Ahhhh.. pouch eating.... love it!

I absolutely LOVE that I can eat less than 1/2 cup of black-eyed peas for lunch and be COMPLETELY satisfied!! I used to need a bowl or two, and always had to have cornbread, of course! But now I don't need much at all... I'm completely full and satisfied, and it's all protein!

I just love, love, love having a pouch! I know it probably sounds wierd... but it really is the best decision/choice I ever made! I love that I can taste a little bite of something.. so I don't feel deprived if there's something yummy on the table.. but I don't have any desire to eat more than a small bite of something that's not good for me!

I still have to put some focus on food, because I have to cook balanced meals for my family, but it's so nice to not even have to worry about food (for myself) much.. because a few bites and I'm done. Eating used to be such a big focus of the day, and it's just not that way anymore. I thought that would be hard, and I sure never expected to embrace it... but I LOVE IT!

...... just had to share! :)

3 months = 51 lbs lost!!

We just got back this weekend from a cruise, I was able to enjoy a bite or two at each meal of whatever I wanted, (not sugary things of course)... but we had a great time, and I didn't gain anything at all in a 5 day cruise! I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything!!

I also had no sickness, which was great!!

It was a blast!!

It's officially the 3 month mark today, and I've lost 51 lbs. I need to do inches soon (I've been bad about that, I admit) but can I say, "THIS IS SO FUN!?" :)

1/2 way there!! :)

Okay, I started out with 92 lbs to lose,

and I've lost 46 lbs,

so I'm officially 1/2 way there!

Yeahoo!!!

Have I mentioned that this is FUN??? :)

Short update...2 month mark!

Things are busy around the Morgan Household these days, with homeschooling, fun field-trips, and plans for a cruise in 2 weeks... sorry I haven't been updating as well as I should! I'll try to get better! :)

Eating is getting easier as I learn to make sure my first bite is very cautious and slow, as that's usually the one that gets hung up!!! I really haven't found anything I can't have or don't tolerate, I am just learning some foods are way more filling than others, so I have to evaluate each meal by the "density" LOL... this way I don't feel yucky, thinking I had room for the normal amount. (I can't eat as many bites if the food is heavy)

I've been TRYING to get the high levels of protein in everyday, but I am noticing a little bit of hair loss (It's not that bad, I just see the hairs falling out alot)... so I think I better step it up a little bit! :( SIGH! This is the most difficult thing, I think... there isn't enough room or time in the day w/out doing a drink.. and don't get me started on the drinks!!! :) LOL!

I just thought I'd post that I've lost about 40 lbs according to the last time I weighed (a couple days ago), and down another size!! Okay, I'll spill it... I've went from a size 18 to a size 12 in 2 months!! I think that's some good results!! Anyone want my doctor's number?? LOL! :)

I'm currently having to shop for some clothes for our upcoming cruise, I don't want to go on vacation looking frumpy in baggy clothing (like I look around town!)! I've been trying to put off buying clothes as long as possible... I had a few items in step-down sizes... but I'm officially OUT of those sizes now.. YEA! So I decided that it's time to break down and purchase a few clothing items and I am realizing that some peoples stories were right! I was told that sometimes the biggest hurdle when you are losing, is wrapping your mind around your new "size".. I was doing some shopping today, and the clothes I would pull out that looked like my size would be way too big, they were my old sizes! I obviously still see myself that size! I wouldn't naturally pull out a pair of jeans that were that narrow (new size), my brain hasn't processed it all yet, I guess! But this is a very real part of the process, I hear, and now I'm finding out for myself.. I have been putting off buying clothes, not only to buy as little as possible (since you don't get to wear them very long).. but also, because really, I still feel bigger... it's the strangest thing! I spent a very exhausting day in and out of the dressing room, exchanging for smaller sizes.. and get home to model for my husband and he says... Babe- those jeans are already baggy! SIGH! I'm not going back... these will have to do for a little while!! :)

Next step-- Size 10! Trying to prepare myself! :) Hehe... it IS fun.. no denying that!! :)

So excited for the months to come!!

Shoes!

I think I knew it might happen... but hadn't really focused much on it while enjoying this rapid weight loss journey..... But I have officially went from a size 10 shoe, to a size 8!!!!

It's fabulous!!

Oh and by the way... I've lost 35 lbs!! :)

... and two dress sizes (counting by 2, even #'s of course... so is it actually 4?)

and 21.5 inches!

This is so much fun! :)

Sorry for the absence!!

Oh wow... It's been over a week since I posted!! :( Let me try to catch up!

I had my 1 month doctor appointment. He gave me a bill of good health, told me I was doing great, and that now I need to start eating. He asked what I had mostly been eating so far.. I said "Beans".. he said.. Okay.. now lets start graduating to Big Girl food.. LOL! :) The point is to find out what I can tolerate, and also to ensure that there is no "stenosis" (scar tissue that closes the stomach opening) So I've been experementing with different foods... and wow.... my feelings of pride about not having gotten sick yet.... out the window!!

Now.. let me clarify... I haven't eaten anything too fatty or too sugary that makes me sick... my problem has been too DRY! Oh my, if you swallow something that is too dry, it's not going down.... thus what doesn't come down, must come up! So I've been having to be very careful and take very small bites... which is normal.. but it's very much a learning process! :)

I'm down 2 sizes and really feeling great, and I've lost 33 lbs!! :) Yeahoo!!

I'll try to post a picture soon! :)

Official One-Month Mark....

Okay, I admit, I got busy on Saturday (the 12th) and never got around to posting that day! :( So today will have to work!!!!

I go to the doctor for my one month followup today, time has surely flown! Seem's like I was just there getting staples removed! (ouch) I'm hoping he removes most of my eating restrictions today.... that would be nice! :) I am still eating very small portions of things, but would be nice to not be so limited. :)

I have a new favorite find!!

