brooklyngirl
Yankee gone south
(This is a cross post from proboards)
Tomorrow will be 5 months from my DS surgery. And boy, has life changed for me! It hasn't all been roses, but here's some of my journey thus far...
I am down 137 pounds from my highest weigh, right before pre op diet. I use that as my baseline since no one told me my weight the day of surgery or discharge (waiting on the surgical report in the mail).
I am finally getting a handle on my tummy and have figured out most of the things that had been bothering me, so have far fewer issues with the potty than I had earlier on. I really struggled and still do with protein shakes and dairy. It seems that any liquids other than what would fall into the "clear" category give me issues in one way or another. Shakes made with flavored and unflavored whey isolate are a no go, and possibly egg white protein powder as well, plus liquid dairy and even lactaid milk. I don't understand this, especially since I can tolerate bars that have have whey isolate in them, but I've made it my business to get in 100+ grams of protein a day from food and I'm now pretty successful at that. Some days I feel like I'm eating way too much, but always keep the carbs below 50g.
The beast inside me has been stifled. This is not to say that it is completely gone, but I don't feel controlled/obsessed about food (esp junk food) the way I did before. Do I get hungry? Sure. Do I think about food? Yes. But in thinking about food now, it's more about delicious DS friendly recipes and snacks instead of obsessing over cookies/candy/donuts like before. I miss those things, and I find myself pining over them when they're in my face sometimes, but they don't control me anymore.
My wedding/engagement rings that hadn't come off my hand for at least a year before surgery are now loose. Soon I'll have to get ring guards. My watch, that had made a perma-indent in my wrist and needed to be taken off immediately upon getting home from work now slides around and up and down. Same with the bracelet my mother gave me about a month ago, on the day I moved to South Carolina, and could barely get on my hand that day. Most of my clothes are unwearable in public. There are plenty of things I wear around the house and my husband gets a free show when my pants fall down
My public wardrobe now consists of my little sister's hand-me-downs and clothes that I saved from when I was smaller or had bought and were too small but were being saved for the ever elusive diet that was starting on "Monday".
My debilitating back pain is pretty much gone. I had gotten to a point of being almost crippled by all the weigh. Not being able to stand/walk for more than a couple minutes without feeling like I was going to collapse. I couldn't go shopping, I never went anywhere that didn't have nearby parking (which was almost everywhere in NY!) and I was turning into a hermit. I still have terrible knee pain, but I'm living my life again. Shopping, walking, doing THINGS again feels so very good!
My "prediabetes" was totally in control the day after surgery. I have not been on any meds, except for PPI and antidepressant, since pre op. With both grandmothers, father, and normal weight grandfather and uncle all insulin dependent diabetics, I was doomed without the DS. Oddly enough, my sleep apnea dramatically decreased immediately after surgery as well. I don't understand this, as usually that happens as a result of weight loss, but the difference was dramatic from the get go. It was so severe pre op that I had a bipap on the highest setting and was dozing off during everyday activities, such as work and driving, and I was so dependent on large doses of caffeine just to get through the day because I was so sleep and oxygen deprived at night. Now, the only times I've had caffeine were for the drive from SC to NYC and back.
This has not been an easy road, and I want to slap people that say/think that WLS is the "easy way out" because they know jack shit. Sometimes I want to slap myself because I feel a little bit of shame that I had to take said easy way out, even though I *know* it wasn't. But all things factored in, I don't think I would change a thing. I'm so excited for what's to come and I want thank those of you that I've been in contact with that've been so supportive and chock full info and kicks in the ass when needed
Here's my first side-by-side pic. The one on the left is from right around the time I had my initial consultation. It's the only close up pic I could find since I always hid from the camera or behind others if I couldn't avoid it. I chose close ups since I think you can see the most difference in my face and I'm not even close to goal yet
Tomorrow will be 5 months from my DS surgery. And boy, has life changed for me! It hasn't all been roses, but here's some of my journey thus far...
I am down 137 pounds from my highest weigh, right before pre op diet. I use that as my baseline since no one told me my weight the day of surgery or discharge (waiting on the surgical report in the mail).
I am finally getting a handle on my tummy and have figured out most of the things that had been bothering me, so have far fewer issues with the potty than I had earlier on. I really struggled and still do with protein shakes and dairy. It seems that any liquids other than what would fall into the "clear" category give me issues in one way or another. Shakes made with flavored and unflavored whey isolate are a no go, and possibly egg white protein powder as well, plus liquid dairy and even lactaid milk. I don't understand this, especially since I can tolerate bars that have have whey isolate in them, but I've made it my business to get in 100+ grams of protein a day from food and I'm now pretty successful at that. Some days I feel like I'm eating way too much, but always keep the carbs below 50g.
The beast inside me has been stifled. This is not to say that it is completely gone, but I don't feel controlled/obsessed about food (esp junk food) the way I did before. Do I get hungry? Sure. Do I think about food? Yes. But in thinking about food now, it's more about delicious DS friendly recipes and snacks instead of obsessing over cookies/candy/donuts like before. I miss those things, and I find myself pining over them when they're in my face sometimes, but they don't control me anymore.
My wedding/engagement rings that hadn't come off my hand for at least a year before surgery are now loose. Soon I'll have to get ring guards. My watch, that had made a perma-indent in my wrist and needed to be taken off immediately upon getting home from work now slides around and up and down. Same with the bracelet my mother gave me about a month ago, on the day I moved to South Carolina, and could barely get on my hand that day. Most of my clothes are unwearable in public. There are plenty of things I wear around the house and my husband gets a free show when my pants fall down
My debilitating back pain is pretty much gone. I had gotten to a point of being almost crippled by all the weigh. Not being able to stand/walk for more than a couple minutes without feeling like I was going to collapse. I couldn't go shopping, I never went anywhere that didn't have nearby parking (which was almost everywhere in NY!) and I was turning into a hermit. I still have terrible knee pain, but I'm living my life again. Shopping, walking, doing THINGS again feels so very good!
My "prediabetes" was totally in control the day after surgery. I have not been on any meds, except for PPI and antidepressant, since pre op. With both grandmothers, father, and normal weight grandfather and uncle all insulin dependent diabetics, I was doomed without the DS. Oddly enough, my sleep apnea dramatically decreased immediately after surgery as well. I don't understand this, as usually that happens as a result of weight loss, but the difference was dramatic from the get go. It was so severe pre op that I had a bipap on the highest setting and was dozing off during everyday activities, such as work and driving, and I was so dependent on large doses of caffeine just to get through the day because I was so sleep and oxygen deprived at night. Now, the only times I've had caffeine were for the drive from SC to NYC and back.
This has not been an easy road, and I want to slap people that say/think that WLS is the "easy way out" because they know jack shit. Sometimes I want to slap myself because I feel a little bit of shame that I had to take said easy way out, even though I *know* it wasn't. But all things factored in, I don't think I would change a thing. I'm so excited for what's to come and I want thank those of you that I've been in contact with that've been so supportive and chock full info and kicks in the ass when needed
Here's my first side-by-side pic. The one on the left is from right around the time I had my initial consultation. It's the only close up pic I could find since I always hid from the camera or behind others if I couldn't avoid it. I chose close ups since I think you can see the most difference in my face and I'm not even close to goal yet
