140 pounds lost and feeling great - long post

Hi Everyone - Just thought I'd do an update. I got so much information and support from this site, that I would like to offer that to others considering this surgery. It is a huge decision!

I had my surgery on Feb. 27 of 2014 with Dr. Gmora at St. Joseph's Hospital in Hamilton. My highest weight was 303 pounds, my day of surgery weight was 275 pounds. My weight today is 160 pounds. I was diabetic, took medications for high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and insomnia. I also had sleep apnea. I am no longer on any medications other than the required daily vitamins and supplements.

My life has changed greatly. Being so overweight was the main focus of almost every thought and activity I did everyday for 20 years. My life seemed to revolve around when and what I would eat next, isolating myself from activities, worrying about my failing health and feeling hopeless. While this has been a challenging process, I have so much more hope now. Not having my weight and food to focus on, I've had to deal head on with some other issues in my life. It's not always easy, but it is certainly worth it!

I have not had any lasting complications from my RNY surgery. I did experience quite a bit of hair thinning for about 6-8 months, but that has rectified itself as my body healed. I also have not had a period since my surgery, but that isn't really a concern as I am 49 years old. I get regular blood work and all of my vitamin, mineral, etc levels are good. I still have food addictions, especially sugar and stress eating. Basically, I try to deal with this on a one day at a time basis, work some treats into my food plan and try to be mindful of my emotional state so I don't get carried away. I also found that I like aquafit and walking the dog, so this helps with stress as well. I spend much less time living in my head and more time actually going out and doing things.

It's been said many,many times on here that this surgery is only a weight loss tool and this is so true. But it is a great tool and I am so thankful that with it I have been able to make my health and happiness a priority.

I welcome any questions and hope that I can offer the same support which was given so freely to me.

I cannot figure out how to post pics here :-)  but there are updated ones in my profile. I always LOVED looking at pictures.

Thank you so much for your post! What an inspiration! I have been researching and contemplating having WLS since 2012. Had referral done then, so a surgeon and changed my mind. The next referral was July 2014 and I actually made it to orientation and surgeon appt. Waiting for my trio appointments now at Humber on June 8 and until a couple of days ago I was thinking I was going to change my mind yet again...but reading posts like this make it easier to keep going. I am also accepting that this is a very mental and emotional addiction that I have. Just this week I have started journaling and reaching out for some support around my emotional and "opportunity" carb eating...thanks again for sharing you helped someone else today...the wait is unbelievable, but for me it has been a necessary process I am more ready today then last week.

I also struggled with uncertainty and fear, so I finally made a commitment to myself to go thru the entire process, each step and then on the day of surgery, if I still changed my mind, I would not do it. I am an anxious person and I was able to discuss this with the anesthesiologist prior to my surgery and arrange to have a low dose of ativan (lorazepam) about an hour before surgery to help calm my nerves. Thank goodness I did as I was panicky, but I knew in my heart I wanted to go ahead, I just couldn't get my nerves to cooperate. 

That is exactly what it is with me too...ANXIETY...I live with and so does my husband makes this process tough. I really like that you stuck with the process, this is what I intend to do too. Thanks for the suggestion about asking for something for anxiety ahead of time. Hoping my anxiety and insomnia apnea will all improve with this tool.

What a great job you have done on your weight loss and working on your new self.  Your should be so proud of yourself.  

What an inspiration post for a newbie to read!  I have been doing a lot of reading and research about pre-surgery and post-surgery.

What did you do post-surgery to make this a success?  Exercise? Skin removal surgery? How did you handle the hair thining?

It's so important to do lots of reading and research. I was a little freaked out about my thin hair, but after reading about it, I knew it was temporary and just accepted it as my body adjusting. I figured my long term health took priority over short term vanity. I have had to find my way to a similar attitude about excess skin, which I have a fair amount of, but not enough to qualify for any type of paid surgery. The mean critic voice we have about our fat bodies will continue and find other ways to taunt us if allowed. It's a pattern, a habit and I'm learning day by day to address it. When I get obsessive about my skin, I stop whatever I'm doing and take a moment to offer this old body some gratitude for carrying me through this life. I think about how much I've put it through and focus on being gentle with myself. In regard to exercise, I have always hated it because I've always thought of it as a punishment for my obesity. So over the last year, as I lost weight, I didn't do any formal types of exercise other than walking and dancing like a freak around my home, which is fun. Now that my body has less to bear, I find myself being naturally drawn to being more active and I don't consider it exercise so much as just living. I like the water so I have found swimming exercise class that I enjoy. No more punishment, just fun and music.

In regard to eating, I found myfitnesspal to be a great tool for learning about food and doing a reality check on my eating and intake of nutrition. I set alarms to take my vitamins three times a day. I try to drink a lot of water. My eating is far from perfect some days, but as each day ends, I let it pass and start fresh the next day. I have found Premier Protein shakes (from Costco) to be a very helpful tool to reach my protein goals, along with my other food.

I think the greatest indicator of how successful my surgery can be comes down to my attitude. If I choose to focus on deprivation and restriction, I feel overwhelmed by 'rules' and fear. If I move my thoughts to life outside of food and food addiction, I feel joyful and grateful for this gift that is giving me back my health. Attitude is my choice and seems to have the biggest impact on my life. This surgery is a choice, it's a commitment, it takes discipline and a lot of work, but it's worth it, I'm worth it...we all are. :)

Congratulations. Your great attitude should serve you well in maintenance. Good luck with the next step

Nice post.  I think it is so positive for all of us to get perspective on how complex a journey this is.  We get caught up in the smiley "after" photos and sometimes loose sight of the sweat behind those smiles.  

Will you be updating your BMI on your profile? 

Looking forward to reading your words of experience.