Journaling [Not the food kind]

Hello from Casa Tek,

I am writing to advocate writing a journal documenting your honest WLS thoughts, events, experiences.

I was never one for writing much of anything that wasn't related to work. But when I started researching WLS, I learned a lot from personal journals folks posted, and it was tremendously useful to me.

A few days after I decided to have RNY I decided to start a journal. I had never done such, but I wrote that I was interested to see if and how my thinking might change through WLS. As it turns out, I also have an amazingly bad memory, so when I reviewed it recently, there were things I don't remember. Enlightening stuff.

I wrote it as if I expected a stranger to read it so it would make it easier for me to frame my thoughts. It is anonymously written with no names, and I THINK I posted an edited version on my WLS website. Again, memory sucks. No trauma, no memory.

Pre-op, after each entry, I included a list of upcoming milestones (Doctor appointments, tests coming up, insurance). In the last 30 or so days, every day I added an item or two to a '50 things I'm waiting for Post-Op'

Post-op, same sort of thing. Journaled when anything happened or didn't, or if I had things I wanted to "talk" about, details of medical appointments. If it was after a monthly follow up, I wrote the weight. If I happened to achieve one of my 50 things, I'd cross it off and comment on it.

I didn't include any sort of food journal, as I don't do food journals. Though, dammit, one of the pre-op requirements was a food journal, so I did that separately. You can include food if you want. It's your journal, for you.

I also kept my running journal separately, which was just date, time, type of run, length, elapsed time.

My journal lasted about 2 years ending with running my second marathon at Valley of Fire, NV, which I do remember well. It also wrote about my upcoming Tummy-Tuck which was months away. I also remember this as I hemorrhaged AFTER I was in recovery. They ripped me open, lost at least 8 pints of blood, which they replaced, and briefly died. It was 2 days after my 5th marathon, so with a resting heart rate of 38 they rushed the crash cart into my room about 5 times until the surgeon said to turn off my heart monitor.

The first year I wrote a lot, then it slowed down eventually becoming a monthly summary, and other than my monthly weight, less about WLS, more about living and milestones. My last entry goes through the 50 things I didn't do, and why.

I have forgotten so much.

Tek

is there a possibility of a "remaining items from the 50 things I haven't completed" making a comeback? You have an interesting perspective on everything and it's refreshing! I like the aspect of journaling, and it pains me that I don't take enough time for myself. Having 2 kids under 5, I don't get a lot of alone time, accompany that with a 8-5 job I have to do.

What were some of the 50 things you have accomplished? (A marathon (let alone more than 1 marathon) is amazing! is your resting heart rate still low? goodness, I'd say you gave that staff a run for their money!

My resting heartrate is at 68. I'm playing around with running again to see if running 3 miles a few times a week is in the cards. We live in a beautiful area setup for running and I get jealous of folks doing what I want to again. Starting slow and so far so good, but we'll see.

The things I didn't get around to when the journal ended I've since accomplished most of them over the last 15 years since.

Plus there are the things like marathons and horseback riding which weren't on the list of things I wanted to do at all.

About 12-15 were what I call odometer goals, weight beginning with 4--, 3--, 2--, shirt sizes, pant sizes, losing 50, 100, 150, 200, etc. Invariably I stopped my list too short.

Here are just a couple of things from the list:

Wake up after Surgery. This is the most important of all my 50 items, and the one most out of my control.

7 Apr 2003: I did, in fact, wake up after Surgery.

Weigh on the Scale at Home. I can't remember when I was last able to weigh myself on a home scale. Normally, they max out at 300 or 350 pounds, our current home scale appears to max at about 340. I am not sure if it will be a good or bad thing, being able to weigh at home; I see some people become obsessed with the scale, sometimes weighing multiple times a day, and I fear this potential rests in me.

17 Dec 2003: Today I weighed on the Scale at home. It said I weighed 322 (naked) but I didn't believe it. Dr. K. (PCP) scale said 330 (Dressed), so I guess it is about right. That was fun.

The rest would be horribly boring and self-congratulatory.

Tek

Those are some pretty awesome ones. Glad to see you listed them and are going back. I think all of us should have done that. Maybe start something similar now.

I liked your post because I think it is great that you wrote a journal for two years. I have never kept a journal for anything. I am sorry for the medical complication you endured.

Hi there, new to this site and still finding my way around. I really like the many features if offers to document ones weight loss journey. I had my RNY in 2002, lost lots of weight, gained some back, now ready to take it off for good. Love reading others posts as well.

In terms of journaling, I have kept journals at different points in my life. And reading your reflections on journaling helped me decide to keep an online journal of my weight loss progress. Mostly to keep me motivated, but to keep some memories of this time in my life, as I tend to be forgetful.