Reflections - 9 Years Later

Nine years. What seems like a lifetime ago that went by in a blink of an eye.

It was 9 years ago today I “went under the knife” and had gastric bypass surgery.

While I will be the first to admit (tho, honestly, sometimes also the first to avoid admitting) that I am not quite where I would prefer to be with my weight… I can not, I will not ever deny that I am infinitely better off than I was 9 years and 1 day ago.

I’m not sure the mental, emotional, physical struggles ever truly go away. They evolve. My view of them have changed. Correction, changes. Sometimes multiple times in the same day.

It’s weird to think about sometimes, but it seems every aspect of my life has been drastically altered, almost directly by that decision to have surgery. I’m working in a field I feel passionate about and volunteering with a great organization where both provide a sense of pride and fulfillment in being able to help others as they make their own decisions about their health. Moving to Washington, a place that affords me the opportunity to get out and enjoy so many wonders of nature (though in all fairness… the rain today has kept me inside), surrounded by my new “family”, and thanks to modern technology able to keep in contact with the loved ones still back in Minnesota. And honestly, without that decision to take control of my health through bariatric surgery, I’m not sure I would be here right now.

That’s not to say there aren’t things I would have liked to do differently, but I try not to dwell on them. Instead, I try to learn from them, in order to hopefully make better decisions in the future.

But I have no regrets. Every single decision I’ve made has led me to where I am right now.

And you know what, right here is a pretty good place to be.