1 year update

Apr 28, 2010

Wow! Hard to believe it has already been a year. Today is my one-year surgiversary!!
What an incredible year this has been. I have seen things come to fruition that I never would have believed possible a year ago. To date I have lost a total of 149 pounds and can run a personal best of 4 miles! My goal is to lose 15 more pounds and to eventually train for a half-marathon. Although I am pretty darn happy with where I am now.

But my journey really started in October of 2008. That was when I decided that I had had enough of being an obese, diabetic woman with sleep apnea. I decided that I was tired of the pain, both physical and emotional, of weighing over 300 pounds. I was tired of the silent stares, the not so silent snickers and the misery I felt at being me. Tired of over-compensating for the pain by pretending that I didn't care, I made an appointment with the Association of Southbay Surgeons and was assigned to Dr. Houman Solomon.  What a blessing that man has turned out to be. I truly don't know that I would have been as successful as I have been without his care and support.

Although at the time I wasn't so sure he was such a blessing.........The first thing he told me was that I needed to lose 30 pounds and quit smoking! I thought he was smoking rope! I had been a smoker since the age of 16 and hell, if I could lose 30 pounds why would I need him ! :) Ha! I actually bargained him down to a 20 pound weight loss, but the funny part is I ended up losing 39 pounds and oh yeah, as of November 9, 2008, I am a non-smoker!
After many tests and a change in procedure ( I was originally scheduled for an RnY but changed it to a Sleeve Gastrectomy two weeks prior to surgery), my surgery day arrived on April 29, 2009.

To say I was excited is an understatement! This was the moment I had been waiting for and it finally happened. I was a little nervous but mostly just excited for my new life to begin. Surgery was pretty uneventful for me as was recovery and indeed most of this journey. In the beginning it was very difficult to get in all the liquids and protein but it got easier as time progressed and now it has become second nature. I sometimes forget that I had surgery.  Both the diabetes and sleep apnea have been completely resolved! I am also no longer near-sighted and the pain in my knees has disappeared.

I watched the weight drop off of me as if by magic and could hardly believe this was me! I went from a size 26 to a size 6 in one year and a half! Unbelievable! But before anyone starts thinking that this is all magic, let me assure you it took a lot of hard work and commitment. Not to mention the pain of self-discovery and change. I had to commit to a complete change in life style and that has not always been easy. I still journal everything I eat, eat protein first and exercise even when I don't feel like it. I am vigilant on taking my vitamins and keep up with the water intake.  I've also had to dig deep into my soul to deal with the emotions that come with all of this! It is not easy but so well worth the effort.

What have I learned along the way?
That I am a capable and intelligent woman, that I am in control of my life, that I can face my demons and beat them down,  that change is possible and that we are never stuck as long as we choose to move forward and not give up or give in. I also learned that I will make plenty of mistakes along the way, but it's ok. I can start over every time! The confidence I have now I would not trade for anything in the world. The feeling of accomplishment and self-worth is sometimes overwhelming and I fear that I will revert back to the old ways. But I know that the choice is mine to make. I choose to continue striving to be the best me I can possibly be.

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