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Princess S. LaLa Land, PA, USA Post Op - BMI: 26.9 Surgery Type: RNY Member ID: C1090331797 Web Site: http://www.PictureTrail.com/princesssplenda Surgeon: Scot Currie |
Click here for Princess's surgery support page Click here for Before & After pictures page Click here for the 11/2004 Reunion Page Click here to print Princess's cards (You can print your own cards, and if you're good at it, you can help print cards for your friends as well!) Click here to view Princess’s friends. |
Day of Surgery... November 16th, 2004. I HATE THIS PICTURE!
Me on my bike with my new leather seat :-) August 10th, 2005. Almost 9 months postop.....
My and My "new" car :-) September 19, 2005
This is me, almost at goal, January 26, 2006. I am so thankful.
Thank you for visiting my profile. It has been visited times.
Although a few of my personal pictures are on this profile, most of them are on the link at the top left of this page under picture trail. If you don't want to see them, I don't want you to have to download my whole page to read my words. If you want to see them, however, that is great! Click on the link :-)
Also, at the bottom of my profile I have several "articles" that might be of use to you. I know they helped me. Have a look if you are interested.
My name is Candy. I started my weight loss journey at 283 lbs and a BMI of 45, although I have been as high as 305. I've been married to my DH Barry for 9 years. He is very supportive on my weight loss surgery journey, he wants what I want. The rest of my family are very supportive. I am older than dirt. Am I that old? Time sure does fly. I also have 6 cats >^..^< Misty, Little, Dog, Pumpkin Seed, Harry and Six.
I was the little fat girl that was called "Hoss" and teased on the bus and would run home crying. You can imagine what the name "Candy" brought to me. Mrs. Brown, the well-meaning nice lady next door would get deliveries of pastries and I would sneak to her house for my daily treat! Yes she got milk too! Chocolate! I wore the gorilla costume on Halloween and looked pretty good in it. It was big and baggy and I nicely filled it up. I was the only girl at the prom in a 2-piece pant suit that my mom made because nothing fit me right. I took "cool" looking jeans and sewed panels in the back so they would fit me. I must have looked ridiculous! My clothes were always handmade because that was all there was. My mom did the best she could with what she had to work with, she found great fabrics and made basic patterns for me, but putting them on a fat kid, well nothing looked right. How frustrated she must have been!
I've been up and down in weight so many times in my life. I have hit the all time high of 305lb and starved myself on two occasions to 145 lbs. I held at 145 lbs for about 2 1/2 minutes before the weight started to come back on. From years of yo-yo dieting, I've ruined my metabolism. And to top it off, 3 years ago I broke my left ankle, it never seemed to heal properly because of my weight. It really limits the exercise I can do. I also have borderline high blood pressure that never seems to know where it will be next and sleep apnea. I HATE that c-pap! It's a piece of crap! Hey that rhymes! I think I sleep less with it on than off. It is currently a doorstop. I've done low carb, low calorie, low fat, Miami Heart, Miami Beach, Scarsdale, Grapefruit, Cabbage Soup, Weight Watchers, TOPS, 3 day diet. (yep a 3 day diet, that's stick to the diet for 3 days, then off 4 days, what's that supposed to do if you eat 5,000 calories on your day off??) I've fasted and starved. 15 months ago I started Atkins and lost 66 lbs. Then I hit a plateau for 6 months. I thought I had found the "dream" diet. Then my cholesterol soared and when I started eating even a small amount of carbs, such as potatoes and beans, 45 pounds rapidly reappeared. It was the real "icing" (sorry) on the cake when I recently went back to the early stages of Atkins (induction) and faithfully stayed on it for 10 days, (10 net carbs, low fat and low calorie, maybe 1000 calories a day at the most)... and ran 45 minutes daily in the pool. I didn't lose and ounce I even gained a pound or two. From years of yo-yo dieting, I have my set-weight whacked out. It was then I realized my "traditional" dieting days were over. I realized I was destined to be morbidly obese. Nothing was going to work and I had to look for a PERMANENT solution.
