One Month Rewind

A month ago today I was in a hospital bed on all sorts of medicine and wondering what I had done. Not in a bad way, just in the way when something you have planned for and wanted for so long has finally happened.

This month has been quite a journey already, but every one assures me it will continue to get better.

The scale has been consistent, and it has taken me a little rearranging of my view point to understand the road I've been on.

Specifically, when I stepped on the scale this morning, I saw a number I haven't seen in a while (you will hear this from me a lot!)...I am no longer in the 300's...no longer in the 290's...I am 289 as of this morning! When I stepped on the scale I saw a 7 lb loss in 2 weeks. In my mind, it was okay, but I wasn't jumping for joy. When I got to work, I started doing the math. Since I started this journey, I have lost...44 pounds...forty-four....pounds. When was the last time I successfully lost and kept off 44 lbs? I couldn't tell you.

And to make it even sweeter...My start weight was 333, and my personal goal is to get to 160. (My doctor and I disagree on that number, but we'll revisit that point when we get to that bridge.) So to get from start to finish, I need to lose a total of 173 pounds. 44 is just over 25% of my excess weight! I am one quarter of the way to my goal! THAT has made me excited. That hard road I have struggled with for the past year, between the insurance hoops, the layoff, the new job, the pre-op clearances, the pre-op diet, the surgery and the subsequent month of healing....that road has been so worth it! I can keep doing this. I will keep doing this.

Other highlights of this past month: first successful social outing involving a restaurant, followed by my first successful lunch with my work team, wardrobe malfunction at Starbucks that I still hope no one ever saw, oh and my favorite today - the nurse at my ortho dr oohed and awed over me and told me all the changes she has seen in me since I was last there 2 months ago. When a nurse sees so many patients every day for 2 months between seeing me, being remembered is nice, much less her being excited to ask me about my surgery and how I was feeling, then telling me I am looking goooooooooood. :)

I still see changes more in pictures than in the mirror, but I think it takes a while for my mind to accept the reflection as reality. I will have some one take pics tomorrow to compare month by month. I may or may not post them on here. Jury is still out.

I am wearing the fall clothes I bought this summer on clearance. I am now wearing shirts that are the smallest size in the plus size world for this brand. I am in no way out of plus size clothes yet, but to be able to wear cute sweaters and long sleeve shirts is a nice change. I am excited to look for my next deal on clothes to get me through this winter! So many exciting things ahead of me. I am so excited!

But I could not have made it through this first month post op without the love and support of some pretty amazing people. My family, of course, and some of the best friends I could never have imagined. Let me tell you - I can text them any time, day or night, with the stupidest, most ridiculous fear, gripe or excitement, and they respond with calm, reassurance, or join in the excitement. I am sure they are glad more of these texts come in the day than in the night, but I am appreciative of the answers even late at night. So thank you Dad, Mom, Jon, Elise, Liz, Jessica, Erin, and all of my other friends that keep me going. And thank you to all my blog readers, whoever you are. The more the merrier, right?

Until next time.