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A Whole Year Of Changes - Surgiversary!

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One year ago today I was laying on the operating room table having 85% of my stomach removed. As scared as I was, I was more scared to stay heavy and unhealthy. I was only 42 and more unhealthy than some 60 year olds I knew.

I started at 242. On my 5'4 frame, that was a lot. The list of ailments I had at age 42 was sad. I felt sorry for myself and didnt like the person I had let myself become. The only thing I could be happy for myself about was that I married my dream man 3 years prior. It was with his support and love that I came to the decision to be sleeved.

It all started with being diagnosed with sleep apnea. My husband was very scared that he would come home one day and find me dead in bed. So I began researching sleep apnea treatements besides cpap. I looked into a surgery that was not covered by insurance and didnt actually have a very good success rate. As I kept researching, I started reading literature about bariatric surgery. Not as a cure for sleep apnea but in my case, with my apnea, my metabolism had pretty much stopped because I wasnt getting a recurperative sleep, I would injure myself exercising, my body was in pain from carrying around all the extra, etc. Therefore all the damage I had done to my body with the unhealthy eating I would most likely have to live with and life wasnt getting any better. Much to the contrary, it was continually getting worse.

A year ago I had the following: SEVERE sleep apnea, back problems, planters faciitis, migraines, allergies (even to make-up), short of breath, high blood pressure, blood sugar issues (pre-dia

betic), high cholesterol, anxiety attacks, night sweats, eczema, aches and pains, skin tags and depression. Im sure there are more to list but you get the point, very unhealthy for a anyone much less a 42 year old woman.

A year later I DO NOT have the following: SEVERE sleep apnea, back problems, planters faciitis, migraines, allergies (even to make-up), short of breath, high blood pressure, blood sugar issues (pre-diabetic), high cholesterol, anxiety attacks, night sweats, eczema, aches and pains, skin tags and depression.

I have discovered an intense love of hot yoga which is my main source of exercise, I eat healthier than Ive ever eaten in my life, Im happier than Ive ever been in my life, Im healthier than Ive ever been, my blood work comes back great, I take no medication except for a Calcium supplement and nexium, I am able to do all kinds of physical things I only dreamed I could do, Im not obsessed with food any more, I have so much energy, I cant sleep past 8am now (I used to sleep until 1 or 2 on the weekends), I dont need to take naps anymore, I can curl up in ball in the movie theatre seat lol, my clothes are so tiny now that they all fit in my drawers lol, I get to shop in the juniors section, I take pride in my appearance, our food bill is cut more than in half, I can wear makeup again, I went from a screaming size 18/20 pants - 2xl tops to a comfy size 8 pants and a medium top, so many positive things.

When I see my surgeon I hug him because bottom line is, he saved my life and what a great life it is!

Happy Surgiversary to me!

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  • notmeanymore
    notmeanymore

    Funny thing about the yoga poses...that was taken this year in Hawaii by my husband. He thought he was the friggin paparazzi taking pics of me. He had me doing poses on top of a mountain, a cliff, w

  • Queen of Crop
    Queen of Crop

    You one year summarizes what has happened to so many of us....I just passed my two year anniversary and I still can't believe I am living the life I was meant to live.....I just wish I could have done

  • BUNNY!! What a difference a year makes!! Or in your case many wonderful differences! And your yoga pose? Perfect form, beautiful

Featured Replies

  • Author

Thank you so much for this very inspirational post. I weigh 260 pounds and I'm in pain every moment of the day. The surgery is my last hope. I'm so thrilled that you had a positive outcome, it inspires me so much. Congratulations! :)

I hope that your experience is as complication free and successful as mine has been thus far. Thanks for the kind words.

year ago today having 85% of my stomach removed. At only 42 and more unhealthy than some 60 year olds I knew.

hey girlfriend :)

look at you!!!! B)

you are hot ;)

so happy for you!!!! ;)

your DH sounds so smart (after all he married you :) )

caring for you/about - support is so helpful - how nice to have him there!!!

your co-morbities gone/happiness returned.....

can't get much better than that :)

give doc a hug from me too , as i wish to thank him for a successful surgery he performed on you :)

by the way, guess who turns 60 next month!!!! ;)

take care bud

so very happy for you

keep up the great job

good luck

"me" ;)

Edited by proudgrammy

You look great of course! But even better, your quality of life is a complete turnaround. And I know why they call it hot yoga, because you look HOT in that photo!

