No Walk in the Park

I'm sitting in my hospital room a full day after this life-altering procedure. I recalled a transcript of a call-in show about bariatric surgery. The expert was slammed by a few callers who were hostile that obese patients were, at times, using public funds to correct their lack of will power. Another angry caller said the doctors patients were taking the easy way out.

To that person: This is no walk in the park. I've spend a good bit of today wondering if I made the right decision because it's a big sacrifice for me and my family. The surgery left me with bleeding, lung and pain concerns. The first demonstration of will power is getting up that first day with your guts feeling like someone has thrown a landmine in them. I lost a unit of blood, but the need to ward off lung infection is greater than the exhaustion caused by anemia.

As tough as the last couple of days have been, going home will create greater challenges. The will power needed to succeed involves more than staying away from cookies and candy.One of my best friends has accurately said 'It changes your relationship with food.'

I can't drink even a half a glass of water at one time. As my stomach adjusts to the band, I'll do tiny all-liquid meals for 11 days: broth, jello, crystal light, etc. And life does continue. I have a busy 2-year-old, a huge business project due next week, a Web client to launch and a good job prospect to follow-up on in another city. All while sipping and healing.

This procedure may give me a greater chance to achieve my health goals (lowered blood pressure, blood sugar, live longer, etc.), but the easy way out it's not.

Now it's time to work my lungs and take a wall-grabbing walk in the halls.