JaimeLaree

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So today is my official 1 month surgiversary.  I had my surgery on May 20th.  I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 208.  That means I am down 42 pounds from  my highest weight and 17 pounds from surgery.  I am going to have my hubby take some pictures so that I have a one month comparison.  It has been nice to finally see the scale moving again.  I have started working out.  Only about 30 min a day right now but I will up that once I build up some endurance again.  I have been alternating one day I use my eliptical and one day I do the walk away the pounds workout video.  I know I am burning some calories because I am definately breaking a sweat.  My goal is to work up to going to the gym.  Right now I feel like I'm dying, huffing and puffing and I would like to build up more of an endurance then hit some of the classes that they offer at the gym.  I know that I need to change things up so that I work different muscles.  
I have been visiting this blog called the world according to eggface that a friend told me about.  This woman had surgery years ago and loves to cook and bake. She shares her recipes and ideas with everyone.  I have found so many recipes and Idea's that I am dying to try.  I think I'm going to run out of printer paper because I just keep printing things out. 

So I realize that I haven't blogged in a while.  I have been so frusterated with how slow the weight loss is going.  I finally lost another 3 pounds and am now down 15 since surgery.  It has been 1 month.  I think that number is too low and have been wondering what I have been doing wrong.  Well I think I can list a few things that need improvement.  I need more protein, more fluids and more exercise.  
On the other hand I feel human again. I have been introducing more foods and I love it.  I can't eat very much but I love that I can have some real food again. I started off actually eating some of the veggies in the soups I was eating, then I had some cottage cheese, regular cheese,  tuna salad, beans and just any soft foods I could find.  I love sugar free popcicles.  I have had trouble with fluids because I can't drink a lot and I forget to sip all day because my drinks get warm.  So now I just pour a little bit into the glass and then go back for more.  I really love decaf iced tea with splenda right now. Crystal light is okay too.  
We have eaten out.  I just try to get the thing on the menu that I think I can eat.  Beans, quesadilla, veggies and rice.  My husband has been really great about sharing so far.  I will say hey I want to eat some of this will you share and he has been good so far. I don't know how long this will last though because we have different tastes in foods and he loves really spicy things and burgers and I can't really eat those things so we will see.  
I know I didn't blog about all the trouble I have been having with our clinic here and I don't really want to go into the whole drama again but basically our clinic here has really let me down.  They refuse to see me for anything surgery related.  They said that they will do my follow up labs but won't be writing any prescriptions for me that have to do with my surgery. They want me to get all my prescriptions written from Prof Weiner then bring them back to the pharmacy to have them filled.  I have to pick up some paper that tells prof Weiner exactly how to write the prescription so that our clinic will accept it.  They even made me drive 2 hours to Frankfurt to have my staples removed.  I made a complaint against them but I don't know if anything will change.  My major complaint was that they didn't warn me of any of this before I went into surgery.  They should have made me aware of these policies so that I could have planned better. I hope now they will get their policies strait for any future patients.  My PCM has moved so right now I don't have one.  He was really great and really supported me through all this and I am sorry he isn't here anymore. I just hope my next pcm has some brains.  

I go and see Prof Weiner next week for my 1 month follow up.  I hope I can lose some more weight before then.  Only 10 more pounds to go before I am under 200.  I can't wait to see that on the scale. 

Well there is not much to update on the weight loss. I haven't lost anything since coming home from the hospital 11 days ago.  It's frusterating. I keep wondering if I'm doing everything right.  This liquid diet really bites and is hard to maintain.  I have a protein shake for breakfast which I have to sip for over an hour.  I usually have half a yogurt for lunch and some kind of soup for dinner.  I am really getting tired of all of these things and wish I could have some cottage cheese, cheese, or tuna salad.  I haven't started working out yet because I still get tired easily but I'm thinking I should start something light to start building up some endurance.  I really hope to drop some weight soon.  
I am having some problems with constipation.  I didn't have a bm for 5 days so I ate some healthy choice bean soup. It helped.  I worry because I am not even on my vitamins yet so when I start the multivitamin with iron am I going to have problems with constipation? 
I tried eating some yoplait yogurt again with no problems. I was happy to hear that. I really didn't want to be that sensitive to sugar.  I looked at my protein shake and the yogurt and my protein shake has more sugar so it didn't make sense that I was having dumping from that yogurt.  
What I really love right now are sugar free popcicles, I usually  have one a day and they are really nice.  
So the weight can start coming off anytime now.... REALLY

