Tuesday, January 10, 2012

1 Year Ago Today...

I've been thinking alot about this post. I wanted to have something  meaningful, deep, and insightful to say, but I also didn't want to write a "where was I then and where am I now" post. So in celebration of being a WLS Patient for 1 year I am going to share the "where am I going" post.

I was thinking about where do I want to go in future. What does WLS life hold for the longterm....because this is my life! Coming up with goals - well that is easy for me. I'm pretty much goal oriented, but figuring out what I want that is a little bit harder, but here are a few goals that I'm questioned about often.

Babies!?!?!?!!? - When are you getting pregnant? Well there is no easy answer for this one. Right now we are not planning to have a baby any time soon. There are alot of reasons for this: 1) I am "not allowed" to get preganant for atleast 24 months post surgery and 2) we have our handsful with our 2 boys and life. If we are blessed with a baby it will be a very planned pregancy as with my WLS and other ailments make me highrisk in many areas. We are prayerfully considering the thought of not pursuing this option for many personal reasons, but we haven't figured that one out just yet.

Plastic Surgery?!?!?!?!? - I have been cleared by my surgeon to look into having the lower part of my stomach skin removed. Right now I am estimated to have around 20 lbs of added skin and that is just around my stomach. I will most likely need plastics in that area and maybe in my thighs. At this point I am undecided about if, when, and how I will pursue plastic surgery. At the beginning of this journey I had been adamant that I wasn't doing this to be "pretty" or "sexy", but now that life has actually been lived it might be a necessity to have the lose skin removed. I am going to be talking to doctor's throughout the next year to see what is best, who I feel comfortable with, and go through the long process of having the insurance cover the excess skin for medical reasons versus cosmetic ones. So no definite answer, but it is one that I am researching.

Wedding Ceremony ?!?!?!?!?! - Yes, we will be having a wedding ceremony. We want to celebrate with everyone that we are married and I really want the ritualistic passing that comes with the ceremony - ok I also want the dress, the cake, and the party too, but my dear husband has promised me a wedding. When? Looking at 2014 or 2015. Why the wait? Well first, I need to find a dress and fit it to my shrinking self. Second we just moved so all the planning I did in TN will have to be redone in TX and that complicates alot. I am excited to plan it and have those moments I've always wanted to have in a body that I love, plus it would be a great way to celebrate 5 years together :-)

Those are the major things that I've been asked a lot so I thought I would take a moment to answer them. Outside of that I am happy to report a few "where am i now things!"

1. My ring size has gone from 11 3/4 to 7 1/2 (my wedding ring and I see Jared's a lot for fitting!)
2. My pants have gone from a 28W to a L-XL depending on the pants or a size 14
3. I now wear L-XL tops
4. I no longer wear wide shoes, and I've gone from a 9W to a 8 regular
5. I am no longer a diabetic at all!
6. I can sit in seats and fit without needing to squish in - I can sit in an airplane seat without a seat belt extended

These are just a few things of where I was and where I am....I'm loving my life and the best part about all of this is I have a happy long life ahead of me. I'm down over 105 lbs, so many more inches, and was not 300 lbs on my 30th birthday. This year has been a challenge but today I celebrate life :-)



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