A Real Bio > 650 characters

Hi everyone,
    I am a 49-year-old woman that is looking for personal satisfaction with my new life. Yes my new life as I have been fortunate enough to have been given a 2nd chance at life. Therefore I am desperately searching for my "AH Ha" moment; that will fulfill my reason for being here. You see as so many other folks in this world I have had some very hard knocks. I have picked myself up literally too many times to count. I don't need anyone's pity; however, support is always appreciated. I have to say that my faith has always brought me through and while supposedly the good LORD never gives you more than you can handle. But losing my oldest child Jared in 1996 just about took me out of this game called life.
    Grief is a horrible process to work through, and while I almost gave up; the fact of the matter is I didn't. Although I was still playing the game, I found myself finding comfort in eating. Food eased my guilt about losing Jared, and I had a lot of guilt. While working through the stages of devastation, I enrolled in Nursing school having given up my hopes to be a Doctor. Nursing school was very easy for me and while I was sailing through and helping others by offering private and group tutoring; everyone always brought food to snack on. Nearly every nursing student gains weight and I was sure one of them.
    After graduating with honors I accepted a "Critical Care Internship at a Level 1 Trauma center. While I loved the challenges the new direction my life was taking I found myself dealing with loss again on nearly a daily basis. Loss is a part of being a nurse but watching teenage boys’ die and being empathetic with their families just kept me reliving my own life’s tragedy, and that unfortunately proved to be to much for me and my performance was beginning to reflect that. I was losing my self confidence and really began not to trust myself so I gave my notice and went to work for the local VA Hospital; no teenage boys there.
    While at the VA I was able to start fresh and had a better outlook on my game-plan, but food was ever present with carry-ins and family appreciation baskets for staff. Before I knew it my weight escalated and my knees were hurting and I was always short of breath. After contracting a viral pneumonia from a patient I ended up on Oxygen and had to retire on disability. After researching weight loss surgery I went for a consult & found the perfect surgeon and in January 2008 I had Rouxen-Y gastric bypass.
    I have since lost 328# and had one knee replacement, and while I still struggle daily to feel better. I get up out of bed and take a deep breath free of oxygen and try to keep moving forward toward winning my game of life.

    So I hope you will all check out my writings and I will return the favor by checking out yours as well. Thank you for taking the time to read my Bio and may you all have a very Happy and prosperous New Year in your game of life and your writing!
Leean Palmer