The Journey back!

I was telling my experience to some preops the other day and akinned the road to obesity as the "HIGHWAY TO HELL" (love that song!) and the journey back as the "Road to Heaven"... After my presentation and statements, I've really been thinking about what I said... If I just had one piece of advice to young men and women, I would ask them to catch their weight at 10 lbs heavy and NOT take the path I've chosen. Now don't get me wrong... I am THANKFUL daily for this new tool I received in January -- I look at it as the means to the cure! I so admire people who have made the choice to take the cure in their younger years - I guess I am in the emotional mourning phase of "what could have been... if.... " I had made the choice for the surgery 8 years ago (the first time I was approved by insurance), I hadn't let the last 10 years slip by while I was sleeping, hadn't missed all those wonderful moments with my children or spouse... Regrets - sure, I have a suitcase full, but I am going headstrong in a different direction now and LOVIN' IT! Even with the 3+ week hospital stay after WLS, I would do this again in a heartbeat -- I totally feel a new lease on life, albeit regretting the last 10 years of super obesity. Tomorrow is our monthly support group meeting where the guest speaker is a psychologist hitting upon the topics of obesity, depression, rapid weightloss and grief. I plan to attend to hear his words of wisdom, as I've heard from many, many, many postops that at 5-6 months the head "trauma/drama" begins because we are changing both physicially and mentally on the fast track. So, my question to you is: What are your plans for dealing with the head stuff that is supposed to hit us here in the near and dear future?

Wendy, What a reflective post, and so needed. I, too, have such regrets that I didn't do this sooner, yet am happy about the changes so far. I've only lost 60 lbs, but I can clean, shop, and do things already that would have made the quality of my life so much better in the last five years. I have seen glimpes of the future for my physical body already---it's getting jiggly, and soft(very unappealing). Yet, the fatter me had to be unappealing as well. We know there will be loose skin, but I think we get caught up in the "excitement" of just seeing lower numbers on the scale, and think we'll deal with that whole sagging skin problem later(ala Scarlett O'Hara mentality) Head trauma. It's there. I'm not quite 4 months yet, but this last month, I've been so emotional, but can't quite figure out why. I don't have plans to deal with this, or how to deal with this, so if your guest speaker has words of wisdom on this issue, please email me, or post. Dianne p.s. Good luck to you and Congratulations on your journey so far.

what a great question...i am going to think about it today and see what things i come up with...we are all emotional people depending on how you felt prior has alot to do with how you will feel after. I think learning to be happy is something i need to work on....i am not used to waking up and embracing the day as i am now and that is a great positive but it is a new feeling along with many others i am feeling...i think time heals all wounds and it starts with acceptting ourselves for who we are and that, we have all struggled with or we would not be here, i rather be making the adjustments and feeling the new feelings then the dark place of pre surgery where i was immune to be being happy and accepting myself for who i am was impossible.Being ourselves during this new rebirth has to be the constant across the board if we lose sight of that i think the new you or me might not be able to be happy....we cannot change to a new person we must accept the changes and embrace them and then allow those changes to evolve within the person we are...and if we can maintain that type of attitude the journey will be for the person we are and not who we want to be. If we look to be this new super person who looks awesome and feels awesome and everybody just loves with that great personality we will be dissappointed...rather we be ourselves and be happy with the changes and evolve with the wow moments and better health and lots more energy then we will be like a flower that grows and then blooms rather then a transplanted flower that is in new dirt and it is in shock at the new surroundings.

Hi Wendy Thank you for this posting... I guess I haven't given it much thought. Please share the information that you recieve from the Psychologist. Thank you, Syndi

I agree with you about wishing I had not let things go so far and get so out of control. I am one that was not overweight my whole life (though I did have to work hard at staying a normal weight), but once the cycle started with being overweight and having severe depression, I just couldn't control the eating and weight gain. I definitely am one that used/uses eating as a way of coping. I am dealing with this in counseling and will continue to deal with these issues as they arise. I hear the head stuff actually gets worse a little further down postop we are, and I am very concerned about how I will continue to deal with it. I see a psychologist and a psychiatrist for medication for depression, and do plan to continue seeking this professional help for quite some time. SueZ