Since ground beef was on my "ok" list, I decided to try these veggie burgers.. as they have 14 grams of protein in one patty, and the patty is small enough to (almost, but not quite) consume in one sitting. And it's veggies (and soy), not meat, so there is absolutely no problem digesting it... it's completely soft! They are so easy too... I just pop a patty in the microwave for a minute and 30 seconds, and wa-la... I have a meal. :) (Patty only...)

Anyways.... on to weight loss!!

Total weight loss: 29 lbs.

Total Inches lost: 19 in.

This is still really fun! :)

4 week mark!

Okay, it's 4 weeks post-surgery today... getting closer and closer to the 1 month mark! (12th)

Things have been going well.... I'm able to tolerate most foods, which is good (I stick to soft things that I don't have to blend! Blended food isn't good at all!) There is no more pain or discomfort from surgery. And I don't feel sick after eating anymore (early on, I always felt a little nauseous after eating.... I didn't overfill my pouch or do anything to cause it, I think it was just from the initial healing not being finished.)

Weight loss has slowed down a little bit... I used to have a steady 1-lb/day drop.. but now it will be a couple pounds, then stay the same for 3 days... then a couple more pounds... more sporadic, but still losing at a great rate!! :) So I'm happy!!

The only thing I've been struggling with is the protein drinks! I can't stand syrupy sweet things (especially since the surgery)... and most of the protein drinks are... Up until now, I haven't felt ready to do the "milky" ones, so it was always the clear syrup/fruity ones. But after gagging through my LAST fruity syrupy one... I decided... I'm done with this kind! So today I went back to the healthy store and picked up a coffee/mocha flavored one (meant to get chocolate, grabbed the wrong one.... Thanks MOM! :) :) ) .. and it tastes yummy, and I can put it in 8oz of 1% milk and get 10g of protein from the milk, and 23 grams from the mix.... that's 33 grams in one drink (which is about all I need to supplement!) yeahoo! :) And since I'm using a little bit too much milk/liquid (calls for 4-5 oz), I could technically add more mix if needed. So hopefully I won't have to struggle to get the protein shakes in from now on!!

Official #'s:

Weight loss: 26 lbs
Inches lost: 17.5

And I've officially lost a dress size... almost 2!! :)

Yeahoo!!! :)

3 week update

Okay, it's been 3 weeks today!

I have officially lost 23 lbs and 15 inches.

I would say that is pretty exciting!

Still hoping for alot more in the next week... I had higher hopes for the first month.. maybe I'll count the month as 8/12-9/12 instead of 4 weeks, just to give myself a little more time to reach my goal! :)

But no matter what.. I'm super stoked! Clothes that I couldn't wear at all before surgery are getting baggy and sloppy! This is GOOD! I was hoping for an average of 1lb per day this first month... but even if I don't quite meet that goal, I'm still doing the right things and walking everyday, and my weight loss is significant for a months time... so I'm a happy girl! :)

All in all.. all is well. I haven't had trouble tolerating any foods so far.

Face Pics - Had to share

Before --> <--2 weeks after

Okay, it's been a little over 2 weeks, and I thought I'd share a before and after shot of my face! I can tell there's weight loss all over, but I'm not ready to share those "before" shots!! LOL! But this should give you a little bit of an idea of how things are going!!! :) I was hoping to see results in my face/neck area very soon as I was really self-consious about how round it had become and the double chin issue!

As for the rest of me... clothes are getting VERY loose, probably going to need a different size real soon! :)

So exciting!!

Still at 21 lbs.... body is catching up again, I suppose! :) I'm not worried!

2 weeks!

Well.. it's the official 2 week mark since surgery!

I'm amazed at how much healing a body can do in two weeks! I don't have pain anymore, just little "twinges" that remind me that I'm still healing! (no big deal) And my incisions are now scars... hopfully they'll become less noticable with time (Vitamin E!)... but no more open wounds or scabs! Yeahoo!

I can do pretty much anything these days, I just tire easily still... I guess that's probably normal!

And here's the exciting part:

20 POUNDS, BABY! :)

(doin the dance)

Inches

Update on things lost.. so far :)

19 lbs lost
13 inches lost

WOW!!

So excited!!

Plateau?

I'll start off on a positive note, I'm back to losing... I've lost 18 total now. :) (in about 2 weeks)

BUT ... I was a little discouraged the last couple days, because 2 days I stayed the same, and then 1 day I went UP 2 lbs! Oh my.. how could this be???? <--- This question was being replayed in my head over and over all day yesterday!!!

I'm guessing that 17 lbs put my body into a bit of a whirlwind for 1 weeks worth of loss! LOL... and it must have decided to stop and re-evaluate! OR my body was taking some time to analize this new "mush" diet... either way, both Friday and Saturday - I lost nothing. Then on Sunday morning I woke up to 2 extra lbs!!! So scary!!

But today, I woke up and weighed (with dread of what the scale would mock me with today).. and I was down THREE lbs!! Yipee!! I was so excited!! I don't know what I expected, because I'm not doing anything wrong.. but it was still scary!!

So on to another positive week! :) :) This weight loss stuff is fun! :)

Day 2 of Mush Diet

I, of course won't write about this every day... but since it's still new.. it's the important subject of the hour! :)

I'm doing great on the "mush" stage. I feel great, more energized (duh.. no more broth), walking everyday (3 laps around my street), and I'm not having trouble with anything I've tried so far! Except GUM...

I finally analized that I have never had a problem swallowing gum before.. so I thought.. I'll try it! I LOVE GUM! Yeah... not anymore.. it puts so much air into the little pouch... you feel like you gulped a big amount of something, but you can tell it's air!! NO FUN! Buh-bye gum! I think I'll go for a sugar free hard candy of some sort instead.

