Feelin' groovy

January 21, 2012

It's been -oh-so-long since I've written...and I think, without looking at my previous posts, that what I'm about to write might be repetitive, but here I go:

I had my surgery in August 2010.  I weighed 275.  I knew without the surgery I would never, ever be able to lose weight.  Thank you, BCBS PPO, for giving us larger folks a second chance at life (seriously, I think I might write them a letter).

I thought I would possibly die when I got the operation (lap. gastric bypass) - if not on the operating table, then soon thereafter due to some complication.  Glad to say: I'm still here!  Zero complications, nothing weird.  All good.

I also thought - such paranoia! - that people who had the surgery no longer wrote on OH because they had died or they gained all the weight back or whatever.  For me, that hasn't been the case.  I don't write on OH much anymore because I am not completely obsessed about my weight as I was before the surgery, and right after.  I'm just plugging along with life.

I've weighed about 150-155 since last March, 2011.  It feels good.  I feel...exactly the same as a person on the inside, only healthier.  My apnea is just about gone, but I still have major sleep issues.  I've reduced my thyroid medication.

I like fitting into a size 10 or 12.  I like being able to sit in a chair and not feeling like it will break.  I like being able to run around with my kids.  I like feeling healthier.  I like that I'm afraid to eat sugar because I might get sick.  I like eating small quantities of food and feel full.  I like surprising people with photos of me 120 pounds heavier.  

I'm not a fan of taking vitamins, but it's the same stuff that I would have taken anyways because even before surgery I had to take iron and b-12 due to my having those anemias. 

I'm not a fan of my horrible pannis - it's still here and it's still just floppy.  When I run it makes sounds -- so I try to wear things that holds it in.  But then it gets sweaty and more irritated, sometimes with a horrible painful rash.  Nothing seems to make it feel better.  I hope I can get it lopped off this year.  (I also have major batwings and supper saggy inner thighs, but besides looking horrible, it's much less of a concern for me than the pannis.)

I'm also not a fan of my poop (really, who is?), but hear that is because I had my gall bladder out (I had gall stones since 2005) at the same time I had the bypass.  A bit heavy/greasy (sorry, but I'm being honest and open here) - so that's still kinda weird for me.

I've been exercising - and surprise!  It feels pretty good.  I've been reading all this stuff about exercising 30 minutes a day is not only good for yoru heart health, but your mental and neuro health as well.  I've been doing a program called "Run Your Butt Off".  I'm not doing it too lose weight per se, but I'm not complaning about that aspect of it either.   ; )  I'd like to see if I can indeed run for 30 minutes straight.  How weird would that be?

Stephanie


PS I still see that OH takes FOREVER to process a function.  Some things never change!  (and that's anothe rreason why I'm not on here so much any more...so frustrating!!)

I love that you came back to let us know that a) you are still alive and a very well and b) you haven't had any regain! It's always so good for me to read about successes because I'm revising from the band to RNY next week. My greatest fear is that it won't work and there I'll be, two surgeries down and still fat. But I know RNY is a completely different tool so I will do very well with it. She says hopefully. LOL!

Congratulations on your continued success even with some of the uncomfortable issues that have come up. The good certainly outweighs the bad!

Congrats on your successes.  hurray.