A Bit of a RANT..EASY WAY OUT... MY A***

For those who have said it or thought it.... Gastric Sleeve Surgery is not by any means the EASY WAY OUT!!!!

I really am getting tired of people saying it directly or indirectly by saying something... 'im doing it the hard way'.... let me explain a little....

In the first few months, you cant eat much, you have to learn to eat all over again and it takes a while for your body to be able to tolerate certain foods agian, so yes, initialy the weight drops off, but please bare in mind, you have just undergone major surgery, your hormones are all over the place, you are in discomfort and pain and your body is not happy at the adjustment.  So whilst losing the first few stone is easy the rest of the stuff that has come along with surgery is not.  From there you begin to stall, you have to work hard to continue losing weight.  the sleeve may have made your stomach smaller but thats is all it has done.  You now have to make the right food choices and burn off the excess calories.  You may not be able to eat much at once but you can eat all day and you can eat high caloried foods.  If I want a burger it may take me over an hour but I can eat it!!! If I want icecream... no problem... it goes right through, I can eat as much icecream as you like!  I have spoken to many people who have had this surgery and have stopped losing after losing the initial few stone, because they did not change the food they ate, just thought they could eat less and lose weight.  We have to work with the sleeve... it does not work by itself.  Blowing my own trumpet here... but I have done well, I have passed goal weight, passed the weight the doctors expected.  But this has by no means been easy!!!!!! I am a nice size 10 - 12 (uk) and I am happy with my size.  I have to work hard to stay here.  Only a couple of weeks ago I put on 6llb in one week!!! The difference is I noted this and spent the next couple of weeks working hard like anyone on any kind of diet would to lose this.  I am on a lifetime lifestyle change, My head was not operated on... I will like most people make wrong choices and put weight on but I will never let myself go back to the way I was before, its just as hard as anyone without the surgery. RANT OVER!!!!

2 Years into the rest of my life....

Well Its been a little over 2 years now since I had my op.  I have stablized at 10st 4llbs (a little fluctuation depending on time of the month!) I have gone from a size 28 uk to a size 10 uk.  I could not be happier with the changes the healthier lifestyle and lack of excess weight I have.  I can do so much more, I feel so much better than before but there are some results I am not so happy with.   I have a lot of excess skin, I could go for surgery to remove it but have decided that I dont like going through surgery so it should be out of nessesity and not vanity so I will live with it.  It has got better and I suppose given time it will get a lot better.  After having my gall bladder removed I found I could eat fatty food again! not a good idea, I have quickly had to learn to put that one to bed! fat means extra llbs.... dont want to go there!!! I now think I have an incisional hernia, I am going for a scan tomorrow and expect I will have to have more surgery which I am dreading.  I just dont like going under, I am so scared that something will go wrong! you would think I would be an expert by now!!!! Still whats a little operation in comparrison to where I would have been right now if I had not done this.  The doctors told me that within 2 years I would be in a wheelchair if I did not lose weight and here I am... I can run in heals!!!!! no more special shoes!!!!! yey!!! I celebrated my 2 year sleevaversay by Kayaking down the Solent, it was amazing, I would never have fitted in one before and was so pleased to be fit enough to do it aswell, did not realise how much hard work it was going to be! LOL.  So all in all in spite of the issues I could not be happier, I made the best decision of my life having the sleeve and would encourage anyone in the same position to make the same choice.  I have not only a longer life ahead of me but I actually have a LIFE!  Thank you to all those who have shared my journey with me and to the amazing people I have met along the way and still meet through support groups.  There are some great stories out there, some fantastic people and I am lucky to be part of thier lifes and journeys too.

GOODBYE GALL BLADDER

Earlier in my blog I mentioned I had been diagnosed with gall stones. Well I could not cope with the pain of gall stone attacks any longer and have finally had surgery.  Although the pain from surgery is no where near the pain from an actual gall stone attack its still been a very hard week.  You dont realise just how much you use your stomach muscles until they have been cut!  Still not much longer to go and I should be pain free!!!

Current weight 144llbs
Current BMI 24

Been this weight for a few months now and although a little fluctuation of 4-5lbs per month I am to the most maintaining.  Just need to concentrate on not gaining any back now!