Other than that, not much to write about today.

I lost another pound! 17 total! :) I'm on a roll!

Day 1 of Mush Diet!

Today started off very energized and pain-free.. Yea!!

I woke up, did my devotion time, then immediately went out to walk (Nathan and Sydney go with me, too) and increased the number of laps around my street this time to 3!! Felt great and accomplished, considering this is the 1 week mark from surgery day! WOW!

Then I cooked some cream of wheat (plain) and added 1 tsp of margerine, and some salt. I measured me out 2 tbsp which was just right. Tasted heavenly.... though I'm not naive...after 8 days of broth... anything tastes good! :) The cream of wheat was tolerated JUST FINE! :)

By this time I was a little in need of a break (did alot in an hour, endurance is still an issue).... so I laid down for a little nap... not so bad!

Then for lunch, I took Nathan through the drive thru of Taco Bell... ordered him tacos, and ordered myself Pinto's and Cheese.. YUM! And I just ate my 2 tbsp of that and am tolerating that just fine too!! :) YEAHOO! I was a little worried about the beans, since they are heavy, but it was just fine, I just ate very slow!

I was looking forward to this day, but also fearful (to be honest), because I was afraid that I would find I couldn't tolerate actual food, and that when introduced, I would be sick! But all is well... and I feel good about this next 2 weeks! Oh the posibilities of MUSH! :) LOL!!!

Mush = anything you want, put into a blender and made into baby-food consistency. (Staying away from bread, pasta, rice, etc for 2-3 months, they gum up...Also staying away from high fat, high sugar foods... blended or not)

Lost another pound today.. total: 16

1 week Post-op appointment

Well.. today it's been almost a week.

I think about what this day was like for me last week.... (seems like so long ago), I was starving... having been on liquid diet for going on 2 days, my head hurt, I was just not having that much fun. But I was excited for surgery the next day, lots of anticipation, last minute though-processes, etc. They called that night and rescheduled me for a later time which was a let down of sorts, because I really wanted to just get it done! :) But, as we know, it all worked out just fine! :)

Now this week... post-surgery... I'm still on the same diet.. and other than being tired of liquid and broth and needing to "Chew" something... I really am not hungry hardly at all... this little pouch is amazing! I know it grows a little in the healing process and you become a little more hungry... but for right now ..that's where I'm at!

So back to today, I had to be a the doctor at 8:00 am and I drove myself! Yipee!! :) I got there, and they weighed me and then showed me into a room. I was dreading this part to tell you the truth... staple removal .... I was so scared... I was praying! :) But you know what?? It wasn't that bad! It burned and stung a little bit, but she was fast at removing them and next thing I know... all done! (Thank you GOD!)

Then I attended a Nutrition class again, and got my orders for the next 2 weeks... all so much clearer to me than the first time I went... I'm guessing because it's REAL now.. :) I took lots of notes on what gets stuck, what causes dumping, what will make me vomit, etc... So hopefully when I start eating puree' foods tomorrow, I'll make the right choices! One interesting thing I learned was that my opening from stomach to intestins is the size of a drinking straw! Interesting fact!!!

My friend tells me that Taco-Bell Pinto's and cheese was one of her first "meals"... I think that sounds yummy for me too! Beans are a good source of protein, and Taco-Bell's are the right consistency (they must be thin and more runny.. not the type that "plop" on the plate).. So I look forward to that.. wish me luck. I'll try (for the sake of the journey) to post foods that work ... though not all foods are the same for all people.. but I'm blogging MY journey.. so it works for this blog! :)

I saw Dr. Felix after the class, he gave me a good clean bill of health, reminded me about liquid intake, vitamins, care of wounds, etc.... and then told me to come back in 3 weeks! The nutrition instructor told me I'd be on puree for 2 weeks before I graduated to regular eating... but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to go to any new stages unless Dr. Felix clears me to do so.(And I don't see him again for 3 weeks) If I can't get clarification, I'm gonna take the safe route. He said that this stage is to get me used to food, but also to test out my opening and make sure I don't develop "stenosis" which is the closing of your opening from stomach to intestines, due to scaring.

So all is well... tomorrow I get to start a new phase of my diet.. so glad to be done with broth! :)

Total Pounds Lost: 15

(I'll try to do inches again soon)

Feeling lots better!!

Boy, oh boy!! I woke up today feeling so much better! It's amazing what a difference each night of sleep makes. The day will usually go along like normal... pretty consistent with how I woke up feeling. (Which those that told me were right, every day gets better).

But yesterday, though I was doing alot better.. (I even went to church! ), but, I was still finding myself watching the clock towards the end of the 4-hr "Tylenol time". But I was thankful just for the improvements from the day before. :)

But today, I woke up to Brian wanting to give me a Tylenol... he's used to me waking up in bad pain because I overslept the "tylenol time"... but today I was able to say "Wow! I don't feel like I need it!".. Amazing!

