2 year aniversary (long, very long)

[Guest guest]

Reflections on the Second

Anniversary

I am grateful and happy that I made the decision to be banded 2

years ago. I am not as grateful and happy as I should be, though, as my wife

and daughters are quick to point out. If they are correct I would not be here

writing this now but more likely dead or in a worse place than I was both

mentally and physically. I, like many, tend to lock the bad up in a closet

somewhere and only visit it when it suits me. I also tend to be 20% grateful

for what I have and 80% jealous of what I don’t. When people congratulate

me for the weight I have lost my tendency is, and always has been, to reply

that yea, it’s a start, instead of acknowledging that I have indeed done

a good thing. Well you know what? I have done

a very good thing, for both myself and my family and by extension possibly for

all mankind as well J. I have gone from a 360 Lb depressed type 2 diabetic

with bad knees, severe sleep apnea and a ton of other related physical

problems, to a current 219 Lb never satisfied but relatively healthy specimen.

Hey, life aint perfect fer nobody. I no longer exhibit any symptoms of diabetes

and I was injecting insulin and taking a cabinet full of meds before. Diabetes

does not disappear but I am free of all medications and symptoms. Many, in fact

most, of the physical problems I have endured throughout my life have either

disappeared or at least become much more manageable. For me one of the most

important changes is in the way I feel when I enter a room full of people. I no

longer feel like I stick out like a sore thumb and with that feeling gone I can

concentrate on the reason I entered the room in the first place, whatever that

may have been. For each of us the changes are different but still have a series

of common threads. Physical activity is greatly enhanced, self esteem is

elevated and life is still not a bowl of cherries. I include the last because I

think it is important to remember that this is not a magic bullet but rather a

tool. A fantastic tool that can accomplish many wonderful things if it is used

correctly, grasshopper. Good tools by themselves can not build a good house. It

takes a good carpenter to wield them. I’ll drop the analogies here since

they can go on forever and the rest is fairly obvious.

I had been heavy since birth and like most participated in just

about every diet and weight loss program known to man. I even had a limited 2

year success where I went from 305 to 173 and held it for 2 years but the crash

and rebound that followed was even more devastating. Skip ahead another 20

years and I find myself at 354 Lbs in poor health and depression. I attended a

mini class reunion of my University wherein was reacquainted with an old

classmate who lives in Mexico City.

I went to a rather unique school where most of the students and teachers were

from latin countries and we were all bilingual. He took one look at me and told

me about a procedure his wife had had in Mexico where they placed a gastric

band and he told me of her amazing results. I was, of course, quite skeptical

but a month or so later I began my own research. When I decided that was the

procedure I wanted I tried to find a way to get it done in the US but

without insurance it was a losing battle. Even with insurance it is still not

as easy as it should be. Since I was going to have to pay for it myself my

research led pretty quickly to Mexico.

Even though I am no Stranger to Mexico or other latin countries I

still did almost a year of research and anguish before I made the decision. I

had narrowed it down to two doctors and situations in Mexico. It turned out that the

Patient Coordinator, or whatever you wish to call them, that I had been in the

most contact with had actually represented both before. She helped me make the

decision based on my specific concerns. The rest, as they say, is history. I

ultimately chose Dr Alberto Aceves. I have since come to know this man as both

a great surgeon, source of sage medical advise and a good friend. This is not

intended to be a commercial for Dr Aceves but rather a reflection on my journey

to date so I’ll try not to mention his unbelievable care and skill again

in this treatise J

I lost the first 100 Lbs fairly quickly and easily. At least I

considered it easy. I kept detiled and exact records of everything I ate broken

down by Calories, Fat, Crabs and Protein. I also kept exact records of

exercise. Weigh loss without exercise is possible but I liken it to racing a

car without oil. It will still run but not anywhere near its potential and it

will still burn out too early. I think one of the reasons it was

“easy” is that I was obsessed with it. Listen to anyone that is

about to be banded or during the first 6 months and you will see an enthusiasm

that is seldom matched. In my case reality set in at about a year. I had

plateaued and to a large degree still am. Here, however, is the real lesson.

The band is the tool that buys me time to learn new habits. I developed habits

over a lifetime that led to the bad conditions described above. It is not realistic

to expect that I can develop a whole new set in the course of a year or even 2.

It is no longer about get thin quick but rather about getting healthier and

developing a different lifestyle that results in different behaviors and

values. That, my friends, takes time. I am, in fact, writing this to remind

myself of that as well as to remind myself that it is necessary to pay this

forward in order to keep it fresh and exciting. I still make bad choices. I

still beat myself up. I still wish I had the fortitude to stick with it 100%

and effect all the changes I think are possible. BUT I have begun to learn to

temper that with the reality that I have already begun those changes and that

time alone will tell the tale.

I realize this is a long re-introduction and I assume that if you

have read this far you either still do not have a life or you are truly

interested. If I can be of any help to you as you do your research or as

support for someone who is also walking this path, please do not hesitate to

contact me.

Craig Carothers

DOB 3-9-06 354/219/200 by Dr Alberto Aceves, Mexicali

ccarothers@...

www.carothersweb.com