- Diabetes - I'm a type II (adult onset) diabetic. Before the surgery, my A1c reading was in the high 6.0's , I was on insulin (delivered via an insulin pump) and taking two different oral medications for the diabetes. Now, I am off my insulin pump, and not even using insulin anymore. I've been taken off one of the two oral diabetes medications (glucophage) ; I still take metformin, which doesn 't bother me. My A1c when last tested (late in January) was 5.9 (almost normal).
- Other physiology - I'm off most all of my other pre-surgery meds. My cholesterol is perfect (without meds); triglycerides were down to about 150 but crept up to 190 this last time my blood was checked. I have low iron, so I take iron tablets. My vitamin D is low, so I'm currently on a 12-week regimen of 50K (that's right - 50,000!) vitamin D tablets once a week. I take a bunch of vitamins that I didn't take before (because of the malabsorbtion issue with the GBS).
- Weight - Before the surgery, I was 270 lbs. I now weigh 200. I actually went all the way down to 185 briefly before creeping back up. I'm not happy about gaining 15 lbs back. But, my surgeon told me that he expected that I would. He said he'd be happy if I ended up at 215 or 220. I liked being at 185lbs. and I'm not happy going up to 200lbs!!! So, I'm going to have to do something about that.
- Clothing - Before the surgery, I was wearing size 2XL shirts (with 18 1/2" collars) and 48-50" waists in my pants. Now, I'm wearing size L shirts (with 16" collars) and 40" pants waists, however both my shirts and pants are starting to get a little snug. (That's why I'm going to have to do what I need in order to lose those 15lbs again. Almost all of the gained weight is visceral. I clearly have a genetic predisposition for that.
The problem is that I'm now able to eat again, almost like I was eating before I started preparing for my surgery. I'm eating stuff that I didn't think I would be able to eat (like simple sugars - shame on me!), fast food (although I do have a lower tolerance for the stuff), pasta, potatoes, etc.
I will just need to work on what I eat and on my appetite. Clearly, I've stretched my stomach out some (which the surgeon said really did need to happen). So, it's back to watching my diet. But, at least now I have a tool that will help me.
Exercise is another tool. Ginny, Tessa, Bradley and I joined the local gym in January. Unfortunately, I've only been there twice so far. I just need to push myself to go. My work has been crazy over the last six weeks, but things are finely settling down. Now, if the weather would just cooperate! We've had virtually no opportunities to play golf since the fall. That needs to change!!!
I'll try not to let so much time go by between now and the next time I write.
