Part 1: Hope

What would you do for hope? The hope to have a baby of your own, the hope to be normal, the hope to have a life that you gave away with your addiction to food? What would your hope cost you, how much would you pay, is money an object, is there a price worth the life and hope you want?  As I write this I have tears in my eyes I saw the greatest act of hope I have seen in a long time this week, a mother put her 700 pound, 22 year old daughter in an old suburban and drove her from Mississippi to Texas in hopes to meet me and in hope to have Dr. Nowzaradan help her daughter, save her daughter. An act of hope on the mom’s side to save the life she loves and values dearly, an act of hope on the daughter’s side to save a life so many have given up on.

As I talked to the young girl about her life, or lack thereof depends on you look at it. I saw myself many times in her words, her stories, her actions, her pain; it was hard to fight back the tears and do the job I needed to do. At 22 I was nowhere near 700 pounds and just a few short months ago that was her weight 708 pounds. I ask her was she afraid of going to sleep and never waking up she said no it would be easier for everyone and in that moment I saw it the fear of the truth and the fear that it may not happen the fear that she was stuck in the land of now where. What was there for her now she had given all she could give without even knowing that she wanted to live, without even knowing that she was a life worth fighting for. She thought she made this trip for her Mom, Dad, Husband, and Grandma but in that moment in that question she made that trip because the truth is she does not want to die far from it she wants to live. She wants life some much more than she even knew herself. She was willing to put her body that fought against her daily, which causes her so much pain, into a truck and drive in hope that someone anyone would help her save her life! This young lady, like many I have meet are worth the fight for life, worth what I do every day, worth the love of my job, worth the fight we all must fight everyday whether it is 5 pounds or 500 pounds you must lose, you have to know there is an end to this disease.

Hope, my hope did not fade as she left the office that day, I was sad that we have to wait to help her. My hope is that she will keep her word email/call me if she needs me, my hope is that she will return in September like she said she will, my hope is I can change MANY more life’s like this young girl. I have a LOT of FAITH I don’t often put it out there because I feel that what is between me and God is between me and God but this is one time I am putting it out there, I want to change her life, I want to do what it is going to take to get her where she needs to be. Am I crazy YES without a doubt I know this and so does most people who know me, but this crazy lady wants to change the world one person at a time, in hopes that that one person will change one person and then that person will choose to change one person, and so forth and so on and the next thing you know half the world is working on helping the other half change. THAT MY FRIENDS IS HOPE WITH LOTS OF STRONG FAITH  . When I was a kid they called me a dreamer, a kid who danced to the beat of her own drum, you are darn straight, I am proud of that fact now and I am proud to be the one who believes I can do it!

Much Love and until next time,

Mel