The Art of Rebranding

While contemplating this post and what I wanted to communicate, the word “rebranding” came to mind. I’ve read about corporations going through a rebranding process to increase visibility or change their company image, but according to Indeed.com, there is also such a thing as a personal rebrand. “A person rebrands themselves by “evolving from an old persona. Most people who are looking to rebrand themselves do so as a way to completely change certain aspects of their lives. This can imply changing your profession, appearance, interests or any other major aspect of your life and/or personality.”

I had not considered my gastric bypass surgery as a rebranding per se, but I believe this may be a perfect way to describe this past year. Don’t misunderstand, I had no desire to “evolve from an old persona”. I believe one huge factor in my post-op success was coming to the point in my life where I liked myself and was comfortable in my own skin prior to ever starting this journey. I had no desire to change who I was! I just wanted to be a healthy version of ME.

I am now officially one year post-op, which is so hard for me to comprehend. This year following my bariatric surgery has flown. On April 18, 2022, I could not project out a year in my mind. I just wanted to get through the surgery and wake up on the other side. I had no idea what my post-op year would entail. Would the surgery even be successful? Would I have severe complications? Could one year REALLY make a drastic difference in my health?

Let me explain that last question. Having been medically categorized as “morbidly obese” for so long, I literally could not fathom a life any different. I could somewhat understand what it might feel like to lose 10-20 pounds, but anything beyond that was obscure territory. I had never experienced that type of success, so the changes that were ahead of me were truly unimaginable.

If you have been following my journey from the beginning, you know some of the motivation and reasoning behind my decision to start down this path. If you’re new here, I would love for you to go back and start reading from the very first post so you will understand how BIG this post is for me. Having bariatric surgery was a hard decision, and I did not make that decision from a point of vanity.

Hitting the one year post-op mark in any bariatric journey brings with it a real moment of truth. At this point in the process, every patient finds out how, or if, surgery has improved their physical health. There are doctor’s appointments, weigh-ins, and lab tests which paint a picture of the patient’s health…Now vs Before. I am absolutely thrilled beyond words to share that I am now HEALTHY!!! My journey is not over by any means, but my health has drastically improved during this past year. Let me give you a snapshot. (Yes, I’m a chart person. They make me all giddy inside).

I don’t need before/after pictures, even though body dysmorphia is a real battle fought in the mirror each day. THIS is why I had RNY surgery. THIS is my life now. THIS is success.

I have experienced so many phenomenal changes and non-scale victories over this past year, but I now have tangible proof in the numbers of how I have improved my life and health!! I am still the same ME who nervously walked into that operating room on 4/18/22, but now I’m a healthy version. I am not finished working and this journey will never really end, but the future looks bright on the horizon and I’m excited.

Thank you for being here.