Someone I know who had the surgery and spoke highly of her surgeon told me about the surgery in church. (In church, hmmmm, you think that might be a sign from above?) A few days later, my sister, who had no idea of whom I was thinking about seeing and what I was thinking about doing, gave me an ad from a newspaper with the same surgeons name on it. Do you think this might be another sign? I bulked and resisted and said "NO! I have the will power I can diet just one more time," and then realized that no matter how bad I wanted to do it again, I couldn't, and even if I could diet just one more time, it wouldn't mean anything because what ever I would lose, I would just put back on and more. I think we all know that story....
I have a size 10 pair of jeans that I have held onto for 20 years!!!! I think I wore them 2 times before they got too tight. Every time I went to throw them in the Goodwill box, I felt like they were the last thing I had to hold on to the fact that I might be thin again! I will wear them again! And it won't be that I can wear them next year but not 2 years from now. They will always fit, until the butt falls out of them ;) Could it possibly be that the might be too big someday in the near future? Do you think that perhaps after 20 years they might be rotten? Hmmmmm.... What is the life expectancy of a pair of jeans anyway? 68 years? Haha.... I'm such a pack rat! Yep I got them all, hippie jeans from the 60s, empire dresses from the 70s, oh yeah, remember those dresses that just flared out like Twiggy wore? Yep, I got one! I think it is a size 18. Makes sense, a dress like Twiggy wore in a size 18. It is like a trapeze dress. I've got beaded and fringed sweaters from the 80s and hmmmm...where was I in the 90s? I wore tents for the most part. But! I still have those tents! One thing I do have that I would never part with is my leather Harley Davidson jacket and skirt. They fit me great at 160lbs. It is the most beautiful, soft, brown leather. The skirt comes right above the knee and has this cute leather ruffle across the butt area. It is so beautiful! I can't wait to wear it again! I'll have my picture taken in it for sure! My closet contains sizes 8-28 so I'm all set! Honestly I could open up a vintage clothing store.
I know that if this is God's will He will guide me throughout the process. When everything doesn't go exactly the way I want it to, I have to remember that God has a plan for everyday of my life!
July 23, 2004. I had my first consultation today, it went well. I was told that my insurance Capital BC PPO is the best to deal with! I'm very excited! I'm getting paperwork required by next Tuesday and preliminary blood work done tomorrow and this will be sent to the doctors this week, then the next appointment gets scheduled. In four days I'll send to the doctor's office the preliminary paperwork such as 3 years medical records, blood work, 4 day listing of food eaten and exercise.
August 3rd, Had my initial evaluation with Dr. Weiger today. All my questions were well answered ;) He is a very patient doctor and was very thorough! He spent a great deal of time with me talking about the procedure and the risks involved.
August 9th, I went to my first support meeting at the Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg and met the nicest people! They were happy to talk about their experiences to us that haven’t been "there" yet. Several people from the Weight Loss Clinic in Harrisburg PA, including Dr. Weiger and the business manager named Steve were there. Steve sat and personally talked to us for some time and was so open to very thing we had to say and to all our questions. They are a very, very nice group of people. I'll do everything I can to make every meeting!
August 23rd. Well I finally went to my dreaded psych evaluation. Nothing like I expected. I’ve heard so many different things that people had to go through to get past it. I've heard everything from 20 minute interviews to 500 question tests. To begin, the Doctor had double booked for the hour. So she talked to me for a few minutes about family health, obesity problems, stuff like that. We didn’t even talk about the surgery. I guess she thought the support meetings would take care of that which I attend regularly. Then she had a 65 question test that I had to pencil in. Most of it dealt with self esteem questions, self worth questions and what I would call “reality check” questions. There were questions on the test such as, Were you overweight as a child and what age was your first binge? Do you think children are happier than adults? Do you hear voices in your head? Do you think everyone is out to get you? Do you abuse drugs or alcohol, or food binge? Do you feel under pressure at times? Do you feel like your not worth anything? Do you feel in control of your feelings? Do you like your butt? Do you like your thighs? Do you like your stomach? Like, dah! What is that? I think I’ll lie about the stomach, butt and thigh question. Haha. “YES DOCTOR I REALLY LOVE MY STOMACH, BUTT AND THIGHS!!!! HOPE I DON’T LOSE WEIGHT ON THEM AFTER THE SURGERY!!" There was nothing about past abuse, nothing about failed marriages or relationships. There was nothing about family issues. I didn't notice the "trick" questions that so many said would be used to "trip" you up to see if you were lying and I was really looking for them. There were questions on the test that asked you something 2 times but maybe 2 different ways. But, if you are telling the truth when answering these questions, you wouldn't have to worry about "tripping" up anyway. Just common sense questions. She told me she would give me a call if she had anything else and we could finish up over the phone so I didn’t have to come back.
