As many people know, there has been an old, yet knew man walking the halls of Elder. That man is no other than Joe Bonita. As many people know, a few months ago Joe underwent surgery and his new presence at Elder has changed dramatically.

The first noticeable change in Joe, is his change in style. I have the honor of having Joe in my first period Christian Lifestyles class. I look forward to seeing him every day, and his new outfits. I asked Joe what was the deal with the new and preppy outfits?

He said, “This surgery has changed me a lot. I like looking presentable. (I am a) Big tie guy.” Personally, I really do enjoy seeing Joe’s outfits every day. A lot of good matches. He also said, “I would describe the new Joe as more upbeat, more mnergetic.” I have also noticed this. Joe is a now an upbeat kind of guy.

On a more serious note, I asked Joe why he decided to change his look. His response was truly inspirational.

He said, “I didn’t choose to change my look. I was forced to. I was at a point in my life that if I didn’t change something my body would shut down and eventually I would die. So I changed.

On August 18th 2017, I underwent surgery to remove part of my stomach. The surgery took about three hours. I felt very safe and relaxed during surgery. In fact, my anesthesiologist and one of my surgeons went to Elder. So I knew that I was in good hands. The worst part of my surgery was probably the first 2-3 weeks after surgery. This was the worst time because I couldn’t eat anything.

“For the first three weeks all I had was water and powdered zero. Then when I was done with that I moved to soft-protein foods. I ate soft protein foods for about three more weeks. Then I could add in fruits and vegetables. I am still not allowed to have carbs. This surgery has not only given me the opportunity to become healthier but it has given me a whole new view of life,” said Bonavita.

When I heard this, I realized how serious his surgery was and that he really did get a second chance. It has inspired me, and I know a lot of other people, to do better. And to go through every day with a smile.

All in all, Joe has had a second chance in life, and he is living it to the fullest. Joe and I, are friends and I was not exactly sure of every little detail. However, now I realize how dangerous it actually was, and why he made the decision to get the surgery and create the “new” Joe.

I’m glad he did.