ObesityHelp

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For some reason the Major Tom song keeps running through my head everytime I talk about the countdown....::sings:: the count goes on...four, three, two, one.

Anyway, I went to all my pre-op appointments today. First I met with the PA, Chris, in the surgery department. He did a physical exam and answered all the questions I had about the surgery itself and about any complications after surgery. Then he gave me my prescriptions for Urisoidol and after surgery pain meds. Next I met with the department RN, Patti and she went over the pre-surgery showering, where to check in, what my dad should do while I am in surgery, had me sign some forms and gave me some booklets and packets on the surgery.

My next stops were in the pre-admission department where they took blood....and thank goodness they did that first cause I had been fasting since the night before and I wasn't so much hungry as I was thirsty. After the 9 tubes of blood, I met with the pre-admission specialist who had me sign some forms regarding my stay and whether people could call and ask for me. After the specialist, I met with the anesthesiologist who went over my medications and medical history and talked about the anesthesia with me. The cute pharmacist, Dave, was up next. He reviewed my meds and vitamins and let me know when I should stop taking them before surgery. I was released to go get some food at that point and after lunch I went back to pre-admissions to meet with the final car on the train, the RN. She was super nice and like everyone before her, asked me how on earth I qualified for surgery. I told her my BMI is over 42 and that I have sleep apnea. She was shocked. She said,"you carry it really well" and she couldn't believe my BMI is that high. I told her she wasn't alone and I have gotten that since I was a kid. So that is the end of my pre-admission surgery train. At this point, the only thing between me and the surgery is time (and my ability not to gain 10 lbs in the next 10 days).

Stay tuned for more as it comes...

So the countdown continues and I am 11 days 'til surgery today. I have been nesting like crazy. I have acquired the following in preparation:
baby spoons
toddler sippy cups
2 extra nalgene bottles
4 blender bottles
protein sample packs in lots and lots of flavors
protein jello shot from my RD that has 15g of protein in this tiny little jello shot
tiny glass bowls that hold 1 cup of food with lids
little ramekins that hold 1 cup of food with lids
heating pad
gas-x strips
tylenol (used to be an advil junkie)
various water flavorings
various extracts as recommended by RD
torani SF syrups
SF pudding
SF jello
SF popsicles
digital food scale
home ice cream maker to make protein ice cream recipes from the world according to eggface
several tubes of lip balm for the hospital stay
biotene mouthwash to help with drymouth
smooth move tea
digestive enzyme pills
various herbal teas
broths
juices
greek yogurt
Brita water pitcher
blender
fresh tube of neosporin
peppermint essential oil to help with possible nausea
alcohol swabs to help with possible nausea (sniffing them is supposed to help)
extra measuring cups, spoons, shot glasses
flushable wipes
loofa on a stick
and finally...a coffee maker for my dad who will be coming in to town to take care of me and cannot go a morning without several cups of his joe (I like the smell, but hate the taste).

I had my last visit with my RD before surgery yesterday and she pleasantly informed me that I do not have to be on the pre-op liquid diet at all. She said the surgeons decided that only people with a BMI over 45 need to be on that diet and since mine is only 42, I am exempt. Rebecca also told me that the research on fatty liver syndrome and shrinking your liver before surgery has been inconclusive so the docs decided only 45 and higher needed to do the diet. I know she was expecting me to be super excited about this but I was actually kind of disappointed. It has been extremely difficult to eat the foods I feel like I need to say goodbye to but still not gain ANY weight. I am proud of myself for being able to balance that and now that I think about it, I should be looking at this as practice for the rest of my life instead of being disappointed. I really just need to keep my mindful eating in check...keeping the unhealthy foods in check, listening to my own body and not overdoing it.

The last food on my funeral list is macaroni and cheese. I like the boxed kind but what I am really talking about is the gourmet kind that I consider myself an expert on. The best mac and cheese on earth comes from this handmade cheese shop in Seattle called Beechers. The second best mac and cheese on earth is from right here in Wisconsin at Kate's Pizza Amore and that's where I plan to make my final pilgrimage next week.

I've been thinking that maybe the last weekend before surgery I should go liquid just to help clear out my system. I know there will be a lot of cleaning going on as well! Stay tuned for more as it happens...