Well I have been home a few days now and every day it seems to get better and better. I am trying to stay active. I still get tired easily but an afternoon nap seems to help a lot.  My stomach pain is doing much better, every once in a while I get a funny feeling or a cramp but it goes away fast.  The day after I got home from the hospital I ate half of a yoplait light yogurt and soon after had to use the restroom.  I was have hot flashes and felt like I was going to vomit.  I kinda wonder if it had too much sugar for me.  I went ahead and visited the German Grocery store and picked up some yogurts that are Diat and say they are good for diabetics.  They have been working great. 
I pretty much eat the same things every day. A small protein shake for breakfast, half a yogurt for lunch and about 3-4 ounces of soup for dinner.  I drink water and crystal light all day in between.  
My energy level improves every day. 

Yesterday I got home from the hospital after my almost week long stay. It was so nice to be home even if the kids are very loud.  I must say that stay in the hospital is soooooo boring. I read magazines and a book but I didn't really feel like watching movies or t.v. shows.  
My surgery I guess went well.  It was rough at first.  I had my endoscopy done the day before and I woke up in the middle and started to fight them. I have a bruise on my arm from them holding me down and I came out of the endoscopy with a fat lip, abrasions in my mouth and a swollen throat so I couldn't talk.  
The "Cleaner" the night before was also rough. I still can't believe after a week long liquid diet that I drank 3 liters of that nasty liquid.  I then was going almost all night.  
When I woke up from surgery I was in recovery and my mouth was so dry but I couldn't have water so they just spray this stuff in your mouth.. it helps.  I was then taken to the icu for the night.  That night was rough. I used the pain meds. I was in a lot of pain and I started vomitting which hurt like heck but also scared me that I was going to tear something inside. 
The day after surgery I was taken back to my room and a physical therapist came in almost right away and wanted me to walk so I did but I was a little woozy so we didn't go far.  
The days to come were fine and non eventful but the pain I was having in my upper gastric area never seemed to go away.  My incisions felt great but I constantly had this pain in my upper stomach.  I told the nurse on thursday and her answer was to come in and give me a pain meds shot in my leg which made me feel nautious and knocked me out.  I did mention to the docs every day that I was having a small amount of pain in that area.  
Saturday another patient and her family and I went to a flea market they were having outside the hospital. I got some knockoff sunglasses for four euro.  I hurt like heck about halfway through. My stomach really started to hurt so we headed back. I ate lunch and took a two hour nap. That afternoon I took another walk into the courtyard.  
I tried to walk at least three times a day.  
I really liked the yogurt that they gave us at the hospital....except the banana. 
I didn't sleep very well there. The beds were rock hard and I came home feeling all bruised. 
Anyways coming to last last day. I didn't sleep well the night before and I wake up with my stomach really hurting. The nurse comes in.... my favorite nurse Katja and she say's you don't look well. I told her that I didn't sleep and that my stomach really hurts but that I am really looking forward to going home today. 
Well lucky us Prof Weiner came in to see us and I told him about all my pain again. He was pressing all over my stomach and says that before I can go home he needs blood work done on me. So as the others were leaving at 9 I didn't leave until 12. It's okay because my husband was late to pick me up anyways.  I guess the blood work came back okay because they let me go home.
I'm home now and I slept pretty good in my own bed but it felt a little weird.  My stomach is still hurting a lot and I don't know if it's normal. No one else seemed to be feeling it. I get these cramps and burning. My stomach acts really weird when I eat and hurts a lot and when I have a bowl movement I feel like vomitting. 
I really thought I would be feeling a lot better by now and I'm sad that it is taking me so long to recover. 
And I lost 13 pounds in the hospital.

