Thursday, March 11, 2010

My Weight Loss Journey Began

I just realized that today is March 11th. Last year on March 11th, I spent most of the day at the Barix Clinic in Langhorne, PA for my pre-admission testing. I was scheduled for gastric bypass surgery on March 26th, and I was petrified that my doctor was going to cancel my date. When I went for my initial appointment, naturally, they weighed me. I weighed a lot. A whole lot. A whole lot more than I thought I did. A whole lot more than I ever thought I would. And certainly a whole lot more than anyone should. That was in November 2008. My surgeon, Dr. Pupkova told me I had to lose 5 pounds before surgery. But, instead of losing 5, I had gained 20 pounds.

She did not cancel the surgery, but I was informed that I'd better get to losing. The reason the doctor wanted me to lose a little weight prior to gastric bypass is to reduce some of the fat around my liver. Dr. Pupkova prefers to do this procedure laparoscopically, and without some weight loss, she would have to do an open procedure. Believe me, I didn't want that!

It's amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year, I hoped I would lose 100 pounds. So far, I have lost 126. Last year, I wore size 4X sweatpants. This year, I can fit into one leg (yes, I still have them as a reminder of how far I've come). Last year, I couldn't walk up the stairs in my house or around the block without having to stop and catch my breath. This year, I'm walking 60 miles in 3 days to help end breast cancer. Last year, I wouldn't have even tried!

Thank you family and friends for supporting me and cheering me on!

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