Weight Loss Journey

It all began when I was hurt in Iraq. I was on a mission, gunner on top of a 2 1/2-ton Vietnam era truck. There was no seat, no secure way to strap in, I just sit on top of a metal ring that had the 50-caliber machine gun mounted to it. My friend that was driving was trying to get us into position where we could provide overwatch for the other soldiers in my platoon that were working to create a relay point for the MPs in the southern Iraqi desert. He was going a tad bit too fast and I slammed my stomach up against the handle of the gun. This caused some internal injury to my intestines and appendix. I had to be medevac'd from the field a few hours later due to extreme pain and internal bleeding. 

After I was at the field hospital, it was determined that my intestines had to be repaired and my appendix had to removed. I was in so much pain that it was crazy. The navy doctors and corpsmen did the surgery and I was stappled up. I was sent to Germany where I stayed for a week before I was sent back to the States and on to Ft. Stewart. I was only there for 30 days and was sent back to Iraq. The conditions at Ft. Stewart, on med hold, were deplorable at best. It was safer and more healing to be back with my platoon in the desert. 

Flash forward to 2018: Medically retired from the army, in the worst shape of my life, extremely overweight, gastroparesis is causing me to be very sick from the reflux and the food that will not leave my stomach. It was determined that my best course of action would be the Gastric Bypass (RNY). I went through with it and the only complication I had was about 4 days after the surgery I had developed a bleed. I had to be placed back in the hospital for another 3 days and that was it. After that I lost 163 lbs in six months, I was able to do things I never thought I would be able to again. 

Without that surgery I would have never gone back to school, got my degree, or anything other than just slowly dying at home. I am now 172lbs, and feel okay. I however did discover another setback and detriment to having this surgery. Alcohol, this is where I am now, in rehab. Self-medicating and killing myself with this were where I was headed. It seemed I fixed one problem only to create another for myself. 

Well, here we are, at this chapter of my life. Let me know what you want to hear more about. This is my first blog, I am not sure if I am doing it right, I will go into anything at all. I am an open book. Please let me know if you have any suggestions about what I should enlighten upon in my next entry.

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