17 months out - a new lease on life - THANK YOU!
I am not quite 17 months out (I will be on Nov 24th), but I wanted to give an update on where I'm at.
When I started this journey, I weighed in at 370lbs. The day of surgery, I weighed in at 351lbs. Today, I'm weighing in anywhere between 170-175lbs. I'm 6'2, so that means my BMI is in the normal range for the first time as far as I can remember. When I was a senior in high school, I weighed in at 270lbs. The difference between how I look now and how I looked before are night and day.
I was put on creon, so that I gain some weight back and absorb food a little better. This is good, at my lowest I was down to 165lbs. I just met with the DR to review my labs last week and he was thrilled. I had some issues with Low A, Low Iron, Low Protein, and a couple of other things I needed to work on, but I got my first "you're good!" thumbs up from Dr. G and his staff at Abington Bariatrics. Dr G (Gintaras Antanavicius) has always put my well being first and foremost. He had some tough conversations with me, but this time the guy actually hugged me. I was not expecting it.
I haven't had many challenges personally throughout this process other than the concern I was losing too much weight and some concerns about low iron. I'd consider many of these things "par for the course".
What am I doing now?
I'm still traveling a lot for work, which makes things difficult :) I started a new job at a great company, and am overall doing great. I love my new life, but most importantly I'm loving me. It makes it a lot easier to really love the people around me (my wife and two amazing children). I go to the gym 3-5 times a week and now have people that meet me for the first time ask me what my secret is to my overall fitness/health.
It's amazing what an episode of Full House two years ago can do to put life in perspective for you. If you are thinking about having this surgery - don't do it until you can commit to a makeover. A makeover of what you drink, what you eat, and most importantly -- how you live.
I haven't posted much on this message board, but I do read a lot and I actually consider you all as family. Thanks for listening to me cry of concern, but most of all thanks for joining me on my own personal journey.
-jason
DS on 6/24/13
SW 351
GW 190
CW 171
I love "aha moments". What happened on Full House that make you change your life?
Just to share my experience....I fainted at a Dave Matthews Band concert in 2008. I had been sitting on the ground and I think my breathing and circulation were very limited due to my size. I felt like I died and my friend thought I did as well. I lost all bodily functions (poop, pee, vomit). During it I heard Oprah say in my ear "God speaks to us in whispers and then he gets louder until we hear him". I said "I get it Oprah". Everyone laughs when they hear that story. I heard Oprah say that on a show and apparently I needed to hear it again during a medical crisis. I knew that I had been receiving signs that I needed to change but I didn't until I was smacked in the face. I quit smoking, quit my job I hated, had my DS, lost all my weight, got the job of my dreams working with animals and am so much happier. Laugh all you want but I say "Thanks Oprah"!!!
