1 Year Surgeriversary - Full Circle

Aug 20, 2011

Today I celebrate 1 year post-op from RNY Gastric Bypass Surgery.

I have lost 210 lbs through this journey.

Am I the same person?  Physically NO, I am better.  Mentally NO, I am better.  Personality YES, I am the same, maybe even better...lol

Is the honeymoon phase over? Probably.

Will the dream end tomorrow? I hope not.

Does this day feel good? YES

What did I learn over the past 365 days?  Where do I begin to answer that question, is there a therapist around anywhere, deep breath, exhale, ok, I have learned a lot about myself from a medical standpoint and from an emotional standpoint.  "A lot" is a loaded statement, I have learned who I am at the very core of my soul and why I allowed a life of obesity to dominate most of my teenage and adult years.  I learned that taking back emotional control of my own life benefited ME as well as so many people in my circle, and provides a great source of motivation.  I learned to deal with feelings through other methods/outlets instead of numbing them with food.  I learned that it is possible to be genuinely satisfied with eating healthy food options.  I learned a new way of living.  I learned new planning habits.  I learned to exercise consistently.  I learned how to cook with fresh ingredients and found that I enjoy cooking very much.  I re-learned the feeling of adrenaline and the stomach drop effect you get when riding a roller coaster.  I re-learned what self-empowerment truly feels like, and it feels good.  I learned so very much this past year, and I know in my heart and mind, that I gave this process 100% of my devotion and attention, to maximize the benefits of the 1st year after RNY.

Today was a very normal day for me.  I participated in a yard-sale, made some decent money, worked hard before-during-after, went shopping at a thrift store, picked up my kids, visited some family, had a celebration dinner out with those closest to me, and came home to share my success on this forum.  Today was a day in my busy busy life and it has been a great day.  I am so thankful to myself, to my surgeon, to my insurance company, to my employer, to my family for this whole entire opportunity.  I am literally half the physical person I used to be and I could not be more happy at this very moment. I ate today just like I eat everyday: 5 small meals with the focus on protein.  I worried a little that we have not exercised as rigorously as we should have this week.  I planned out a grocery shopping list for tomorrow, better gear up for a big trip this time.  I pushed thoughts of laundry and clutter as far away from my mind as possible, for now.  What I realized is, this is who I am now and how I live, this is my life, and it is a much more active and focused life today and I hope tomorrow is just as good.

I have accomplished the goals my surgeon and I set:  to change my habits, to follow the bartiatric lifestyle plan, to live as healthy as possible both physically and mentally, to just live and not numb/hide/create barriers/suffer.

As I transition out of the "honeymoon" rapid loss phase, and into the maintenance normal everyday living and eating and exercising phase, I pray that I can keep this momentum going.  I know that keeping the weight off is a lifelong battle, that is why I focused on maximizing this 1st year post-op time.  For me, crunch time is over, the excess fat has been shed, time for some new goals, and plans to achieve them.

I'll be seeing you all on this forum, I'll be looking for advice and giving it when I can offer something valuable, I end this day with absolutely no regrets as to how I behaved and the results I achieved from Aug 2010 to Aug 2011.  My 1st year out has been highly successful, and I want to drive great results in my 2nd year.

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