A New Season, A New Me
October 27, 2015Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. When I was in elementary school, I loved buying new school supplies and organizing them. I can still remember opening my new box of crayons, and the smell of them. I lived in an area that had the beautiful transformation of trees turning brilliant colors of red, orange and yellow.
Fast forward to my life now, Autumn is still my favorite season. I count the months until Autumn rolls around each year. As of 2001, Autumn has even more significance for me, because I had RNY weight loss surgery 14 years ago this month. Talk about transformation....RNY WLS is definitely a transformation!
The new me is really a new me! At the end of 2014, the biggest thing that happened is I had a total knee replacement surgery. I did lots of research, obtained information and support when I posted about it on an OH message board. I talked to my primary care doctor and surgeon, and felt very informed about the surgery and how it would be to live with a knee replacement. While my new "bionic" knee is much better than it was before, it has been a more difficult, longer recuperation than I thought it would be. I am grateful that I had it done. With my knee replacement, I have another anniversary to celebrate this time of year too. My knee surgery is just one more transformation for my overall life.
New Me, New Knee 2014
Mobility: With my new knee, I can walk without pain. Before my surgery, I walked in a huge amount of pain, even just walking from one room of my home to another. While my WLS resulted in losing weight and gaining my health back, my knee surgery was another life-giving surgery that I gave to myself. The toll of being obese for so many years, despite losing my weight with WLS, was that my knees were shot. Being able to walk more than just a few feet without excruciating pain, is a new me.
Photography: I love photography. One of my very favorite things to do is to take a drive with my husband and take photos. We've done this together for years. With my knee, I couldn't get out of the car to take photos. My husband would have to navigate the car at just the right angle, so I could take photos from the car. It was very limiting. While I got the photo, it was never the same as being able to get out of the car, walk to whatever angle and distance I wanted, and grab the best shot. Now, I'm able to get out of the car and walk anywhere I want to get that shot that I want! Just being able to do that simple thing means the world to me.
Exercise: None! I couldn't even walk a few feet, so exercise and activity were out of the question. Now, I can walk! Never again will I take being able to walk, climb stairs and exercise for granted. Instead of being a "have to" it is now a "get to" when it comes to walking, exercising and moving my body. Having something, such as walking and exercise, taken away has made me very appreciative of now being able to do those things.
Autumn leaves: Every year, it is a tradition for us to go for walks and take a drive to enjoy the beautiful colors of leaves this time of year. The past three or four years, we've taken only drives to see the colorful trees. We haven't been able to take walks and appreciate them from a closer view. Not this year! We haven't taken our drive, because instead we've been so busy taking walks to enjoy the beautiful views of the trees up close.
New Me, RNY 2001
Before I had my RNY weight loss surgery, I hadn't realized all the things that my morbid obesity caused. After having my WLS, it was as though I was experiencing my life in a whole new way. I could wear clothes because I liked them, not only because they fit me. I could tuck shirts into my slacks without trying to hide my body. I could walk through a turnstile easily, without walking through the shopping cart entry. A whole new life opened up for me, and I experienced things as though it was the first time. I was in love with my life for the first time that I could remember. I promised myself I'd never allow myself to live a limited life again.
The thing about living a limited life is that it creeps up on you. For my knee, it started hurting but I brushed it off. When it really hurt, I took a couple of Tylenol. As the pain increased, so did the Tylenol. The pain increased to the point that there was nothing I could do to ease the pain. If I stood up to walk into the next room, the pain was very extreme, and I had to find things to lean on just to be able to go to the kitchen or the restroom. I had a few rounds of the knee injections which gave me only minimal relief, but not for very long. Due to extreme limitations in my life, I had no other options than a total knee replacement surgery.
New Me 2.0
Life has changes. Just as the trees are beautiful in the Spring season, they are even more beautiful in Autumn. While change can be dreaded and considered negative, change can also bring about a wonderful new life. I've been grateful to have had RNY WLS and all the many, wonderful changes it brought to my health and life. Now, thanks to a new knee, I have another new me to celebrate.
Photo credit: Rula Sibai cc
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