I can sum all this up very easily. A quote from the famous Forrest Gump, "Life is like a box of chocolates, (sweetened with Splenda, of course) you never know what you are going to get!" Don't stress, just take it as it comes, it works out the way it is supposed to! Now, patience ...again, can be up to 3 weeks until they send the psych clearance to the surgeons office. Let's see if I can practice what I preach. >^..^<
August 25th. I had this funny and peculiar dream! I was in the operating room laying flat on the table. Surrounding my body were gooey chocolate donuts. On my "boobs" (ok not a pretty site) were white cream filled donuts. The doctors were standing over me and looked down, picked up the donuts, poured coffee that was conveniently at arms reach, and had a treat. As funny of a dream that it was, I think that interpreted it would mean... By eating the donuts, the doctors were removing my baggage. And because they were enjoying it, it made me feel good because I knew that their heart is in doing the surgery on me. Any other interpretations will be greatly appreciated!
September 3rd, 2004. Met Dr. Currie today. He answered all my questions although I didn't have many. I spend so much time on this site and reading, I KNOW EVERYTHING! Haha! Yeah right! ok ok ok - I know a lot but I don't know everything, not yet anyway. Give me 2 more weeks, and I should know everything by then ;-)Hey! Maybe I'll know so much I won't even need a doctor, I will just do the surgery on myself! Anyway, I really like Dr. Currie a lot! All the good things I heard and read about him are true! Submission to my insurance company was made on September 7th. Tra la la.... time to hurry up and wait again ;-)
September 11th. Here's an experience for you. ...I’ve been lugging concrete bags today....40 lbs each. Got to lay a freaking sidewalk. Gee wiz, they are heavy. I’m just sitting here with my aches and pains and thinking about how I struggled to pick up one of them. Also thinking about how I carry around 3 - 40 lb bags of concrete on my body every day in excess weight. It puts a whole new perspective on things. Now I think I'll fall over and get stiff as a board. Hope I can get up later. Pray for me. Hey you know something just occurred to me? I need to lose 120 lbs. I'll have 40 lb interval goals. So every time I hit the 1/3 of my goal weight loss, I'll call it my bag of cement mark. ( I must be running out of things to talk about) :-)
September 13th. Capital Blue Cross said my paperwork is still under review but I should have my answer in a few days. When I hear, I'll scream it on the message boards :-) I am looking forward to my 2nd support meeting at Community General Osteopathic Hospital. You meet such nice people there ;-)
September 24th, I just got a call from the doctors office! I am approved for surgery!!! Thank you God! I haven’t slept for weeks, now I'm so excited I won't sleep for 6 more weeks! Oh well, sleeping is overrated anyway!!!! My EGD is scheduled for October 13th! I'm so happy oh so happy!
HI all, September is flying by! It's the 29th and I have my pcp clearance today with an EKG, chest x-ray and blood work. (I'm hungry and I'm not allowed to eat!) I am gallbladder-less so that’s one less thing they have to do. Just two more things to do, the EGD and my nutritional appointment before surgery.
October 13th. Had a great wedding anniversary today! Hubby drove me to and from my EGD and I won a cool NEW truck camper very cheap on ebay! Won it with a sniper program while I was passed out in the hospital! We have to take a road trip of 5 hours to pick it up but what the heck! I can't wait to camp comfortably! I miss camping so much! I am going to feel so much better next year! Back to the EGD, I have gastritis and stomach ulcers. I'm sure I got the ulcers while WAITING FOR INSURANCE APPROVAL! Anyway, the doctor put me on this prescription, Protonix, 2x a day. There is 30 pills in the bottle, so that’s enough for 15 days. The suckers cost $50! And that was my co-pay! And I have to get it refilled 3 more times! What would it cost if I didn't have insurance? I'd have to mortgage the house. Well if they had to find a problem, I'm glad they did! One more appointment and I'm good to go for surgery!!!
