Dina McBride

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Here's a little something I posted this morning in response to someone's questions about what it's like to be a DS post-op a little bit later on in the journey...

You mentioned that “4-year old DS’ers do not usually post unless they have problems” so I had to write.

I’m 4.5 years post-op as of TODAY!  (Woo Hoo!)  I had my surgery with Dr. Aniceto Baltasar in Alcoy, and I continue to look on that day as the day my life was saved.  I’m guilty of not being online a whole heck of a lot of late…  There have been a lot of things going on in my world…  family issues…  my grandmother’s illness and death…  my Mom’s illness – she’s on Hospice now…  life with school aged children…  just to name a few…  Life is BUSY.

BUT – I have a life.  Just 4.5 years ago I was dying.  People assume I say that in a melodramatic way, but I don’t.  My doctors sat me down, looked me in the eye, and said, “You have six months or less left to live.”  My weight – and the resultant comorbidities - was killing me.  If I hadn’t had my DS I wouldn’t be sitting here writing to you.  I know that without a doubt.  So I have a lot of gratitude.  I have a lot of reason to have gratitude!  Someone anonymously donated the money for my surgery!  I have the world’s coolest husband, and children that I adore.  I have many friends, and a loving family.  And a deep and abiding faith.  So many blessings for one person.

So – am I grateful – and willing to overlook compromises to my quality of life that are DS-caused – as a result?  I think that’s something that people ask me – well, try not to come straight out and ask – LOL – but in a roundabout kind of way do ask….  In other words, is my world good, but given the fact that I was dying, am I willing to put up with what hassles might be in my world because I’m a DS post-op?

So, since I kinda think you might be leaning toward that kind of direction, I thought I might answer just that question – forgive me if I’m reading that wrong.

The rock bottom, bare, no-holds facts about my life as a DS post-op:

There is nothing to complain about.

I don’t have gas issues with carbs or sugars.

I don’t have “bathroom issues” – I don’t get constipation like I used to as a pre-op, but I also don’t have – and haven’t had – diarrhea.  (Okay, there was that one stomach flu I got in 2003, but everyone else who got it, had it, too.)

In fact, I almost never get sick any more…  I don’t get colds and except that one time in 2003, I haven’t had the flu.  I also don’t have allergy and hay fever problems like I used to have…  weird, huh?

I don’t have any horrible vitamin or nutritional deficiencies that I haven’t brought on all by myself by being stupid about consistency with taking my vitamins – and whatever problems that I managed to cause have all been corrected with adequate and correct supplementation.

I enjoy a quality of life with food that I never dreamed possible – and I’m a foodie – I have a culinary degree, and I LOVE to cook and bake.

I’ve lost my weight and had a modest bounce from my low… which I need to get on my signature block, but life is just too busy at the moment!  But I’m okay with it – to be brutally honest, I’ve exercised maybe 10 or 12 times in the past 4.5 years, and denied myself pretty much nothing – a few pound bounce is nothing to get bummed about!

Things I SHOULD do as a post-op and don’t:

Yeah, the “E” word – I really ought to.  If nothing else for the fact that I’m a woman with a family history of osteoporosis – totally stupid of me to not be exercising.  I did get the pedometer I wanted for Christmas, and I’m working my way up to the 10,000 steps a day thing – my friend is doing that and it’s been a happy thing for her, so I figured I could try that.  But the brutal truth is that exercise is just one of those things that is downright difficult for me – I have widespread degenerative joint disease in all of my spine and both of my hips, and I have bilateral Grade 4 degeneration of my knees – they need replaced, but we’re holding out as long as possible.  Heck – I was in a wheelchair for a couple of years before my DS – and the fact that I can even walk 10,000 steps in a day is nothing short of a miracle!

I should not drink so much Coke.  I love it.  No diet stuff for me.  And yes, I know – it’s horrible stuff – but I’m honestly addicted.  I blame my Mother – did you know that Coca Cola is the great Southern cure for colic?  Well, I was a colicky baby – and started getting Coke in my baby bottle as an infant!  AND, yes, I know – main motivation for knowing I need to stop this evil stuff – it’s horrible on calcium absorption – and me, the woman with mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother all with osteoporosis!

I should do a better job at stopping my crazy day long enough to remember to eat.  It’s hard when your life gets busy – but I’ll admit it – for the first time in my life I can totally forget to eat because I don’t have this driving sense of hunger anymore – and that’s not good.  Anorexia and the DS do NOT coexist peacefully.  So I need to do a better job of eating regular meals.

Other than that…  well, I know some people don’t want to hear this, but my life is pretty idyllic as a DS post-op.  I can’t imagine what it would be like without this incredible gift of the DS.

That’s my take on it, and I hope that your journey proves to be wonderful, as well.

Blessings,

dina