Some say that I have lost weight. I say that I have gained a better life!

So here I am... the same old new me.

As I type this post, it is just over one year after I decided to change my life. On March 3, 2010, I had laproscopic Roux-en-y gastric bypass surgery. Coming to the decision to have the surgery was not an easy thing for me. I have been told by certain people that I tend to be a control freak at times. Managing my weight was no different I suppose. I tried so many diets and exercise programs that I have lost count. And you know what? They worked! I would generally lose some weight and in many cases, would keep it off for a while. But inevitably, I would slip up, and the weight would be regained, and then some. This was a slow roller coaster that took years and years to get to the point that it did. So how bad was it?


At my top weight, I was 389 pounds. I had sleep apnea. I had high cholesterol. My father and grandfather both had type 2 diabetes, and I was headed that way as well. I had foot pain, back pain, knee pain, hip pain, and ankle pain. I wore a size 4XL shirt, and a 56 inch waist. When I flew on an airplane, I wouldn't fit into the seats, and had to ask for the seat belt extensions. I missed out on many personal and professional opportunities due to my size. When I shopped for a car, I purchased "box" cars like a Scion XB or a Kia Soul because I fit comfortably into them. I didn't fit into most cars. I struggled tying my shoes, and would even struggle with personal hygiene issues because I couldn't reach certain parts of my body. I would take multiple showers every day to offset those issues, as I have always been a clean freak of sorts. And most important, I was missing out on many aspects of living with my family and watching my kids grow up. Just trying to play with my kids would get me winded. My weight was hurting my family.

When I first went to UMass for their Weight Center Orientation in June of 2009, I was still of the belief that I was going to follow their behavior track program. While at the meeting, I listened to Dr. Kelly speak, and he answered many questions I had about this mystical weight loss surgery that I had never seriously considered. When I left that meeting, I decided to continue to pursue the behavior route, but at the same time, I started to learn everything I could about WLS (weight loss surgery). I read everything I could find on the topic, and more importantly started to listen to other people who had similar histories and had WLS. I quickly learned that this process was not easy, was not a cure-all, was not without risk, and was not for everybody.

By October, and after extensively consulting with my wife, the decision was made for me to move forward with the process of preparing for this surgery. I was comfortable with the UMass program because it was so comprehensive. I met with an internal medicine doctor, several times with a nutritionist, multiple times with a psychologist, repeatedly with an exercise physiologist, attended several group support meetings, and then took a series of classes about the surgery and how to be the most effective afterward. And the best part of this was that all of these appointments occurred BEFORE I ever met with my surgeon. I believe that UMass wanted to be as sure about my readiness to succeed with this surgery as I wanted to be sure that the surgery was the right tool for me.

By January, I had completed the last of my pre-surgical classes, and chose Dr. Kelly as my surgeon. I met with Dr. Kelly, and got my insurance approval by the end of January. The date was set. March 3, 2010. A day that will live in... well, a great day for me. And I say that as someone who had a serious post-surgical complication. I had an internal bleed somewhere in my gastric system that plummeted my blood levels ans landed me in the ICU for 5 days. In the end, the bleed healed itself, with the help of 6 units of blood transfused into me. The worst part of that experience was that I came home from the hospital anemic, and was very weak for a couple of months.

I had some grand plans for my recovery post-surgery! I decided that since I had taken this time off, that I was going to be the poster child for gastric bypass success! I wanted to start working out immediately, and become a new man within hours. It is funny, however, how anemia can kick those plans in the teeth! For several weeks, I could barely get out of bed each day. I was on a 3-week liquid only diet, and my life quickly transitioned into a routine of sleep and sugar-free Carnation Instant Breakfast shakes. It seriously took a good 2-3 months for my energy level to get back to a normal range. Even when I got back to work after about 6 weeks, my principal later told me that she was ready to call 911 at any moment, because I looked a little green still.

As tough as this part of the recovery was, there were some amazing things happening to me as well. Even without the sustained exercise, the weight was falling off. For the first 3 months, I averaged a weight loss of just over a pound per day. At my 90 day mark, I was down 102 pounds! That was also around the time that my energy level began to soar, and I was finally able to exercise regularly and began to more fully enjoy my family and more fully enjoy my life!

This morning I got onto the scale on my Wii Fit Balance Board. It weighed me in at 224 pounds, which is a loss of 165 pounds in total. To me that is just a number and it seems surreal. I am actually happier about my non-scale victories. I now wear a 36-38 inch waist size, and a size L shirt. I play with my kids regularly, and have even bought a bike. I fit comfortably into an airplane seat. My sleep apnea is gone. My high cholesterol is gone. I have no more body pain of any kind. Aside from my daily vitamins, I am on no medications at all.

But through all of this, I need to remember that weight loss surgery is simply a tool. It has gotten me to a healthy place, but the farther out I am from surgery I get, the more everything falls back on me to succeed. I will always struggle with weight. I will always need to eat right. I will always need to exercise.

I am hopeful that as I proceed through my journey, that I can share some of my struggles and successes with this blog. To me, weight loss surgery is a very private thing. I have not openly announced that I had the surgery until now, although some have asked me. My own mother didn't know about my surgery until I was on my way to the hospital. Sorry mom, I love you, but this was a personal thing, and you talk too much!

So feel free to share any thoughts you have about this. I have learned that there are many misconceptions out there about the surgery I had. It has taken me a year, but I am finally ready to talk about this in a more public way. This surgery certainly isn't for everyone. It was however, just perfect for me!

So here I am, the same old new me...