Sunday, June 6, 2010

Long overdue! Part 2 Obesity Help Costa Mesa Event

I promised over 3 posts ago to do a part 2 for the Obesity Help Costa Mesa Event so here it is.

What do you get when you venture out of your bariatric comfort zone? You get to meet new and fascinating people from all different genres of the bariatric world. Here I am with Gastric Bypass Barbie and what a lovely soul and shining bright light she is. Where did I first "find" her? On You Tube. There are times when you meet someone and you feel like you've known them for years and that's exactly what happened with her. I know Cari has gotten some flack over the "Barbie" part of her name but if you allow this to keep you away from this bariatric ball of energy, you will be losing out. I am looking forward to seeing her very soon and hopefully more pictures will follow. I have her blog linked here so please check it out...and her You Tube channel of course.

I have written a long post (not published yet) about a tragic event in my life that I will share later. It involved a suicide because a beautiful woman was denied surgery. Long tragic tale that will make more sense when I write about it. Because of a very caring doctor some things fell into place that allowed another very deserving woman to get surgery. She had tried for years and because of the efforts of many it happened for her. I will save that post for another time but the reason I am mentioning it is because of an organization that is looking to do what one of my organizations did but on a much larger scale.


Please meet Toni from WLSFA.

(she's in the middle)
Again...because I ventured outside of my "usual" bariatric stomping grounds I met Toni and she met me. After an appropriate amount of begging, I talked her into coming to the Obesity Help Costa Mesa Event. She's been a very busy woman on You Tube with all the wonderful "bariatric tubers" so she didn't know much about the Obesity Help world...hence the need for begging.

What a power house of a woman that has started with a vision and is making it happen! She is all business but lots of fun and if you saw her "Onederland Dance" on You Tube, you would have been most appropriately entertained.

Please visit the site and join:


WHY?

Because Toni has taken this dream to help others and turned it into a reality. Please click on the logo and read about "The Vision" and "The Inspiration".

I have a little group called RYD Obesity and we put together two events and were able to make some surgery happen for some very deserving women. Imagine what could be done with a national group!

There is no greater way to put yourself on the road to weight loss surgery success than to give back or pay it forward. You can give what you can give...whether it's a few dollars or volunteering your skills or whatever you can do. Maybe you know someone who is deserving of help. Make sure to read about the first grant recipients and I think you'll fall in love.
Got to put one more picture of the wonderful ladies that let me sit with them when there were no places to be had. They were great company and it makes me think back to when I would have never had been brave enough to just sit down with complete strangers. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.
I believe some great things happened that weekend that will turn into greater things and it all started with several people breaking out of their comfort zones. Sure it gets all cozy where you are, "where everyone knows your name", but take a moment and check out some other avenues every once in a while. Even if you don't upload videos you can create an account so you can comment or at the very least... view a few.
Hope to see you on the WLSFA site!
Bariatric smooches, Yvonne

3 comments:

Gastric Bypass Barbie said...

Well, aren't you a living doll??? When I set out to attend the OH Conference (my first ever, thank you very much), I had NO IDEA who I'd meet, or what a significant impact the people would have on my life. Little did I know that you would be one of them! I am truly blessed and want you to know that, since meeting you, my life is forever changed! I have learned so much in such a short space of time, it is almost impossible to fathom! I cannot WAIT to get together again and REALLY do some "damage" -- God love ya for the kind words; you truly are my Bariatric Big Sister:-* Muah!

Unknown said...

Yvonne, I am so sorry to read about your friend. This hurts my heart and to know that you are hurting makes me sad.

Today I was thinking about you, and sent you light and love. Losing a friendship is hard, but especially this way.

Looking forward to seeing you so you can wrap me up in your angel arms, and I can wrap you up in mine..

I love you my dear friend

Teresa Dunn White

Anonymous said...

Yvonne, I am so sorry for the loss of your friend, and it is so sad to think of someone committing suicide because she couldn't get the surgery.
If you come to the OH event in OH, you will always be welcome to sit with me.
Jody