Where did the past year go? It's hard to believe that I'm one year postop today. The time has flown by! I really have mixed feelings...I've lost 113# and have regained my life. Last weekend, I hiked 16 miles over mountainous terrain at about 9000 feet elevation (I live at sea level but was visiting in the mountains). A year ago, I had to stop to rest 2-3 times to get up a single flight of stairs! I've also dropped in size from a 32/24 to a 14/16 or 16/18 depending on the brand of clothing. So, from that standpoint, I guess I'm a success.
I feel like a failure, though, compared to many of the others who've had much more dramatic weight loss. My surgeon expects me to lose 160# total (of the 200# I need to lose to hit my "ideal" weight) and thought that I'd lose 120# of that in the first year...I didn't hit that goal. My personal goal was to lose 160# the first year (I want to lose the WHOLE 200#). I *definitely* did not hit that goal. In part, I feel like that's my fault because I have been lax about exercising and getting in adequate protein and fluids. On the other hand, I lost two months to a broken back and another two months to incapacitating depression (resulting in hospitalization). Depending on the moment, I either want to beat myself up or cut myself some slack...I can't seem to be consistent here, either!
Overall, though, I'm satisfied with the results. I'd recommend WLS to anybody in a heartbeat and am more than willing to share my story with anybody. I've shown my belly to more strangers than I'd ever have thought possible when they want to know "how bad" the scars are...I had a lap procedure and can't even FIND all the scars now...a couple of them have completely disappeared. I hope to have plastic surgery (tummy tuck and breast reduction) in the next year but want to wait until I'm closer to my "final" weight before doing so.