When you ask our patients what they are thankful for, the answers might surprise you if you have not been through the program at The Center for Bariatrics at Bailey Medical Center. “Better health. More energy. My family. My kids. Self-esteem. My joy is back!” are a few things that rise to the top. Then again, if you have been in their shoes or are currently at the beginning of your weight loss journey, then those answers make perfect sense. It is not about a number on the scale. It is about how life is seen completely differently than it did before this new journey.
Yet, many remind us this is “not the easy way out.” Thanksgiving is a time many gather together with family and friends, a day rooted in traditions spanning years and even generations. It is without a doubt a holiday anchored and expressed through the centerpiece of food – a focal point every post-op bariatric patient must face for the first time, whether they are two weeks out or 11 months. A day that can be especially challenging for pre-op patients, who may be on an all-liquid diet the day everyone else is oohing and ahhing over turkey and pies. However, it is a journey our patients don’t have to face alone. Backed by the expertise and encouragement of the Bailey Bariatric team and GEAR Support Group Network, holidays are also a time our patients are thankful for hearing someone say, “I’ve been there and this is what I did” or tips from registered dietitian Rene Norman, RD/LD on successful strategies for holiday eating.
This journey is about losing and gaining all at the same time. Losing the burden of poor health, missed opportunities and feeling bad both physically and emotionally somehow takes a back seat to gaining an extended family, seeing more finish lines than ever imagined and looking at what the future holds with excitement. Our patients are thankful for their bodies, not for holding them back, but for holding them up through a life they now say they are living to the fullest. They are confident, living out of the shadows and experiencing moments they once thought had passed them by like the miracle of holding their baby for the first time.
When we think of giving thanks, we often look back and reflect. Our patients give thanks by looking forward and realizing it is all still possible.
Are you ready for a change? Please join us for an upcoming free seminar to learn more about your weight loss options. Click here to register and let us know you are coming.