12 months since I had my sleeve!!!

Hi Melissa, you are doing amazingly well, and so wonderfully positive despite all the negative comments. Before my surgery I had my own family bagging me for taking the 'easy way out'.... there is a topic about the 'easy way out' if you search for it in the forum. We all know it's not easy. I learnt that people really simply just don't understand, and frankly, never will unless they walk in our shoes. they cannot understand the anguish of living every day, dieting all your life like a yoyo, and how hard it is when you hit that wall to take the step for surgery... we know though!!!! I tried to explain to my daughter (miss perfect know it all!) that every diet i did was like telling me to dig a pool with my bare hands, i would try, it was hard, and i would only get a litte way down. But the sleeve is like saying "here's a shovel".. a tool, so now I can dig again, get further before giving up, see results and know it's doable... BUT it's still damn hard work!!! I'm getting that way if anyone comments it's easy, I will smile sweetly, look them in the eye, and say, 'yep, piece of cake"!!!! Can't be bothered wasting my energy on ignorance!!  
I can't wait for my year to finish, and I hope I can say as well as you!! Keep up the great work, the last kilos I'm  sure are hard, and with your amazing attitude there's no doubt you will get there!!

It's a very exciting day for me as it was this time exactly 12 months ago that I went into hospital for my gastric sleeve operation - what I know now was the best decision I have ever made in my life.  I am hands down a completely different person to what I once was, I have changed for the better professionally, personally, emotionally and of course physically.  I have dropped 5 dress sizes and have lost 47.6 kilos. I want to lose another 12 kilos which will take me to mid range BMI so I will continue to plod away at that.

I have had some hurtful comments from others throughout the year that I took the easy way out to lose the weight - this angers me as having a gastric sleeve is far from an easy option. People don't understand what it is like to walk a day in the life of a morbidly obese person - I needed this surgery to get my health and life back on track. Pre op and post op were difficult stages for me and having major surgery (with serious risks) was not a decision I took lightly. I have worked so hard in the last 12 months after my surgery to promote my weight loss, I exercise at least 5 days a week and I only ever eat healthy food - I don't touch junk food anymore - to me that food simply represents where I came from and not where I want to go in the future. 

I've been fortunate that I have not suffered any major side effects. There are however some things that have not been great - I am always cold, my hair is only starting to look healthy again now (it feel out like crazy for a least 8 months post op) and my iron levels are not good. I am often thirsty (especially at night) and struggle to get enough fluids in every day. My bowels are unpredictable and no where near a regular as they were before the surgery. I continue to work on these issues though and am still seeing my GP, Dietician and Surgeon every 2-3 months.

Melissa xxxxxx