One year Surgiversary

Today is the day, at this time one year ago I was being wheeled into the OR and the beginning of my new life was right around the corner. It has been a year filled with ups and downs and good and bad and a lot of new and exciting things are happening. In one year I've gone from 256.5 to 137.5 for a total loss of 119lb. That is a teenage girl for goodness sake. I stand at 5'5" so for me I'm in the normal height/weight range. I know sometimes when I read other's blogs I wonder how tall they are for their weight, as everyone always looks so fabulous. I have a hard time sometimes realizing it's been a year. The trials and tribulations that make life work are amazing, and for me it's a new life, from top to bottom. Soon to be xh and I seem to be working through things well, I have a new man in my life, whom I'm simply head over heels with right now (and I hope this doesn't change), my children are wonderful and I have alot to be thankful for. It's a time for me to reflect on the last year and to see just how far I've come. I feel like a Virginia Slims advertisement..lol I will get to enjoy a healthy thanksgiving with my family (well the part that is up here) and am very thankful for the opportunties that I have been given as well as those I have taken.

In reflection I have learned alot about myself, who I truly am or could say truly was hiding under the "fat suit". I have come to love myself for who I am and what I am and are becoming. I know that I am a good person, a kind person and very loving. I also know that my worth and self dignity have been restored to a higher level than I have ever had in my entire life. I am loved by myself and others. It has been a challenge per se to see some of these qualities in myself as I have seemingly "existed" prior to surgery. I still have issues with my body, but they lie in the fact that in losing the weight I have pockets of skin that are left over. I am happy though with myself and how I look and who I am. I think for the first time in my life I can actually say with overall confidence that I have turned into the person inside and outside that I always knew I was. My blog started out with a blurb to say I wanted WLS to turn into this person and that was a personal goal of mine. I'm happy to say I've accomplished this goal.

The next year will still be full of new and exciting challenges. I know now that I'm almost out of the window of weight loss. Although right this minute I am still losing, I know this time period is quickly drawing to a close. I now need to implement all these wonderful things I've learned to be the success I know I can be. Personally, professionally and mentally there are still alot of challenges that I know I have to endure this coming year. I feel that I have become a better prepared person not to run to the bag of chips or 1/2 gallon of ice cream when the chips are down, but I have learned there are new and more positive ways to channel this bad energy. It will be a year of growth and hopefully the beginning of something new and wonderful for me. So in addition to looking forward to year two of post op life, I am also looking forward to the new year 2008, it will be full of surprises and good things.