Almost 2 years since surgery
Hey gang,
My 2 year surgiversary is approaching and I felt compelled to come visit the board I relied on SO MUCH when I was getting ready for surgery and going through all the weird stuff afterward.
On Friday, it will have been 2 years. I'm within 10 pounds of my surgeon's goal. For a while there, I set my sights on 20 or 30 pounds more, but that just didn't happen. I feel pretty good about the way things have gone.
Here's my reality + my tips for anyone who's curious....
* I can drink soda now, but I waited a full year before I tried it again. Still I try to keep in to 12 oz or less per day. It took me almost 6 months of weaning off caffine before surgery. In a few short months, I'm hooked again and get a headache if I don't have any.
* I have a hell of a time with ground beef. Steak is fine, but ground beef causes problems every time. Maybe it's the grissle.
* I didn't drink alcohol for the first year after surgery. Started after that, experimenting and whatnot. I've come to realize it's more trouble than it's worth, so I don't bother much anymore.
* I used to LOVE pasta. All kinds, all shapes, all sauces. Now, no matter what I do, I always get stuck. Every couple of months I try again, but it just doesn't work. It's an unhappy parting - a love affair that will never be...oh well.... Rice used to get stuck every time, but not anymore. YAY!
* My portion size is still pretty small...maybe too small. When I go out for dinner, I eat a bit and take the rest home. Half of a grilled cheese sandwich is almost too much. As such, I have to eat about 5 times a day to get enough in me to keep me going. Lots of little meals. Lots of leftovers. Most of the time it's ok, but sometimes it's sad to know ordering a dinner at a restaurant is mostly a big waste and it will end up cold in styrofoam in my fridge and will take a week to finish.
* Drink water and take your B12! Dehydration SUCKS! Pernicious aneamia (from missing B12) sucks even more. For goodness sake, follow your doctor's orders and listen to your nut(ritionist).
*My skin did not shrink back to fit my new size. Large parts of my skin (upper arms, upper legs, stomach area) look like pantyhose with runs in it. My boobs are saggy. The skin on my neck is loose and wrinkles vertically like an old lady. I get more self-concious about that more than anything. My partner (BLESS HER) said something to the affect of "I know you don't think it looks that great, but it all feels pretty good to me" Love that woman.
*Exercise to make the pain go away. Keep exercising. Start small, build up and keep going. It took me a long time to get my butt in gear, but once I did, I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got past my fear of being made fun of by strangers (which comes back from time to time) and kept going. Now I exercise just to prove I can. I rode my bike about 20 miles today just running errands (south Minneapolis to Edina via Richfield, through Linden Hills past Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun back to south Minneapolis) Never thought I'd do that, but I do - 3 times a week.
*Take care of your mental health. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. How many amongst us have turned to drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, gambling, depression, self harm, and all other assorted distractions to run away from the pain that's still in there, even when your butt is the size of a teenagers? Take your medication. Have your medication checked if you haven't for a long time. Go to group therapy and/or support groups. Get a therapist. Lean on your support network when you need it. If nothing else, such radical changes in every bit of your life - internally and externally - require a lot of self reflection and a lot of support to talk it though, process it, and talk it through some more and process it some more. IT'S HARD. GET HELP!
* Take pictures, keep a journal, and be kind to yourself when weighing. Give this great big thing the attention it deserves, but don't let it be the one and only thing in your life. Observe the changes, mark them down, but don't forget the rest of your life. The short time after surgery is going to be nothing compared to the rest of your life. Make yourself a little memory book can say "Back when I was fat, I had surgery, went through this really weird change, and became what I am now - look". When you are ready, put the book away and just enjoy your life as it is. Keep it as a momento like you might a high school yearbook or baby pictures, but remember, it's just part of your journey, not the whole thing.
Well, I've babbled on enough. You probably know I hardly ever come here any longer. Many of you probably have no clue who I am (look at my profile if you like - CRAZY differences in my pictures).
Know that even though I'm not here, I think of all the newbies fondly - I know how stressful the pre-approved, pre-scheduled and pre-surgery times can be. Listen to your medical professionals and ask questions of them until you are comfortable.
