17 year anniversary

Oct 16, 2022

It's been 17 years since my gastric bypass. I am now 62. I have no regrets. It saves my life

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12 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Oct 18, 2017

Yesterday was my 12 year anniversary and my BMI is still 29.  I did not gain it all back.  Life went on and yes there are still struggles.  I have no regrets and I would do it all again.  I started this journey at the age of 45 and now I am 57.  So yes I'm aging gracefully.  I have had not complications from my surgery.  I have had 2 stomach issues but nothing serious or anything that caused surgery.  I still dump.  That never went away but I will still try to eat a doughnut and still get so sick everytime.  So if my story helps someone wondering what happens down the road all I can say is the surgery was a tool and yes it is all about changing your life. 

 

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09 YEAR

Oct 07, 2014

Well it is almost 9 years.  In just 10 short days I will celebrate 9 years.  I am now 54.  This surgery changed my life and I am now living a very mindful life.  Habits did change because they had to.  The surgery was just the starting point.  I had to change, life style changed, eating habits changed.  Everything had to change to be a success.  I could not exist by being a victim and I could not exist by being invisible.

My children are now juniors in high school.  When I had my surgery they were just in the third grade.  I am still married to my wonderful husband.  I did not change one addiction for another.  My marriage did not fail and most of all I DID NOT GAIN IT ALL BACK.

My weight stays around 170 to 180.  I am a size 16.  I am thrilled with where I am.  I was never able to afford the plastic surgery part but that is ok.  My health has been fairly uneventful.  I do have trouble with my sugar dropping low.  I do struggle with arthritis in my knees but I am able to do what ever I want.

This has been amazing.  If you read my blog you will see that both my sisters and my niece also had this surgery.  Please know that we all have kept the weight off.  Yes we have to watch what we eat and stay in check but it is a life long commitment.

 

 

I just wanted to check in.  I encourage everyone who is considering this type of surgery to really research and be prepared. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life is wond

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7 years ago today

Oct 17, 2012

10/12/12 WELL IT HAS BEEN 7 YEARS SINCE MY SURGERY.  I AM SO GREATFUL.  HAS IT BEEN EASY?  HELL NO.  I WANT TO SCREAM TO THE WORLD THIS WAS BY NO MEANS A CURE.  YOU HEAR THE PHRASE ALL THE TIME, "IT IS JUST A TOOL", AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.  ALSO IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR TOOL IT STILL WORKS AFTER 7 WONDERFUL YEARS.  I AM SO SORRY FOR THOSE PEOPLE THAT FEEL THE SURGERY FAILED BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT EDUCATION BEFORE HAND, FOLLOW UP APPOINTMENTS, SEEING A PSYCHIATRIST AND HAVING SUPPORT MAKE THIS SURGERY A SUCCESS.  I THINK BEING BULLHEADED ALSO HELPS.  I HAD SO MANY PEOPLE NOT WANTING ME TO DO THIS BECAUSE THEY WERE SO LOVING AND THEY WANTED ONLY THE BEST FOR ME.  YES THE SURGERY IS VERY DANGEROUS BUT DYING WAS NOT AN OPTION AND THAT WAS WERE I WAS GOING TO BE IF I DIDN'T DO THIS.

THROUGH THIS JOURNEY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE I AM SO GREATFUL FOR MY LOVING, BEAUTIFUL 2 SISTERS WHO ALSO HAD THE SURGERY BUT WHO WERE MY BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS EVER.  MY HUSBAND AND MY GIRLS WERE TERRIFIC.  I WENT TO WORK TODAY AND TOOK A PICTURE AND SHARED THAT TODAY WAS MY ANIVERSARY.  ALMOST EVERYONE SAID, "I DON'T EVER REMEMBER YOU BEING THAT BIG".  THAT STATEMENT BRINGS ME TO THE SAYING I HAVE ALWAYS SAID.
AT 311 POUNDS I WAS HUGE BUT I WAS INVISABLE.  I AM NO LONGER INVISABLE.  I AM ALIVE, ACTIVE, 52 YEARS OLD.  I AM HAPPY WITH MY WEIGHT, MY CLOTHES BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING, I LOVE MYSELF. 
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July 16, 2012

Jul 16, 2012

Life is still GREAT!!!  Coming up on my 7th year out.  Started weight was 311 and as of today I am 178.  Even though I feel like I am gaining I have to remember I am 52 years old and a size 14 is just fine.  I have some issues catching up to me.  I have bowel problem.  Chronic constipation.  I am having arthritis issues but are these from my surgery or just with age.  I will tell you I am very active.  Life is non stop at my house.  My girls are 14 and starting highschool.  They don't remember the FAT mom.  My husband and I are still very happy and I did not substitue my food addiction for something else. 