Friday, October 15th, I got a date for the nutritional appointment! I was all set to wait for another 3-4 weeks but it is next Friday, then I get the official date....not just the month!
Today is October 17th and I was thinking about how sometime I feel so selfish that I am so wrapped up in myself. When I want a "reality" check I go to the insurance message board and read the posts of people who are fighting with every breath of their being to get approved. I am so fortunate that my process went so well with just minor delays. I wish everyone could be as fortunate as I am. God has been so good to me. I make it a point to pray for all those people also who seem to be lost in the system of bureaucrats, denials and appeals. God will take care of them but a little prayer never hurt anyone :-) God bless you and remember God does have a plan for your life, even if it the unexpected.
Today is October 22nd and I had my nutritional visit. ACK! I've actually gained 10 lbs in the last month! Thank God I don't have surgeons that cancel at the last minute because of weight gain! Those "double cheeseburgers" kept calling to me! This is with Kristin, the nutritionist and Dr. Weiger and is my last official visit before getting a date. The doctor’s staff told me that the hospital scheduling office would be calling me with a surgery date within the next few days! It will be sometime in November. I'm so thankful I have gotten this far. I spent the weekend reading all the information for post-op care, such as the different stages of food transitions, the importance of protein, fluid intake, exercise, etc, etc... I actually had a few seconds of thinking as I read all the information to my husband, wow, can I really do this? It is such a life altering thing to do. Then, when I got back to all the profiles and success stories of people I know from this website, I know that I can. And God is always with me to help me through. I am very excited but at the same time very sedate with peace and calmness. I am so thankful I have Him with me and also for all the wonderful, caring people on this website. God bless you all and remember God has you in the palms of His hands and a plan for every day of your life. I'll post sometime next week when I get the "official" date.
October 28th, I GOT MY DATE! It's November 16th, wow that's only a little over 2 weeks away. Do I have enough time to freak out? :-) It will be a no "food" Thanksgiving for this girl but I will be giving thanks none the less! In some ways this is like a divorce..... leaving "food" a big love of my life behind. I am sure I'll have to deal with the head hunger part of the process, but when I need help, I know where to come, to my friends here at OH.
October 30th. Last night, the anxiety seemed to creep in during the wee hours of the morning. It's Halloween what do you expect? :-) I'm two weeks from surgery and spent a sleepless night thinking about the surgery...am I doing the right thing? After hours of tossing and turning, I came up with this thought...I compare all of us to prize fighters, who are favored to win. We have to go get beat up for a short time...to win the fight and come out ahead in the long run. Just another wacky thought from "Sleepless in Mechanicsburg."
It's November 4th already! I went for a colonoscopy today. I have never had one before. THE DOCTOR BOLDLY WENT WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE....My family doctors says that you should have one every 5 years after age 50. I'm glad I don't have to go back any sooner. I woke up before they pulled the scope out and saw my "stuff" on the monitor and said, "Is that a porno movie?" Then I said, "Are you aliens and is this an alien probe?" (ok....I was still very sedated.) The prep was horrible, the procedure was fine. (I slumbered nicely through it.) The gas afterwards was horrendous! I felt like a cross between a helium balloon and the Good Year blimp. There is nothing worse than being 280 lbs with 25 lbs of extra gas in your gut. I was moaning and than pacing around the room and then I remembered that I am about to have my guts rearranged so if I can't handle some bad gas I better rethink the whole surgery idea....Haha. So I straighten my ass up and farted! 12 DAYS TO THE LOSING SIDE!!!!
