One More Year... wow!

Jan 02, 2010

I just got back from my Christmas trip home to see the familiy. I did pretty good diet wise - no dumping or puking! And I didn't have any major sugar sickness either. That isn't to say that I ate perfectly - who does at Christmas?! I didn't gain any weight - so I feel like I am a victor!

We had a little snow Christmas Eve and I was able to hold my nieces and nephews - two things I had wanted this year. It was a little stressful going home - we had a LOT of people in a relatively small space and I am a little claustorphobic. I fought the urge to freak out by hiding in my room and reading. It also kept me away from the ever-full dessert buffet.

Let's see, I kind of wanted to list some of the stuff that's happened this year - stuff that probably wouldn't have happened if I didn't have WLS three years ago.

1. In December of last year, I got on a Honda Helix (a big scooter) and promptly wrecked it. The experience shattered my inner resolve and put back a lot of fear and anxiety into my psyche. I never thought I would recover. Fortunately, I got a ticket for no motorcycle license and had to take a beginner's motorcycle class. Within four days I had worked through my fears, and learned to ride a motorcycle. I promptly got back on the scooter - and eventually bought myself a Harley 883R (a racier version of the original) Roadster. I now ride as often as I can, even in the rain! My husband and I are planning a long trip to the Texas Hill Country. We've made lots of new friends among the local riders and are enjoying a new-found shared passion.

2. I was given a promotion from department assistant in one facility to the coordinator for three facilities. It sounds like a big jump, but it really isn't. I've been trained by some awesome people and I was really doing the work already. It's nice to have the official recognition and title now - and an actual office in each facility : ) I think the thing that is so cool is this - three years ago I was happy to just be the assistant. I never thought I was good enough to be in charge; thanks to WLS and a really great company I have realized a career dream.

3. Acute Anemia - something that I would have never experienced pre-WLS. This is the darker side of WLS, one I thought I was going to avoid. I have always been afraid of osteoporosis - so I totally overlooked the anemia. Even though I had set myself up for the whole thing by NEVER TAKING ONE IRON PILL SINCE MY SURGERY. Iron pills made me so sick prior to surgery, that I just never took them. I took my multi-vitamins and my b12 and my calcium. I also took in protein shakes fort the first two years that were fortified with iron. But it caught up with me about three months ago in the form of some dizzy spells and a heart flutter (it feels like my heart wants to jump into my throat) that went from once in a while to all day long. I ended up having to take a week off from work and having an iron transfusion. It wasn't painful - it just took all day and I had to have a bunch of tests and had to be seen by a cardiologist and a hemotologist.
Lesson Learned: My health cannot take a back-seat to my work and my family. Anemia can kill me - so I need to keep it under control. I have to take vitamin and mineral supplements for the REST OF MY LIFE. It will be expensive, but my life depends on it now.

Those are the biggies - the rest was mostly a wonderful blur. My son grew up before my eyes, my husband actually became even more wonderful and amazing, I found a career I wasn't looking for, and I realized friendships were all around me - I just had to reach out and connect.

Very cool year - lots of growth... wonder what's next?

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