This will be a long one, so grab a snack or a drink, sit back and relax as I take you through the last year of my life...
One year ago I took that step from which there has been no turning back. I remember it like it was yesterday. I took my daughter to camp and gave her a big hug and kiss and prayed to God that I would live to see her again. You see, I was voluntarily putting myself through an elective surgery, the vertical sleeve gastrectomy, in an effort to lose weight and become healthier. I had been told a few months earlier that I was pre-diabetic, had high cholesterol, and was seriously deficient in vitamins D, B12, and iron. I was a ticking time bomb and I didn't even know it. But was this the right thing to do? I lost 17 pounds on my own as I prepared for surgery. Surely it I just gave it one more go, I could lose the weight. Sure I could. But it would inevitably come right back, just as it always had. I owed it to myself and my family to go through with the surgery. God had my back; He always does.
I arrived at Abington Memorial Hospital at the appointed hour and was prepared to wait (like hospitals/doctors always have you wait). To my surprise I was whisked back to my preparation area (that looked like where you are seen in an emergency room). The nurses came in for my vitals and then told me I needed to take a pregnancy test, just to be sure. I assured her that I had taken one the night before, but off I went to pee in the cup. Not pregnant, phew! Next, came the most handsome Dr. G. He reviewed exactly what we would be doing and wrote "VSG" on my tummy. I thought it was so hilarious, but I appreciated it at the same time. There would be no mistake of taking out anything other than 85% of my stomach. I signed my release papers, said a final farewell to my parents, husband, and niece and I was rolled into the OR. In the OR small talk was made and the next thing I knew I woke up in the recovery room nauseous as ever. I couldn't move, I was scared to death, and I was thinking "did it work?" The nurse gave me peppermint to sniff and that helped with the nausea, a little. I had IV pain meds and was wheeled up to my room. All I wanted was my family and they were no where around. :( It seemed to take forever, but they finally showed up.
Once the catheter was removed I knew the drill - walk and sip, walk and sip. I did so many laps around that hospital floor I think I may have wore my own path, which is quite possibly still there today. :) I was given nothing to eat or drink that night, but did get a lemon flavored sponge to wet my mouth. The next morning I was served "breakfast" - Propel water, jello, and broth. If you think regular hospital food is bad, try bariatric surgery hospital food. BLEH!!! So, I sipped the Propel and then just plain old water. By 11 am I refused all pain meds, as they made me nauseous and I didn't really need them. That afternoon I was released to return to my surgeon's office in a week for follow-up. Once home I continued the routine of walking and sipping . . . and the rest (as they say) is history.
Fast forward to this week, one year later. I met with my surgeon 2 days ago and my nutritionist today. My one year labs were FANTABULOUS!!!!! I am no longer pre-diabetic, my sugar levels are low-normal; I no longer have high cholesterol, my LDL and HDL levels are PERFECT; my vitamin D level is on target; my B12 level is slightly elevated; I now have to cut back on the amount of those two vitamins; my iron level was a smigin low (11 vs normal 11.1), but my iron levels have historically been very low, so I'll take it. My energy level is through the roof, and I could not be happier. Well, that's not exactly true. I could be happier if the damn scale would move more. According to my surgeon, I have lost 64% of my excess body weight, but they go by my weight the day of surgery. If you calculate from my highest weight, I have lost 71% of my excess body weight. And while I realize that's nothing to sneeze at, like everyone on a weight loss journey I want more. I want to hit my personal goal (to be a "normal" bmi). I had a GREAT visit with my nutritionist today and the outcome was I'm still eating too many processed foods, I need to incorporate more fresh produce into my diet, I need to stop focusing on numbers and focus on quality. And this is the biggest shocker to me - my macros ratio is now 25% protein, 25% healthy fats, and 50% complex carbs. I have spent the last year minimizing carbs to the extent that I exclude many good for me foods. I have been focused on the bottom line of calories, not the quality of calories. This is a HUGE paradigm shift for me.
Okay, enough of the blah, blah, blah. If you've made it this far, here are some before and after pics. I have to choose one to submit for the hospital "wall of fame." Which one would you choose?
The top pic is the pic where I finally "saw" myself and knew I needed to do something.
Top pics are just before surgery (maybe a month).
Top pic is 2009, bottom is a few weeks before my one year.
And finally, I have always wanted a "goal" tattoo that incorporates my surgery date. Since I'm not at goal yet, I decided to get a surgiversary tattoo for my baby girl. It's an infinity symbol on my inner wrist for my "baby" Alyssa. I LOVE it!
