6 years!! Went by in a flash!

Six years ago today I put my faith in Dr. Aarts and went to sleep with regular guts and woke up with re-arranged ones. My journey has not been easy. The RNY itself was three hours longer due to a malfunction in the staple gun. Since then I've had my gall bladder removed, a panniculectomy, emergency bowel obstruction surgery, a minor repair to my panni, which turned into a full revision of it, 18 iron infusions (ferritin was as low as 2), I am borderline osteoporosis in my spine, hip and neck. Last year in January I had another repair to my bowel (twisted bowel and hernia repair). When I was in for that surgery, they discovered a small tumour (I had asked Dr. Aarts if there was a way to check as I had found out that colon cancer runs in the women in my birth family. She said she would "run the bowel" to check). After a colonoscopy, they decided it needed to be removed, as they weren't able to reach it for a biopsy. So In may, 2016 I had the tumour removed. A week later I obstructed. Things haven't been quite right since then (as far as going to the washroom goes) but I've figured out my new normal.

Now that the bad is out of the way here is the good. I went from my highest of 242 (231 at surgery time) to my lowest of 126. My personal goal was 135. I have completed three half marathons, three full marathons, two half Ironman races and did my first full Ironman in 2015 (4km swim, 180 km bike ride, and full marathon 42.2 km run). I'm currently training for my second full Ironman in Lake Placid July 23rd.

All of the above I NEVER would have dreamed I could do prior to surgery. After my Ironman I fell into a slump. The three surgeries I had since then have set me back big time. I wasn't able to run without stomach pain (and sudden need for the bathroom****il recently. I am still pushing to get my get-up-and-go back, and it's there, just not as enthusiastically as before. I still struggle with food and have to stay away from certain items or I go all out. I am 15 pounds above goal weight and it's coming off, but so much harder than before (as we all knew it would be).

All-in-all I am still grateful for this surgery, and I will help others who have made their own decision and have done the research on the self-advocacy it can take. It doesn't fix the head, I was told that from the start, and that the work I will always have to do.

Quite the journey good for you for persevering through all you have been through.

Best of luck in July! I can't imagine doing an Ironman!

Thanks. It will be a long day and I won`t be getting anywhere close to the time I got in 2015, but I am sure i`ll finish!

Whoops! Forgot to mention that the tumour was benign! yay!

OMG, you've been through so much. Kudos for still running marathons and Ironman races; wow.

I hope all will go well for you from here on in.

Thank you for sharing your story. You are an inspiration.

Kelly, you have always been an inspiration for me from the first time I met you at just over 1 month post-op. You have pushed your new body to such extremes that I can only dream of. The picture of you running with your eyelashes frozen shows your determination. If I push myself it's because I saw you doing that, and thought I can do better than I am currently doing.

You have been through so much, but you never let it stop you from striving to accomplish more, and I know you will do great at your next Ironman in Lake Placid.

Kelly you rock girl!!! Good luck with your training. Just competing in another Ironman after what you have been through is Amazing!! All the best.