Birthday Blog

Sep 16, 2010

Well today's my birthday and OMG I am 59 years old! How can this be? Funny, a year ago I felt every year of my age and then some. Tired, sore, creaky and cranky. Now, a year later and 100 lbs lighter (can't remember what I weighed one year ago as I had done some preop weight loss but was two months away from surgery) life is so great. Can't believe how much better I feel. No more daily use of advil for backache that showed up every day at about 4 o'clock. Ironically, I sort of have a back ache right now but only because I ran around and  did a lot of gardening and lifted a bunch of heavy trash cans because I thought I was super woman. Well, got a birthday card from the chiropractor so I guess I will be calling her up. But nice to have this minor issue as a result of renewed energy and activity than a stroke from high bp and sitting on my formerly large a$$ for so long.

So this birthday finds me a very happy vsg camper. Weighed and my birthday gift from my body is being one pound below goal at 139. Don't think I weighed this since college and even then weighed more much of it. Know I once reached 140 at about age 30 after months of major dieting but I think that lasted about 5 minutes. Had a really cute fitted size 10 suit that I wore then before I outgrew it. Wonder what happened to that? I did find one really nice wool business suit in the back of the closet the other day. Dont know why I kept that one. Size 18 so I am sure its too big. Think I kept it for the color - cobalt blue.

So I celebrate the day with no bp meds, no antidepressants (do take an anti-anxiety drug which beats the hell out of eating m and m's for anxiety) , no ppi meds, no nuthin' except vitamins, calcium and fish oil. Finally got a cholesterol test and while its 30 points lower, the LDL is still a little high. Oh well, way better than the nearly 300 it was some years ago.

Can't say enough good stuff about Dr. Cirangle and Dr. Jossart and Lapsf. Dr. C can be annoying with his tardiness and occasional "attitude" but he gets an A+ for results with this former fat girl. They say your surgeon operates on your body but not on your brain but he actually sort of did fix my brain. I may have reported this before, but in our consult I was bemoaning the fact that while I am an educated and accomplished person (ok, a bit of brag) and can usually do anything I put my mind to, the one thing I could never have was weight control. He looked me right in the eye and said "You can". It really convinced me that this could work and gave me the confidence to put aside self doubt and just do it. Now that I am at my goal (maybe - dr. C could well change it) I still feel like that "yes I can" person. I suspect that the maintenance journey is going to be just as interesting and difficult as the weight loss phase and while it was a  little discouraging to come to this realization, I remember the "You can"  remark and know that its up to me, I have the tools and skills now and I plan to spend the rest of my hopefully extended life span as a person of normal weight. Don't know what other health issues are in store for me as my friends of similar age and I are only now beginning to discover some of the joys of aging, but I am doing better than many of my friends now that that 100 lbs of blubber has left the building.

So here I sit, blogging in my nightgown and drinking my beloved coffee with half and half, looking out on my deck and backyard with beautiful blooming roses, lictus, hydrangea, chinese chives, petunias, pansies, scotch moss, creeping thyme, rosemary, ornamental grasses, fuschia, heathers, blueberry bushes and other stuff I don't know what it is.  Had given up caring for the garden a few years ago due to back pain and overall tubbieness. It still needs a lot of work but have done much this summer and will get it where i want it in the next couple of years, because, after all, "I can".

If anyone reading this is on the fence about vsg, suck it up and go for it. Its about the third best thing ever did (first being marrying DH and second being dumping my corporate career to be a full time artist). By the way, I have an artist web site now and address is dianesondereggerart.com. Guess I just exposed my identity. oh well.  Have even  done a few pieces of "barriatric art".

In a couple of weeks I am doing an arts festival in another city and it will be the first one I have done out of town. It means I will be schlepping my tent, art work, display materials and all manner of junk all by myself and setting it all up. A year ago I couldn't have done this. Now I know I can. Hey, there's that "I can" phrase again. But thats what the journey away from morbid obesity is about really. As our President says "Yes We Can". And now I say  "Hell yeah I did!"

Gonna celebrate birthday at my favorite restaurant. Will order the crab cakes appetizer and probably won't be able to eat it all. And maybe a glass of wine and really enjoy it. Fortunately this nice restaurant doesn't get snooty if you can only order a small item so we tip like we ordered bigger. I really am beginning to judge restaurants on how well they treat me on this issue and accomodate the barriatric issues. Think its important to tip the waiter well since its just as much work for them.

So this is the view at age 59 and 108 lbs lighter. Even got my greyish hair touched up with highlights back to its natural blonde. Never thought I would bother to color my hair again now that I am a hippie artist but gotta admit I like the look so will keep it awhile - until I get totally grey and then think I will do some outlandish purple hair which will distract everyone from the sags and wrinkles i have. Fortunately, living in a continuously cool climate means long pants and mostly long sleeves and no bare belly or hip huggers so all the bad stuff is covered. Jury is still out on plastics. Would love to have someof that sag stuff off but don't feel like going through a surgery that I know will be more painful and tough than the super easy vsg was. So guess I will see how I feel at age 60. Whatever.

Thats about it. I am sure I will be blathering all over the forum today as its my favorite way to start the day. Have a good one!
Diane

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About Me
Location
20.7
BMI
VSG
Surgery
11/17/2009
Surgery Date
Apr 27, 2009
Member Since

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