1 YEAR post op

[SarahS 13]

Today I am 1 year post op. I haven't been on the forums in a while, but will probably be around more. I have a few recent pictures, but need to get some more! I will share those once I get some more pictures with my hair down, and makeup on!

Today has kind of been an emotional day for me. Thinking back this time last year, I was all kinds of nervous. The pain after surgery was pretty bad, I won't lie, but I would do it all over again. This surgery really did save my life!!! I was on 3 blood pressure medications before surgery, today I am on NONE! My blood pressure was PERFECT the other day at the doctor. He said I am doing great. My labs are all perfect except my cholesterol. It was 202, which isn't horrible. I am not even sure what it was before surgery, so it has probably come down. I have a family history of high cholesterol, so it might just be something I have to deal with, no matter what my weight. But I will keep any eye on it, and have it rechecked once I lose more weight.

I am at 236 pounds today. I was hoping for it to be lower, but I can't complain. I have lost 133 pounds!!! I look back on my pictures and can't believe I was that big, and I did not look well. People comment now how great my skin looks and how healthy I look. I get embarassed by the nice comments, but it feels good at the same time, if that makes sense. It's still hard for me to see myself how I really look now. I catch my reflection in the mirror and have to stare sometimes because I don't believe its me. I am guessing I will be that way for a while.

Last year at this time, I could not even walk to my mailbox and back, without getting out of breath. I would shower, and not even be able to get dressed. I would have to lay in bed because I couldn't breath and I was exhuasted. Very, very sad for a woman in her early 30's. My mailbox is maybe 30 feet away. I would walk to get the mail, and back in the house, and have to bend over the kitchen counter to catch my breath. THATS SCARY!!! I have no problem now, and walk as much as 4 miles! I feel great. I wouldn't even grocery shop, because I couldn't make it around the store, even leaning on a cart. I eventually just drove thru drivethru's, which just added more weight. I love shopping now!

The only issue I am having now is my knees. Its weird because they never hurt before, even at 369 pounds. The doctor thinks its arthritis, but I am going to the ortho to make sure. It is probably all the years of being overweight, and playing sports when I was younger, catching up with me. I am sure they would be a lot more painful now if I had that 133 pounds on them.

I am also still losing hair, but I have kinda gotten over it. It will come back eventually!

I still want to lose more weight, maybe get down to 175ish. My original goal was 165, but that may be too thin. I just can't wait to be under 200. The weight loss has slowed way down, but thats okay. I have come to accept that. As long as I am not gaining, I am good!!! I eat pretty much anything now, but try every day to stick to a plan. Its hard! People tell me not to lose any more weight, but I probably do look thin or healthy to them compared to what I was.

I am in a size 18 misses, sometime even a 16!!!! I started at a size 30/32W!!!

I have days where I am still down, mostly about my skin, but its much better to see all the hanging skin, than to see all the fat that was there. I eventually want to have plastic surgery, once I am at goal and have the $$$$

If anyone out there is thinking about VSG, DO IT!!! I can't emphasize how much I LOVE my sleeve! My aunt is a nurse at the hospital where I had the surgery, and she tells all her VSG patients about me

And for those of you out there that think that you are a slow loser, WHO CARES!!! YOU ARE STILL LOSING! DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS! I was caught in that "comparing myself to others who had this surgery" and it gets you no where, except feeling like CRAP about yourself. Just focus on your own weight loss and exercise plan and your sleeve will do what its suppose to do.

Here is a slideshow I made, that shows my journey over this past year, in pictures. I hope you enjoy!!!

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d6a63774d6a67784f44553d0d0a&blogview=true

[GetInMyBelly 80]

Awesome. Good to see n read this after freaking myself out all day reading complication stories :0/ thanks:0)

[Raine 170]

Sarah, I can't tell you how happy I am for you!!! Ok, I can! I am sooooooo happy for you You and Jes were the first people I talked to on here and you guys were calling me a light weight hahha, well look who is the light weight now! Congratulations, you look wonderful.

[mnbsleeve 87]

Sarah! CONGRATULATIONS!!! You look beautiful!!!! Your post was very moving and I loved the photos. You have done amazing and it shows, not just the physical but also in your smile. Best of luck on the remainder of this journey. I know will accomplish everything you set out to. Thank you for your post!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,282]

And for those of you out there that think that you are a slow loser, WHO CARES!!! YOU ARE STILL LOSING! DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS! I was caught in that "comparing myself to others who had this surgery" and it gets you no where, except feeling like CRAP about yourself. Just focus on your own weight loss and exercise plan and your sleeve will do what its suppose to do.

Here is a slideshow I made, that shows my journey over this past year, in pictures. I hope you enjoy!!!

http://smilebox.com/...a&blogview=true

YAYYYYY SARAH!!!!!!!!! Isn't it crazy how fast one year comes up? You've done FANTASTIC and no one, and I mean NO ONE can take that away from you! You look beautiful and yes... HEALTHY!!!

I wanted to point out that statement above. I tell folks this same thing all the time. You CANNOT compare yourself to others... you simply can't. Everyone's journey is their own. Just do what you are supposed to and the weight will come off in the way it wants. We have no control over that. Some folks are just darn lucky and it comes off quick... great! And I really mean that, but it's not true for everyone - but this is true: EVERYONE OF US ARE WINNERS!! That is a fact.

I'm glad you're not doing that, since you said you were. You are unique and special - and you have done a GREAT JOB!

*HUGS*

[medmgr 4]

Congratulations Sarah! You are doing awesome!

[sleeve 4 me 910]

Happy one year!!!! You look awesome! You are an inspiration

[wishes 125]

Woohoo! Congrats! That is awesome.

[+change 5]

You look amazing! I wish you the best & know you have the confidence to do anything because you are in control. I have my surgery in a week on the 12th & am happy to have read & watched your story. Very inspirational.

Jan

[lisajxoxo 11]

What a great story! Thank you for posting this. It's so nice for us Newbies to read success stories like this!

[Candace2314 117]

Congrats Sarah!!! You look amazing!!!!

[SuperMom 33]

You look BEAUTIFUL and YEARS younger! Cute dog too! Congratulations on all your hard work. I feel like you do......when I get complements about the weightloss I feel weird too....Kind of like that joke about not sweating much for a fat ______. lolol.....

Congratulations again! Feels like a whole new world right? Me too!

[My Big Day 3/15/2011 4]

Great post! How encouraging to others beginning their journey. I loved the slide show...I wish I would have kept a good track of my progress like that. Thanks for sharing with us and you've done awesome with your weight loss. Loved your advice about not comparing your weight loss with others b/c you are so right about it being discouraging. Thanks again for sharing.

[M2G 1,836]

Sarah, congratulations on your 1 year surgiversary! You have done an amazing job (although I do share the feeling of wanting my loss to be more...I joke with people, 'who doesn't want to wake up and be at GOAL') but I think you have done a tremendous job and that is worth celebrating.

Congratulations, you look beautiful, healthy and strong...I'm SO happy for you!:bounce:

[lyn 5]

thank you for sharing, your photos they are great, so insipirational. What a great transformation in only 1 years time fabulous results. Keep up the great work and the great photos. thanks again for sharing.

lyn