Hello everyone,
My name is Julie and I live in England and had my gastric bypass on the 8th Feb, 2014, which makes me 5 weeks out today!
I'm over the worst of the opp, physically, and now I am trying to deal mentally with what I have done to myself- and what this means- living with gastric bypass.
I am delighted that I have gone ahead with this huge decision and I feel that I have researched it well- but honestly- research all you like - nothing will prepare you for how you will feel deep down inside as the weeks go by. I can't put my finger on it- but something has been lost.
I am lost. My new life is governed by times and drinking waiting times, eating duration times, pills and in the early post opp days self injections.
I was so relieved when these were finished. I just don't like injections!!
I have lost including the milk diet weight loss which I did for 10 days, 29LBs. I am delighted.
I have a long way to go , but it's a good start and I am still learning what to do best for me as an individual and not just a bypass patient.
I feel very well supported- my family and friends mostly have been great- but I did not tell many people till the last Minuit , not even my mum!
I had to get used to the idea first before I went public with this ! I was afraid with what people would say, like oh, did you hear about Julie? She really must be desperate to do that!
I know that comments like that represent lack of information on Bariatric surgery, and they simply don't understand that we are fighting a disease like any other and it is a very distressing disease socially at the least...
I also have fabulous support at Streamline with the team and the forum there.
We have monthly meetings and the people that I have met have been very supportive.
Everyday my main focus is on what I should be doing for the best for the bypass living- I have many other things in my life and I guess I feel guilty for thinking about these things secondly- guess I am not used to putting myself first. Everything takes so long to do. I walk for an hour briskly then I come home exhausted and don't really exert myself after that. Just potter around the house and do jobs that need to be done, that I feel I have energy for. I aim for 10,000 steps a say with my FITBIT device. Don't always manage it.
Before my surgery I had high blood pressure and was morbidly obese. So I decided to improve my health for now and the long term. That was my aim. So I had the gastric bypass.
I had good energy levels and now I am tired very easily. I will be happier when I can regain my energy levels, eat a wider selection of normal foods- eat out, I haven't done that yet, and do what I need to do without feeling like I am wading through mud!
I am probably a very impatient patient!!!!
I don't know myself how I feel but I feel different, more unsure of myself- it's like a knock back.
This new life is a learning process.
I am aiming for happiness.
Wishing you the best from over the pond,
Julie