All you post-ops - hang in there. It's weird. It's bizzare. It's stressful as hell. Take care of yourselves as best as you can. Love you all too.
Old timers - you know who you are - I hope you're doing well and making it through the whole darn thing. I know you're probably here to get support from the other old timers and to help the newbies and post-ops with thier stuff. You're generous and lovely for that. Love you lots.
Best wishes to all of you, whatever your path is. I wish you happiness and good health whether you have surgery or not, whether you reach your goal or not. You're lovely. Your life can be lovely too.
XOXO
Jen
My 2 year surgiversary is approaching and I felt compelled to come visit the board I relied on SO MUCH when I was getting ready for surgery and going through all the weird stuff afterward.
On Friday, it will have been 2 years. I'm within 10 pounds of my surgeon's goal. For a while there, I set my sights on 20 or 30 pounds more, but that just didn't happen. I feel pretty good about the way things have gone.
Here's my reality + my tips for anyone who's curious....
* I can drink soda now, but I waited a full year before I tried it again. Still I try to keep in to 12 oz or less per day. It took me almost 6 months of weaning off caffine before surgery. In a few short months, I'm hooked again and get a headache if I don't have any.
* I have a hell of a time with ground beef. Steak is fine, but ground beef causes problems every time. Maybe it's the grissle.
* I didn't drink alcohol for the first year after surgery. Started after that, experimenting and whatnot. I've come to realize it's more trouble than it's worth, so I don't bother much anymore.
* I used to LOVE pasta. All kinds, all shapes, all sauces. Now, no matter what I do, I always get stuck. Every couple of months I try again, but it just doesn't work. It's an unhappy parting - a love affair that will never be...oh well.... Rice used to get stuck every time, but not anymore. YAY!
* My portion size is still pretty small...maybe too small. When I go out for dinner, I eat a bit and take the rest home. Half of a grilled cheese sandwich is almost too much. As such, I have to eat about 5 times a day to get enough in me to keep me going. Lots of little meals. Lots of leftovers. Most of the time it's ok, but sometimes it's sad to know ordering a dinner at a restaurant is mostly a big waste and it will end up cold in styrofoam in my fridge and will take a week to finish.
* Drink water and take your B12! Dehydration SUCKS! Pernicious aneamia (from missing B12) sucks even more. For goodness sake, follow your doctor's orders and listen to your nut(ritionist).
*My skin did not shrink back to fit my new size. Large parts of my skin (upper arms, upper legs, stomach area) look like pantyhose with runs in it. My boobs are saggy. The skin on my neck is loose and wrinkles vertically like an old lady. I get more self-concious about that more than anything. My partner (BLESS HER) said something to the affect of "I know you don't think it looks that great, but it all feels pretty good to me" Love that woman.
*Exercise to make the pain go away. Keep exercising. Start small, build up and keep going. It took me a long time to get my butt in gear, but once I did, I realized it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I got past my fear of being made fun of by strangers (which comes back from time to time) and kept going. Now I exercise just to prove I can. I rode my bike about 20 miles today just running errands (south Minneapolis to Edina via Richfield, through Linden Hills past Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun back to south Minneapolis) Never thought I'd do that, but I do - 3 times a week.
*Take care of your mental health. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. How many amongst us have turned to drugs, alcohol, sex, shopping, gambling, depression, self harm, and all other assorted distractions to run away from the pain that's still in there, even when your butt is the size of a teenagers? Take your medication. Have your medication checked if you haven't for a long time. Go to group therapy and/or support groups. Get a therapist. Lean on your support network when you need it. If nothing else, such radical changes in every bit of your life - internally and externally - require a lot of self reflection and a lot of support to talk it though, process it, and talk it through some more and process it some more. IT'S HARD. GET HELP!
* Take pictures, keep a journal, and be kind to yourself when weighing. Give this great big thing the attention it deserves, but don't let it be the one and only thing in your life. Observe the changes, mark them down, but don't forget the rest of your life. The short time after surgery is going to be nothing compared to the rest of your life. Make yourself a little memory book can say "Back when I was fat, I had surgery, went through this really weird change, and became what I am now - look". When you are ready, put the book away and just enjoy your life as it is. Keep it as a momento like you might a high school yearbook or baby pictures, but remember, it's just part of your journey, not the whole thing.
