2 YEARS!
And what a wild ride it's been.
Hard to believe it's been 2 years. 2 long years, mind you. LOL.
Pleasant surprises since WLS:
1. I weigh less then I ever expected (weight same as when I was perhaps in 7th grade maybe - certainly never as an adult)
2. I wear a size that has a single digit (in pants, at least). Never expected that.
3. I have lots of bones that I never knew were there.
4. I'm not as big boned as I thought. I have long hands and feet but I'm truly not big framed like I always believed.
5. That I now look so very much like my mother did when she was young.
6. Losing more shoe size then I had gained with the last weight gains.
7. I dump.
Things I didn't expect:
1. The strange pains that would plague me. Still don't know what they are. Still scares me a bit.
2. The delicate balance of the timing of eating and food choices that may or may not trigger dumping.
3. Realizing that people that meet me now would never know I was ever heavy.
4. Finding pants that fit. If they fit my waist (due to some extra skin) they tend to be wide in the hips.
5. That I'd truly realize that white carbs cause strange reactions in my body - cravings, lethargy, instant and dramatic weight gain.
6. That not only would I lose hair on my head but a bunch of months post-op I realized that the majority of arm hair was gone as was the hair on knuckes and toes. The hair on arms is back but lighter than before. Hair on my toes is back but I don't see it on knucles. Hair on toes is good (per my endocrinologist when I had diabetes - means good blood flow).
7. Skin/hair as dry as the Sahara.
Difficulties/issues after WLS:
1. The strange pains that would plague me. Still don't know what they are. Still scares me a bit.
2. The delicate balance of the timing of eating and food choices that may or may not trigger dumping.
3. Finding pants that fit. If they fit my waist (due to some extra skin) they tend to be wide in the hips.
4. Shaving my armpits is near impossible. They are hollow caverns.
5. Extra skin. Mine isn't as dramatic as many and I'm definitely appreciative of that but I hate the extra folds and stuff especially on my face - the rest get covered by clothing. I weigh less than I did at 20 but my waist is 3 inches bigger due to skin.
6. I dump.
Important lessons learned:
1. The importance of protein. (I do supplement. If I cut down on my supplementation - I see it in my labs.)
2. The importance of vitamins.... multis, vitamin D, calcium, iron, B12, B complex plus others as needed. Learning about vitamins.
3. The importance of eating on a regular schedule. I eat or supplement every 3 hours or so. Avoids sugar rises or dives. Keeps me feeling energetic and balanced all day long.
4. I can definitely eat enough to gain weight. Calories eaten and burned are important. It takes work to maintain my weight loss.
5. The importance of exercise.
6. The importance of regular lab work and medical follow-ups including lots of labs and bone density scans. Be your own advocate for your labs. Get a copy of EVERYTHING. Track them in a list/spreadsheet. Learn about them (www.labtestsonline.org). Find out what they measure and what lows/highs mean. Act before you are deficient in things.
7. WLS fixes stomach and quantity you can eat but doesn't fix your mind. You have to work on issues, behaviors, coping skills, stressors and food choices each and every day.
Life improvements since WLS:
1. Diabetes is resovled/under control. Was on insulin 5 years.
2. High blood pressure is resolved. Was on meds 5 years.
3. Sleep apnea is resolved. Was on CPAP 6-9 months.
4. Feel better physically and mentally. Am much more active.
Kathy
It has been a wild ride for you, Kathy. But its been great getting to know you and watch you go through all the changes. It's inspiring and educational for all of us who came in after you. It's obvious you're a strong person, who has been through quite a bit. Congrats on all the positive changes that have happened because of this and I can't wait to hear about it in another year!
Amber
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