Yesterday I had an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy) test as part of my preop appointments. They asked me to do a quick physical in the morning with a Nurse Practitioner and I certainly will not be going back to her again. I didn't care for her personality, which is besides the point, but when I told her I was having bariatric surgery (I had to explain what VSG was to her) she asked,"How did you ever qualify for that surgery?" I know she didn't mean it as a negative comment...actually I'm sure she thought she was complimenting me but I felt like it was kind of inappropriate. She met me for all of 30 seconds before making that comment. She has no idea what my life has been like, what other medical problems I have and so forth. I constantly get told by people that I carry my weight well. I tell you though, being inside my own body and carrying this weight around is not an easy task. I am bottom heavy as I've said before and because of that, I do not let the girls out (my legs). Ever. The fact that I have a photo on my profile here of me in shorts is a HUGE leap forward in my confidence that this surgery will be the tool I need to help me. I am thinking about taking another photo that shows how when I stand with my feet together (after some adjustment to get my feet together) there is no gap from my thighs all the way to my ankles. Anyway, enough of that sob story. I don't need to justify my choice to have this surgery to anybody. 

The EGD: I don't remember anything about the test itself, at all. I actually even doubted they did anything cause I felt perfectly fine when I came around from the anesthesia. I shoud explain that this procedure involves swallowing a tiny camera on a flexible tube that allows the docs to get a good look at the insides they are preparing to hack apart. They took a look at my esophagus, stomach and the first part of my intestines. There are photos in my medical record that I can see and I gotta tell you, I look as cute on the inside as I feel. They had me fast for 6 hours before hand which ended up being more like 14 hours since I didn't want to wake up super early for breakfast. I checked in and they got me situated in a hospital bed. This was the first time I have ever even laid down in a hospital bed and I gotta say, it was pretty comfortable. They got me hooked up to a monitoring machine and put an IV in with some saline dripping (again a first for me). The IV was about the worst part. Once my time came for my test, they wheeled me in to the procedure room  and made sure I had oxygen in my nose and that my bp and heart rate monitors were working. The technician sprayed some cherry flavored numbing spray in my throat and they asked me to roll onto my left side. The nurse injected my IV with something to make me sleepy (my chart says Fentanyl and another drug that starts with a V but I can't think of right now). She said I wasn't sleepy enough so she gave me more and that my friends is the absolute last thing I remember about the procedure. Next I remember I was being wheeled out and when I got to my room again, they had me drink an apple juice. When I finished they said that was the test to know if anything went wrong. I vaguely remember the doctor coming to talk to me about how it went. He said everything came back normal and wished me luck on my upcoming surgery. They took out my IV and had me sit and then stand and then slowly walk to make sure I could. I felt pretty ok from then on...like I was drunk. A little happy and I had that lightheaded, carefreeness that comes with being drunk. My friend walked me home (I live literally next door to the hospital) and that was that. My throat is still a teeny tiny bit sore but nothing to write home about. Stay tuned for more fun pre-op stuff next week as the countdown continues!

It took 3 weeks to get my surgery date but I finally got it! June 11th sounds like a great date for a new chapter of my life to begin.

I was on an emotional rollercoaster the whole time. When I first got my approval I was ecstatic. Then the fear set in and I had butterflies in my stomach for the next week. I was going through that Oh My Gosh am I really doing this phase. Then I got angry. I mean really grumpy all the time snapping at everyone angry. That lasted about a week. (a little fyi tmi...I don't have a period so I don't attribute my mood swings to that) I didn't want to read any posts on here cause it just made me jealous of the people who were moving along smoothly or who were complaining about not losing fast enough. Finally in the last week of waiting for my surgery date, the calm set in and I got back on track. I had been eating things I wasn't even hungry for just because I knew they would greatly reduced after surgery and I really was feeling awful about doing that. I had a visit with my RD and she assured me that what I was going through was normal but the fact that I had gotten myself back on track and was maintaining the same weight since I first saw her was a positive indication of my future success.

So now I am less than a month away from being sleeved (as long as I don't gain any weight or take up smoking according to the docs office). I am in the calm but still get nervous and excited at the same time. I have been trying to focus on the things I can control and not worry about the things I can't. I have been reading a bunch of books, taking my vitamins, making sure to get in 10,000 steps a day and drinking my minimum of 64 ounces of water. My father is going to fly in for my surgery and I have a little bit of anxiety about that cause he snores and my walls are thin. I feel bad that his first visit to my new home is to take care of me. I don't know how much sight-seeing I will be up for once I am post op but I am guessing not a lot.