Things I wasn't ready for after surgery - add yours too!
So, yesterday it's been 10 months since I've had the surgery and I've definitely experienced changes as the weight is coming off, some of which took me by surprise, while others I find hilarious! I still have more to go but I'm definitely feeling tons better, like I'm getting young instead of getting old, I'm sure the majority of you, especially over 40 and who were obese the majority of your life know the feeling.
I knew that with losing weight I'd get my energy back but other changes were unexpected. Here's my list, feel free to add yours in the comments!
- The Cold™️🥶
I live on a small island, and here it never really gets cold, doesn't even snow. The worst months are January and February, where one needs to wear a jacket, but for the most part we sit at a comfortable temperature, with the summer months being atrocious. Ever since I can remember I'd wear t-shirts up to mid-December at home, and only need a thicker jacket for Jan-Feb while out. Not this year though. I'm constantly freezing. Have been wearing thick winter clothes since end of October, need to have the heat on almost every day, and I go out wrapped up as if I'm taking a hike in Antarctica. The cold is real and hurts everywhere. I'm sure I'm not the only one to experience this after weight loss. I'm actually excited to experience the temperature next summer and wonder if it will affect me the same as always or this time round it won't be as bad.
- Bones 🦴
I have bones! For more than 20 years my skeleton was covered in a thick armor of fat. Everywhere I touched was squishy 🤣😭. Some weeks back I realized I could feel my elbows and now I can see my knees too. I found this hilarious 🤣 I keep touching my knees and elbows thinking how different they feel. I also have shoulders and when I lie down sideways, my hip bones protrude too! And I can feel my ribs when lying down! I know this might sound strange for people, but I haven't felt bones since I was in my teens and it feels like a different body.
- Hairloss 💇🏻♀️
I knew this would happen. I have very thick hair and started experiencing hair loss around the second month after surgery. I have lost So. Much. Hair. It has definitely thinned and while I'm not balding, it feels very different than it was. Around the sixth month post-op it stopped shedding but for the past two weeks I'm losing again. I feel small hairs growing all over my scalp. I thought that once the hair loss stopped it would start to grow back, so I'm a bit surprised I'm shedding again. I stopped taking the multivitamin around the seventh month post-op since I was advised by my team to take them for 6 months and I'm wondering if I should start them again. Thoughts?
I'm sure I'm experiencing more changes and more to come as I reach my goal. So what changes have surprised you, scared you, or what changes are you embracing or hating?