Well, new year -- new me. Who would have thought a year ago that I would be sitting here at the computer weighing 140? Not me, that's for sure. A year ago I was lost, looking and feeling ill. Diabetes running and ruining my life. Apnea getting worse. Colds turning into months long complications and infections. A death spiral accelerating. I did nothing. I sat. I didn't even take the stairs because of the pain in my knees. The kids at school started treating me like a handicapped person -- offering to help me with my bags of books, asking if I needed help, offering to help me down the stairs when I ventured there. My daughter was scared. She was pretty sure she would lose her mama sooner rather than later. I thought so too.
In March my endocrinologist said that I really needed to look into bariatric surgery. He could see no positive trend or way out of my diabetes dilemma. I started to seriously consider it then. Problem was that my insurance completely stopped covering bariatric surgery as of the first of 2012. I was on my own financially. I am a single mom school teacher. My daughter is in college. Go figure that one.
Then I heard that a secretary at school had a surgery called the gastric sleeve. I asked her about it. Got her surgeon's name and number. Made an appointment and went to see him. Liked him and his honesty. The idea grew. I researched. I saw a solution to my problem.
Then I got VERY sick with a lung infection. Steroids boosted my blood glucose levels to the 500's+. I sat in the emergency room all one night. I was not seen and left. Endo put me on 2 types on insulin and upped my injectable non-insulin medicine to 1.5 max dose, Those meds plus 3 types of oral diabetes medicines at max dose. It was not looking good for Gayle.
Attacked the infection. Got better.
Had surgery June 13th.
Now, for the rest of the story....
January 1, 2013:
I am 57 years old.
I weigh 140.6 -- down from the all time high of 238.
Everyone calls me "tiny." I don't see it -- I am still adjusting to that.
I am off all my diabetes medicine except for 1/4 of one simple medicine per day for now. Expect to come off that in the next 6 months. A1C 6.4.
I wear a size 8 - 10 pants; size medium top (sometimes a size small)
I am active. I still sit (doing that now talking to you ) But I also swim like a mad lady. 1 - 1.25 miles per day, 5 - 6 days/weeks. Why? I like it! It feels good! I like to move my body now. (Still hate to sweat though)
I am cold all the time. I need layers and fleece.
I feel good.
I struggle with food still. I can eat a whole lot more than any other sleeve I know or have heard of. My surgeon admitted he made the sleeve bigger because of my lower BMI at the time of surgery. (Thanks a heap!) But the truth is that the sleeve does not do this FOR you. YOU do this for you. You decide what and how much to eat after a couple months past surgery. Surgery just provides a good, swift kick in the ass to get you going. It sure did for me.
I will make it to goal soon. 135 here I come.
I have a lot to learn still. I will need to learn how to maintain this loss.
I am on my way. I am soooo much healthier. I can actually hope to be alive to see my grandchildren. <3
That is the difference a year makes. From total despair to health and hope.
I wish the same for you. Let's get there together.
God Bless and hugs!