In the Meantime...

The results of my endoscopy have left me thinking about some things - here's a question for you all. Do any of you look back and wonder on any level if you could have achieved your weight loss goals without gastric bypass surgery? Do you spend time wondering about this at all? I see the media hype - one of the latest editions of People's Magazine for instance - about these folks who have lost tremendous weight on their own, no surgery, and I am still convinced that I could not have done this without the surgery. What about you? Now I'm faced with deciding how to best deal with the news that my stoma is too dialated, which is contributing to weight regain and malabsorption issues above and beyond what we expect as post-ops. I don't want to look at this next "fix" as solving my weight problems. Although I do intend to have my stoma sutured to a more appropriate size, I want to believe that I am still the captain of my own successes; so, in the meantime, as I wait to get this next work done (probably not until late spring), I must stay very vigilent in doing what has to be done on a daily basis - live healthily. Move my body, hurl it through space with abandon, break a sweat and continue to marvel in the knowledge that I CAN. Eat well, good, solid healthy food choices, satisfy my cravings with fresh fruit and savor the tastes and textures, increase my veggy intake and just enjoy healthy eating. As for my head, well that takes vigilent work as well, apart from any weight issues. Today, I urge you all to celebrate the uniqueness that is you - celebrate every inch of you, every thought you have, every step you take toward being the best person you can be. This is our job. Be the best we can be. Who is that for you? Just for today? Love you guys - Reenie P.S. The stoma measures in milimeters, not centimeters - my stoma is 32 milimeters when it should be 10 milimeters. I'm glad I know this now. It's good to have that knowledge relieve me of any feelings of shame or guilt for the 10 pounds I've gained. Now to work - mind, body, spirit , health - then give it all away to make a positive contribution to the world...and you???

Reenie I know for me that I SURELY and TRULY would not have lost this weight without the surgery! I just read thru one of those articles in People and saw how most of them used some sort of Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, type diet place...@@ well I just wonder why surgery is viewed as teh easy way out? but sometihng like medifast is not viewed as easy... I am going to be teh captain of my success as well and get rid of these 30 pounds...at least 25 but 30 will be coming off! the ideal goal is to have it off by the last day of school so we will see how successful I am at working my tool! HUGS! nic

At my age and having been on some type of diet, program, life change, you can call it what you want AND having lost some weight but never all the weight AND the depression of not likeing hell hating what I looked like, the thought that every time I would try again I'd pretty much fail, all the pep talks all the head shrinks, every single thing I did was not enough...until! I had the surgery. Call me weak. Call me lazy. Tell me I was a failure at weight loss for having going the "easy" route and having surgery to lose weight. WE all know the real story. I thank god for having made me strong enough to go that "easy" route. When I see those storys I say good for you people who were able to lose it your way. And good for me for being able to have lost it mine. I know if I need a revision I'm right there in line for it. Its a constant struggle to keep what I've lost off. Its a daily fight to try to lose that stupid 15 pounds. I'm holding my own on that and while not happy that I've put that 15 on it is 15 that Dr A told me that I would gain. Its allowable to me. Besides I'm normal sized now even though when I look in the mirror I still see the old me. The scale tells me that I'm still normal sized. So I do my brain battles to keep it all in perspective. Compared to almost 4 years ago I'm just about normal in all things. Note the just about! Compared to almost 4 years ago I'm pretty darn happy. Yes I owe this to the surgery but I also owe it to me. I'm proud that I did this. when peopel ask how I lost the weight I tell them Gastric By Pass saved and gave me life. When their is a very rude person who might say O you didn't do it on your own? I say Oh YES I did! Do not judge me until you have walked in my shoes and if you did walk in them and were able to lose it on your own good for you but give me the credit I deserver for doing it my way! Ta Da! I shall now get off my soap box and go weigh myself! love ya alllllll Pam

No...no way could I have done it without the surgery. Not even a doubt in my mind. And, thanks to you, I am calling my surgeon on Monday...he's about an hour from where I live now but I don't care. I'm having an endoscopy to check this out. Thanks for all your insightful info. You are all things good.... Love ya, Joanie