At this time I have decided to become more ambitious. This lead to enrollment to Cal State Hayward University (now known as Cal State East Bay) to pursue my bachelor's degree. I had completed most of my general ed in community college and this seemed the right time to go for it. So, one or two classes at a time, quarter after quarter, I pressed on taking computer programming courses and branches of mathematics that I never knew existed. My mind was bending and twisting like never before as the mental challenges increased.
Now if I had been working and training my body as hard and relentlessly as I was doing the same to my brain, there would no longer have been a weight problem to deal with. In fact, I would probably have been quite well put together! Guess I wasn't quite as smart as I thought.
Notwithstanding, time passed and, as graduation began to loom on the horizon, I found myself getting tired of the effort it took to live in the Benicia/Vallejo area, attend school in Hayward, and work in Sunnyvale. It seemed like half my life was being spent in transit. My ever increasing weight did nothing but contribute to how downright cranky I was getting about all of it. But finally, in September 2003, at age 42, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics. It was a huge relief to finally accomplish something that should have been done decades earlier.
And how did I celebrate? Why, naturally, I threw a big pizza party for family and friends! Just another excuse to stuff my face while no doubt the people who were close to me held back their concern and alarm in the guise of celebration of an accomplishment. It was also at this little shindig that a photo was taken of me that REALLY defined the horrible state of health I was in. I consider that picture the ultimate horror of my life. Honestly, when I look at it, I think of Jabba the Hut from Star Wars...pit-i-FUL!
The crux of all of this is that I kept my life jam packed with what I thought were life affirming activities. Work, education, material possession, financial well being. I had my chess competitions for "recreation" and met my best friend to this day from that world. My neighbor was a lovely woman who became a constant companion and kept company with me for years despite my appearance and negative demeanor. So there was some semblance of a social life.
It's very sobering to think about now; I was busy trying to take care of every part of my life EXCEPT the part that was, by far, the highest priority. I was literally ignoring the 600 lb. "gorilla" in the room! Hard to fathom how self-destructive I was...wow!
Next time I'll share about pulling up stakes, moving to Modesto, and further adventures...
In lieu of my usual workout/weight-loss installment, I'd like to share with you the excitement of a surgical procedure I am about to go through. When a person goes through the kind of weight loss such as mine, there is always excessive skin leftover which can cause some complications not to mention be quite unsightly. This is not to deter someone from losing weight. Believe me, I'd MUCH rather have this to deal with than have that skin be filled up with fat like it used to be. I just want the reader to be aware of the facts.
Recently, I have become medically qualified to be covered for having a very large overhang of abdominal skin (called a panis) removed. This is happening 5 days from this writing and I am overjoyed at being rid of this colossal nuisance and being that much closer to fully completing my transformation.
God has chosen to reward me for my patience, hard work, and perseverance with the help of true friends who trained me, true friends who encouraged me, and true friends who have validated my life with the words of admiration and heartwarming sentiment.
It has been 3 1/2 years since the first day of this journey and I just want to thank you all as I step that much closer to becoming the "complete man" I've always dreamed of being.
