Year One!!

I have officially hit my year mark from having Gastric Sleeve Surgery.  My starting weight was 282lbs.  Today I am at 150 lbs. for a total loss of 132 lbs. 

(Outside St Lukes, this place changed my life!)

(getting my year mark blood work done)

My pant size was a 22, now I am between an 8 and a 6.  My shirt size was XXL, today it is a medium.  My goal from my Dr was to lose 70% of my excess body fat in the first year, I lost 81%!  My lipid ATL level was high at 77 (normal range should be 9-52) today it is 32.  My blood pressure was 144/87, today it was 115/79.  My respirations were 20, today 12.    My heart was all over the place, today my heart looked and sounded great!  I have had monthly cycles every month that are regular which was unheard of for me before my surgery.  The one test result that came back higher today than it should be is my iron which was at 202 (should be between 37-170) so I am switching my daily vitamins to one with no iron in it.  Other than that my numbers a crossed the board are amazing!!    I see pictures of myself last year and I can’t believe my eyes, I was SO big! 

I figured I would break down the good, bad, and ugly from the last year. 

The good:  Well just look at all the numbers above!  I knew I was unhealthy and down a path that my heath was going to start taking hits that I would not be able to recover from.  Now I feel so much healthier and I am sure have added back years to my life.  I feel heathy, happy, and full of life.  I am more confident and have been told by more than one person I just light up a room now.  I have been able to do the things I love again like hiking, horse riding, and spending more time outdoors.  I am starting to feel attractive and have fun trying on new clothes.

The bad:  Learning to deal with hormones again!  I feel the ups and downs with my hormones and man it can be tough to be a girl lol.  The only time I had to deal with this was back when I was married and we were doing fertility treatments.  My moods can change quickly and I cry a LOT easier then I did before.  I am also craving adult time like crazy!!  When they told me it would reset my hormones they were not lying!  Other things I am learning to deal with is I am cold all the time.  Winter is here and holy cow I am going to freeze!!  I can also still tell you right were my stomach is most of the time.  It doesn’t hurt, it just feels odd.  They had decided to keep me on my antacid and for now it seems like it will be a part of my life from here on out. 

(always under blankets)

The Ugly- Finically it has set me way back and money is tight!!  The plan I had going into it changed quickly this year and has left me flat out broke.  

The way people around me have changed.  I know I have changed and so that has caused some of what I am seeing but it doesn’t stop the hurt.  I have lost close friends this year and my relationships with some of my family is strained.  It has been very eye opening to see the way people treat me now vs. the way people treated me before.  I have struggled a lot with my self-esteem this year and feel like no matter what I do I am being judged and they often blame the surgery (yes I have had more than one person flat out tell me this). 

However this has been a positive too because the person I am becoming is strong and amazing!   I have also learned who my true friends are and how much they mean to me. 

I was reading about turning iron to steel and the process it has to go through to be made strong, this is what this year has felt like to me.  I have gone through the fire and have been beaten over and over but I can feel myself getting stronger and changing into something amazing.  I have had to do this journey largely on my own and because of that I am learning a lot about myself and I have to say I am kind of a bad ass.   

Overall knowing what I know now would I do it again?  Heck yes!!  This was the hardest thing I have ever done mentally, physically, and emotionally.  Do I think it is for everyone, no.  Was it right for me a 100xs yes!  My life has changed for the better and I am so excited for the future.  I have signed up for my first half marathon this coming year and I am looking forward to hitting my goal weight as well as getting into better shape this next year. 
 
Bring on year 2!!