30 months to recover health

My reason to do it all

I started my bariatric journey because my health started crumbling. I tried many ways to lose weight. All of them failed. All the diets, some pretty stupid ones, excessive exercise (remember Bridget Jones on the bike?), I was fasting (dying of hunger) for weeks. All that to end up with more weight than before. I know that all those things were plain stupid, but desperate people do desperate things. I desperately needed to recover health.

I ended up on the table of a bariatric surgeon because my adventures while trying to lose weight completely damaged my metabolism, I have a lazy thyroid, so for me losing weight in some normal weight became mission impossible. I researched like crazy. I was scared. I didn’t take this decision lightly. But I did it.

It happened!

Today, I had a routine endocrino check to see how my bloodwork came back and… I AM HEALTHY!!! I mean it! Apart from iron supplements, one single pill, I don’t have to take anything more. All the medication I used to take for my chronic weight-related diseases is finally gone. No, it didn’t happen all today. I had to wait for this for 30 months. It was a process, little by little. And today the circle closed.

No more high blood pressure, no more knee and hip pain, no more high cholesterol, no more prediabetes. I can’t believe it myself. All those things that became an integral part of my everyday life, all that is gone. The iron supplement is likely to stay forever. It happens to many bari patients. We don’t eat enough food to have enough and anemia is not a nice thing to live with.

It was not easy at all

I must admit that the beginning, right after the surgery, was a good hell. I won’t lie or sugarcoat things. I was extremely tired, dizzy, and nauseous all the time, I had food intolerances, I was barely eating, and everything was making my stomach sick. It took me almost half a year to be able to start eating something that looked like food again. If I had second thoughts? If I regretted that? Yes 😀At that point yes and a lot. What have I done to myself?

Now? At all! It was a process. I came through hell and I was reborn. I feel it like that. I had to clean first all the bad things that were accumulated in my body, let go of all the bad habits, and transform myself into my new me. And it was painful. Sometimes even physically. It took a lot of determination, stamina, and perseverance. Sometimes I thought I had none left anymore.

I was prepared (I thought so)

But I did it. And here I am. All new, healthy, and prepared to keep going. I don’t take things for granted. At all. I know firsthand how easy and how fast one can fall for bad habits and start gaining weight back. It already happened to me. I took my lesson a year ago. It was a very valuable learning experience and I don’t want to forget that.

When I am contemplating the time since my bariatric surgery, I have to admit that it was not easy. If somebody tries to convince you that you took an easy way out, you are allowed to slap them in the face. Every judge will let you go 😀 I had some expectations, like everyone. I had investigated a lot before I did it, so I (thought) I knew what I was heading into. But the reality was much harsher than I expected.

Well, seeing it from today’s perspective, it had to be like that. I was repairing almost a quarter of a century of not-so-great habits, and decisions and to be able to do that, I had to rebuild my life from scratch. Yes, easier said than done. Emotionally it was a roller coaster. But look at me, here I am. It took me 30 months without one single week and I did it.

I regained my health

I am 44 years old and my only medication is a pill of iron a day. Not bad, right? 😀 ok, I take my collagen and calcium. Just in case. Brittle bones are no fun. As we change our whole body every 10 years, I read somewhere, that it means that I will need a lot of calcium to have good strong bones to be able to enjoy my new healthy body in the future. That is why I supplement a little more than absolutely necessary.

Still, I think it is an amazing result. From a person who was taking 8 different medications for chronic diseases, all weight-related, to nothing… I have to say I am proud of myself. 2,5 years and it is all different. Good job and yay for me 😀

I think I am one of the lucky ones. I was able to save myself. I had to work hard for that, but it paid off. The result is better than I ever thought was possible. Haha, now I will have to maintain it 😀 but well, I started strong so let’s keep going. I have to admit it is really motivating.

My past

I don’t want to forget why I started all this. I have a picture of me in my worst times right on my fridge. I see it every time I get into the kitchen. No need to beat myself bloody, but it is a great way to remember where I come from. Things were not always this great and bright. That is important to keep in mind. The moment I stop doing the right things, it will all start to go south.

The final result

I needed to share this 😀 you could only imagine the big smile I was leaving with from the doctor’s office. I was happy as I was not a long time. Maybe it was the same when I was finally approved for the surgery. Who has been there, knows. If you are wondering if it is a good idea to undergo this surgery, I would say do that. It is not an easy thing to do. It is no miracle. It is a major surgery and it has its risks. If things go wrong, it might be very bad. But still, the risk is very acceptable.

I was elated when I was approved when I had all the exams and tests done. But now, when I see the final results, it all feels even better. All the sacrifices, all the problems, the nasty protein shakes, the complications, it seems unimportant and even not so bad. It is most likely like having a baby. It is very hard work, it is painful, and sometimes even life-threatening, but when you see the result, it is all perfect, and all the bad things on the way forgotten.

So I am embarking on my new journey. The part of life when I am healthy and I keep working on my goals, I keep improving, and pushing to bet even better. It is hard to believe that it happened. It was a labor-like experience, but the “baby” that was born was so much worth it. I AM HEALTHY!!!