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All blog posts are moving to my new blog... maintaining this one is getting to be too difficult.

Please visit http://irreverentweightloss.blogspot.com

Surgery is less than 2 weeks away.  I'm having it August 10th.  Next week is my last week at work prior to surgery.  Nervous? Excited? Ready?  Yes.

I've been neglecting this blog for the last couple of months, but here's the update.  I had my 4th and 5th appointments and now I only have one more to go.  I'm having my last appointment with Dr Clark on July 5th, and then I go straight over to Dr Berger to have my final consult and schedule my surgery.  I have chosen the Duodenal Switch procedure and I am very happy that Dr Berger is able to accomodate that. 

I'm also down 15 lbs from my highest weight (weighed the day I started the program on January 6th).  I had some "before" pictures taken and now all I need to do is get some "before" measurements.  I'm not going to go crazy measuring everything, but I'm thinking waist, hips, upper arms, and thighs.  

I'm currently researching my vitamins, as the DS surgery has a heavier protein and vitamin supplement requirement than the standard RNY.  They make special DS vitamins but those are pretty pricey.  Still, I might end up spending just as much if I try to buy all the vitamins in "normal person" amounts.  I'd have to take a crazy number of them, so three DS vites a day might be more economical in the long run.  We'll see.

I'm also planning on stocking up on a bunch of protein shake samples.  I've heard that sometimes, even if you really liked your shake before surgery, you can end up hating it.  So I want to have a variety although I hope I can keep up with my current shake as it's pretty cheap and I can get it at Sam's Club.

Surgery seemed so far away, and now that I'm getting close it seems there are still mountains of things to take care of first.  I got my packet of paperwork to fill out for my medical leave at work.  I've also been "nesting" a lot lately, by cleaning our house and purging lots of items.  I feel the need to make things as simple as possible.  And I absolutely CANNOT WAIT to start throwing out fat clothes.  I have a ton of clothes right now, some that fit and most that will be my "transition" clothes for while I lose weight (I'm basically covered between the sizes of 28 down to 18, then I have to go shopping).  The closets are busting... it's really getting out of hand.  I'm only saving one pair of fat pants so I can take that "stand in one leg of the pants" photo after my weight loss is done.  Then I'm going to have a party where I burn the fat pants!

On the 12th I had the 3rd of my 6 appointments with the bariatrician.  I'm down another 2 lbs.  Not much else to say, don't feel like writing.  I've been experimenting with flavors in food, like chili-lime shrimp and curry turkey meatballs.  Trying to make things as flavorful as possible so I will be satisfied with less.

So recently I haven't been feeling well.  Feels like some sort of flu bug.  While wallowing in my self pity, I had a weak moment and purchased a bottle of Diet Coke.  This is after over a month of being soda free.  Well, I opened it, took a swig and the first thing in my head was "OMG YUCK!  I can't believe I used to drink this crap!"  Seriously, I couldn't take another sip and ended up giving the bottle to my husband.  So I feel very comforted now, knowing that I don't even like the taste of it anymore.  My moment of weakness has completely obliterated my cravings for Diet Coke.  I feel stronger than ever now in my ability to stay off soda forever.

As my husband said:  "You're now officially de-toxed."

I had my psych eval today and I passed.  It was really not a huge deal.  They were just looking to see that I understood that WLS is not magic and you won't lose weight by drinking gallons of melted butter afterwards.  Also checking to make sure I'm emotionally stable (i.e. do not have unmedicated mood disorders).

I feel really good right now.  I'm getting there, slowly but surely.  Almost halfway to surgery!

I had my second visit with the bariatrician today.  We went over my lab work and I am highly deficient in Vitamin D (normal for obese people), but my hemoglobin count was WAY low.  So low in fact that it would prevent surgery.  Luckily, this is most likely due to my excessively long and heavy period (have been bleeding pretty much constantly since Thanksgiving 2010).  I'm on birth control now to get my cycle under control and the Dr wants me to take iron supplements.  Hopefully over the next 8 weeks the extra iron + lack of bleeding will bring me back up to normal levels.