Well, I've babbled on enough. You probably know I hardly ever come here any longer. Many of you probably have no clue who I am (look at my profile if you like - CRAZY differences in my pictures).
Know that even though I'm not here, I think of all the newbies fondly - I know how stressful the pre-approved, pre-scheduled and pre-surgery times can be. Listen to your medical professionals and ask questions of them until you are comfortable.
All you post-ops - hang in there. It's weird. It's bizzare. It's stressful as hell. Take care of yourselves as best as you can. Love you all too.
Old timers - you know who you are - I hope you're doing well and making it through the whole darn thing. I know you're probably here to get support from the other old timers and to help the newbies and post-ops with thier stuff. You're generous and lovely for that. Love you lots.
Best wishes to all of you, whatever your path is. I wish you happiness and good health whether you have surgery or not, whether you reach your goal or not. You're lovely. Your life can be lovely too.
XOXO
Jen
!!Jen!!
so good to hear from you, and especially that you are doing well. Yeah, loose skin is the pits, but I am 3 years out now, and my neck HAS gotten a little tighter-and I am 49, so you may still be surprised at what happens. If not, well.....wrinkly skin is a small price to pay for good health overall.
I hope that you will drop in at group sometime-the marvelous and wonderful Barb is still in the lead, and we would love to see you!!
looking beautiful, lady-have a fabulous day!
lynn
so good to hear from you, and especially that you are doing well. Yeah, loose skin is the pits, but I am 3 years out now, and my neck HAS gotten a little tighter-and I am 49, so you may still be surprised at what happens. If not, well.....wrinkly skin is a small price to pay for good health overall.
I hope that you will drop in at group sometime-the marvelous and wonderful Barb is still in the lead, and we would love to see you!!
looking beautiful, lady-have a fabulous day!
lynn
LynnK
Jen,
Thanks for sharing your story............
You've done a great job.......I can't do pasta either.......It's always nice to hear from people farther out.......I wish we would see you more often on the boards, it's nice to talk to farther out people for guidance, knowledge, etc.
Thanks again, Kelly
Thanks for sharing your story............
You've done a great job.......I can't do pasta either.......It's always nice to hear from people farther out.......I wish we would see you more often on the boards, it's nice to talk to farther out people for guidance, knowledge, etc.Thanks again, Kelly
Hi Jen......thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. It is always great to hear from those that are further out.
Sounds like life is good for you...that is wonderful!! Congrats on you 2 year anniversary!!!
I still, at almost one year out have not tried pasta, bread or rice. I am not sure if I could handle them and at this point I still don't want them. I focus on protein mostly, veggies and fruit. I was a pastaholic also. I am afraid if I start I won't be able to quit eating it again. Best left as a memory!!
Thanks for the great post!!
Hugs, connie d
Sounds like life is good for you...that is wonderful!! Congrats on you 2 year anniversary!!!
I still, at almost one year out have not tried pasta, bread or rice. I am not sure if I could handle them and at this point I still don't want them. I focus on protein mostly, veggies and fruit. I was a pastaholic also. I am afraid if I start I won't be able to quit eating it again. Best left as a memory!!
Thanks for the great post!!
Hugs, connie d
So happy to read your post. We only met once (at the first Swapkins) or twice, but your attitude and energy was infectious; it's still there.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It helps us oldies and the newbies.
Take care.
J
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. It helps us oldies and the newbies.
Take care.
J
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J
J
Jen, I sincerely hope you drop in a bit more often than around your surgiversaries! You are a philosophical, intelligent woman, and we can all take bits and pieces of your wisdom with us when you speak!
I hope life is treating you well, and I do hope to see you at PNC once in a while! Our dear Shannin appears to have gotten busy with her life-outside-WLS as well, I miss her wisdom, too.
Thanks for checking in!!!
I hope life is treating you well, and I do hope to see you at PNC once in a while! Our dear Shannin appears to have gotten busy with her life-outside-WLS as well, I miss her wisdom, too.
Thanks for checking in!!!
Imperfect does not = unsuccessful
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