Happy 5th Surgiversary to Me!

Apr 25, 2010

Wow! Five years!? For real? I almost can't believe it's been this long. So much has happened over the last 5 years, and I've changed so much, both in a physical sense and mentally. Surgically, I've changed quite a bit. I had a gastric bypass in 05 and lost 105 lbs. I had a breast aug in 05 and went from an A-B to a  full D. I had a tummy tuck in 09 that took off almost 8 lbs of excess skin. A tummy tuck, which my insurance miraculously paid for! I got married in 05, and had a baby in 08, gained 30 lbs during pregnancy and lost it all within a year following delivery. 5 years after the gastric bypass, today I weigh in at around 173 lbs, which is 10 lbs above my goal... which is statistically right where I should be at 5 years out. I go up and down about 5 lbs... but if I ever find myself getting to the scary line (180), I do my best to eat right, stay active and bring that number back down to an acceptable level for me. I can eat pretty much anything I want, in moderation. There are a few trigger foods that I know I should not eat (i.e. ice cream, cereal, etc.), and if I do eat those foods I regret it quickly after. But for the most part, I can eat pretty much whatever I want, sugar included. I can eat pasta, rice, bread, meat, fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Depending on how the meats are cooked, there are times I can't tolerate it. If chicken is too dry, I can't digest it and I have to force myself to "eject" it if it winds up getting stuck in there. If steak is too tough, I have the same problem. But for the most part, if the meat is cooked properly and I chew it enough, I do fine. I'm one of the select few that could eat sugar right from the beginning, so I learned early on that I had to develop responsibility for myself. I couldn't rely on the gastric bypass alone to do all the work for me... because there would be and are times that I'm tempted and I allow myself to give in. Something the gastric bypass did give me instead of "dumping" was hypoglycemia. My sugar will spike and then drop to extremely low levels with trigger foods. So I've had to learn to avoid trigger foods and manage low blood sugar if and when I get it... but most of the times, I don't have any trouble at all. But because I'm responsible for myself, I know I have to moderate what I eat... and I try to do the best I can. Most importantly, I'm happy with the way I am and that's something I could never convince myself about further than 5 years ago.

To those of you reading who are at the starting line or even just thinking about it... the most important thing I can say is believe in yourself! You can do this, and once you've taken that first step, don't look back! There is happiness out there, and the only one that can bring it to you is you, and the only one that can take it away from you, is you. You are ultimately the one that has to be responsible for yourself. So stay focused, stay motivated and do what you think is right for you! Don't let anyone else push you into anything. To those of you who have just had the surgery, you will make it! Take baby steps. Learn from your mistakes. Don't get discouraged, and just remember- food is only food.  There are other ways to make yourself happy and there are other sources of comfort. You've done the best thing you could do for yourself, and now that you've made this decision- you are on the path to healthiness, and that is the best path to be on.

Now for a few pics!

Before (273 lbs)


1 Year After (160 lbs)


5 Years after (173 lbs)

0 Comments