Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. I received Richard Simmons: Sit Tight in the mail earlier today, and started my first workout. I guess I jumped the gun a little with this introduction. My name's Erin, but I also go by Myra. I'll be 30 years old on March 1, 2015, and I currently weigh 356.4 lbs. I'm 5'6", and just a week ago, I weighed 360 lbs. I was told by my doctor that if I didn't lose weight, within 5 years, I'd have major medical issues, even more so than I have now (I have Fibromyalgia, High Blood Pressure, Bi-Polar Disorder, Anxiety Issues, among other issues). I knew I needed to lose weight for a long time now, but this was the first time I ever got truly excited about losing weight. Knowing that it will be a life changing thing, I don't know why I didn't see it sooner. I guess I was just so depressed, and in just a fog that I never really thought about it. I was so excited when the DVD arrived in the mail today. I was so proud when I finished my workout. I had never felt so alive and so good. I wasn't always this big though. In 2006/2007 I had back surgery that changed my life. I got MRSA staph from the operation, and the surgeon didn't treat me properly. At the time I weighed around 225-250 lbs (which is my goal weight), and the staph went untreated from December of '06 until March of '07 when my mother and I went over the surgeon's head (because he refused to release me to anyone else or treat me properly, ie. antibiotics), so I was put on IV antibiotics via a PIC Line in my arm. A month later, to the day, I was rushed to the hospital what would later be known as Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (massive allergic reaction to sulfa antibiotics. Look it up if you want to learn more about it.) I had a heart rate of 238 (they don't know why my heart didn't stop), pant like breathing, BP of 70/30, and I wasn't expected to survive the night. Later on, I spiked a fever of 109, and was in the hospital a total of 22 days, 17 of which I was in CCU (Cardiac Care Unit), and 15 of which I was in a medically induced coma. I gained weight not only from the allergic reaction, but from the massive amounts of steroids it took to stop the reaction. I ballooned up from 225-250 lbs to nearly 400 lbs. From then on out, I've had trouble keeping weight off. I either get another reaction to antibiotics, and have to be put back on steroids, or I just can't seem to lose the fluid weight that I'm still retaining from the SJS. I have to have monthly steroid injections to be able to move due to the Fibromyalgia, so no, I'm not lazy, nor do I pig out and eat constantly. I just simply have so much medication that causes me to gain and retain fluid/weight, but this time it's different. I've been steroid free *knocks on wood* for over a year now (minus the injections, which I've only had a 1 in about 6 months). I've stopped drinking sodas, and switched to water and tea. I've completely changed my diet (which it's been changed of about 2 years now), but this time it's actually making a difference, and I finally have my fabulous workout DVD. I've never been so excited about something in my entire life, and I'd love for you to come on this journey with me. I need all the encouragement I can get, and hopefully, I can encourage others to make a change in their life as well. :)
~Myra~
