Jacqueline F.

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1/25/2010

I walk everyday from 1/2 to 1 mile on the treadmill either at home or at the club with my hubby. If I go to the club I also ride the stationary bike for a while,  I know it does not seem like a lot, but it is a workout for me.  I struggle through the pain in my head from the pressures associated with the blood clot, and deal with the pain in my hips and knees and some days I even have to take pain killers just to go, but I am finding it a great joy and accomplishment.  It is my understanding also that if you are walking daily before surgery, it will help you in your recovery process.  I plan on continuing the daily walks after the surgery as well and hopefully increasing the speed and distance as time progress'.

1/25/2010

Commentary on yesterday's diet: 

Yesterday started out well, but I found that as the day progressed it became very difficult as I got quite hungry about 2:00 pm.  So I did drink a cup of beef boullion broth to tide me over (not on the menu but I figured less harmful than many other choices), since every commercial and thing that happened that afternoon seemed to envolve food of some sort and was quite taunting. It seemed to do the trick. 

I did find it quite ironic that by the time dinner was ready I was famished but forced myself to eat slowly (30 min) and chew well, eating my protein first, I was not able to finish my dinner... i left about 1/4 cup of veggies on my plate which never happens, and I forgot to add the smart balance butter to my veggies!

What I have done to try to curb that hunger pain is altered my meal plan by having my "dinner" for "lunch" and dividing my fruit between two meals. My husband and I like to go to the club and walk in the evenings so dinner tends to be very late or not at all for both of us anyway. Maybe this plan will make the difference, sooooo...

Pre-surgical diet day 2 of 14.

Today's menu will consist of the following:

Breakfast:
Protein Shake and a 1/2 of a small peach w/ decaff coffee and a small amount of fat free creamer (the coffee comes into play about 30 min after the meal is over).

Lunch:
Protein - 4 oz of baked Salmon seasoned with Ms. Dash lemon pepper, 2 c. (precooked measurement) juliened carrots boiled until tender drained and lightly sauteed with smart balance butter and seasoned with pepper.

Dinner:
Protein Shake and a 1/2 of a small peach

Lots of water throughout the day.

1/24/2010

Today begins the pre-surgical diet for 14 days followed by surgery on day 15.   Today's menu will consist of the following:

Breakfast:
Protein Shake and a small apple w/ decaff coffee and a small amount of fat free creamer (the coffee comes into play about 30 min after the meal is over).

Lunch:
Protein Shake

Dinner:
4 oz of baked skinless Turkey seasoned with Ms. Dash herb and garlic, 2 c. (precooked measurement) California blend veggies (broccoli, carrots, califlower) boiled until tender lightly buttered with smart balance seasoned with pepper.

Lots of water throughout the day.

I am soooo psyched about this!  I am sending out my encouragement and excited feelings to everyone!  Best of luck!

Jackie

1/22/2010

Well, I have three days until I start my pre-op diet, and believe it or not I am looking forward to it.  Either I am a glutten for punishment or I just realize it is the final hurdle to leap before it is finally here. 

This last week has been interesting since we have had 4 feet of snow in the last four days... and probably another 18 - 20 inches expected before it is all overwith.  But it has made me more aware of how much I need this surgery so I can enjoy life and help out my family.  All I could do was stand there with my cane in one hand and chat with my daughters and my hubby as they did all the work.  How frustrating is that! 

They started throwing snowballs at eachother and tossing eachother into the snowbanks... and would slow down and the words "be careful not to hit Mom... and don't knock Mom down" were almost heartbreaking... the only comfort I can take in that is that my family loves me enough to express their concern.  They want me to come participate by watching them but the line is drawn with my health.  I am grateful that I have such a supportive and loving famliy and I look forward to the future when I can participate in the snow work and snow play as well as many other things.

1/19/2010

I did not realize until about 2:00 am that I was stressing out about my surgery.  I am an obsessive compulsive person by nature and I have realized that I only have 20 short days until surgery and only 5 days until my presurgical diet starts to get my affairs in order so that when I am down recovering it will be all done. 

I figure that after I start the presurgical diet I will not be in the most positive and productive moods so I had better get things done.  So I decided that I would do the most labor and mood intensive first and leave the others for after I start my diet for busy work.  Some of the most important "to do's" on my list are:

1.       Detail clean the house. 2.       Prep and freeze family meals. 3.    Get the Taxes finished.  4.       Grocery shop…stock up on post surgical diet stages food. 5.       Make sure will and medical power of attorney are updated, and how to’s for the hubby on bills, life insurance, ect… 6.       Make a packing list for the hospital. 7.       Schedule visits from the church. 8.       Pre-order prescriptions and vitamins. 9.       Set bills up to auto pay.

Sooooo.... I had better get busy!