I'm sure the more I move around today, I might need 1 or 2 throughout the day, just to keep myself active... but I'm very happy with this new feeling of no-pain, just mild discomfort! :)

I plan to find something comfortable (that won't hurt my stapled areas) and go outside and start walking around my cul-de-sac today before it gets too hot! Wish me luck! :)

PS... I've lost 14 lbs total now... 8 before surgery (liquid diet) and 6 after surgery. It's falling off at about 1 lb a day! I'm so happy about this! Brian says he can tell in my hands and wrists even. I am starting to be able to tell in my face, too! :) Yeahoo!! :) :)

Day 3 of Surgery Recovery - Friday

This day started out okay, a little amazed to tell you the truth. The night before was awful, because I couldn't go to sleep. That's one thing I hated about the hospital stay, I would almost want to cry when it was time for visitors to leave, because that meant the start of the "creeping clock watch". I can honestly say that both nights, I looked at the clock on my phone every 30 minutes!! It helped me pray alot those days, because every thirty minutes, I was begging God to move the clock faster! That's how much I was awake and how much I was wishing the time would go faster!!! Man, those nights were long..... and filled with such a chatic chior of beeping machines! You want to know how to torture this girl?? Put her in a room with almost expired IV machines... I'll tell it all! :) :)

No really... back to serious-ness!! So this kind nurse (PCA) named Perla, I never figured out what Nationality she was, but it was something Asian... she was just the sweetest thing and would stand and talk to me, wasn't too busy to sympathize with my "creeping clock watch", she said "What if we tried giving you some earplugs? Maybe that would help you block out some of the noise and go to sleep?" I've decided that she was another one of those Angels!! It totally helped, and I slept like a baby from 3:30am- 6:00 am... (that's when they come in to bother you about shift changes)... and thus my feeling of amazement (above). I couldn't believe those 2 little earplugs did the trick and I was able to get a small break from my restless exhaustion! Yeah! Score!! And there goes my theory of the clock needing my help to keep moving.....

Anyways, my happy thoughts were quickly dashed, when Dr. Felix came into the room for his morning rounds of discharge. And I could tell by the look on his face, that now was going to be another one of those crying moments! :( He wasn't pelased with the day I had had on Thursday, felt that I had all but given up on getting any of my liquids in and were it not for my ever-so-faithful (and beeping) IV machine, I would be in a full-on case of dehydration! He said "this is like, a class, you don't pass the test, you don't get to go on to the next grade"... "It's like anything else, we have rules you have to follow"... :( WAH! I was like, "Seriously... you are gonna make me stay through another night?" .. he said "Yes, I think you're gonna have to stay another day, because you have to be able to get to the point where you can handle 1 liter of liquids/day! I told him I could AND WOULD prove to him that I could do it... And I'm not sure he belived me, but said he wouldn't be able to come back again until later on in the afternoon, because he had a dr.'s office to run also. And that was that... I had to start trying to get my liquids down in HOPES that he would come back to see if I took him serious! Oh yeah, I cried! My mom said she thinks he was being gruff on purpose and felt bad for me, because she saw him as he was leaving & putting my chart away, tell the nurse quietly "I'll be back to check on her".. so maybe it was all to get me in the right frame of mind.... and it worked.. I'm a good student and I PASS THE TEST!!! The nice nurse came in to comfort me afterwards and said "He'll be back and he'll let you go home, don't worry.. just start drinking your fluids and show him you can do it"

So anyways, I was so serious that I almost drowned! (Felt like it at least) I ate every popsicle, broth cup, water bottle, tea cup... virtually anything that counted as liquid that they would bring to me.... and I had my liquid requirement (for the day) finished by 10 am!! I had to walk in between each thing so that it would filter down and give me some more room! I won't lie, I was miserable, water-logged, and felt bloated and uncomfortable! But I was GOING HOME!!!!

Then the waiting game for him to come back... a full day of Stir-Crazy is all I can say! I had the nurses scouting for me every hour on the hour!! :) My main nurse said that she knows that thier office closes for lunch on Fridays at 12:30 and if he was gonna come on that time, then it would be in that hour. No luck... hopes dashed! More stir-crazy! Then the angel from yesterday (Denise) came in to interview me about what happened, because she was filing a report on the issue & needed some more information. When she was done, I had convinced her to come up with a question that she needed to ask Dr. Felix so that she could find out what time he was coming! :) She did... and she found out he was coming at 2:30!! Yeah!!! only a couple more hours of stir-crazy!

Needless to say, he did finally come, though he wasn't in MY room at 2:30, scouts did let me know he was on premises!! :) LOL! (yeah, it was a network towards the end!) When he came in, he acted like the morning never happened.... started giving me instructions for home.. signed the papers and left..

Then the wait for the IV Nurse to come and remove the beeping machine from my body..... LOL... no I won't go on... then you would really know how impatient I am.... :)

At about 4:00 that day they wheeled me out of the hospital, and I will admit I was scared. No, I didn't want to stay longer, but it was scary to be on my own with this new little pouch and not sure what to do with it. Yeah he had given me alot of instructions, but none of which I had tried previously in the hospital. Start taking your vitamins, take your pills, drink 1 liter of water per/day, drink your protein drinks... etc.. Oh my, how was I supposed to get it all in?

But I will say, today is actually Sunday ... and I made it! Today I woke up feeling better than yesterday. I figured out that I can take 1 adult Tylenol and it works the same as taking the massive (feels massive) amount of childrens liquid tylenol that makes me want to vomit! I'll carefully swallow the pill, thanks!! It works out just the same pain wise, and I can proudly say, I am only taking 1 Tylenol for pain!! :) Yeahoo! I fell less anxiety today, was able to sleep pretty good last night.... all is well!!

Day 2 of Surgery Recovery!

As promised, I'll dedicate this post to discussing day 2.... beware.. it will not be all that uplifting! :)

Day two started out okay, except for the fact that I didn't get a whole lot of sleep, due to anxiety.. and when you aren't able to fall asleep, you hear every beeping machine in the hospital!!!! (Yeah, not that much fun).. but to start out properly, the morning started good, felt happy with the night nursing team, happy with my hospital experience thus far.

