Gastric Bypass - 1 year later
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jcavanna2
Posts: 782 Member
For everyone - no matter where in this journey you are, I just had to share...
Tomorrow marks my 1 year surgeversary date. It has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. I contemplated not going through with surgery because of nerves and I had lost 37 pounds working with my nutritionist. I met people through my support group who had backed out 2-3 times and gained everything back and then some. That was what I didn't want to do - to put in all the effort, time off of work, etc. only to back out and regret it later. I will admit that when I was sitting in the hospital intake office I lost it, was scared and the woman told me it's elective and I could not go through with it. I wouldn't let myself do that and it was the best decision I ever made to keep moving forward as planned.
Some things I have learned/encountered along the way:
I will and have made mistakes
I have over indulged and regretted it after the fact
I can still have pizza and other stuff I always loved just less of it
I am still trying to figure out my body and its tolerances one year lasted
I need to keep going to my Weight Watchers meetings every week - it keeps me accountable for my weight and to be able to share relatable experiences with people (but my WLS is my little secret)
I won't deprive myself - told my surgeon when we met exactly that and I don't deprive myself. I just eat less of it
I have to still listen closely to my body's signals - I am not a master yet but when I really pay attention to it I get good results
Chewable Papaya Enzyme has been one of the things that saved me especially in the beginning
I will forever search for alternatives that work for people like us - recipes, products, etc.
Shopping is SO MUCH MORE FUN now -- as well as expensive..lol
Support is KEY - only my good friends, my mom and sister are the only ones who know I had surgery (and of course my husband and daughter). If you don't have a great support system in friends and family, YOU WILL GET THAT SUPPORT HERE!
I have made some very good friendships with some of the people I met here, have swapped numerous texts, emails and phone calls. They are support in all of the areas of my life, not just WLS. I am so excited that I will get to meet one of my friends this summer when she comes to visit!!!
This journey is a major rollercoaster on so many levels. It has been the best decision EVER and I am so grateful to everyone I have met here, and for everyone's contributions to the team.
So as my 1 year surgeversary approaches I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you because I couldn't have made it this far in my journey without all of you!!!
Tomorrow marks my 1 year surgeversary date. It has been an emotional roller coaster to say the least. I contemplated not going through with surgery because of nerves and I had lost 37 pounds working with my nutritionist. I met people through my support group who had backed out 2-3 times and gained everything back and then some. That was what I didn't want to do - to put in all the effort, time off of work, etc. only to back out and regret it later. I will admit that when I was sitting in the hospital intake office I lost it, was scared and the woman told me it's elective and I could not go through with it. I wouldn't let myself do that and it was the best decision I ever made to keep moving forward as planned.
Some things I have learned/encountered along the way:
I will and have made mistakes
I have over indulged and regretted it after the fact
I can still have pizza and other stuff I always loved just less of it
I am still trying to figure out my body and its tolerances one year lasted
I need to keep going to my Weight Watchers meetings every week - it keeps me accountable for my weight and to be able to share relatable experiences with people (but my WLS is my little secret)
I won't deprive myself - told my surgeon when we met exactly that and I don't deprive myself. I just eat less of it
I have to still listen closely to my body's signals - I am not a master yet but when I really pay attention to it I get good results
Chewable Papaya Enzyme has been one of the things that saved me especially in the beginning
I will forever search for alternatives that work for people like us - recipes, products, etc.
Shopping is SO MUCH MORE FUN now -- as well as expensive..lol
Support is KEY - only my good friends, my mom and sister are the only ones who know I had surgery (and of course my husband and daughter). If you don't have a great support system in friends and family, YOU WILL GET THAT SUPPORT HERE!
I have made some very good friendships with some of the people I met here, have swapped numerous texts, emails and phone calls. They are support in all of the areas of my life, not just WLS. I am so excited that I will get to meet one of my friends this summer when she comes to visit!!!
This journey is a major rollercoaster on so many levels. It has been the best decision EVER and I am so grateful to everyone I have met here, and for everyone's contributions to the team.
So as my 1 year surgeversary approaches I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you because I couldn't have made it this far in my journey without all of you!!!
17
Replies
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Congratulations!
I hope to be writing something similar one year from now. Keep up the great work!2 -
Thanks @ Mandy_19821
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New here but needed some support this group sounds like what I need. May 5 will be my 2 year anniversary of Gastric By Pass, I had my surgery because of injections in my back I gained so much weight you could roll me. I couldn't walk to the door in my condo. Dr (my PCP) said wheelchair I said NO what can I do that's when he got me into my surgery and saved my life. I have lost over 70 lbs no more injections my PCP gives me my medication without making me get injections that don't work and hurt like hell, I'm taking less medication now then when I had my fall love my Dr will NEVER go to pain management again they don't care just drugs and painful injections. I say follow what you believe is right for you.
Thank you
Ms9542 -
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Thanks @Stephaniev51697 0
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Love you Jen! Glad we met on this roller coaster! You're doing great and you are an awesome person!1
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Great to have you here! You have been and continue to be a great support for all of us, new and old! I'm coming up to three years from when I started the process (I use that date, rather than my actual surgery date), and the third year has been the hardest.