Today, I recalled a time I went with my daughter and grandson's to Hershey Park. My weight was probably 280 at that time. After a few hours of persistent begging, my daughter talked me into riding "The Super Dooper Looper.” The seats were not small; however the folding harness that came from the up position and folded across your chest was for someone without large boobs and tummy. While the ride loaded with people, we frantically tried over and over to get the lock to click closed. I was still in the unfastened position when the ride lurched slightly forward. Who would have ever thought that a ride such as this could start without all the locks checked and secured? Was this was a day I was to land in the duck pond below or be run over by a clown in a truck I didn't take fast action? We called over the attendant, who was aghast with white skin tones that the ride was about to start without me being bolted in. Now for the embarrassing part. It took 3 attendants pushing from all angles to force that harness into the locked position. Everyone on the train was laughing and staring, I just wanted to disappear. I made it through the ride with marks on my boobs and shoulders that looked like i tried to run out of jail with the door closed. At the end of the ride, we passed a booth that sold pictures of you on your ride. The attendant asked me if I wanted one. Yep that was a moment I wanted to have treasured in the family album.....
November 9th and I did my last test today before surgery. I had the blood test to show I am not pregnant. I can think of several reasons why I know I'm not pregnant. I won't elaborate but I think you all can figure this one out. If you really can't figure it out, email me and I'll explain. And if I need to explain, maybe you should have a "birds and the bees" talk from "yer momma!"
November 14th, 2 days and counting..... Much to my surprise I am sleeping well. For me "well" is still not very good because of my apnea but I am not laying awake for hours at a time unable to get back to sleep. Normally much less "serious" things that are happening in my life keep me "wide eyed." I'm thankful for this. I am so ready. I am not scared. The surgery itself doesn't worry me. What does worry is the few days after.... and the total lifestyle change that is about ready to be part of my life. But I know that millions have done it so I will too. I truly do feel like a prize fighter ready to enter the ring. Well, in the infamous words of Todd Beamer of flight 97 which crashed in Pennsylvania on September 11th, "LET'S ROLL." I say this with the utmost respect for all the hero's of September 11th. God bless America!
I'm so high on emotions right now, I feel like I could float. I bet I would look like the "Good Year" blimp.
November 15th. I had a dream last night that I was out of surgery and Dr. Currie came in to see me. I asked him if I could get up and he said "sure." So I went outside in the parking lot and started trapping cats. Interpret that one ;-)
One my way home from my local support meeting, last time attending as a pre-op, I stopped at the local grocery store which has a Chinese franchise inside. Chinese sounded good to my husband too. I ordered 2 entrees with rice, a bowl of egg drop soup and 2 egg rolls. The little "smuck" working behind the counter must have though what I was buying was all for me because he only gave me ONE fortune cookie....now get this....and it read...."You are going to receive many good messages." I checked my email and there were 56 emails from well wishers. Last supper is complete....time to move on to next phase of my life. Thanks again for all your loving emails and surgery posts. As I said earlier I have printed them and will take them to the hospital with me tomorrow as a reminder of how many wonderful friends I have. I am to be at the hospital at 12 noon. Hubby will be in contact with KiKi who will post on my progress. I want to again say thanks to Kiki Hilary Pixley for being an angel of an angel. She is a sweet bubble of joy and everyone who has the privilege of knowing her, loves and admires her. I love you Hil! I'll be back on doing my thing asap. Love and appreciate all of you.