Then the night nurse comes and tells me that before she goes off shift, she needs to unhook my morfine drip and get me started on Liquid Vicodin (not sure it's real name). This was also the point where she removed all bandages, and I got to see the 6 stapled areas on my gut!! Not very exciting... just being honest! I'm still very euphoric, so of course this is a good step to me! :)

Wrong!! That liquid vicodin was the worst medicine I've ever taken in my life... I can't explain it any other way than - I freaked out! (there is no way to discribe it properly, so I won't even try) I apologize to any of you who came to visit me on this day, I promise, I was not myself at all! I kept trying to call a nurse to let them know what was going on, but they were all in the midst of shift change.. the PCA was the only one that would come and ask me what I needed, and was only able to tell me that the nurse would be in shortly, but she was getting her run-down from the night nurse right now. (Ohmygosh!) So needless to say by the time the next hour had hit, I was completely a mess, still no nurse, and this angel from heaven.. her name is Denise... (she is the bariatric coordinator, I had taken a tour with her two days before)... she said she was walking by and saw my light (for help) was on and hadn't been addressed and was there anything she could do! I told her YES, I needed to use the restroom, and anyone that has had surgery will know that 1 day post surgery, it's not easy to do anything on your own.. much less when you have to unplug and drag and IV machine everywhere with you! She got me fixed in that area.. and then could tell that I wasn't okay. I started crying and telling her what was going on, and she quickly hooked my morfine back up and gave me back my "button"... and said she would get to the bottom of this! Like I said.. she's an angel!

After that, they finally came in to see what had happened, we all agreed I had a severe reaction to Liquid Vicodin and that I should from that point on put it on my list of allergies! LOL! Uh... consider it done!! Then they started trying to figure out what to do, since I couldn't have my morfine, I needed to be weaned off of that! Well.. considering that had calmed down some of my reaction, I wasn't giving that up without a fight. Needless to say within a couple of hours, they tried Darvocet (in pill form.... little stomach, big pill... not a good combo... but I got through it) and I lost the morfine fight... they have the key.. I don't.. easy to see which direction that was going! No, I didn't get beligerant, but now is a good time to humbly admit, I cried alot this day!

Then I went the day trying to adjust to Darvocet, which didn't come from the pit of HELL like the other medication - we'll just call the other one Liquid Hell.. for the sake of clarity! But it was still a little rough, very sluggish, very drowsy, very narcotic!! (Didn't see that coming, huh?) So the rest of the day I was just trying to get over the morning experience, and try to do whatever I could do to recover the amount that I should for that day!

Needless to say, on this day, I must admit, I was having regrets! I share this because this is a blog of the journey, and I must be truthful, not only for myself, but to those following me that might wish to glean from my experience! I wondered what I was ever thinking! A friend of mine sent me a well timed text right about then and told me that "this is why it's a joke when they say that this surgery is the easy way out!" .... Touche'!!

I truly believe that I did ALOT of research, but I won't lie, at this point I felt like I was completely naieve and didn't not know at ALL how to prepare myself for this proceedure!!

It did get better the next day though... more on that next post!

Thanks to those who visited me on this day:
Brian, Mom and Dad, Pastor and Linda Hopper, Heather Cox, Monica Esparza, Cecilia Morgan - if I missed you and you are reading this... please remind me so that I can add you... but please don't blame me.. blame the Liquid Hell.... I was lucky to even know there was people in my room this day!

Your kindness in the midst of my meltdowns was greatly appreciated!!

***I have to put this in here.. if you are reading this and are a friend of mine and didnt visit in the hospital... don't feel bad at all! That's not my point of putting a list of those who did.. once again... blogging a journey.. so I need to put in details as long as they are prudent. :) I was a bit of a mess, so all of your help and support these next few days and months will be just what the doctor ordered!! :) Love to you all!

Day 1 of Surgery Recovery!

I will try in the next few posts to share some of the surgery experience.

Day one, I must say was quite a good day! I remember thinking that this wasn't so bad after all. I got up and walked alot (probably 5-6 times that first night). The pain wasn't bad at all... overall, a euforic, morphine induced state to say the least.

Cannot say the same about day 2... but more on that next post.

I have trouble sitting and doing anything for any length of time.... a little bit cause of pain, and a little bit due to anxiety/attention span ... possibly due to medication also...

This is actually Saturday (3 days after surgery) and I am doing better than I expected to be, to be honest... so that's a good thing! I've gotten most of my liquid requirement in, and all of my protein drinks in, just doing broth and liquid for the rest of the evening. (easier) Tolerating the vitamin regiment and several pills!

I have gotten off the narcotic pain meds, and now just take childrens tylenol (liquid - YUCK).

I'll write more a little later...

Day of Surgery!

Well, the day is finally here... we are getting ready to leave the house to go to the hospital for surgery! Please help us pray that all goes well and the doctor does a perfect job! :)

I have a raging headache, and cannot take anything and can't even have a sip of water... so I'm now on a new countdown... Bring on the drugs!! LOL!

I've been on a strict liquid diet for 2.5 days now.. so I've already begun the weightloss journey!

So here's for the record:

Total weight loss: 8 lbs
Total inches lost: 5 in

I'll post as soon as I can after surgery! :)

Update on liquid diet

Update: Just called to verify on list of liquids that I can have.... I felt like I hadn't gotten a clear enough answer and didn't want to find out I'd done something wrong...

Just as my gut feeling told me, though they originally told me it was fine...my protein shake isn't on the approved list... they said the one I had was fine, just not to have any more.

And I'm not supposed to have anything RED... not sure why???

So from now on, it's:

• Sugar Free Popsicles (not red)
• Sugar Free Jello (not red)
• Broth

Oy... :)

Also... just for the record... Swanson Beef Broth = DISGUSTING!

These broths are obviously made for cooking with, not for a broth type of diet... because they do not taste good alone! Any other suggestions on broths that are tasty?

2 more days!!!

Wow.. it's getting real now!

