This isn’t the usual story about recovery, but it’s certainly one worth mentioning. After returning from New Orleans from the Obesity Help Event, I was getting a ride from the airport.
As usual I find a way to bring up weight loss surgery, and this thin woman couldn’t have shocked me more when she told me that she was also a post-op. She was tiny and told me that her starting weight was 267 (7 more pounds than I was). This is not an unusual coincidence but we continued on.
I mentioned mine was over ten years ago in 2001 and to my total shock she replied that hers was too. “YOU’RE KIDDING????” How bizarre is that???? Just when I thought there could be no more to this story, I asked who her surgeon was. SAME ONE!!
It was super inspiring to me to see two women that were over ten years out, no complications, and the coincidence of the century. Small world.
Know that we exist. Sometimes all you hear about are the bad stories because rarely do people scream from the rafters about the good outcome.
Cool story huh?
Hugs, Yvonne
Patient Responses to the Question Above
Way to go Beth!
by: Yvonne McCarthy
I truly believe that rocky starts can sometimes give you strength to be a better success story. Big time congrats to you!!!! I had a friend that never got to goal then regained 70 pounds and by her 9th surgiversary she got it all off and finally reached goal! It's never ever too late!
There are no coincidences
by: Beth
Your news is great to hear.
And you're right, sometimes I DO get shaky and worried because of "all the" bad stories I hear.
But what has been scary for me is the small number of banded people I know, and out of them, the number of problems seems rather high.My surgery date will be three years on November 21.
I haven't done as well as I had hoped, but I take full responsibility.
I went back to school full time, and I was putting in 16-hour days, totally stressed out, and eating a lot -- A LOT -- of ice cream.
I had lost 75, then gained as much as 35 of that back (some ups and downs, but that was the biggest re-gain), and now I am 80 pounds down after getting back on the wagon.
As of a couple weeks ago, I'm on the downswing as I've now lost more than I need to lose.
That feels very good.I hope to be another success story down the line, even if I had a rocky start.