…I woke from my cozy bed and hopped on the scale, weighing in at a hefty 242 pounds, knowing that that will be the most I will ever weigh for the rest of my life. I felt anxiety and excitement. I was about to embark on a journey that would cause my rebirth and would change my life forever. That was the day I was having my RNY surgery. I was thirsty and hungry after fasting. My surgery wasn’t scheduled until 12:30 that day, but I was happy it wasn’t too late in the day. It was Election Day and I was elated knowing that Dubya would soon be voted out of office. I hopped in the shower then took a ride over to the library to vote. My next door neighbor, who has been one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout my journey was there, and she gave me a much needed hug and pat on the back.
Here's me a year ago at 242 pounds:
I worried about my kitten. She hadn’t been away from me since we got her in July. I fretted over whether she would miss me while I was gone. I roused my hubby, said my goodbyes to my pets, and we were on our way. My real kids were still asleep, but I had said goodbye to them the night before. It wasn’t long before I was in the OR, on my way to la-la land. I woke up a while later in recovery and don’t remember much of that day until I heard on the news that we had a new president. I remember waking up feeling like crap, but forcing myself to walk the circuit in the hospital. After that, I felt pretty good.
A year ago today, my life changed forever. Within the next several months, I had started to lose weight. For the first time in my life, I lost weight quickly and consistently. I had my stalls, but wasn’t discouraged by them. I had met a bunch of online friends who had gone through similar journeys. I had met my best friend forever there, Valerie. She has been my rock. We had both laughed and cried together. We finally got to meet each other last summer and thanks to her and Andy, we had the best vacation ever at the lodge in Blue Ridge.
Within that year, I began my new life as a thin person. My life got better. I became more confident and came out of my shell. I joined a business networking group and made new friends and business associates. I found that I could get up in front of a group of people, make a presentation, and could feel confident about what I was presenting. I also started to notice that people would treat me differently. I hadn’t gotten whistled at or looked at by men in years. I was starting to get noticed. People now open doors for me. They smile at me. They show me respect. They listen to what I have to say. They compliment me.
Within that year, I lost not only weight. I lost that burden that I carried, that extra life-sucking, 108 pound parasitic twin that was always there with me. I found that I could do things that I hadn’t been able to do for years. Some are things that thin people take for granted, but obese people struggle to do. Things like taking the stairs, exercising, shopping for hours, hiking, cooking, cleaning, all of those things I can now do without such a struggle. My hubby recently grabbed me, picked me up and put me on his shoulder. He has never been able to do that because since I’ve known him, I’ve never been this small.
I now experience a euphoria that I’ve never felt before. I feel good about myself. I feel like jumping up and down and telling people how happy I am. I want to tell all the obese people in the world that there is hope for them; that they don’t have to live their lives with that burden; that they can be free, like me. Even though this has been a tough year for me financially, this has been the most fruitful year of my life. I am free. I am ecstatic. One year ago I was given my life back and I’m loving every minute of it!
Here's me now:
One Year Ago Today...
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