Just went over pre-op instructions w/the nurse at the hospital... got the run down on what to expect, what to pack, etc.... Now it's really getting exciting!!

The surgery is scheduled for 11:30 on Wednesday, but I have to be there at 9:00 am. They said they would let me know by Tuesday Evening if there was a change in schedule..

As for liquid diet... started that today.... not so much fun. I'm drinking protein shakes, so that is helping.. but still a little sleepy and sluggish!

Oh well... 2 more days, people... 2 more days!! :)

Night Sweats!

This is one thing I completely look forward to getting rid of post-surgery!!!!

It's 5:30 AM on a Saturday, and I've been awake for a while now, because I couldn't cool down! (that and a yucky itchy allergy throat!)

Since the metabolic benefits of gastric bypass surgery include correcting alot of the hormonal issues that I have.... I feel like I am on a double countdown!!

For the last year or more, it is completely normal for me to wake up in the middle of the night completely drenched, having to talk myself out of jumping into the pool, at such a ridiculous hour!!

This is one of the side-effects of the years of fertility treatments that I went through. So I am sure you can see why I am SOOOO happy to get on the other side of surgery and experience a balancing of hormones so that I can be NORMAL again!! In case you haven't read the earlier posts, I have a condition called PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom), a condition in which my ovaries are kept continually inflamed and swollen (in my case, 3x's the normal size), and no ovulation occures anymore. This is caused by a hormone called insulin... and it's hard to explain it all... but this imbalance is one of the problems that this surgery is known to correct. YIPEE!!

Who doesn't love Maxine??

(The only problem I have relating to her, is I'm 30, people! I'll be glad to relate with her when the time comes.. but for now... Thanks, but no..)

4 more days....

5 more days!!

I am getting more and more excited each day!

We are getting ready to start the weekend and then it's really the countdown once Monday starts, because I will be on a liquid diet until surgery! (Yikes) But just a few more days and it will all be over!

Yippeee!!

Really super excited about a new website a friend shared with me, though. It's called E-Mealz... www.e-mealz.com, and for just $5.00/month it plans out your weeks worth of meals and your grocery list... super easy recipes, so much time saved! Loving it.. especially since I was very worried about how I would plan/shop/prepare meals for my family when I would be so limited for a while... This is the answer! :) So exciting!! Check it out!

Measurements

Okay, I finally bought one of those measurement tapes (like you use for sewing) so that I can not only keep track of weight lost, but also inches lost....

Measured all the crucial areas, and wow... that was disturbing!! I was so excited to get a PINK measuring tape, and now pink doesn't look so cute after all.... that thing is RUDE!!

Thank God there's only 8 more days, otherwise I might not be able to truthfully answer "No" when they ask me if I have problems with depression!!!

I'm getting mentally prepared these days, wishing I could get motivated to start organizing my closet though...

I'm GOING to do that tomorrow!! (Yeah, this will make me accountable!)

Oh and on a side note: Knowing that breads, doughs, etc aren't going to do that well post surgery (none at first, but even once you are cleared for them, they have the tendancy to gum up)... so been thinking about that..... and not that I eat alot of sandwiches, but came up with a yummy sandwich alternative today for lunch. Flour tortilla, cheese, and ham... grill it like a quesadilla.. but tastes all toasty and yummy like a ham/cheese sandwich.. not too much fluffy bread! Good!! :)

Imagined myself eating only a small triangle of the quesadilla..... smiled....

8 days and counting...

Just Venting....

I just have to vent for a moment... and please don't take me wrong... I know it's all part of this process (and no, this isn't directed at anyone in particular, just an observation)...

We all know that the percentage of marriages that last get's lower and lower as the years go on, but do we walk up to the Bride and Groom and let them know that we don't think they will last??

We all know that the generations are getting steadily more corrupt, but do we walk up to a new mom and dad and tell them that we think they shouldn't have a baby? Or that we know they will fail as parents???

Ey-yi-yi... then why would so many people feel confident in telling people having this surgery that they doubt we will be able to keep it off (Since someone they know, didn't)...

Is it possible that we walk by SUCCESSFUL Gastric Bypass patients every day (who have kept it off and are continuing to do so)? We probably wouldn't know they were a success story, because they have made it thier lifestyle and they look like any other ideal-weight person...

We should all stop and think about it... because it's probably the case, just as we pass people in successful marriages and well-raised/well-behaved kids every day, there ARE people who succeed with this surgery, too!!

It's always the ones that don't succeed over time (marriages, surgery, child-rearing, etc) that people notice, but SOME DO! Let's have a shout out for them!!

I plan to be one of those people... but man... wish I didn't have to justify it so often!!

10 more days...

Oh yeah, I'm getting excited.

My plans for this week....

• Get my closet organized by size
• Plan meals for my family so they don't starve while I'm in the hospital and those first few days after! :)
• Start weaning myself from Caffeine... not sure if I'll get a headache or not.. but just in case.

Any other suggestions?

SURGERY DATE!!!!!!!!

Surgery is scheduled for August 12th @ 8:00 am!!!

I'm so excited I think I'm gonna pass out!! :)

Yeahoo!!! :)

APPROVED!!

Oh yeah!! I'm doin the dance!! :) Waiting on hold right now to schedule surgery date!! I'll update when I get it! :)

Wednesday's Update

I talked to the insurance company today and they said they are reviewing my pre-authorization request... so hopefully we'll have an answer soon! :)

• ** Updated : Doctor's office called me this afternoon to let me know that they had also called the insurance company, and that it was in the last step of approval and they felt it would be fast from this point... Thursday or Friday (hopefully).. So now we just have to pray for the perfect surgery date! :) (Can we say next week??) Well.. I guess we pray for "Approved" and then the perfect surgery date!

