7 years Sleeve Surgiversary!!

7 years ago, today, I was going under the knife to alter the size of my stomach. I was sleeved June 5, 2007. Weighing in at 425 lbs on a 5’2 frame. Everything about my life at 425 lbs was painful. I was 26 years old.

This journey has taken me down many different roads. Some wonderful and some not so great. I struggled for a very long time. My weight loss stopped at about 1 year post-op. I then struggled for an additional year to lose another few pounds before I made it to my lowest weight of 236 lbs. I saw that weight for 2 seconds before the regain began.

For me, losing weight with the sleeve was not easy. It was a daily struggle filled with sacrifice and dedication. I was constantly battling with my own food addiction and the will to be successful. The moment I began allowing indulgences in my diet is the moment I stopped losing. I began thinking that anything in moderation was ok. After all, I could only eat 1 slice of pizza instead of a whole large. I was exercising. I deserved a treat every now and again.

That mentality allowed me to regain 117 lbs of the 189 lbs I had fought so hard to lose. I was never again able to recreate the success that I had once achieved with the sleeve. No amount of pouch tests or carb limiting would do it. I had returned to cycle of yo-yo dieting. Taking 2 weeks to lose 3-5 lbs only to gain 6-10 lbs right back.

By April 2012, I had tipped the scales at 353 lbs. I was again miserable in my own skin. I felt like a failure. I was tired of fighting with my body to lose weight. In October of that year, I added the Duodenal Switch to my sleeve and thankfully that second chance has helped me lose my regain and then some.

Because I’ve seen so much over the last 7 years, the reality of it is… This is for life. Everything in moderation isn’t acceptable for many of us and the sooner we realize that the sooner we can move forward in this journey and take the steps to ensure our success. What is normal for one may not be normal for you. FIND YOUR NORMAL and NEVER COMPARE JOURNEYS!

This is taken from something a dear sleevester friend of mine wrote many years ago. I kept it and read it often as a reminder.

In this life, you treat yourself as you would your best friend, as you would your ultimate soul mate.
Forgive yourself.
Praise yourself!
Praise your hips and your thighs and your stomach. Praise your smile and your crazy, out of control hair. Praise your feet and your fingers and mouth. Praise everything about your body. Praise your innate and unquestionable beauty.
You are the most perfect manifestation of yourself right now: You. Are. Perfect.

Do it every single day. Don’t ever go to sleep at night without looking yourself in the mirror and knowing your own worth as a human being; your kindness, your generosity, your humanity, your beauty.

Know your worth.

And the bottom line is your worth cannot be calculated on a scale. It is infinite.

Oh My Gaaaaaaaawd, I love love LOVE your post and your story!!!  Well, it's not that I love your struggles but I can so relate.

Kudos to those who breeze thru weight loss with surgery and find it easy to maintain.  Most of us don't have it that easy.  Years of struggling with obesity ... it pretty much can haunt some of us forever.  I also felt I deserved a treat here and there.  I've experienced regain along the way.  It definitely puts me in my place. 

We are in this journey for life.  We must love ourselves no matter what our weight is but the reality is, being the best we can be and for most of us that means being smaller.  Maybe not teeny but whatever we need to do to feel the best about ourselves.  To love ourselves enough to join in the fight again.

Thank you for your inspiring story.  I think I love you!!!!

Congrats on all your success.  YOU.LOOK.AMAZING!!!!!

 

Jenn!!  Thank you for the kind words.  I didn't know whether to cry or laugh when I read your response!  LOL!  =)

I've seen so many be successful throughout the years, but I have also seen many fight with regain.  Nothing about this journey is easy. 

Love yourself too, girl!!!

I just wanted to acknowledge your journey, and let you know how much I admire your willingness to continue fighting. I see myself in you, and my hope is that I will see more of you in me as my journey continues. xox, Sherry

I had some wonderful people that went before me and I am still close with many of them to this day.  They have paved the way but it is still up to us to make the right choices.  No matter where this new road takes me, I will never give up the fight!!

=) 

I want to start off by saying, thank you for sharing your story and being honest with your weight gain. I agree with you and I repeat it every month at support group, "This is for life." Too many people think that by getting WLS, it is a fix ALL and it simply is not.
I also agree with you about finding our own "NORMAL" and not comparing ourselves with others. I wish you the best in your lifetime journey.

It's an important thing to remember and I know that many forget along the way.  It's easy to get comfortable with the way things are. 

You've done great with your sleeve... as most men do...  =)  Keep it up!!! 

I've followed your story over the years, and it is truly amazing and inspiring. Thank you for being transparent and willing to share your victories and challenges. I pray for your continued success on your journey. Peace and blessings to you!

I've always tried to be open and honest about my journey...  even when it was hard to look at myself in the mirror.  But I knew that was the only way to get through it and do what I needed to do to move forward.  We have to hold ourselves accountable for our choices.  It's the only way to truly be successful on this journey! 

If one person can learn from my mistakes, then it was well worth the detour!  =)

You are a wonderful, strong and brave woman to post your truth so transparently! I am awestruck by what you've been able to accomplish given your struggles. What a great decision for you to add the DS.

I have struggled with regain, as well, and am battling it fiercely!

I believe what you say is absolutely true - each person has his own personal journey. We must find out own truths and normals and embrace and use them to make us our best personal selves. We ought not compare others' successes to our own - I have done that and only felt less than and started down the spiral staircase to self loathing! It is an awful, debilitating form of self sabotage that we all must learn to stop.

Thank you for sharing your journey and your friend's words.

You touched me on a very deep level today and I thank you for that. I wish you the very best in life - always!