 

1/18/2010

When I arrived at my post-op appointment, they sent me for blood work, then for an EKG, then it was off for the questionaire about my health history.  The appointment was go to the lab and wait... then go to cardiology and wait... then back to pre-op for finalizing the paperwork and wait. Even with the waiting the appointment  went well.  The only trouble during the whole visit was they had to stick me three times to draw blood, but even that was not so bad.

So now I am done with all appointments until surgery day.  The only things I have on my calendar left to do are my special diet and go off some of my medications at specific times. 

1. Start reducing dose of Neuruontin                                  ---   January 22nd, 2010
2. Start Pre-Op Diet                                                                 ---  January 24th, 2010
3. Finish up last week of Neruontin                                     ---  January 29th, 2010
4. Go off Plavix                                                                         ---   February 3rd, 2010
5. Go off Asprin                                                                        ---    February  5th, 2010
6. No food or drink after 10 pm                                             ---    February 7th, 2010
7. Surgery Day (arrive 9am surgery at 11:00am)              ---    February 8th, 2010

Now I am on the final lap and looking forward to the finishline.

 

1/18/2010

22 Days to go until surgery counting today and the day of the surgery. 

Today is my Pre-Op Appointment with the surgical wing at Flagstaff Medical Center. I get my list of final blood work,dietary guidelines and surgery day instructions. Then I sign my pre-admit paperwork and I am ready for surgery. 

I feel very fortunate that my surgery will be covered 100% through my husbands employers Insurance plan.  I don't even have to pay a bariatric fee.  Although there were a few requirements to meet for the insurance such as a weightloss history (ie: attempts, success' and failures) for the last 2 years and 5 years of weight history from the doctors office documenting my obese status.  The requirements that needed to be met were quite easy to provide.

I have moments though they be very brief moments that I think to myself..."what am I getting myself into???"  It only takes that glimps of a thought before it is answered very soundly with another thought of "duh...I am getting myself into the chance at a better life!" 

It is scary to go into surgery knowing that I have a blood clotting disorder (factor five leiden) that causes me to clot easily, but the surgeon is aware of the problem and will be giving me extra blood thinners before and after the surgery to ensure my safety, but as with any surgery there is still a risk.

I am so excited that I will be able to do things again like walk without the pain of carrying the weight of a whole other person, go hiking with my family (we live in an amazing place for this), ride a bike, play softball, play raquetball again with my husband and many more things that I have not been able to do for years.  Just to have the energy alone will be a blessing.

Oh to play softball again, even as an obese person I used to play "A" league softball, I miss the competitive, social and physical parts of the game.  I had to quit playing because I just ended up getting hurt way to often.  I used to tell myself it was fun while it lasted, now I can tell myself it will be fun again. Woo Hoo!

My hubby and I used to play raquetball 3 times a week, but that too I had to quit because I ended up getting the blood clot in my head that caused so much pain.  Although we spend a lot of quality time together, that only added to the comradery and competitive yet fun experiances we had.  I miss it, and look forward to doing it again.

I want to go hiking  and camping with my daughter Katie in Washington, scuba diving in Mexico with my daughter Joanne, and play beach volleyball in California with my daughter Judy.  Things on my to do list...one that I can actually accomplish in my future!

I want to dance at my daughter's weddings, and there are no plans for weddings or children yet, but I want to see my grandchildren grow up. 

These are all things that up until now I really thought I would never be able to do again. Now I actually see them in my future. Yippee!

Sorry about the mushy stuff, but now that the pre-op appointment is here, I am actually feeling very emotional about seeing a good future rather than a daunting one!  I don't think that the surgery is a cure all, but man is it the begining of a new life to come.

1/15/2010

Well today is the begining of the end of my old life and the begining of a new one.   Today I start preparing to begin my presurgical diet.  I have between now and January 24th, to get used to eating considerably smaller portions, measuring foods, documenting daily.  Although I started changing my eating habits successfully a couple of months ago, I need to buckle down even more so that I don't mess up the two weeks of presurgical diet that is comming up fast, so I guess this is my presurgical, presurgical diet...or something like that.

Some of the issues that I have had up until this point:

Protien shakes tend to cause heartburn or acid reflux pretty bad in me.

Adding vitamins along with all the other medication I take was a bit of a "pill" to swallow...pun intended, but I did it none the less. 

Getting enough water everyday is a must and is much harder than I thought it would be.

Stopping chewing gum was a hard one for me... but it is a no no after surgery so I started to change the habit early.

Some of the success stories up until this point:

I successfully eliminated caffein from my diet.

I have cut way back on my food portions.

I am off all diabetic medication because my diet has improved in such a way they are no longer needed.

I walk everyday pain, rain or shine because I have been told this aids in the recovery process.  Sometimes I have to take a pain med just to go for a walk but I go none-the-less.

Well that is my first blog...hopefully of many to come.  Take care!  - Jackie