Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tomorrow!

Matt and I have been down in Edmunds, Washington for the last few days.  It is about 20 minutes outside of Seattle and at 40 000 people it is considered a small town.  Today we actually found someone who knew where the Yukon was and had even canoed the Yukon River in his younger days!  Most folks have no clue where we live, but are shocked when we say there is snow there already.  We are walking around in t-shirts when everyone else is wearing winter jackets and mittens!  Of course, we are getting odd looks.

Again, the reason we are down here is so I can undergo weight loss surgery.  Tomorrow morning at 8am I will be at the clinic and I should be back at the hotel by noon.  I have gone through all of my pre-op appointments and I think I am ready to go.  My stomach is full of butterflies, so good thing it is getting cut out tomorrow!   :)

This is going to be life changing for me.  I honestly don't think anyone who isn't obese can understand what it is like and how it will change my life.   I was 100lbs when I was 9 and 200lbs by the time I was 15 and 300lbs by my late twenties.  Go ahead, strap 100lbs onto your body and try carrying it around for a day and see how you do.  It is exhausting, but it is all that I know.  I do not know what it is like to be an age appropriate weight.  I need to lose nearly 160lbs to get to a proper body weight.

I am not doing this as an easy way out.  It definitely isn't, for anyone who has that thought in the back of their mind.  This is going to be hard work.  I have failed at dieting, and it is not because I am lazy or lack motivation.  It is because I have an addiction and having this surgery is going to give me a tool to help me manage my eating in the future.  This is a great website that is very informative on all forms of weight loss surgery if any of you readers want to educate yourself more on the matter.

The support I have received from friends has been phenomenal.  I don't think many of our family members are on board yet, but hopefully as I go through this process they will come around. 

I have been reading a couple of books about life after weight loss surgery.  It is going to be hard for sure.  It says that people who have been obese their entire lives go through a lot of identity issues once they have lost a lot of weight.  Also anxiety, depression, loneliness rear their ugly heads once you can no longer turn to food for comfort or to hide from life.  I will be outside of my comfort zone and I just hope I don't turn into a complete wreck!!  I have done a lot of work to ensure I have the help needed to get me through after my surgery.

Tomorrow is the start of a new life for me.  Not that I don't love my life right now, but it will be a life that is much healthier.


Riding a ferry just for shits and giggles!  We went across the bay and right back again.
Boat, boats and more boats!  Our hotel is just a block away from the water front and we have been enjoying walks along the pier.

Thank you Matt for being such an strong support for me to lean on!

Flowers left in my room from the Faro Girls!  Thank you Michelle, Heather, Brittany, Sarah, Erica, Nicole, Tina and Lorraine!

More flowers for me!  These are from a dear friend that I met while living in Kugluktuk who now lives in the Vancouver Area.  Thank you Tarama, Jason, Garrett and Tanner!

14 comments:

Megan said...

Good luck, Kara! Check in tomorrow and let us know you're OK.

Thinking of you.

Carole said...

I'll be thinking of you Kara.

Unknown said...

Good luck!! I have butterflies in my tummy for you. ((Hug))

-N- said...

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

If I might add something from the male perspective....and forgive me if I'm overstepping my boundaries here, but I don't think you need to justify your choices. Having gone through a similiar experience with Lisa, it really is a health/quality of life issue at the core of it. True beauty really does come from within...through the struggles and challenges you overcome, to your strength of character, to the values and beliefs you pass on to your children. All the best tomorrow as you start the first day of your new journey. I know Lisa has experienced a lot of emotions, twists and turns and whatnot with her own journey. Feel free to pick her brains as I'm sure she would readily share some of her experiences. My cranial panty is kinda empy at the moment so picking my brain...something something something.....cue crickets chriping.

Good luck tomorrow Kara!

Anonymous said...

Um, that should read "cranial pantry" NOT "cranial panty"... there really should be a law against me being on FB on little sleep.

Morena said...

Thinking of you lady!

Gen said...

Doug and I are right there with you, sweetie. All the way. Matt, we're thinking of you, too! :D

Erica said...

Good luck, Kara - I know you're going to do great with this. I'm thinking of you as it snows ^_^

Anonymous said...

All the best in this phenomenal journey you're embarking upon. Although we haven't met I have followed your story through Urban Yukon.

Sarah N said...

Good luck tomorrow and in the tough months afterwards. The good news is you are so full of personality and light that shedding body weight won't change any of that! No identity issues needed: you know who you are and so do we! Now we'll get to see you start to shine on the outside!

Rob, Tina and the boys said...

I will be thinking of you tomorrow.

Susan H. said...

Good Luck Kara...I'll be thinking
good thoughts and looking forward
to your next blog.

Kristi-Bisti said...

I've been praying for you! I'm glad you are enjoying your days in washington. Hang on! It will be a bumpy ride!