debgore
2 years since my rebirth and entered my new journey
Nov 19, 2013
November 2, 2013 marks my second year anniversary since my wonderful surgery that has transformed my life and changed me completely for the better. A better life, better health and a great new outlook. I look forward to each new day now. My husband is a wonderful person and helps me each day to achieve even more. My wonderful daughter is a strong support for, and I love them both for it. My family is my strength. If you of told me 2 years ago that I would go from a size 32 to a size 8, if you would of told me that I would of went from 350+ pounds to 150 pounds, if you told me I would not suffer from hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, if you told me I would have so much energy that I would always want to be moving or doing something, if you told me I would enjoy swimming, hiking, exercising and my ankles, back and knees would no longer hurt me, I would not of believed you. Having an RNY was the best decision I made for myself. I made a very important life decision that would change me for the rest of my life. To be honest I was scared. Was this surgery really going to go the way I wanted and work the way I hoped it would? I was always coming to OH.com and looking at the before and after pictures and hoping one day that would be me.
After much research I chose my doctor, Dr. Mark Gibbs. I remember going to the seminar and the one thing that stuck in my mind was what Dr. Gibbs said, "If you have a hard time controlling your liquid sweets, then the sleeve or the lap band are not for you. You will not loose weight if you continue to eat as you do now." I knew I would not be able to control my liquid sweets, if I was able to eat or drink it and it was chocolate, I was doing it then!!! That always stuck in my head. So its been 2 yrs and 2 weeks and in that time nothing such as chocolate, chips, anything deep fried or pasta or any simple carbohydrates.
I babied my tummy after the surgery for a long time. I followed the sample menu that I was given at my nutritionist office visit, I followed it longer that it was stated. for the first 6 months I ate soft foods. It was just me, I did not want to hurry the food along and I was in no hurry to sit down and eat a lot anyway. I remember I was only able to eat 2 tablespoons of food every 3 hours. I loved it. I remember seeing my surgeon for my 3 month check up and telling him I love only eating 2 TBSP of food. I remember Dr. Gibbs saying, "I hate to burst your bubble, you will be able to eat up to a 1/2 cup." I replied, "Not if I can help it!" Well, I can hold 8 oz now and I work very hard to only eat nutritious foods.
EXERCISE ------VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!! I cannot stress the importance of exercise. I had my surgery Nov 2 at 6am, and at 10 am I was up walking around. I was lucky, I had ZERO pain after my surgery. I did not need pain meds. I wanted to get up in recovery and walk and they told me to wait at least 2 hrs. My surgeon told me that his operating room staff was bragging on me. I remember before they put me out, I promised I would wake up with a smile, and when they woke me up, I had this big cheesy smile on my face and felt so good. So back to the exercise. After I was released from the hospital (the very next day) I rested at home for 1 day and then I became antsy. So I told my husband I wanted to go to November 2, 2013 marks my second year anniversary since my wonderful surgery that has transformed my life and changed me completely for the better. A better life, better health and a great new outlook. I look forward to each new day now. My husband is a wonderful person and helps me each day to achieve even more. My wonderful daughter is a strong support for, and I love them both for it. My family is my strength. If you of told me 2 years ago that I would go from a size 32 to a size 8, if you would of told me that I would of went from 350+ pounds to 150 pounds, if you told me I would not suffer from hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, if you told me I would have so much energy that I would always want to be moving or doing something, if you told me I would enjoy swimming, hiking, exercising and my ankles, back and knees would no longer hurt me, I would not of believed you. Having an RNY was the best decision I made for myself. I made a very important life decision that would change me for the rest of my life. To be honest I was scared. Was this surgery really going to go the way I wanted and work the way I hoped it would? I was always coming to OH.com and looking at the before and after pictures and hoping one day that would be me.
After much research I chose my doctor, Dr. Mark Gibbs. I remember going to the seminar and the one thing that stuck in my mind was what Dr. Gibbs said, "If you have a hard time controlling your liquid sweets, then the sleeve or the lap band are not for you. You will not loose weight if you continue to eat as you do now." I knew I would not be able to control my liquid sweets, if I was able to eat or drink it and it was chocolate, I was doing it then!!! That always stuck in my head. So its been 2 yrs and 2 weeks and in that time nothing such as chocolate, chips, anything deep fried or pasta or any simple carbohydrates.