  • Author

year ago today having 85% of my stomach removed. At only 42 and more unhealthy than some 60 year olds I knew.

hey girlfriend :)

look at you!!!! B)

you are hot ;)

so happy for you!!!! ;)

your DH sounds so smart (after all he married you :) )

caring for you/about - support is so helpful - how nice to have him there!!!

your co-morbities gone/happiness returned.....

can't get much better than that :)

give doc a hug from me too , as i wish to thank him for a successful surgery he performed on you :)

by the way, guess who turns 60 next month!!!! ;)

take care bud

so very happy for you

keep up the great job

good luck

"me" ;)

Hello my sweet friend! Well Ive got news for you....This morning I hit 100 POUNDS LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!! Im happy dancing right into the Century Club and giving you a HUGE hug! Ill buy the drinks and we will toast to my 100 pounds and your upcoming 60th birthday!

My goal was to hit 100 by my 1 year surgiversary but Ill take a year and 1 day lol. I cant believe it! Im walking on sunshine!

Love you sweety xoxo, thanks for holding the Century Door open for me, your arm must be tired lol.

Bunny, Thanks for your story! I am anticipating vsg this spring, I'm in that long pre-op stage. I too have a lot of medical issues. I was told I needed to lose weight before I could have a kidney transplant. After reading your story I feel more hopeful than ever! There are so many things I would like to do and can't right but now I am looking forward to more energy and less pain. I have been questioning myself if I should do it or not, and I know I really need to do it. Thanks again for sharing your story it gives me a lot of hope!

Look at those skinny legs!! Congratulations on your 1 year Surgiversary and thank you for sharing your story. The health benefits of this is the really important issue. Good luck and great job!

Congratulations Bunny! You look fantastic, and are full of energy! Finding an exercise your passionate about sounds like it's been good to you! I love that your DH was taking all those photos in your yoga moves, you were in Hawaii after all! Congrats on the 100 pounds lost!

Edited by tami j

  • Author

Look at those skinny legs!! Congratulations on your 1 year Surgiversary and thank you for sharing your story. The health benefits of this is the really important issue. Good luck and great job!

LOL I giggled at 'skinny legs'. Never in my life did I think someone would tell me I had skinny legs. The health benefits are the most important thing like you said but the other positive things sure are a great added bonus like the self confidence, the strength, the new clothes, etc. I do love my new clothes (and so does my hubby).

  • Author

Congratulations Bunny! You look fantastic, and are full of energy! Finding an exercise your passionate about sounds like it's been good to you! I love that your DH was taking all those photos in your yoga moves, you were in Hawaii after all! Congrats on the 100 pounds lost!

I would never let the hubby take photos before surgery but I gave him permission to take pics at will. We went hiking down and up the Waipio Valley, did an 8 mile round trip hike to the green sand beach, snorkeled, did yoga on a cliff :) etc. When we got to the top of the Waipio Valley I cried because a year previous I wouldve never attempted it much less completed it.

Full of energy is right. I wake up early now (cannot sleep past 8am) whereas I would sleep until 12 or 1 previously. Ive wasted so much time. The hubby and I are making up for lost time now and want to do anything and everything we can. Im even going to get him to come to yoga lol.

Thank you for sharing your story Bunny. My surgery is tomorrow morning and I'm pretty freaked out about it. Your story helped remind me why I'm doing this and how good the outcome can be. Still pretty scared ...

  • Author

Thank you for sharing your story Bunny. My surgery is tomorrow morning and I'm pretty freaked out about it. Your story helped remind me why I'm doing this and how good the outcome can be. Still pretty scared ...

Thats totally normal Andrew. I was really freaked out the day before too. I cried, I wrote letters to my family just in case something happened, I prepared as much as I could. The hospital said I could take my xanax to help with the nerves which helped a little. But I think what helped me the most was knowing that the life ahead of me was not going to be of quality, things were not going to get better, I was scared of even more health issues that would arise. I had to do this. Living in regret was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Ive got a whole new life now with so many possibilities.

Keep those positive thoughts in your head, listen to the doctors and follow the rules. Please check in and let us know how you are doing once you can after surgery. Good luck to you Andrew! We'll see you on the losers bench soon :)

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