Okay so I am totally excited. Tomorrow my hubby and I leave to drive up to frankfurt. 2-2.5 hours from here.  I go in for all my pre-op stuff and have my surgery on tuesday.  The pre-op diet has been going pretty well.  I have lost 8 pounds and cannot eat as much as I did before.  I thought taking away soda was going to kill me but it's all mind over matter.  I went to a restaurant tonight and she asked what I wanted to drink and I said still water and then I got soup.  It was enough, I didn't even mind that everyone was eating pasta my onion soup was yummy.  
My mom got here today, it sucks that I cannot spend more time with her before I go.  The drive to Cologne to pick her up today was flawless. What an easy airport to get in and out of.  We didn't have to walk miles to park.  I wish we could have stopped to see the city but we needed to get back home so that I can finish laundry and pack.... and my mom was tired.  
Well I cannot wait for this surgery to be over and I am recovered. Yay!

I am surviving this liquid diet.  I have a little routine I guess. I have been having a carnation instant breakfast no sugar shake with fat free milk for breakfast, soup for lunch, applesauce for snack and soup or something else for dinner.  Dinner is the hardest time.  I made the family spaghetti with garlic cheese bread last night and I wanted some so bad but I didn't have any. I ate about 1/4 cup of refried beans instead.  They are not exactly liquid but hopefully they will digest quickly and I think I could have used the protein yesterday.  
So far on the diet this week I have lost 7 pounds... wow.  I am now 20 pounds lighter since I started this journey 7.5 months ago.  I am trying to convince my hubby to go on a mostly liquid diet, but I don't know if he could handle it. 

So I am about to embark on the pre-op diet.  I feel a little confused about what to eat. I have looked over the stuff the doctor has given me and it doesn't really outline what to eat.  I have tried doing some research online and all I can come up with is no meat, potato and noodles.  So I am going shopping and trying to make this grocery list but I am not really sure what to buy.  I know I am safe with soups but what kind of soups.  I think I will buy some refried beans, applesauce, yogurt, cottage cheese and ricotta cheese.  I will stay away from meats, potatoes and pasta this week.  Of course when all else fails a protein shake will do, so I am buying some frozen fruit to make smoothies and such.  Anyways, I'm sure I will be starving in 2 days. I will try not to drive my family too crazy. 

So I did something that I was avoiding today. I told my Grandma that I am having surgery.  I didn't know how she would react. I thought maybe she would be against it and try to talk me out of it.  Well it went better then I thought.  She doesn't like that I have to have surgery but she wants me to be healthy and she hates that I am overweight like she is.  I told her that I was having the Lap RNY and she remembered having her gallbladder out by lap and she said it healed really fast. She was really supportive and I was glad.  My Grandma basically helped raise my brother and I because my mom was a single mom.  My brother and I were dropped off an my grandparents house every morning and picked up there in the evening.  We spent a lot of time there and that is why to this day I am really close to my grandparents. It was really hard not telling my grandma that I was doing this for the last 7 months.  She did acuse me of keeping it from her and I told her that truth, that I just got approved yesterday and I didn't think it was necessary to go telling everyone until I got approved.  I have also started telling more and more people around here.  Not everyone needs to know but I also I want to have enough confidence to tell people and not be afraid of what their opinion is. 

It has been hard waiting for 8 days to hear if I have been approved. Our tricare lady said that once the doctors office submits the paperwork it will take tricare 3 days to process it.  I left a message with our tricare lady today and when she called me back this afternoon she said she had my approval. I am so happy. I'm glad to have a final approval. I have booked plane tickets for my mom to come and I hoped nothing would go wrong.  My mom is coming for 10 days. She will be here to take care of my boy's while my husband stays in frankfurt for 2 days.  I won't worry that they are acting up for anyone, because Grandma can handle it.  
I have been doing lots of research on protein powders, bullets, vitamins and other stuff. I am starting to buy some things to try out.  I will have to do a 10 day liquid/pureed diet so I need to prepare for that. The day is coming fast. I am so excited.