I babied my tummy after the surgery for a long time. I followed the sample menu that I was given at my nutritionist office visit, I followed it longer that it was stated. for the first 6 months I ate soft foods. It was just me, I did not want to hurry the food along and I was in no hurry to sit down and eat a lot anyway. I remember I was only able to eat 2 tablespoons of food every 3 hours. I loved it. I remember seeing my surgeon for my 3 month check up and telling him I love only eating 2 TBSP of food. I remember Dr. Gibbs saying, "I hate to burst your bubble, you will be able to eat up to a 1/2 cup." I replied, "Not if I can help it!" Well, I can hold 8 oz now and I work very hard to only eat nutritious foods.
EXERCISE ------VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!! I cannot stress the importance of exercise. I had my surgery Nov 2 at 6am, and at 10 am I was up walking around. I was lucky; I had ZERO pain after my surgery. I did not need pain meds. I wanted to get up in recovery and walk and they told me to wait at least 2 hrs. My surgeon told me that his operating room staff was bragging on me. I remember before they put me out, I promised I would wake up with a smile, and when they woke me up, I had this big cheesy smile on my face and felt so good. So, back to the exercise. After I was released from the hospital (the very next day) I rested at home for 1 day and then I became antsy. So I told my husband I wanted to go to Pinnacle Mountain. I went on the base trail, it was a little too much for me to handle and made myself a little sore, but that’s ok. Each day I walked. I was always with my husband or my daughter. I wanted to be with someone just in case. When I was not able to be with anyone, then I walked up and down my hallway back and forth and I had a pedometer I made sure I walked 1 mile each and every day. May not of been all at one time, but it was a mile each day. Then after my first check up the doctor checked me after my surgery and said you are healing up nicely. My husband just started a new job and it was at a fitness center with a swimming pool. So my surgeon told me to give it 2 more weeks and I can go swimming. I started out 30 min in the pool and 10 min in the hot tub. Each day I would add 5 min onto my time in the pool. I was up to 2 hrs swimming every day after work. What a great all over cardio, aerobic workout. It worked every single inch of my body. I then went to the internet and found a hiking group that I can walk with nearby. I was swimming each day and 4 days out of the week after swimming I went for a 4-5 mile hike. So now that I lost the weight I wanted you are now thinking I am thinking about plastic surgery. Well you know I was. Then when I went to the plastic surgeon she was very surprised and said, “Are you sure you have weight loss surgery” I replied yes I did. The doctor said I worked very hard and I really do not have any hanging skin. My stomach looks great, my legs, well you can tell I lost weight, but there are not rolls of skin hanging or anything like that. I owe it all to exercising. My plastic surgeon said that a lot of people run to the surgeon at least by 18 months after surgery, which is fine she stated. She said she would like me to give it 4 years total because of the exercise I have been doing my skin will retract even more. I am not in a hurry for plastic surgery anyway; I am not in a hurry for all that additional pain that comes with it. My MD said that plastic surgery is not an easy recovery anyway and thinks I am doing a great job.
Eat properly. Eat lots of fruit and fresh veggies. I have changed my eating habits completely. I no longer eat any sugar, deep fried, or anything that is not good for me. Peanut butter still makes me feel bad, so I don’t eat it. It may be all the fat and oil in there along with the sugar. I have tried the natural PB and it still makes me feel sick. Pasta like lasagna does not make me feel good, however whole wheat linguini is ok in moderation. I looked for recipes on the internet that were sugar free. Now there are certain items that are sugar free in the store, however whatever they put in that sugar free stuff does not make me feel good, so I won’t eat it. That’s good for me anyway, cause then that gives me another reason not to eat sugar free candy of any kind. J
I am very happy to talk about my journey. I love my journey and love talking to others about it. I love helping others though theirs. I was scared and had all the same questions and fears as everyone else. I still have a problem with constipation and did not want to fill my body up with chemicals to make my go easier, so I happen to make homemade oven baled eggrolls with cabbage and carrot filling. WOW the cabbage was a natural laxative. I am still discovering new things. I am happy at where I am now. I am happy with the size I am. I am happy with me. That’s the first time I have ever said that…WOW, what a break through and what a moment for me. All I can say it THANK YOU DR GIBBS FOR GIVING ME MY LIFE BACK!!!!! I will cherish my new body for the rest of my life, I promise!!!!
