2 year Post-op Anniversary

[Guest guest]

Greetings everyone!

Well i have hit a major milestone in my WLS life. As of November 2nd I am

now two years post op.

I started this journey two years ago at 425 lbs. and currently am 212 lbs.

One half of the person I used to be. Thirteen months after surgery I had

lost 186 lbs and then it happened, I hit my first major plateau. I played

around with 3 lbs. up and down for 6 months. I had resigned myself to

weighing what i did, but I had lost 2 dress sizes during that time. It told

me that things were not done yet, my body was readjusting. In July I had

gotten despondent about not being able to lose more weight and though I had

figured that losing 186 lbs was a goodly amount I began eating poorly.

Eating cakes, and candies and anything else that was bad. I kept telling

myself that this was not the thing to do. I would put my jeans on and be

convinced that they were getting tighter (I had stopped weighing myself

weekly). Finally in July I had mustered to courage to stand on the scale

when much to my suprise I discovered that I had lost 7 lbs. " Hmm " , I

thought, if I can lose 7 lbs. maybe I am not at all done afterall. Gone went

the bad eating and I began to a little more careful, but never felt like I

was dieting. I lost another 5 lbs that month. Since then, I have continued

to come down the scale to the point I am at right now (212 lbs. - have lost

212 lbs). My weight loss is steady, but slower than it once was. I knew it

would happen and happily don't dwell on it too much. I figure if I lose 30

more lbs between now and next November I will still be closer to my goal

weight of 160. Will I make it? Oh yes, I am sure of it. Dr. Brolin once

said that those that are distally bypass (as I am) can continue to lose

weight for 5 years and it would seem that I am proof of that statement.

So what have I learned in 2 years? {Lauging} Well, here we go.

I have learned that.......

- I am not normal (still).

- I have to watch what I eat and how much.

- My eyes are still bigger than my stomach

- Even though I throw up infrequently, I still am reminded that there are

still foods that do not agree with me.

- There is no rhyme or reason to the vomiting (for me anyway)

- I STILL love losing weight

- All my favorite clothes, wont fit in a couple of months

- I love crossing my legs

- I get overwhelmed by all my clothing choices

- I am inside the same person, but one who is more confident and proud to

have accomplished what she has done.

- I love being complimented and take each compliment as a gift from the other

person.

- I should never take for granted my surgery and what it has done for me.

- I want everyone to know that this has worked for me and when I see others

who are scared and afraid (and need) surgery, I have empathy for them.

- I love all the things that I was once not able to do. Simple things we

take for granted like, sitting in a chair with arms, flying in an airplane,

wiping my hiney (hell at 425 that was a chore!), shopping in the misses

section of a store, running and jogging without feeling like I am going to

bust an artery, my back not hurting, my knees not giving out, going to the

amusement park and being able to ride every ride without a problem, having

men flirt with me (ok, I really love that!), and while on that subject....

sex... Sex now is AWESOME! Oh, but I digress....

- I struggle with my body image now more than I did when I was fat, but

realize that all woman, fat or thin struggle with this issue too. So I

suppose I have learned in this repect, I am normal.

- If I threw up every day for the rest of my life I would STILL be happy I

did this.

- I would do it all over again (not that I want to now..*smile*)

I could go on and on, but will spare you the sentiments. I am happy where I

am now.. only 12.5 lbs. from being out of the 200's is so exciting to me that

I look forward to crossing that next goal. I am at a weight that I have not

seen since i was 21 - 22. Of course my body has changed, not as tight as it

was then, but hell, I am on my way.

Keep the faith all.

Kymberleigh

11/2/99 - 425

Currently 212 lbs.

Open Distal Gastric RnY Bypass

Dr. Brolin

St. 's University Hospital

New Brunswick, NJ