I was ask by my GI doctor if this were necessary would I reverse my surgery.  I of course said "NO".  He told me that since I have kept the weight off all these years I have changed me life and I would probably not go back to eating like I did in the past.  I hope I never have to prove his idea.

My sisters have also kept their weight off.  Of course we all have struggled with a few pounds of weight.  Mimi is still a size six and Amy is still around a 14.  Sarah has kept all her weight off.  So as a family of 4 women we hope we have changed our future. 

Thanks to Dr. Tom for a wonderful job with our family.  We truely miss him.  I hate that he had to move his practice but he is able to reach out to a whole new population of people.

I am ask over and over again,  would i do it again and the answer is HELL YES!!!!. 
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January 2012

Jan 07, 2012

Well I am over 6 years out.  I am so happy with my size.  At 51 years of age I am 177lbs.  In 2009 I had an event happen in my life that put all my fous on my daughter.  She became sick and was diagnosed with an Auto immune disease.  Her pancrease stopped working, not producing insuline.  She is considered a juvenile diabetic and she is on an insuline pump.  I have spent 2 years in constant worry.  Worry equals mindless eating.  My weight went from 170 to 226.  I was back shopping in the plus size.  I hated mysize.  No where near where I was in 1995 at 311 but still so unhappy.  Since being able to move I have a wonderful caree.  I went from sitting infront of a computer to being a Paraeducator.  I take care of special needs children.  I rock and roll all day.  I started have shoulder pains.  I found out I had a critical Vit D level.  My collar bone turned shoft.  Two surgeries 5 months of therapy, not fun.  I just started losing weight.  I quit worrying about my daughter and tried to start having fun.  She is dong great, lost 40 lbs and I feel wonderful.  My worry is maybe something isn't right in the way of vitamins.  So even though my wonderful surgeon is now in Columbus it is in my best interest to go see him so on January 25, praying no snow,  I am going to go see him.  It is strange my massive amount of lose skins has changed so much.  I wonder if that skin was gone, where would I be but that will never happen With the cost of our medical expenses that will never happen.  But it really gets me down.  I have kept on my blogs and they are in a book.  I hope people read this and  know that there are people who didnt gain it all back. 

 

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6 Year Anniversary

Oct 17, 2011

Well it has been 6 years now.  I am so grateful and blessed as a mother and a mom.  You know 6 years ago I had doubts that I would be in this world for very long but now there is no stopping me.  I have learned never to say the weight is GONE for good.  I have learned to keep your head up, it is so easy to fall back in your old habits.  I have learned never forget.  In a blink of an eye you can but 60 lbs back on.  It took several months but I am able to say I still have kept off 130 lbs of the 160 I had originally lost.  I am at a good weight and size.  6 years ago myself and my sisters decided to change our lives.  We watched our dad suffer with diabetes and he finally passed due to kidney failure.  He lives on dialysis which was no life.  I watched what diabetes did to him and it was terrible.  No one ever knows what there future is, I just hope I was able to change mine just a little.  I still live everyday to its fullest.  I would do it all again in a minute 
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October 18, 2010 5 Year anniversary!!!

Oct 18, 2010

It hard to believe it.  It has been 5 years.  I go day to day like I have always been this size yet everyday is a stuggle.  Am I a success?  I think so.  Have I kept off all my weight? "NO."  I started this journey over 5 years ago at 311.  I have kept 100 lbs off.  Do I wish it was more, heck yea.  Do I like the fact my BMI is high, NO, but I am so greatful for where I am today.  I am alive.  I still am on no medication.  

