Gastric Bypass Barbie

Every Bariatric Body Needs a Bariatric Buddy

I’ve talked about how critical “support” is to success in the bariatric after life, but I’m not sure how much I’ve emphasized the need to surround yourself by other successful post-ops and people who just “get it.”. Giving, generous, compassionate, thoughtful people who have committed themselves to living the very best, healthiest, happiest, most fulfilling lives possible.

I am fortunate to be enveloped by some pretty amazing people, and thought I’d share a little bit about them here.

First and foremost, is Melinda (aka MelsReturn aka RecoveringFatty). Mel and I have been online bariatric buddies for awhile now and she has been my Gastric Bypass GPS when it comes to staying on track. She emboldens me to do things I wouldn’t have done in my before life and was hesitant to do in my after life — like creating this blog. She is a source of inspiration, if for no other reason than she is human. I love that she lives her faith for all the world to see and there’s nothing phony about her. She’s always there with a kind word, a soft kick in the pants, or a good old-fashioned southern “hello.” She never claims to have it all figured out, but she sure is honest about working on it — while helping all of us little bariatric baaaaaahhhh-sheep along the way. RecoveringFatty.com is one of the places I visit every single day, mostly because I like what Melinda writes, but also because she has created a wonderful, safe, uplifting community for people like me. Hugs and kisses to my southern bariatric belle.

Next on the online list is T2Nashville (aka Tammy). Another southern belle, I found Tammy over on Bariatric Eating (just like Melinda) and got to know her much better on RecoveringFatty. She is just the most wonderful bundle of optimism and rah-rah-sis-boom-bah you’d ever want to know, and she never has an unkind or unflattering word to say about anybody. She is a lovely lady who is doing her best to live the very best bariatric after life possible, and she’s making sure that NO ONE gets left behind in the parade! She’s like the mother goose, and we’re her little goslings, paddling furiously in our little post-op pond. Muah! Kisses to you, Tammy!

Next would be Protein Girl Allie (from Pimp My Protein Shake fame). Now, even though she is NOT a WLSer, she IS a fellow Protein freak and, from day one, warmly welcomed me into her world — no questions asked! She, like Melinda, has been unbelievably helpful to me with all of this online blog stuff, and even sent me a care package of guar gum to pimp my own protein shakes! She is still trying to get me to step away from the artificial sweeteners and chemical crap, but I’m not ready to let go of that buoy and swim for the Stevia Shore. Basically, she is the Erythritol Energizer Bunny and the Chemical Queen ! She’s another of my daily blogs, and she is an inspiration on many, many levels. She’s active, beautiful, funny, loves protein, and radiates health. She’s like the sun in my gastric bypass galaxy.

Then, of course, there are all of those people who leave me wonderful comments, and just make me feel all warm and gooey inside: Keith, PaulaK, Paula From Germany, Melaska, PaintLady, ScottO, PlayfulArtist, Pinkie, and HeavenlyKristen.

Not to be outdone, there are my zany, new(ish) friends at BariatricTV (Lynnda, Toni, Big Mickey and Mike) and a host of new FaceBook friends and Twitter followers.

Now…while it’s true I spend my days in the ether, I also have a PHYSICAL self that needs supporting, and that’s probably more critical than my VIRTUAL self! That’s where my non-online (is that offline?) buddies come into the picture:

First, there’s Dave and Michele: Dave had gastric bypass surgery in January 2009, so he just celebrated his 1-year surgiversary. He was doing all of the research and attending meetings for a long time before actually having the surgery, so he was about as prepared as anyone can be prior to taking the plunge. Of course, he’d be the second one to tell you that this after life business is much harder than it appears, but at 200+ pounds lighter, he’s fighting tooth and nail to keep it off and live a great bariatric after life. He is battling his demons — sometimes several at one time — and I admire his ferocity.

His wife Michele is his biggest supporter, and was my (only) cycling buddy before Dave was able to get back out on a bike and join our little peloton. We couples (D&M and Juan and Me) get together just about every weekend so we can ride, hike, walk, and make amazing bariatric friendly meals that — not only satisfy our modified pouches — but also make the uninitiated tummies of our loved ones happy.

Me and Dave have deep conversations all the time and agree that success will only happen if we surround ourselves by people who think and live the same way as we do. That’s not easy to find out there. Much like recovering alcoholics, we don’t like to hang out with people who “drink,” and much prefer living in the safety of our little bariatric bubble, where we can use our GymBoss timers without threat of ridicule or criticism. We understand what it feels like when one of us eats too fast, or eats the wrong thing and dumps. We don’t make excuses for each other, and try our best to lead one another by example.

Michele, like Dave, is a ton of fun and is as close to being a Bariatric After Lifer as one can be (without actually having a modified pouch!) She LOVES experimenting with protein shakes and visits lots of recipe sites to get the latest and greatest dishes. Ultimately, we are a good fit for each other — me and Juan and Michele and Dave — and Life is Good.

Next is Becky — She’s a nut who is not a nut like most nuts! I She has been so wonderful about helping me interpret my blood work and make adjustments where needed, and she is one of those rare dietitians who believes that bariatric surgery is a reasonable treatment for obesity — for the right patient! Unlike most nutritionists, Becky never stops learning and is always looking for ways to improve the quality of life for those who suffer from MO. She is the rarest of gems.

Finally, there’s my therapist, Jim. I’m not sure if he enjoys our Friday morning collaborations as much as I do, but I secretly think he does. I’m willing to bet that, on some level anyway, he wonders who’s crazier between the two of us. Fortunately, he’s too much of a gentleman to tell me it’s me. I’ve taught him as much about the bariatric after life as he’s taught me about my own life, and he even let me do a guest lecture for his Health Psychology class at Cal Poly Pomona! (Little did he know that he would become a Barbie Fan…I’m sneaky that way.)

I like the way he helps me see that I mostly already have the right answers, and whatever I don’t know that I know, he helps me “get.” He’ll know his work is done when this bariatric Barbie finally learns that the only one who can judge me is me. Looks like I’ll have oodles of time to work on…our schedules are both booked solid for six whole weeks!!! That’s okay…mental health is all in your head, right? (LOL).

I guess I’ll end with this: Every BODY needs good people in their lives — whether they are bariatric patients, or just “normal” (unaltered) folks trying to live honest, healthy lives.

Have you chosen to surround yourself by bariatrically-minded people, or does your world revolve around people who bring you down? It can be really challenging when you learn that certain people are “toxic” to your success — but if you’re willing to “get on the wagon” there are a ton of us out there willing to walk those “12-steps” with you. I promise!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 22nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm and is filed under Introduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.