Four Year Anniversary - Long, Annual Powst

Four years ago today I walked into Toronto East General Hospital and put my trust into the wisdom of Dr. Aarts. I was 231 pounds, diabetic, with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, depression and constant sore neck and shoulders. I was 37-years-old, married with two young children and I was scared! My blood pressure was so high, they considered briefly not doing the surgery, but they added medication to my IV and off I went. 

The next stage went by fast, and life changed as drastically as my weight. After being at home with my children for six years, I went back to my old job. After six years of deliberation, I left my marriage. At nine months out I had my first Iron infusion (and just finished my 18th round of infusions), and around then my first bout with Dumping Syndrome and RH. My habits of dealing with stress with food resurfaced and I sought help via TWH. I met my original goal weight at 13 months out and I can't remember when I hit my new goal weight. I was already exercising doing spin classes and some weights. I started running regularly September 2012. In January, 2013 I had a panniculectomy (covered by OHIP) and after that hit my lowest weight of 126 pounds. I did my first half-Marathon that May and had been suffering with gall bladder attacks for months when it was finally removed in July, 2013. I did my first full marathon October, 2013 and just a few weeks later I was back in emergency with a bowel obstruction. More races in 2014 (half-marathon under 2 hours, first half-IronMan and second full marathon). January 2014 I was back in to the plastic surgeon to have dog-ears repaired (extra skin at the hips). It was under local anaesthetic and I ended up with a seroma on one side and a haemotoma on the other. I ended up having the whole scar repaired last November. I am training for my third marathon and my first full IronMan in Muskoka in August, which will be my biggest challenge to date. Just writing a lot of that still seems unbelievable to me. I never thought I would be doing anything like this, and actually be loving it! Even with my complications, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I am in a new, healthy, relationship, and together we have four active kids. Ross is my biggest cheerleader, and has been through all of my complications with me. And he is at every race, with tears in his eyes. I was not an athlete when we started dating, and he has loved watching me become one. I have become more at peace with food in the past year. I did a Mindful Eating course through TWH that I found very helpful. I still have issues with food, but they are much much less.  Again, I would do it all again and I'm quite happy where I am. There is my novel, lol. And here are my pics. Before surgery. My hospital weight was 231. Highest weight recorded was 242. No idea how bigger than that I was on the scale. Did  not go near it for years.    These pics were taken yesterday. 131 pounds and 19% body fat. I wanted to point that part out, because two years ago I hit my lowest of 126 pounds, but my body fat was 24%. That number is what I value more than the scale!! I am so much stronger now!

Kelly,

I am so proud of you. You have come SO far in the past 4 years, most notably (to me) in your thinking. It's the organization of your thoughts that will keep you going and SUCCEEDING! I admire your athleticism - you are a force to be reckoned with!

Wishing you continued success, health and most importantly, happiness.

Much love,

Karen xo

Xoxo to you my dear. I am glad that I am happy and that my thinking changed as well. It certainly wasn't an easy road. Here's to us and a lifetime of success as WLS vets. 

Cheers to that my friend! xo

Thank you for sharing those photos Kelly, they are very inspiring.

 

Hi Kelly

One of the better anniversary posts I have read over the years!  Big congrats on so many life changes - and you have kept it all up thru some real challenges

Maybe I will see you running thru at the August Ironman!

 

Ohhh. I will be cycling twice around the Lake of Bays through Dorset, Baysville and ummm something else that starts with D. You will be able to follow me online, so come out to the road when i'm getting close to you!!

You are beautiful inside and out. Truly an inspiration to me and many others. Wishing you continued success!  

Thanks Monica!

Wow! All that in four years! You've come a long way! What a motivator you are with your story. So many times along the way with your challenges you could have thrown in the towel but instead you chose to meet those challenges head on and kick some serious butt. Thank you for sharing your experience. I will refer to it when I need some inspiration.

Tammy :)