Health

Two Year Surgiversary

Facebook’s On This Day reminded me that today is my 2 year Surgiversary.

So much has happened in the last two years. My life hardly resembles that of two years ago, in a good way.

Here’s a picture of me also from the general time period before surgery.

It isn’t until photos like this show up on my feed that I really realize how big I was. It’s always a little breathtaking since even when I was at my highest weight I never really saw myself as that big. It’s like I had reverse body dysmorphia.

So here’s what I look like now.

Forgive the blur, Im using my new selfie slick and my hand shakes.

Also, I’m on a vacation right now in case you couldn’t tell from the hotel background. Check out how much slack I had in my seat belt on the plane!

I was JUST shy of needing a belt extender when I flew the last time before surgery.

I’m not perfect. I still have struggles with food. I don’t eat how many WLS “gurus” say I should. I get obsessive about the scale and still sometimes beat myself up about my food choices or weight. I’m not as toned as I’d like to be. Or as active as I know would be better for me.

What I am, is a woman who decided to change her life, and did it. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve held on. I’m 2 years out from gastric sleeve and am maintaining within 10#of my lowest weight. I only feel like I have another 10# I’d like to come off. My medical team is thrilled with how far I’ve come. I am off my CPAP, off 2 blood pressure meds, and my autoimmune arthritis has been in remission for over a year. While I still fight chronic illness, I’m healthier than I’ve been in 2 decades.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

People ask me if I regret having surgery, especially when I complain that I can’t eat more of some really delicious food. My answer? Not one iota. My only regret is that I didn’t do it years before.

So if you’re thinking about having bariatric surgery, and your medical team concurs, count mine as one voice saying “you can do it!”