dreamer07079

I was 18 years old when the talk of weight loss surgery came up. I went with the lap band because it was the least invasive and, if need be, potentially reversable. My surgery was set for back in 2007 and I initially dropped 25 pounds immediately post-op over the course of just a few months. I was excited about the weight loss, but I soon forgot about portion control when it comes to soft foods. I gained 15 pounds back and hovered at 215 until 2011 when I was inspired to use the band the way it was intended. My brother-in-law participated in an event called the GoRuck Challenge. I watched him depart and I watched him return. When he came back, I had tears in my eyes. I was so jealous that after surgery and feeling like I was "doing everything right", I was still not accomplishing my goals. I knew I needed to change. I wanted to participate in an athletic activity like that, to feel like I accomplished a major goal. I decided right then and there that this was a fresh start, a new start to living with the band. I worked hard, got myself in the right mindset, cut out most junk food (except on special occasions), and managed to kill 50 pounds over the course of the next 9 months. I've been hovering at 165 for about 11 months now and was proud of the weight loss. I purged myself of all the clothes that were too big for me and bought myself a whole new wardrobe. I even ran my first ever 5K in December of 2012!

That's where the problems began. Out of nowhere, I had bad acid reflux, PBing, and a bit of heartburn. I thought I was just getting older (it happened just before my birthday) and I decided that I could put up with it. I would just take it easy. At the pressuring of my father, I went in to see Dr. Nusbaum again, just to be safe and was informed that my pouch had dilated. I was disappointed because after 7 years with no complications, I was finally doing things right and somehow managed to screw it up anyway. I was given a complete unfill with just a few ccs put back in a week later. I've been on liquids since then (about a week ago, July 20, 2013) and am so far feeling much better. No more acid reflux, no more heartburn. I'm hopeful that my pouch will go back to normal without additional surgery, but I am taking this as a fresh start. It's as if my body is saying it's time to start losing again.

Despite the setback I've run into, I'm VERY pleased with how things have turned out. Yes there have been inconveniences (I've decided that from this point on, I will never have another carbonated beverage again), but overall, I'm much happier than I've been. I've just started working up the courage to buy short skirts and I currently own the first pairs of shorts that I've had in about a decade. I also bought my first ever not-black bathing suit last summer (in fact, it's nowhere near black. It's neon pink, and I look HOT in it!). Adjusting to a new body had been difficult. I definitely still see that fat chick in the mirror, but I'm getting better. My favorite parts of my new body? My jawline (who knew there was a nice jawline underneath all those chins?), and my hands and feet (I didn't realize people kept fat in their hands and feet until both my ring size and my shoe size went down as I lost weight).