Welcome to the CLUB!

Yesterday, I met Susan at Chik-fil-A so that she could get the tickets for Wicked from me.  We ordered dinner--I bought my customary kid's meal(I ate 4 nuggets, 3 fries and a half of a kid-sized tea)and sat and chatted for a while.  Susan was the one person who got me truly thinking about having gastric bypass surgery because she had it six or seven years ago.

I hadn't seen her since before my surgery, although we're Facebook friends, so she's seen photos, and I know she reads the blog occasionally.  It was great to sit down with someone who's been through this surgery, because she knows exactly what I've experienced.  Her questions had me laughing so hard, mostly because of the commonality we share!  Her question, "have you tried a drink yet?" made me laugh so hard that I almost fell off the bench!  If you don't remember, I had a swallow--literally a swallow--of Moscato wine at Olive Garden during basketball playoffs and got drunk almost instantly!  She and I laughed about that experience as it was very similar to her first time with alcohol where she nursed an airline bottle of peach Schnapps for an entire evening! They tell us not to drink any alcohol for a year after the surgery--and I know why!

She also asked me about "one bite too much", and I have had that experience on more than one occasion.  It usually has happened when I'm having a meal with someone, and we're chatting, so I'm not really taking my "food pulse" like I should.  Generally, when I'm eating alone, I'm very aware of how much I can eat, and it's easy to listen to my body when it's time to quit.  But sometimes, when I'm in the middle of a good conversation, I neglect to listen to my body and take that ONE extra bite.  And invariably, that one bite will end up in my napkin.  Gross?  Yes, but far less so than if I actually ate that extra bite!

It was fun sharing the experiences with Susan--like we were members of an exclusive club, complete with secret handshake!  Now I've shared some of the experiences with you, so welcome to the club!  If you're contemplating this surgery, don't let any of my stories scare you--having this surgery is easily the BEST thing I've ever done for myself.

Have a thankful, thoughtful Thursday!