It is also time to schedule my psych eval.  I'm a little nervous but I am sure it won't be a major deal.  My next appointment with the bariatrician has been scheduled and I will be taking a few classes on the same day.

I'm still Diet Coke free.  The Dr said that there have been studies that proove that diet sodas cause craving of "bad" foods (like fast food and sugar).  I'd never have believed it before, but now that I've been off Diet Coke for a month, I totally buy it.

It's been 10 days since I quit drinking Diet Coke.  I have to say I'm surprised at how well I'm coping.  I still have the occasional craving, but I don't NEED it like I used to.  I would get angry and irritable and downright b*tchy if I didn't get my DC every day (and in large quantities).  It was not an easy thing, and I found that trying to drink a can a day was just not working.  I could keep my consumption down to one 20oz bottle, but anything less just left me angry and thirsty for more.  I didn't have any DC all weekend, and then Monday I figured I'd see how long I could last without it.  Turns out, Forever was my answer.

Here's an interesting tidbit though.  I had someone tell me that diet soda increases your sugar craving.  I didn't pay much attention, as it sounded like one of those urban myth type things.  About a week later, I realized I have a huge bag of Hershey's Nuggets in my desk that I had COMPLETELY. FORGOTTEN. ABOUT.  Yes, you read that right, I forgot about chocolate.  It's the strangest thing.  So this morning, I decided to have a couple of those nuggets.  First, they weren't that satisfying in the way I am used to being satsified by chocolate.  Second, they triggered a major Diet Coke craving... the worst I've had since I quit drinking it.  Very strange, but I'll take it.  Having a reduced sweet tooth will make post-op life a lot easier.

And if you want to email me for support or anything regardings to kicking the soda habit, feel free.  Seriously folks, if I can stop drinking it, YOU can stop drinking it.

Well, I had a relapse this weekend on the Diet Coke.  I had the equivalent of 2 liters over the weekend.  Still, that is less than my usual 2 liters a day but WAY up from my 1 can a day that I was doing last week.  I found that it was easier to stick to one 16 oz bottle a day or none at all, than to go with one can a day.  I think the can is just enough to make me crave without being enough to satisfy.  I'm going to attempt to make it through this week without Diet Coke at all.  I have my bottles of water at my desk and my water flavor packets ready to go.  

I also have my first Bariatrician appointment on Thursday.  I'll post an update afterwards.

So I had my surgeon's consult and then made my appointment with the Bariatrician.  I made the appointment on Jan 10th but they couldn't get me in until Feb 3rd!  I admit that made me mad.  I'm the first person to say that I'm glad that there is a thorough pre-op procedure in place because I know I have to get my mind right to be successful in surgery.  BUT I'm annoyed that it took a whole month to get in for the next step.  I mean jeez, is it always going to be a month in between visits?  I hope not.

I'm also having the HARDEST time cutting back (and eliminating) Diet Coke.  I'm really addicted.  I've limited myself to only drinking it at work.  Not having it in the house has been a big step, and I find that as long as I have flavored things (like crystal light), I'm fine.  Still, I will eventually need to wean off flavor and just drink good, cheap, healthy water.

I've noticed something recently, that might pertain to a lot of fat people.  Why does every meal have to be super tasty and epic?  I mean, we have a big plate of pasta and meat sauce, but really a protein shake or a salad with chicken would suffice.  I've noticed that in my whole life, eating was always more about the food itself than the fact I was putting fuel in my body.  Maybe changing that viewpoint is the key to changing eating habits.  Not ever lunch has to be a full meal or an epic sandwich... a cup of soup or leftover tuna salad is ok.  AND I don't always need dessert (although I bought sugar free jello pudding for when I NEED a chocolate fix).