Update

Okay, I talked to the insurance company today, they said that they show they received the fax from my doctor, but they haven't built "a case" in the system for it yet... so that means its sitting on the nurses desk waiting for reading. Apparently, once the nurse reads the file, they build a case and send approval to the doctor.

The agent I talked to today said that it should be done this week, and that I should call back for update on Thursday! :)

Praying for favor!

Pouch Rules for Dummies

I am impatiently waiting for my insurance approval... and while searching for things about the surgery to pass the time, I found this great article and HAD to share!

It talks about the mis-conceptions associated with the pouch, the rules to follow, liquid vs. solids, etc... it's an excellent source. If it wasn't so long, I would just post it on here, but it's rather lengthy.... I would recommend anyone that has had or is considering having Gastric Bypass to read it though.. it's an excellent article! (Both for immediately after, and for years after)

Pouch Rules for Dummies

Dear God,

Please help the insurance company to give us approval soon! (Monday would be good!)

Okay.. I admit, I'm feeling impatient...

I don't do well with limbo....

Please help me with that, too!!

Amen.

Just waiting for approval now...

Just got word that all information has been faxed to the insurance company, and now we just have to wait for their reply!

I'm soooo excited!!! :)

Last step..

Okay, I just got the call that my medical clearance letter has been faxed to the surgeon... so they should be submitting to Blue Cross for approval first thing tomorrow!!

I had to call and "light a fire" today, because they didn't seem in any hurry.. they said "sometime this week"... (are you kidding me? LOL)

So... needless to say, they decided to get it done today after all (no I wasn't mean, just insistent).

So now we wait some more! :)

Patience

Okay.. the picture is sort of true...

Still waiting on the primary care doctor to finish the clearance letter, so they can send it off to the insurance company... ey-yi-yi... can he hurry up already?? LOL!!!

Interesting Article

While reading a blog (about a girls bariatric surgery progress) shared with me by a friend of mine, I stumbled on to this article (see link below), and boy did it hit home.

Please don't get me wrong, by posting this, I don't want to give off the impression that I think every thin person sits around and quietly judges obese people.. but we all know someone who does. Am I right? This post is not meant to offend in anyway.... it's more a matter of pre-reflexion (Is that a word?), due to emotions I already feel and dreams I already find myself having about being "gloriously" and "ideally" thin.... ahhh... :)

This is a very interesting article written by someone who had surgery and lost the weight, and is now part of the "thin crowd". She writes about the fact that she hasn't forgotten what it was like to be obese, but now finds herself privy to the judgment passed on those that are just like she once was...

I don't want to forget... you'll know what I mean when you read it! My Secret History

The Chin/Neck Issue Solved!!!

On another blog that I enjoy reading, the subject of toning was being discussed and this was posted on there for a way to tone the neck and chin area....

Does anyone know if this works?? (I'm being serious!)

Health Clearance

Well.. I had my doctor's appointment today (Primary Care Physician) and he cleared me for the surgery!! Yeahoo!

This part of the process was necessary for both the insurance company and the surgeon. He needed to look at my labs, verify that I don't have any health risks that would cause me to die in surgery, or after! :) I'm told they checked for any heart conditions, anemia, lung issues, etc....

So now we just have to hope that he can get his letter of approval to the surgeon today or tomorrow morning (he said he'd hurry! :)) , and then the surgeon's office will be faxing all information to the insurance company, and then Wa-la.. we wait for approval and a surgery date!! (Still hoping for first week of August.. think we can make it?)

I'm praying hard now... there's always the fear that since I'm a newly insured with this company, they possibly might feel it's too soon for them to be paying out for a surgery (though I did verify that I didn't have any pre-existing "hold" flags on my account/ID) And according to the surgeon's office, they usually see "my scenario" breeze through in a weeks time! So we are now praying for favor in that area...

Oh and this too... at the doctors office this morning I weighed in slightly below the BMI requirement (should have drank more water).. but the primary dr.'s letter of approval doesn't include those #'s ... the surgeons #'s are used... so we are also praying that the insurance company doesn't request the primary's chart information!! (Primary Dr. says he has never had to submit his chart for this kind of clearance)

So now for the most difficult part... WAITING!!

Any of you that know me... you know I'm not very good at this part... so we are praying about this too! :)

Lots of prayer in this post!! (Please join me!) :)

YEA!!

Just got a call from the primary care physician that has to sign off on my surgery (saying that the labs show that I'm healthy enough)...

I have an appointment at 10am on Monday morning!!! :) Yipee!!

After that appointment, only 2 more steps:

1) Insurance approval (which takes about a week)
2) Schedule Surgery Date.

Oh yeah... I'm doin the dance! :)

Protein Drinks/Shakes

After attending my nutrition class on Tuesday, and learning all about the issue of protein difficiency after this surgery, I took thier suggestion and started shopping protein drinks/shakes. This is one constant thing that I have heard from the doctors and friends that have had this surgery, most people HATE the protein shakes, and usually have trouble keeping up with them, thus not able to get enough protein into thier diet.

So, since I do not want to start out on the wrong foot, and I really want to preserve as much of my hair as possible... I've been shopping away and BOY am I ever glad I did! The nutritionist explained to us that, with a stomach that can hold only about 1 oz in the beginning, you sure don't want to wait until after to start the process of trying to find a protein drink you like. (Apparently, from what I hear, you take one sip and you are full.. sure not a time to be "testing" alot of different things)

So I tried her suggestion first... Isopure pre-mixed..

shudder....and though it does have a whopping 40g per bottle... I can tell you that I would go bald before being forced to drink that stuff! (okay, maybe not really.. but needed to express just how badly that stuff tasted and you could visibly see the "snot-like" stuff floating around in it) Again... <<<<<>>>>

Then I remembered talking to a friend who tried alot and found one she liked after several years.... Muscle Milk...

