Now what?

I am now at the "AFTER" stage of my journey! 


It is an EXCITING place to be and trust me, I'm savoring the moment.  I say "moment" because I realize this is not the end of the journey but the beginning.


On Wednesday morning, November 18, 2009, my weight loss journey began.  That morning at approximately 9:00 a.m., I underwent the Roux-en-Y procedure (more commonly referred to as laparoscopic gastric bypass) in Fresno, CA.  My family accompanied me on this journey (a literal "journey" that included a 5 hour drive south for them) because my surgeon, Dr. Edward Felix, had come highly recommended, and both the surgeon and the surgery facility (Clovis Community Hospital) were covered by my insurance (no small consideration when you're looking at gastric bypass surgery and its costs).


My initial surgery went well but within 12 hours I began to experience complications.  I could not keep any liquid down -- it either came right back up or caused massive foaming at the mouth (TMI - I know ... sorry ... but you gotta' know the truth about this operation and it's possible aftermath).


On Friday, November 20, 2009, at 2:00 a.m., I was wheeled back into the same operating room where Dr. Felix performed another surgery to repair a twisted bowel.  Honestly, I'd have to spend too much time looking for my envelope that had both information and a photo of this surgery (but trust me -- it was a cool photo - haha) - and I can't even remember the technical name of the issue I had.  I know that the surgeon described it by saying my intestine had a kink in it like a garden hose.  It had looped over and become twisted -- so nothing could go down through the hose.  Suffice it to say - it hurt.  But the fix was quick and relatively painless and once I could begin sipping liquid again I was home free.


Over the next few months my weight loss progressed and really the only 'negative' side effect following the gastric bypass was a major bout of kidney stones that left me with more pain than I remember being in while I was delivering my second son without an epidural.  He was a "big" little guy who, it turns out, was "sunnyside up" - and came out weighing a whopping 10 pounds, 3 ounces.  But yes - the kidney stone pain was worse than that delivery.  Maybe I just don't "remember" that delivery?  Maybe it's just that, with that delivery, I got something great out of it at the end ... whereas with kidney stones the only thing you deliver is an ugly piece of granite.  I passed three kidney stones over the course of ... well, a while ... and let's just say those suckers hurt.  I had not been drinking my water as I had been instructed to up until that time.  Trust me - I drink my water faithfully these days!


This morning I weighed 135 pounds.


Initially, I wanted to get down to 125 pounds but after going back and forth (many times) I finally decided to set my *first* personal weight loss goal at 135 pounds.  I knew in my heart I could reach that weight, I knew in my heart I wouldn't feel like I was "starving" to get there and I knew in my heart people weren't going to constantly be saying my face looked too drawn/gaunt (I hate hearing that, by the way).  So far I've only had one person tell me my face was looking too thin and it didn't really bother me this time around because, quite frankly, my face isn't looking too thin at this point.


I could easily stand to drop another 10-12 pounds and I think that is my goal now.  I had decided - when I decided to make my goal 135 pounds - that I would get to this point and then honestly reevaluate things -- how I felt, how I looked, how my clothes fit, how things were going overall.  Now I'm at that point of reevaluation and ~

I do not feel that losing another 10 pounds would be too much of a weight loss.  I also want a little bit of leeway to relax every once in a while without fearing that a 24 hour one or two pound gain was going to put me over my ultimate goal of 135.  IF I can get down into the 120's, THEN I will have breathing room -- not to gain but to relax at least a little knowing that I'm not right at the verge of breaking 135.


It's a personal decision.  Some would say I shouldn't allow an ounce of leeway.  BUT - that's "some" - that's not me.  This is trial and error here and I'm in the trial phase.  If I find it is an error then I'll have to revisit the idea.


There you have it - blog entry #1 of "Becky's BEYOND Bariatric Bypass" blog.


Welcome ... and thanks for stopping by!  Be sure to scroll down the blog a bit for some before/after pics!  ;-)