Adapting to the rapidly changing me

August 2014

Weight – 18 stone 7 pounds (119kg)

Total loss – 6 stone 7 pounds (43.5 kg)

First year of university done, results in, got a 2:1. I am incredibly happy as that is quite the achievement under the circumstances! Had a few ups and downs since my last post which I expected, however, nothing really prepares you for the dramatic and rapid changes both physically and psychologically. My diet was improving though I still couldn’t drink my beloved coffee. I was learning that some foods were more tolerable than others in terms of digestion and what caused me to have stomach cramps. One instance that will forever stick in my mind was making the mistake of eating a Haribo sweet given to me by my grandson. I’ll explain what happens when you have a new digestive system that is more sensitive than the old one; when you eat something that disagrees with you, it is the worst feeling. You literally cannot move from the pain of stomach spasms and cramps. The good news is it lasts no longer than an hour or so but you have to just ride it out. Constipation is obviously an ongoing issue and will remain so indefinitely. This has been confirmed by others I have spoken to who have had the surgery. Another significant issue is the fatigue. Out of nowhere all the petrol in my tank runs out and I am exhausted. Even when I was at my heaviest I did not experience such tiredness, the smallest activity drains you. I hope that this improves over time.

During the summer the absolute worst thing that happened was the hair-loss.  As the photo above shows, I cut my hair short and at the time this was not out of choice. My lovely thick glossy blonde hair was falling out by the handful. I had been warned by the hospital that this would happen but I still was not prepared for how traumatic it was. I have to say though that my trauma was temporary and as each day passed, the excitement of my physical transformation far outweighed the upset about my hair. I remembered what the lovely nurse told me after my mini breakdown the after the surgery “In a few months you will see your reflection in a shop window and not recognise yourself” and she was absolutely right!

I spent the rest of the summer recovering and building up my strength doing a lot of walking preparing to return for my second year at university.

Thank you for reading my blog, see you next time 🙂

Claire x