When I began this blog last year, I introduced my tagline as “Creative Adoptive Mama On A Health Journey”. I’ve blogged plenty on adoption issues but not so much on the health journey. Well, I’ll be addressing that today! For those new to my blog, I have struggled with obesity most of my life. It’s genetic, and its something I’ll have to keep under control for the rest of my life.
I’ve expressed concern for how my battle with weight will affect me parenting young children. I knew I had to take action because the weight was exacerbating the pain caused by an already present back injury. My stamina for even the mildest tasks was diminishing.
I had previously underwent the gastric bypass in 2013. I lost about 94 pounds then regained ALL of it back, plus some. I had never been more discouraged and embarrassed in my entire life…but it happened. After reaching 338 pounds last year, I had had enough. Upon researching my work benefits, I discovered my health insurance would cover a bariatric revision at 100%.
Thank you, Lord !!
It was my second chance to take back control of my health and get it right this time. I met with one of the best bariatric surgeons in the country and got under his program for eight months. In March 2022, I underwent the duodenal switch surgery at Northside Hospital in Atlanta.
In the 3 months since, I’ve lost 75 pounds which is excellent for a revision. No complications or major issues thus far, so I’m happy with the results. This time around I’m more careful not to fall back into old eating habits. For example, sweets were once my weakness. I ate sweets daily. Now I can do without them. Matter of fact, I have no desire for them. My taste buds have adjusted, and I’m really sensitive to sugar now. I guess that’s a good thing, and I want to keep it that way! I currently weigh 263 pounds. So, I still have a long way to go, but it’s an improvement from where I was 3 months ago.
Truth is there is no easy fix for me. It’s hard. There are so many restrictions that I have to follow along with a lifelong vitamin regimen, but it’s so worth it. I definitely aim to get under 200 pounds so that I can be a healthy mom and take care of my future children and maybe even a husband one day. I’m only 3 months post-op, so I haven’t fully incorporated a lot of foods back into my diet yet. Quite honestly, there are some foods that I don’t know if I ever will eat again. However, as I do expand my food choices, I’ll be sure to share the healthy recipes I use to maintain my weight loss.
I’m so glad I finally shared this. I was a little hesitant at first because it’s so personal, but that’s what this blog is about. I really want to inspire people through my entire adoption experience. Drop me a comment below and let me know how you maintain a healthy weight, or what has worked for you in the past. This is a no judgment zone. Believe me, I’m a work in progress, too ! Let’s do it together !
See you next post !
Banessa
