Four Months Into My New Lifestyle

[Monica35 5]

Hi! I'm super excited to use this app, and kind of wish I'd downloaded it sooner . I am currently four and a half months post rny gastric bypass surgery. I always feel awkward writing about myself so apologize in advance if this is a rambling introduction that is difficult to follow. Since I'm not sure where to start, I think I will begin before surgery (kind of makes sense for a timeline)

Before I had surgery, I heard so many mixed views about the results of weight loss surgery, some really amazing and some absolutely horrible, so I was very unsure what kind of results I would see. I live in a smaller town, which of course means gossip travels fast, and since everyone knows everyone in some manner advice (whether asked for or not) is freely given. Nobody was mean or rude about my decision to have weight loss surgery, but there seemed more negative stories told than positive (or maybe they stuck out more in my memory).

I thankfully have what i think is a very great Weight Loss Program. I started that program (after talking myself out of it a dozen times) in August of last year with no set decision on surgery. I signed up for a medical option, and switched to a surgical program after approx 7 months. My highest weight (the day I went to my first of many appointments) was 312 pounds. Having spent the majority of my life overweight, I still was surprised how awful i felt about myself as i looked at that first comprehensive analysis of my body (I remember focusing on the segment that broke down each limb/body part because the numbers were smaller). scales had disappeared from my house long before that day, so I wasn't prepared for the results.

I'm sure the bazillion appointments with the dr, nutritionist, fitness specialist, psychologist, surgeon, support groups, etc are about the same so I'm going to skip over them other than to say I made some very slow but steady progress presurgery, and was very pleasantly surprised at the level of support and encouragement that I received.

Fast Forward to May, after what seemed like both years and just days at the same time, and I was weighed (280.4) and prepped for surgery! I felt a strange combination of excitement, fear, doubt, and expectation while I waited. After I woke up of course all I felt was Pain and worry (was I going through all of this pain for nothing? ) The words "no guarantee" echoed through my head the first night constantly, along with regret (as painful as it was MUST mean it was a bad decision). It seemed like the ****** mean nurses were trying to torture me by insisting I walk around the hallways and poking/prodding checking my aching body!! (couldnt they see i hurt so bad just laying there trying not to breathe too deep and remain perfectly still??). My last clear thought, before I finally fell into an exhausted sleep, was that i was going to tell the next person who walked in my room EXACTLY where to go! Despite my less than positive attitude that first night, I did everything (without noticing since i was grouchy and focused only on the "new pain") i was supposed to do very well. It's hard to notice that you are walking, talking, breathing, swallowing etc well when you are busy wallowing in self pity . Thankfully, morning came with a new and improved attitude, and the decision to NOT allow the surgery to be worthless, I remembered (now that i wasnt focused on pushing the pain med pump every two seconds) that the amount of effort I put into recovering would have a huge impact on outcome. With that determination helping (sometimes being the only thing making me walk an extra lap around the unit or drink something i felt no thirst for) I was home and healing in a couple of days.

Now, it is Almost October, about four and a half months since I left the hospital, and so far, things are going pretty good for me. I weighed in at 204 last week during my check up, and I feel a bit more energetic than I have in at least a decade. Dumping Syndrome quickly became my good friend and helped me really learn that eating certain things is bad for you. (It definitely was a better teacher than the words don't eat it...It forced me to actually accept the lesson).

I am glad that I chose this new lifestyle, and on a side note, I still do not have a scale in my house, but for different reasons. This Journey, with all of the ups and downs, and twists in the road, could change from an improvement in health and fitness, to a number game, and for me, it has never been about reaching a number goal on the scale, but about improving my life. So here I am, kind of dewey eyed like a newborn looking at my changing life without knowing what the future holds, but amazed at where I am now.

[genn 460]

Congrats and keep up the nice work you shld be proud of yourself!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Karen Kenney 61]

new life, so exciting! You are doing great

[Monica35 5]

thanks [emoji4]

[shedo82773 1,236]

You will be successful in your journey because you are learning as you go!! You are applying your knowledge and following your Dr and Nutritionist guidelines. I think we all think at one point after our WLS "What the HECK did I do to myself" no matter how excited we are it is definitely a learn as we go Journey and each of us have a different path to go on. CONGRATULATIONS!!! And KEEP ON KEEPING ON!!

[sandyoutrage 23]

You are doing Awesome! !! Keep up the good work!