TALES FROM THE "LOSING SIDE" Tuesday the 16th of November, I arrived at the hospital right on time 12:00 noon, for a 1:30 laproscopic RNY surgery. Everyone was running way behind. A doctor that was using the same operating room that Dr Currie was using was backed up with complications. Finally they put Dr Currie in another room and he got to the patient before me. Time ticked on as I waited in the prep room, cracking jokes and picking on whoever I decided to pick on. I made a lot of friends that day :-) Mike, the guy there who seemed to do everything anyone asked him told the nurse to be sure to put the pair of "electro legs" on me that short circuited. What a character! I was silly and giggly. At last! Sometime about 5:50 pm, Dr. Currie came in to see me. You would think the guy would look tired after the day he had been through but he looked great! He asked me if I was sure that I knew what he was about to do to me. I said "yes," then paused for a moment and said, "was I supposed to have a psych appointment before I got here?" and then "How long will it take for the hysterectomy? My husband Barry, held my hand as I was rolled down the hall and we then parted as he went to the waiting room and I went to the operating room. If our arms would have stretched without letting go, I estimate that jointly we would have covered about 300 ft of elastic arms co-joined at the pinky finger. Up until that point, I kept from crying and being emotional by joking around, but the seriousness and intense moments worked hard on my emotions and the tears started to fall. When I got into the operating room, they asked me to put on the "time to make the donuts" hat which was a pretty shade of baby blue and then asked me to slide on this shinny table. This table looked like one that might be used for one of the Munskins having gastric bypass in "The Wizard of OZ." Well it could have been you know, some of those Munskins were kind of rolly polly people. With their height and weight they had to be over 40 bmi! Dr. Packer was the anesthiologist. I met him 2 weeks previously when I had my colonoscopy. (I think he is stalking me :-) What a funny guy! I don't remember much until waking up in my room and asking my husband what time it was. It was close to 10 PM. The next couple hours were horrible, trying to get out the sedation and realizing that the pain was setting in. It is not the worst pain I have experienced. I think the best way to explain it is pregnancy/birth/recovery. You know it is here, but you have to also realize it is temporary. My mother called me early the next morning and I told her that I wished I had run the other direction than to go through this! Oh the things we say when we are in pain. I am sorry now I said that, it was intense pain speaking and upset my Mom very much. The next day was rough; I didn't want to get out of bed. I had a catheter still in, I had no excuse to get up! I was cracking my usual jokes but they had a grumpy tone to them now. When they took the catheter out and gave me something in my iv to make me pee, I had to move! I had two "IV" incidents while I was in the hospital. The first time, the thing just blew out of my hand and until the nurse got to me, it looked like there was a quart of blood on me, on my bed, and on the floor. When she first saw the blood, she didn't know where it came from and screamed at me, "Did you throw that up?" Thank God I didn't! Dah, Guess that would have made me dead!!! The 2nd IV from hell experience was when they changed a bag on me. It was quite cold and hurt badly as the solution flowed into my hand. My hand blew up like a balloon. I couldn't bend my fingers. It was quite uncomfortable. They pulled it out of my hand and put the IV back in at a different place. My hand looked like a pin cushion. I didn't do well on the IV with morphine. Nothing is worse than pain and nausea. It got me through the first day and a half but when I really had to start moving, I wanted off of it. Every time I would get up, the nausea waves would hit me again. I was switched to Demerol which seemed to cut back on the nausea but I don't think it was quite as effective as the morphine. And after going off morphine, you still have it in your system for 24 hours. You'll know quickly if morphine isn't going to agree with you.
Before surgery, I asked a few of my postop friends what to take to the hospital. It was always said, "Less is more." However, there are 3 INDISPENSIBLE ITEMS. 1. tongs, (you figure it out) 2. Your own pillow, hospital pillow suck. 3. Chap stick, you'll be so dry and parched, and this will help immensely. Anything else is up to the individual, but in most cases you'll just drag it home without making use of it. When you’re in the hospital, YOU SLEEP!!!!! It's not a time to read Glamour magazine. That will come later :-) Although, I am still on the Victoria Secret catalog mailing list and my husband brought the catalog to the hospital and showed me everything he was going to buy me. I just laughed (holding my side) and fell back to sleep.
The next day I entertained the nurses with my squeaky IV cart up and down the halls a few times. They knew it was me coming but glanced up to flash me a smile as I rolled on past their station. It was what the doctors wanted me to do and I wanted to be sure that the nurses would give the word that I was in "compliance." Doctors have a different way of doing checks for "leaks" after surgery and before going home. Dr Currie uses the Castrol 20/30 weight motor oil change which is mixed with some horrendous salty tasting solution. I took 3 gulps and told the girl who was doing the test, if she needed more, too bad, that I would rather die than to take another drink of that evil concoction. That was the icing on the cake for making me feel like hell. I was already nauseated from the morphine, Demerol combination. I got through the test and couldn't wait to get to my room to taste the orange jello they had waiting for me. I wanted to get that taste out of my mouth. After taking 2 little bites, I decided that I had quite enough....
The night nurse, Deb Snavely, is nothing short of a miracle. She is a nurse who had the surgery some ten years ago and knows what it is all about. She could read my mind with what I needed. If you have the fortune to have her on night shift while staying in the Osteopathic Hospital in Harrisburg PA, I have a suggestion. Bring a long chain and a lock and lock her to the bathroom door!
