6 YEARS POST-OP TODAY FINALLY!!! I HAVE CHIP ON MY SHOULDER....Snippets of my...

At 6:00 a.m. in the morning on 2/5/07 I was being admitted for Gastric Bypass Surgery, doctor's first case of the day.  I remember the emotions ranging from butterflies in my stomach ... to anxiety... to panic ... to excitement .. to expectations.. to fear .. REPEAT over and over and over again all night long on the pre-op night.... BUT by morning time something had changed ... determination and longing for a healthier life without co-morbidities and limited mobility set in ... I wanted LIFE with QUALITY and QUANTITY of life combined ... to further enjoy my awesome family and friends and peers and the great host of cyberposters on here .. some that I have met IRL and others that I have maintained close contact with....

Through it all I have tracked my journey in a digital empowerment journal that I named "A picture a day keeps the pounds and the inches away" a goofy tool that works for me .... My comparison collages keep me in remembrance of where I was at and where I am ...I like to see the difference/feel the difference and most of all KEEP the difference.

My knees no longer hurt and my Achilles are strong enough to hit the pavement in a run or a sprint from a 5 to 10 to 20K you name it I have ran so many road races and will continue to do so that I have lost count ... I can shake my body to the music in intense aerobics ... or strengthen my muscles in weights ... pilates, body sculpting, Bikram, Swimming, Reformer you name it are my friends ...

What a difference in 6 years ... I went from a maximum recorded weight of 327 pounds to a total weight loss of 203 pounds and I have been in steady maintenance for 6 years now.  Diabetes, hyperlipidemia, sleep apnea, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux and limited mobility are a note from the past as long as I keep on track which I intend to do ... I do not want to go back to twice daily glucovance nor toprol XL nor nexium nor c-pap nor zetia ... 

With a great vitamin regimen and lab monitoring I am healthy and mobile and living my life one day at a time, one choice at a time enjoying every single moment .... I treat each day as a gift and I am determined to make the most of all of it ...

Today on my 6th year surgiversary I made my empowerment collage... YESTERDAY AND NOW - SIX YEARS AFTER....

I went from having limited mobility to being able to run, jump, squat, swim and repeat ...

I even did a SITTING before and after collage this morning... YUP THERE I AM SITTING WITH CHIP ON MY SHOULDER!!!

CHIP is my awesome pocketbook poodle and surgivesary gift... he came home on Friday 2/1/13 in my pocketbook...

and is the cutest 'lil thing along with his brother Pierre and sister Pierretta who are toy poodles...

My awesome dogs are an addition to my life routine and I love them soooooooooo much ... I have always dreamt of having a huge old house with big yards and 4 dogs ... I can't wait to complete my dream before going back to Panamá....

If I were to pick words to describe my feelings post weight lost surgery I would definitely say grateful, healthy, mobile, happier than ever ... no regrets ....

My love life was great before surgery and it is as awesome now as together we grow older and enjoy our children with the expectation of having grandchildren some day ... in the interim we have our beautiful ferrets and our poodles and we are happy .... chasing dogs and ferrets LOL.... My DH is soooooooooo happy ... these dogs have worked wonders with him too ... he was tending to get depressed being disabled and all...

HAPPY SURGIVERSARY TO ME!!! Thank you for allowing me to share.... SNIPPETS OF MY JOURNEY ... 6 years post-op WOOT!

THANKS OH ... FOR ALLOWING ME TO SHARE AND TO RECEIVE AWESOME SUPPORT AND INSPIRATION FROM ALL YOUR MEMBERS PAYING IT FORWARD ON HERE ... SHARING EXPERIENCES/INFORMATION AND HELPING EACH OTHER BECAUSE AFTER ALL WE ARE BROTHERS AND SISTERS ON THE JOURNEY IMO...

I AM GRATEFUL!!!

Congratulations and happy surgiversary.  You are an inspiration to all.  Keep up the good work and girl you look DAMN GOOD!

Frankie

Thank you Frankie!!! Your kind words are an inspiration to this old goofy sista here ... The journey is soooooooooo well worth it I am determined to make the best of it ... enjoying life with all the ups and gaining strength as I press through all the challenges ...

Best wishes to you too on your journey

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT INSPIRATION!  

Thank YOU OH for allowing me to share my journey on here and partake in the exchange with others sharing experiences on here.  

Martita - First of all congratulations on your 6 years! Thank you so much for sharing your smippets, ideas, pictures, thoughts, words, actions, etc. etc.! You truly are an inspiration to us all!  When I am down (which seems to be quite a bit lately) I try to think of you and so many others who have made their surgeries work for them.,

Don't get me wrong my surgery has not failed me either.  I ate some chinese today for the 1st time in 4 -1/2 years and boy did I suffer! I only ate around 3-4 small bites too but it was enough and I am still suffering as I write!

 

But I digress...Please keep up with your snippets, your posts, and your encouragement to others.  If there could be a saint for the Obese then you'd be it, I think.  You yourself both know and try and show newbies and even us oldies how success has worked for you and your life and that it can work for us all as well..

 

Take good care, I don't get on here as often as I'd like but want you to know I love ya and thank you for all of your help and inspiration.    Molly P.

Thank you my beautiful Molly P.  I was missing you on here as well as other posters who I miss A LOT.  I even met up with two awesome of those awesome women in New York recently.

You have been great support and inspiration and encouragement and have shown me such through all the years that I have posted on here.... no matter what you say WE CAN DO THIS .... I can eat certain chinese foods others make me ill so I am careful what I choose.... I rather Japanese especially Sashimi instead ... I love it and so does my pouch....

I am so sorry to hear that you have been down a bit lately ...  my dearest husband was feeling that way quite a bit and it all turned when I walked in the house with my awesome toy poodle Pierre ... and then came Pierretta and now we have Chip.  Pierre made him soooooooo happy he and my DD bought me Pierretta as an All Kings Day Gift because it was my monthly surgiversary .... and the because my dream is to have for dogs for my 6th year anniversary we got Chip ... I have three awesome dogs ... their is something about them that lifted my entire's family spirit ... even mine... they make me sooooooooooooo happy ... they are a perfect therapy for when I am feeling a bit sad or down ...

((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) Thanks for allowing me to share my goofy snippets with you!

Feliz surgiversario... He he, having fun with Spanglish!

BTW I can't believe you got a THIRD dog!!

When do you think you'll go to Panama?

El dicho dice 'a tu tierra, grulla, aunque sea con un pie' y para allá voy.  Estoy pendiente de la salud de mi hermana.  Estuvimos planeando regresar a fines de año pero ella esta respondiendo muy bien a su tratamiento... mientras tanto hemos alquidado nuestra casa allá y compramos una casa 'vieja y super grande' aquí para dejarle como potestad a los hijos si acaso tenemos que irnos más pronto o después de lo planeado.  Te escribo detalles en PM.

Chip is number 3.  My dream is to have 4.  The are all going with me.  The breeder is awesome.  She has the perfect nursery in her home ... it is so clean and beautiful I could just live there and do that for the rest of my life.  Her husband, like mine is disabled and has lost an eye.  The care and dedication she has to her animals is incredible.

Chip is a trip.... CHIP for Chocolate Chip ... he is brown down to his nose and lips LOL ... he is soooooooo freaking ugly he is pretty with it LOL

Me alegro que ​tu hermana responda al tratamiento.

So ugly he's pretty??  I only see cute!! ;-)