Year four ... in one and one half months I will be four years out from gastric bypass.
Entering year four ... the number four is a cool number.
Number 4 is the number of stability, order and completion of justice
Number 4 is the number of the earth and mankind.
Number 4 is the number of the square.
Number 4 symbolizes building a strong foundation.
And
Four years from when I decided to change my entire insides.
I think about this sometimes. I went and had surgery performed that forever changes the way my body will process food, fuel that I put into my body. And that is how I have to think about food now ... as fuel. I think more about food since having the surgery than I EVER DID BEFORE SURGERY. It is such a weird feeling. Before I would just eat to eat. After surgery it is always thinking ... is this food providing me with the proper nutrients for my body, my brain. Is it giving me the protein I need? Blah, blah, blah ... I am sick of thinking about food. And I will be honest ... once you forget thinking about food, you gain weight. Year one, I lost 120 lbs like a cake walk. A HUGE jump start and relief for my system. Sleep apnea gone, GERD GONE and diabetes ... gone.
Year two went on to maintain and gained a few pounds back which I was thankful for because I was looking sickly but I knew my body would figure it out.
Year three ... maintained for almost all until I entered the working world. Last
September I got a full-time "real world" working job.
Within a few months I gained 20lbs. Not a HUGE deal for some or most. But I also felt different. I could go to a restaurant and eat almost all of the food on a plate. Gone were the days of bringing home food to eat for lunch and dinner the next day. Gone were the days of being a cheap date! Lol!
I thought it was the food I was eating at work but I stopped eating the food and started bringing salads. So um no. I was making poor food choices. A Taco Bell trip here ... some mozzarella sticks there but damn twenty pounds just stayed!
A friend of mine started up a chapter of TOPS (take off pounds sensibly) a wonderful supportive group where you do your own thing to try to lose weight, weigh in each week and hold one another accountable. There are contests, challenges. I have been a member a year now and can say that while I still have not lost the twenty ... I have not gained anymore either. If it keeps me maintaining where I am , and I believe it does that may be okay for me.But there was another thing bothering me. Why WAS I able to eat more, feel hungry more? But yet on some days I could barely bring myself to eat anything because I was not hungry at all. I do NOT DRINK CARBONATED BEVERAGES! Whew THAT is super painful, nor do I eat a bunch of junk food. And now sometimes I had a pain just under my ribs sometimes when I ate and more and more food was making it on the DNE (Do Not Eat) list. It was becoming quite frustrating. So sometimes I could sit down for a whole meal and sometimes I would sit down and have two bites and would be Thanksgiving Day full.
I decided it was time to take a trip to the doc. The first thing we did was an
upper GI. This is when you swallow some crappy tasting stuff and they record it by X-ray image going all through your insides. Super duper awesome!! The doc wanted to make sure there was no way food or anything was getting into the stomach that was separated from the pouch created by the bypass. Or that things were not stretched at the top or bottom of my pouch.
Results .... everything looks good. Good ...yes of course, I didn't want issues but now what was the freaking issue? There was one area that the doc said could be a bit larger than it should be if you look at the image on it you will see where I have circled. He referred me to the other doc in his office to look at for a procedure called overstitch. See YouTube video.
https://youtu.be/6chrB5qVzmI
It may be that the doc will look at it and may think it is not even worth it to go in. Maybe he will think it is worth it. I will find out in February. Maybe he will think it is worth it but I won't want to do it. Me and anesthesia are not friends. So I may not think it is worth it.
Ultimately ... admittedly I have not TRIED HARD enough to lose the weight. I am healthy and comfortable and still have no other health problems. Maybe this is the weight I am supposed to be. I have always trusted my body before. I still have a month and a half to decide. For now I will make a few small adjustments to my lifestyle.
I never ever ever regret getting the gastric bypass surgery. It was something I wish I had done sooner but glad I made the decision to do it when I did. I am not perfect and know there are things I can do now so I will do them. If you are here because YOU are thinking about the RNY bypass or the sleeve or any form of bariatric surgery ... know it is a tool not a lifetime solution. Fix your issues beforehand. It WILL forever change your life. It has changed mine for the better but not without its struggles here and there.
Stay peaceful my friends.
-t
