Chris's Journey #46: Under Construction

At the beginning of the year, I got in my car to drive to work. It was a normal week day morning. As I made a right turn, I noticed that the steering wheel was a little harder to turn than usual. Then I made a left and felt the same thing. I pulled over at a gas station and struggled to look under the car at why it was hard to turn. I did not see anything. I shrugged it off and got back in the car. I started the car again and began to drive. I got to a turn and once again it was a struggle to turn. I happened to look down at the steering wheel this time and saw that the steering wheel was dragging on my stomach. I was wearing a jacket because it was cool outside and saw that it was me that was making it harder to steer. My stomach was now getting in the way of me driving. To say this was depressing was an understatement. But it was my old normal.

My body is going through some serious changes right now. I am exercising harder than I ever have. I am eating less food than I ever have. My back is giving me a lot of issues. My body is adjusting to the fact that I have less fat on it, and my back is recalculating the weight that it supports. My skin burns in certain places around my body (especially around the stomach). This is from my skin not expanding as much as it was. Losing the weight is a great thing, but losing it at the pace that I am does have side effects. My back and skin are just some of them.

Let’s talk about some of the good side effects. I am now in 4X shirts and they are even getting loose on me. It is easier for me to shop for clothes now. Clothes shopping can actually be fun. That thought scares me, but it is becoming true. I can walk faster and hurt less. As you read in last week’s blog I walked my fastest mile and 5K in the same day. Plus I had plenty of energy to go to my uncle’s house for a little Labor Day fun. It is easier for me to get out of bed. I LOVE this. I do not hurt when I get up in the morning. I do not hurt or get out of breath when I put clothes on. When I sit, I can put my foot on my leg now! That is so awesome. I literally yipped out loud when my foot stayed on my leg. I almost have a lap now. I cannot wait for the day my Godson or nephews or even my girlfriend can sit in my lap. That will be a good day.

But wait there is more! I can sit comfortably in the pew at church now. I use to have to prop my stomach on the top of the pew in front of me or sit in the front row (it does not have another pew in front) so that I would not hurt. Now I can sing, move, and praise in my pew. That is a great feeling. I can even walk in a crowd and feel like everyone is not trying to get around me. I am smaller and I can move with traffic. I am even able to clean house without any pain at all. I can just clean and clean and not get out of breath. I am still working to be on my knees, but that will take time.

Finally, my stomach no longer touches the steering wheel. Look at the picture above. I have plenty of room there now. I remember the first time I saw that it did not touch. It was about a month after the surgery and I could get a finger in between the steering wheel and my body. I was so excited I was shaking. I quickly took a picture of it and send it to my friends. And now 4 months later, I can put 4 fingers in between me and my steering wheel. It was seeing that my stomach did not touch that showed me that I was doing this. I am losing the weight. I am taking it seriously. I will be keeping it off.

In the four months since the surgery, I have lost 22 inches total around my body. I am in the best shape I have been in 10 or more years. I am active, I am comfortable and I am learning to like me more. It is going to take some time to learn how to love me to the fullest, but I am getting there. But for right now, my stomach does not touch the steering wheel, and that is an amazing thing.

Sincerely, Chris