As Edina says in Absolutely Fabulous, “Sweetie, dahling! If people could lose weight with diet and exercise, EVERYBODY would be doing it!”

Summary of health milestones at age 55:

• I’m 100# down from my top weight as of TODAY
• Normal blood sugar even after dropping some oral meds
• Have not needed insulin in 13 years
• No cellulitis/hospitalizations for that in at least 13 years
• No CPAP needed in 12 years
• Ideal blood pressure confirmed every morning
• Ideal cholesterol because of 12 years of vegetarianism, so having a stroke is statistically impossible and likely the same for a heart attack.
• Rocking a nice tan and a long beard
• With rowing, gardening, and other activity, I actually have some muscles

Today I’m a little emotional in a way, but so inspired and confident about the future. I want to share a journey to show how important it is to not give up on oneself. I may sound naive, but I am confident I can keep the regiment I’m on, and the behaviors, to keep my weight down without any extreme effort. I have lost the last forty pounds gradually and with the right combination of activity, diet and medication. I love that people notice.

About 13 years ago I was at my top weight, was on a CPAP for many years by that point, poking my skin EIGHT times a day between testing and administering short and long-term acting insulin with injections, countless oral medications for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. I remember feeling resigned and thinking my body had betrayed me with no end in sight. even though I knew I was very loved and had a lot of good friends and support all the time.

My doctor, probably frustrated with my lack of progress, suggested that I think of getting an insulin pump installed on my body. Aghast, I told him I would research it, but I kept on asking him for some magical “pill.” I was so frustrated that the insulin and some of the oral medications made me HUNGRIER and I told him that I would forage more when those medications increased. He agreed. He said the more insulin I take, the hungrier I would become as well. The snowball effect was taking a toll on me.

I have written many times about how the gastric sleeve surgery changed my life. I approached my doctor about that and then met with a series of dietitians, psychologists, surgeons and support groups. While at 5’7 and 265 I was not nearly as big as some of the other patients, but my pancreas was pretty much done with me, my diet and my lack of movement. Every time I tried to hike, I got the TINIEST of scratches and I would end up in the emergency room or end up being hospitalized for several days to be monitored so that the infection wouldn’t spiderweb up my leg to my heart and KILL me.

When people asked how I lost the initial weight, I would instinctively say, “I took the easy way out and had surgery,” but FUCK THAT. It was NOT easy. After signing my life away and countless appointments, I suffered for six months without solid food and had to recovery from a major surgery. I threw up countless times because of the order I ate and drank or took one bite too many while not paying very close attention. I had to explain to people that I loved their food, but I could not physically consume more than a few ounces of solid without becoming violently ill. I also noticed almost immediately that I could not process meat as I had before, and so I went vegetarian (as I had dreamed of doing for years prior) in part so that I could eat the healthy stuff and not push my new digestive system to the limit, as many who have this permanent, irreversible surgery have discovered. I cannot chew gum, use straws or drink carbonated drinks without extreme heartburn, developed anemia for which I now have to take highly soluble iron pills, which reversed my anemia and heartburn with constant belching I had for so long that could have resulted in esophageal cancer. I made a lot of social and time sacrifices to get there, and I underwent all of this to save, simplify and extend my life, while reducing medical expenses and supplies I used.

My diligently going to medical appointments and continuously researching new medications as they became available, securing a wonderful endocrinologist and a dietician who helped me tweak them to the ideal combination made the difference. Recently the dietician told me, “We don’t need any other appointments; you’re doing everything right.” I have the healthy bright future I was always looking forward to and I’m feeling terrific about myself.