Rob0 -
@NicoleL874 Love you too and you are also an awesome person! Grateful to have become friends with you!
@rpyle111 thank you for the kind words - you also have contributed and made me think with some of what you have said. This is definitely a tough journey but glad you are here0 -
Happy 1 year! This is a fantastic post. I love that your approach to all of this is so practical and straight forward. People in the WLS community tend to gloss over the fact that they're human: they don't talk about their slip-ups, or that they sometimes still eat cookies, or that it's ok to still eat the things you like. I think you've done an amazing job so far, and you'll continue to kick *kitten* as you go forward. Way to go Jen!1
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Heh. Don't actually kick kittens. That's bad, mmmk?3
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chubby_checkers wrote: »Heh. Don't actually kick kittens. That's bad, mmmk?
Thank you for my laugh of the day!
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Happy One Year!!!! I loved your post! It's real and offers great insight and advice... all in one! You inspire me on MFP because you are real about yourself - life - dos and don'ts, etc. You have much to celebrate! I don't know about you, but 1 year is a huge milestone because at least for me, it will be the longest I was ever committed to my health... and while I know this is for the rest of my life, one day at a time - it is still a huge win. So CONGRATULATIONS, JEN!!!!!!1
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@chubby_checkers and @Elyseinchi thank you so much for your support. You guys have also inspired me and I have seen some really good posts from you guys as well! @chubby_checkers some of your posts have me rolling - and don't worry, no cat kicking here, I am such an animal fanatic.
I figure if we are gonna be on MFP and support each other we have to be real. Bariatric Eating has a great site but she is very anti carb, anti sugar etc which for most isn't sustainable. Plus some of her recipes are hypocritical - don't eat carbs but use a frozen pie crust for this pie that has artificial sweetener in it. Better to have balance and eat real, Whole Foods, ya know? Better to have a bite of something amazing that has full fat, sugar, etc than a bigger piece of something with none of that. It's just not satisfying.
Oddly enough, I have been on WW since I was 12 and stopped when I went to college. I lost a bunch of weight after I went back but gained 65 lbs when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had gone through 2 layoffs which was stressful. Gained quite a bit of weight then. Just figured I would rely on WW to lose it but no matter what I did my body wasn't cooperating. My OB/GYN put me on a low dose of synthroid which did nothing and finally my doctor told me (after my bitching how the weight wouldn't come off) that I have been in the same 5 lbs for 3 years and a TEDTalks he saw had a neuroscientist that says your body gets comfortable and when that happens you have to take desperate measures.
Not gonna lie, my aunt had Bypass when it was a new procedure and I used to think she took the easy way out. I didn't think I had that much to lose and figured if I could get back to 185 (55 lbs) then I would be fine. Well, I surpassed that number and am around 153, and would like to go a little more. Never in a million years would I ever think I could lose 86 lbs...it's insane to me but the best thing I have ever done. I have been working out regularly for years and cooked healthy recipes and portion controlled them. I learned that even though I had a portion controlled cup of homemade oatmeal with just 1 TB brown sugar, the chopped apples and walnuts on top, even while measured out was too many carbs and too much sugar. Once I learned that lesson, I focused on cutting out a lot of the carbs I was eating and focused on protein and weight started coming off. This journey is not the easy way out by any means, if anything it is harder. Your body rebels, you can't eat as much, and you have to re-learn your body.
Not gonna lie but there are times when I have an awesome piece of salmon or whatever in front of me and I get so mad that I can't eat as much as I want to. But I would rather stop than be sick as a dog.
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I am with you regarding feeling grateful to have the taste of something awesome - yet feeling like I wish I could eat more of it. That is training your mind. I told my husband that I have really felt as if I am not satisfied lately... I will eat and yet because I am at my limit, I just wish I could have more... and he nailed it when he said, "well, you were used to eating the whole plate before and then some and getting to the point where you were so full that you needed to lie down and sink into a food coma... its gonna take you time to retrain yourself..." And I think he is right.1
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@Elyseinchi Your husband is spot on!2
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Hello Everyone. Wow, I love reading your stories. I'm new here about 24 hours or so and I'm prepping for my surgery but will have a duodenal switch. Just by reading I am learning some wonderful tips and info to keep tucked under my hat. One year....Awesome, and congratulations!
A lot of people have a negative view about surgery .... me included once upon a time. I always thought willpower and healthy eating was the only way to go but now I'm walking in those shoes myself. I haven't posted must about it on Facebook for fear of bringing out those haters. A friend who had the Sleeve made that suggestion as I guess she had some issues when she had hers. Message boards can be a great means of support and encouragement regardless of the kind of weight loss journey. Being here for one another can make a great difference!4 -
so wonderful to hear this! I am still 4 months or so out from my surgery but I cannot wait to see where I am a year later.0
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So glad about this! Surgery was amazing and you will be surprised how quickly a year goes by!0
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Jcavanna2, Happy 1st Anniversary.0
