Even as a young boy, I struggled with my weight. Beset by stress and deep emotional and psychological wounds, my drug of choice was food. I ate when I was happy. I ate when I was sad. It was the only thing that seemed to satisfy me. All of this eating begat physical consequences, of course, and I began to think I would never or could never get down to a healthy weight. Sound familiar? You’ve heard about how Stella got her groove back? Well, so did I. I lost the weight and gained my life back in return. This is no sob story, but I will tell you that it I fought tooth and nail to get where I am today. In 2002, I was so large I weighed around 300 pounds and was diagnosed with Type II diabetes, with a blood count of 575 inching towards 800 and the very real possibility of falling into a coma. I loathed myself. In 2008, I returned to local musical theatre following a seven-year hiatus. Over the next two years, I was in eight shows, and really started noticing physical changes. I would get on stage, acting and singing in the spotlight, after which I would be ringing with sweat. It really got me thinking. I decided to add an actual nutrition diet and visits to the gym into the mix. You can see from the pictures how drastically my body changed. I now weigh 170, and I’m loving it. What I once thought was impossible, I have achieved. I’ve done some great things in my life, but this is something I never thought could happen; and look, I did it! I DID IT WITHOUT SURGERY!!!! And I’ve kept it off. Losing the weight has given me a new lease on life. Still, I have some excess skin that I don’t really care for in places. It's not bad, but it’s there. And it’s creates a barrier in my mind that keeps me thinking I’m still overweight. Oftentimes I’m embarrassed changing at the gym when people say they can tell I have lost a bunch of weight because of the excess skin. I want to be able to take my shirt off at the pool or the beach without crossing my arms in embarrassment. Like I said, my skin is not so bad that I could tell my story on Oprah, but it’s a big deal to me, and it affects my psyche in many ways. Here’s where I need your help. On Wednesday April 20, I decided to take the next step and see a plastic surgeon. The surgeon gave me a quote – good for six months - that I will attach in a Facebook note. I have over 1000 friends on Facebook and many more who don’t have a Facebook (Imagine that!). If everyone helped me with this cause, $11 dollars is all it would take from each person! So, I’m asking for your help if you are able and want to help my cause. The instructions are simple: just click on the GIVE button and follow the instructions. If you have any questions, please ask me. Thank you – not just for your support here but for all of your support on this long journey to becoming the best me I can be. You are loved.