Surgery-versary

Today is my one year post-gastric bypass anniversary. I've lost 94 lbs (give or take on any day) when initially I assumed I wasn't fat enough to lose that much weight. I only expected to drop around 50-60 lbs. 

My lymphedema is much smaller in both legs -- I wish I'd measured but the only person who has my measurements is my lymphedema therapist. Years ago (ten at least) I wore a size 26 pant. Now my pant size is a 10, the size 12 jeans can be pulled off without unfastening them (something I do all the time, mind you). My legs are not tiny and will never be completely normal but I can see now that the lymphedema resides mostly in the bottom of my legs, at the knee and below, with some fibrosis in my knees, my feet and of course, my "creepy toes."

With this weight-loss came an increase in movement I was able to witness so clearly because the weight came off so quickly. Mobility was my biggest concern going forward. As we age, the majority of us tend to move less and less until someone else must pick our carcass up and stick it inside a coffin. Excess weight exacerbates our inability to move so it makes sense that weight would take away years from one's life. 

I have no regrets about choosing gastric bypass.

None.

The only real regret(s) I have is how much time I wasted dieting, talking about dieting, obsessing about food, starving myself, overeating, sitting in Weight Watchers meetings (though the people were lovely), attending a few O.A. meetings, eating too much, drinking too much, eating at night, thinking about eating at night, writing blog posts obsessing about being fat or dieting or what I was going to try next in order to quit eating so much, or how I was going to distract myself from thinking about eating or dieting or eating at night or drinking too much or telling others what they should be eating, or reading diet books or thinking "that's the diet I'll pick and it will finally work like magic!" or discussing my food with (skinny) "counselors" or all that money spent at other diet places or on diet pills (years and years ago) or taking phen-fen or non-fat foods vs low-fat foods vs whole fat foods or how I was going to eat fish for breakfast every day or how I could never eat a bagel or a scone or a muffin or bake again or eat eggnog fudge or See's candy. I regret the time I was riding my bike when I was younger, and someone yelled out "Where's the seat?" though I could certainly feel the seat. I regret sitting on the sidelines, not fitting in the ride at Great America because the safety bar wouldn't come down over my legs. I regret the money spent on hypnosis, on special meals, on liquid protein. I regret not water skiing. I regret carnival rides I went on where I squished whoever sat next to me. (Sorry!) I regret being obese for years and then being diagnosed with uterine cancer because obesity is such a huge risk factor for certain types of cancers (breast, colon, prostate, endometrium (uterine), kidney and gallbladder) - something like 8-42% of these cancers are attributable to a BMI above 21 (I'm still doomed!) I never thought a cancer diagnosis would happen to me. I figured I had been pre-disastered having been born with lymphedema, having a husband die at age 50 of colan cancer. There was no way I'd get cancer too. The world does not work that way. (Obesity causes brain damage. I ought to know.)

Gastric bypass is not a miracle but a method. I would chose it again in a heart-beat. For someone who has lymphedema and is overweight or obese or just pain fat, and who was given a cancer diagnosis, I lessened the chance for recurrence, my risks for other cancers and increased my mobility for the time I have left on this planet. Gastric bypass surgery provided better mobility with weight loss (in a timely fashion, I might add). Gastric bypass made my lymphedema better which means I'll have few, if any, infections. More mobility, activity provides better overall health. Movement is life affirming. Time is very precious - at least I know this now, and have grown to appreciate and act on this knowledge. 

Gastric bypass bought me time though I wish it would have been nice if it bought me a new wardrobe too.