6 years ago today and I got to my goal!

Well, it's hard to even fathom it's been 6 years since I laid my life down on that gurney at 325 pounds!  Time does fly by, but now it seems like I've been this 'weight' forever.  I can barely remember what it's like to carry around another whole person with me all the time! 

I can't say the journey has been perfectly smooth, because it's had it's ups and downs.  I went through anemia in my second year.  I have 'reactive hypoglycemia' when I eat too many sugars or fats, which is my 'dumping' factor now I think.  The WORST thing I experienced was the bowel obstruction due to adhesions in January 06.  That kind of pain (for FIVE days) is OFF THE CHART folks!  You DON'T want to have a bowel obstruction - trust me!  I'd rather give birth to an elephant than go through that pain again! 

But on the 'positive' side, it's so great to be a normal person!  There are still things that just blow my mind like being able to paint my toenails with my knee to my chest instead of having my husband do it for me because I couldn't bend over.  And when I lay on my side, it feels so weird to see and feel my hip bone!  And when I lay on my back my stomach sinks in (but not like it did before children, LOL!) and it just amazes me now. 

My body isn't perfect and at my age (I'll be 49 in two days) I can't expect it to be. I have hanging skin that will always be with me as a reminder of where I've come from. I'm glad I had my TT and BL and hopefully I"ll get to have my arms done early next year.  Life is GREAT when I follow the rules and keep the weight off!  My usual weight has been 170 for the last year or two but I've worked hard and I made it to my goal of 155 today and I'm so excited!  Granted I need to lose 15 more pounds, but I'm just glad I'm down as far as I am!

And the 'icing on the cake' was when my 18 year old daughter presented me with a card this morning.  I told her it wasn't my birthday yet, and she said, 'I know - just open it!'  It was a card to celebrate my success in keeping the weight off for six years!  Now how many 18 year old teenagers would 1) remember their mom's surgery anniversary 2) give them a card to say congratulations!.  I was so floored, I cried! 

Nobody really remembers me as a 'big girl' anymore, but that's ok.  I have to always 'remember' her because gaining the weight back comes quicker than you know when you stop following the rules and I always keep telling myself, 'NOTHING tastes as good as being thin feels!  (Now if I could just remember that, when my husband makes me a german chocolate cake for my birthday the day after tomorrow!)  Ugh!

Thanks for letting me share!

Robin, that's so awesome!!!!!! Congratulations on 6yrs and Happy Birthday too! How sweet of your daughter to remember such an important day for you! You give me hope for my future b/c knowing that you could do it~and do it SO well~there's no excuse for me not to follow in your footsteps, LOL! Have a great day!

Thank you for posting. I'm a little more than a year along and it gives me a lot of encouragement to see somebody doing so well after 6 years.

I love your post AND your profile.  I always read posts about weight gain...it's so refreshing and inspiring to read a post about how it came OFF again.  I had an obstruction too...they suck.  I'm with you though..no regrets no matter what!  Take care...I've got you book marked!  Thanks again for posting this.  It feels great to know that after a gain...we can lose it again.

Wow!! THANKS so much for sharing!! What in inspiring message.  I'll be 3 years out on Sept 29, and to think that  I can still be where I am today in three more years is almost more than I can imagine!! Of course, three years ago I couldn't imagine that I  would be where I am today!!! Hope you have the BEST birthday ever, and CONGRATULATIONS on your Surgiversary!! And what a GREAT daughter!!!! Hugs,   Piggy

Robin,  You are such an inspiration to us all and I especially appreciate the support you have given me. Congratulations on all that you have achieved! Your photos are amazing! Donna

Congratulations on your surgiversary. It gives me and others hope that we can be successful  too as long as we follow the rules and if we stray, by going back to basics and following the rules we can again lose that excess weight. Happy birthday! Sher

What an inspirational story! Thanks for sharing. Mary

Congrats to you!!! and thank you so much for sharing!! Natalie