Here we go...

Tuesday 10-25-11
The First Surgeon Visit

Today my husband and I went for the initial consultation with the surgeon who will (Lord willing, knock wood) be doing my weight-loss surgery sometime next year.  I am leaving the date open because at this point, I have applied for a class and, once I find out if I have been accepted into the program, I will be more able to narrow down a date for surgery.  More on that endeavor will come in future entries here.

I'm not entirely sure why I felt the need to do this, but that may make itself clearer over time.  I suppose it's just a desire to document what is happening, and will be happening in the months and, probably years, to come as I commit to the weight-loss surgery journey.  I never thought I would find myself here, considering surgery to "fix a problem" I've dealt with for my entire life.  The tipping point for me came last spring when I injured my ankle and found myself in such pain that I could not have worked out even if I wanted to...not that working out during the last year had really helped anyway.  I have reached critical mass, period. 

I am 47 years old, and the common-sense things that I have done in the past to lose weight just don't work anymore.  It is likely a perfect storm of age, hormones, sleep issues and all sorts of other indignities that come with being a woman "of a certain age".  My weight loss history has been spotty at best, with several substantial losses over my lifetime, none of them permanent.  Obviously.  It seems like I have been fat forever, although I can look back at old photographs of myself and see that there were times when I looked fine.  It's been difficult to perceive myself with any accuracy or perspective.  I have always felt fat, partly because I have always been hearing that I am fat, even when I really wasn't so much fat as just...pleasingly plump with really big boobs.  That's the past, though.  Now I am what Mama would have called "Gobby Fat"...still with really big boobs.  They will get their own entry (or entries!) here as well. 

Now, I am looking at the ultimate goal of surgery, with lots appointments between now and then, with a dietician, exercise physiologist, psychologist, my primary care doctor AND a sleep study.  I am blessed to have a lot of things in my favor for this process.  I do not have diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, which is really surprising for someone my age and size.  And I know that God has allowed me to "dodge the bullet" with regard to those comorbidities.  I'll talk about God a lot here, so if you read this and have a problem with that, you might as well either "Get to likin' it" or find another blog! 

The things about me that will always be the same are:

I am a blunt, plainspoken Southern Diva, with big boobs and a big heart underneath them;
I am a woman, wife, musician, daughter/sister/cousin/aunt/niece/friend, volunteer and child of God; 
I will always have curves no matter how much I shrink;
I am a big believer that God allows everything for a purpose, and that His timing is always significant. 

So, until next time, I am
The Incredible Shrinking DIva