Low in carbs (12), Lower sugar than most (5) and 22g protein! It comes in Chocolate and Vanilla... (and apparently other flavors from what I see online) I like that one alot and will probably become a frequent drinker of this one.. But I do know that the "heaviness" might not do well with me in the beginning since they say only clear liquids for a while and adding in "full liquids" slowly... so I needed to keep shopping for a clear-liquid type of drink.

At the suggestion of another friend, I went to Flex Factory and told them my needs and they suggested "Nectar" which is a koolaid type of consistency and a large variety of flavors... 21g protein/scoop, No Carbs, No Sugar, only 90 calories. AND they even opened my flavor of choice (for a first try, at least) and mixed me up a glass and allowed me to try it before buying! (I was impressed) I did like it alot and bought a jug of the powder and I think at least for now, I am set (at least for protein) for a little while.

Another friend told me about one at Target that is pretty cheap and yummy... so next time I'm at Target, I'll have to pick up one of those. I am just really trying to find a few that I like (to change it up) BEFORE I'm eating like a bird.. :)

Until then... Yea for my hair!! :)

Labs - Update!

Labs have been faxed to the doctor.. WOW they are quick! :) (They told me it would be a couple of days) So now just waiting for my primary care physician to call me and schedule a small appointment to go over the labs and clear me for surgery. :)

Yeahoo! I'm getting really excited!

Labs are done!

One more step in the process is complete!

I went to the hospital and did my preliminary labs this morning.. and I thank God for favor... I got in and out in less than an hour!!! Wow.. that's usually not the case, especially at the hospital. But I went there so that I could get them all done in one place (bloodwork, EKG, and Chest X-ray)

So now we hope for speedy lab results so I can get my physicians sign-off for surgery. Once that's done, they wait for the insurance okay.. then we schedule surgery.

The Doctors office says Blue Cross is their easiest approval... so I hope for favor there too!!

Initial appointments..

Tuesday, July 14th was a fun day! :)

I started out at 9am attending the nutrition class that's manditory before having the surgery. They explained all that I would need to know about how to eat during those first days, weeks, months, and then for a lifetime.. Of course I know I'm going to need ALOT more of those classes, because my head was spinning when I left there! :) But I at least got a great overview about what to expect when it comes to the new way of eating!

It was great to see 3 people in that class, coming in for a refresher, they had just had the surgery 5 days earlier and they looked like they were doing and feeling great! I must admit I was shocked, because every surgery I've ever had, I sure didn't look like that 5 days later.. but this one is apparently so minimally invasive, since it's done laproscopic, that you really don't have alot of pain afterwards.

I learned all about the amounts that we would be able to eat for the first little while... wow.. amazing! I guess I should stock up in these:

We learned all about the "Dumping Syndrom", where you become extremely sick when you eat too fast, or too much sugar, etc.... Apparently that is your friend... it will slap your hand (to put it nicely) if you don't eat right! I don't look forward to experiencing this, but hopefull I won't have to go through it too much, because I want to learn to eat RIGHT!

I also got to see the clinical phsycologist, to do my Psych Evaluation (also required)... she said I'm not crazy! :) (Brian said he wants a do-over!) LOL!


Then I got to weigh in, measure my height, and take an AWFUL picture (apparently the camera is set up to make you look really bad, so that you'll be even more happy with your final self at the end of the journey.... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) :) :)


After that I got to see Dr. Felix, go over health history and chat a bit about the outcome of the surgery. He assured me that my infertility will be a thing of the past if ovulation (PCOS) is my only problem (which according to OBGYN, it is)... so that's good.... :)


I am completely stoked about this whole thing, and I'm learning quickly that alot of people have a very strong opinion about this surgery... but opinions are like armpits, right?? We all have them, and sometimes they stink! :) I am doing this for me... for my family (and the hopes of future members of our family)... and for my health! So I don't care about negativity anymore... it's my life and I plan to live it! :) :)

Next step: Labs required for health clearance, and sign-off from MD... then insurance approval, then scheduled surgery date.... Yipee...

We are shooting for first or second week of August! Hopefully we can get it all to go through that fast!

Seminar..

Tuesday, July 7th, I started my journey!

I attended the seminar at the office of Dr. Felix here in Fresno, CA! I loved the staff and learned so much from the seminar taught by his partner-surgeon Dr. Schwartz.

The seminar solidified my decision of course...

I learned all about BMI, and how that # can affect every area of your life.
I learned that I did qualify for the surgery, though barely... qualified is all I need!! :)

I learned about each type of surgery: Lap-band, Sleeve, and Gastric Bypass and decided that the results I need will only be achieved by the gastric-bypass.

I learned all about the metabolic diseases and how they are almost immediately improved if not cured due to the part of the stomach that they bypass. This part of the stomach holds all of the hormones that trigger those metabolic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, infertility, etc).

I was ready to get started that day! The next week about killed me (I'm not very patient) as I waited for my next appointment! :)

Here I go...

Well.... it's decided. I've been thinking about for quite some time now, due to some of the health issues and infertility that I live with, and now we're going forward.... I'm going to have gastric-bypass surgery!

I am so incredibly excited, simply because of the proven outcomes that I can expect. (God willing, of course) I have picked the brains of all of my friends that I know have had this surgery, and the one common thing that I get from all of them (along with lots of useful information, of course LOL) is that they can't remember much about the daily, weekly, monthly process.. just the highlights! They all say that they have no regrets and would do it all over again in a heartbeat, so that's wonderful.. but I'm a details girl. So I've decided to blog during my journey so that I will never forget!

Happy Reading... :) I look forward to sharing each milestone with you!