September 3 and today is the first day I have felt like writing. I went in bright and early Monday morning for the Rouen Y Gastric Bypass. The average surgery time is 2 hours, my surgery went 4.5 hours. I was 421 pounds at surgery time and they say the surgery gets much tougher if you over 400 pounds. I was up and setting in the chair and walking around the hall on Monday. Yet, my Doctor was instant that I spend 2 nights in the hospital due to the difficulty of the surgery. I came home Wednesday around noon. I was glad to get home but Wednesday was a very tough day for me, I slept most of the time I was home. I can honestly tell you as of Wednesday night I was regretting having the surgery. I was feeling better on Thursday and to a couple walks in and did much better drinking all the fluids I have to drink over the next three weeks.

It is a real challenge to get in the amount of protein they want me to take in, 3 oz of Ensure feels me up! Don’t forget that my stomach is the size of an egg and there has been a fair amount of Trauma to that region. It’s also hard to get in all the hydrating fluids they want me to have by that’s a bit easier than the protein.

Today I walked Gumbo to the back yard and walked around the house measuring stuff, I can’t watch the food network so I have replaced it with HGTV and DYI network, so I am feeling more like myself.

I will not be released to drive or return to work on September 16, so lets see how that works out.

The journey has begun and there are no take backs so I appreciate all your help, encouragement and prayers as I wonder down this road. I will try to share more tomorrow..

So I have never really minded being Fat. Overall I don’t think that it has impacted my self-esteem or how I thought about myself. I know that it has effected how people look at me but I have never really concerned my self with others thoughts to much. But my knees are going and going quickly. Anyone who knows me know that I love nature, I love walking, canoing, playing basketball, golf, soccer (La Pared!) and jumping rope! I have not been able to do much that for more than three years! This has lowered my quality of life and effectiveness in ministry greatly!

That has led me to the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass surgery that I am having on Monday at 7:20 AM. It is a radical move to reduce my weight and return to the way of life I know and enjoy. A life that glorifies God and allows me to impact urban youth and kids! One thing they suggest was to get pictures to help us visualize the weight lost that will come. As I looked for pictures I was most taken back not that I was morbidly obese but that all most all pictures of me over the last two years were of me sitting down. I had gotten to the point that I couldn’t even stand up much anymore.

So today Sunday August 29, 2010 I have begun the journey and the challenge of changing my lifestyle. I can only accomplish this though the grace of Jesus Christ! The support of Family and Friends is a close second. Today I begun an all liquid diet that I will be on till September 20th. This is allegedly to be the most challenging stage of them all. So thanks for your support and prayers.

Follow me on this journey here at oldwvpoet.com. Here are some pictures of where I am. I will post more as my weight comes off. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

Mine and Shinese's Bithday this year

Camden's Birthday Party maybe my highest weight ever. Around 450

Fat by happy! Soon to be Skinny but Happy

Carly and I at the 2009 Christmas Pary

I begin this new blog as I have restarted a journey in my life. I decided a month ago that I was tired of my weight hindering my work for the Lord. I started going back to Weight Watchers and have lost 25 pounds in one month! My original intent was to lose enough weight to get a Gastric By-pass. But now I am praying to see if I should continue that route or just try to do it on my own. I am not talking a little weight, I mean after losing 25lbs I am still at 405. That is at least 180 more pounds to lose. I know it can be done but ask you to pray with me as I seek the route that God has for me.

It is critical for me to lose the weight because of the damage I have done to my knee for carrying so much weight over the years. I experience quite a bit of pain daily. I miss playing with the kids, walking my Spaniel, playing Golf with my friends, and being able to do activities with my wife. I am trying to become less so He can become Greater! John 3:30. I will give God the glory for every ounce I lose. It will also restore me physically so I can work at making his name Famous in Raleigh and the World!

This blog will chronicle many areas of my life. I will blog my journey on my weight loss here, I will also explore my love of art, publish my poetry and essays, share what I learn while serving God in at-risk communities, talk about my famil and also share my belief in Jesus. I hope you will follow along and be a part of the conversation.

My name is Scott but the kids all call me Scottyb