Having the surgery changed my life so much.  It has made me a good wife, a fun mom and a good worker because now I can move.

I wanted to just drop a note.  Don't give up if you are still in your journey.  Remember this was not a cure but just a tool.                  
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February 12, 2010

Feb 12, 2010

OMG It has been forever since I wrote.  I am still so happy with my journey.  Have I gained?  YES... Am I happy? Yes .....Do I have regrets?  NO.  So much has happened.  Life goes on and my weight will always be a struggle.  My wonderful sister printed all my blogs over the years and gave it to me for Christmas.  My own story.  My own words.  So much I forgot and it was so nice to have my own words to remind me of where I was over 4 years ago.  I hate that I have gained.  I am at 199.  Yes I hit the 200 pound mark but I have dropped back down.  I sit here in front of the fire.  I am sitting on a heating pad.  My back for the first time in 4 years is out.  I know it is from the weight.  Even though I am still 110 pound from where I started, the added weight around my middle is the cause.

On December 2, 2009 my daughter was DX. with Juvenile Diabetes.  I really discovered I am a stess eater.  These past two months have been such a roller coaster.  I have to get this weight off.  She has to comply with her new life.  My husband has gotten on board with his type 2 diabetes and he has lost 25 lbs with her.  I have to get this weight off before I end up with it.  I was Dx. with  an elevated A1C when I started this journey.  I was never treated for diabetes but I know it is just waiting.  I have let my gard down and I am so afraid I will get it next.

So life goes on.  I am taking one day at a time.  I am not joining Weight Watchers or doing some fad diet, which is what I did all my life.  I know what works.  I am getting back to basics.  My tool still works.  I can only eat little amounts.  Sugar, a lot of it makes me dump, but I have learned and am back to grazing.  If I am bored I graze.  If I worry, I graze.  If I can't sleep, I graze.  If I am mad, I graze.  If I am Happy, I graze.  If I am anything right now I graze.  Dr. West-Smith, taught us to make a busy box.  I need to get my stuff back out.  I am reading my book Dr. Tom gave me 4 years ago.

I am still responsible for my health.            









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October 14, 2009

Oct 14, 2009

Well 4 years is approaching.  I can't believe it.  I wake up everyday and I can't believe the weight is not back on.  That is the biggest fear.  The fear of failing again.  I am so happy where I am.

Health wise I am wonderful.  Lets compare then to now. I actually power walk 2-3 times a week.  I jog all the hills and walk all the flat areas.  4 years ago couldn't get up and down the stairs and some days couldn't even walk through Sam's.  Today I only take vitamins.  4 years ago took a handful of meds to help with everything from high blood pressure, chronic headaches,  depression, back pain.    4 years ago I had to quit my job because I couldn't sit any more at the computer. Today I am a para educator for grades K-2.  I run with the little kids all day.  4 years ago I was 46 but lived like I was 70.  Today I am almost 50 and live like I am 30.   4 years ago I couldn't hardly clean myself.  How embarrassing, today no problem there.  4 years ago I had a wonderful husband who never said a word.  Today I have a husband who reminds me how far I have come and who supports any decision I make.  4 years ago I wore a size 28 jeans and a 4x top.  Today I wear  size 12-14 and large tops.  But most of all 4 years ago I met a man and I put all my trust with him.  I promised him I would follow up with him every year.  Yesterday I kept that promise and saw Dr. Tom.  I owe all this to him.  Somehow words can never thank him enough.   4 years ago I was so large I will never forget.  Today people don't remember what I looked like at 300 plus pounds.  Just goes to show I was invisible then.

I could have never done this with out the love of my husband Rick, my daughters and most of all my two beautiful sisters who also changed their lives by having surgery also.
Thank you Amy and Mimi. 


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About Me
Florence, KY
Location
29.9
BMI
RNY
Surgery
10/17/2005
Surgery Date
Jul 17, 2005
Member Since

Before & After
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Before WLS I was invisable believe it or not
311lbs
1 year post...I've lost 157 I feel great. Thank you Dr. Sonnanstine Florence KY
154lbs

Friends 46

Latest Blog 53

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