Allan Cameron

You can all see my name since I didn't use a screen name to log in. I'm a retired Air Force TSgt, though I only did 18 years, there was an early retirement RIF in the 90's after DESERT STORM both my wife and I took advantage of. Since I retired in 94 my weight went from around 250 to over 450. Even then I should have only weighed in at around 180-190...

I was afraid of anything surgical due to a bad reaction to anesthesia during a procedure shortly after I retired, so a sleeve wasn't even a thought until last year when it was found that I had Kidney Cancer and had to have immediate surgery to remove the Cancer. That went so much better than the messed up surgery from 94 that I began to consider weight loss surgery.

My biggest hobby for 40 or so of my 56 years here has been sailing. And with the Cancer and my weight, my boat sat in it's slip for over a year. I can't help myself here, I have to say it, a boat is a hole in the water into which one pours money, for me that hole hasn't moved or given me any enjoyment for some time now, though I still am pouring in the money. Even when I was recovered from the Cancer surgery I was too big to enjoy my boat, so I finally listened to all of my docs and went to a Bariatric Seminar in Dec 2012.

Military dependents and retirees don't have to go thru the insurance hassles our civilian friends do (just a side note, active duty military members are not allowed to have this type of surgery), we retirees or dependents just have to fill in all the right squares in a process (here at Madigan the Bariatric Educational Pathway) someone dreamed up. In May of this year I managed to fill in enough of the square holes with my round pegs and received a surgical date of 7 June.

As I write this profile I'm off work on sick leave for a couple of weeks in June, my intention is to take the whole month of if I can stand to sit here for that long (PS I didn't, I went back to work after two weeks). I still work for the Air Force as a civilian now, just can't seem to fit into life outside the gate. Which is kinda funny as you can see from the picture I'm definitely a throwback to the 70's what with the hair down to the middle of my back and oh so gray beard. The goal is to get back near the weight I was at when I retired, anything in the 200's would be success. The ultimate goal would be to break thru the 200's and end up in the 180-190 world, something I haven't seen in over 30 or more years.

I have given myself four years to complete this journey, in the spring of 2017 I plan to move back to Hawaii and take my boat there with me (I actually bought my boat in Hawaii while working there from 03-09). And no I'm not going to get there on the boat, sailing the open ocean for two weeks is not what I consider enjoyable, even though spending the whole day or even a couple of days on the ocean is exactly what I call fun. One does have limits, and we must understand those limits...

I've already found some really nice people on this site, and look forward to sharing with them, and meeting lots of new friends and working towards our goals together...

Go Team Sleeve!

Al