While I was in the hospital, I had the fortune of seeing some of my local support group buds. Pat, who had surgery only one day previously, was 2 doors away and when we felt like we could we did the stroll around hospital floor. My sweet friend Janet, drove 30 miles to see me, She had the surgery a year ago almost and is doing wonderfully and she looks beautiful. Nicole B came in the day before I left. I got to meet her and her wonderful husband. After she got into her room, I got a "tip" where she was, (secret stuff this privacy stuff you know.) I wanted to go and encourage her and make sure she didn't think it was all totally horrible, like the first day. I got into the room and here was this sweet girl, laying in bed with an angelic smile on her face. I thought to myself....and who is here to encourage who? hmmm? The morphine was working good on her! The nurses on this floor thought it was totally cool that our OH group members and local support group were so close and commented how unusual it is to have patients out of rooms visiting other patients. Quite a few times they would come looking for us for something and would find us visiting in other rooms. It was like a big pajama party! It's like vacation! Wish I could have gastric bypass surgery again. okokok....just kidding, for I only have one stomach to sever!
I came home about 12:00 noon on Friday the 19th after 2 and 2 1/2 days in the hospital. Not bad for an ole goat like me :-) The sounds of nurses in the hallway and beeping buzzers have been replaced with galloping cats that are glad their "mummy" is home. Anyone want a cat? I almost had my husband make up a "free cat" sign for the front lawn. I slept under a mountain of pillows on the couch for my own protection. The only discomfort I am experiencing is getting up and down from a lying position. Yesterday I had jello and a fruity juice drink with protein. You would think I was a baby tasting "oatmeal" for the first time. My face shrived up and I said, "What is this crap?" I can tell I'm in for the 2nd most life changing experience of my life, not that I didn't already know that I would be.
I find it totally amazing that so many people have asked me to share my detailed experience of the days before the surgery, and beyond. It makes me feel like wonderful, not in a boastful way but in a way that I can help others as so many of you have helped me get to where I am. I feel like I am accepting the award for the most "talkative" OH member who has the littlest to say with the most words. But you know, when I started my process just under a few short 4 months ago, I bet I read 2000 or more profiles. I have learned so much from all of you, and I do thank you for that. Thank you for all the well wishes, thank you for the emails and all the surgery posts.
Today is November, 26th and I'm 10 days postop. I'm melting, I'm melting." **see footnote below. I went for my 1st postop doctor appointment. I am down 14 lbs. Not bad for a big ole girl laying on her butt. My strength is returning. My only problem is the pain from my left side incision. Sometimes it feels like a searing pain from a hot poker. The doctor said it would be the area of the most discomfort and he is right! This doctor knows everything! I'll get through it. It is really the only thing slowing me down. I started a bit of soft foods in my liquid diet and all is tolerated well. Now to get rid of that pain and I'll be wonderful! My cats are enjoying licking the pudding, jello and cream of wheat left on my saucers which is fortified with extra protein power. If they keep it up, they will either be suma wrestlers (who I can cash in on) or they will be 85 lb cats of which I will be able to sell pictures to the "National Daily News." I can see the headline now. "OBESE CAT BALLOONS TO 85 LBS AFTER OWNERS GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY." This would not be good press! **Quote from the Wicked Witch of the West.
November 29th, After just a day short of two weeks, I went back to work today with the understanding that if I felt like I was too tired or it was too much for me, I could go home. Work would even supply a ride, which is good because I'm still taking my pain pills on occasion. Monday and Tuesday, I worked 1/2 days, Wednesday and Thursday I worked about 6 hours and Friday I actually worked a whole day! I had a first taste of something that didn’t sit well. It stayed down but yuck! It was some canned chicken that I am allowed to have at this stage. I was so looking forward to eating something "semi" solid, and now I'm going back to liquids for a few days until things quiet down. 'You just cant push recovery no matter how much you think you can or maybe someone wants you back to 100% NOW. Not a boss, not a family member. Your body will stay "oh yeah? You think your the boss?" I'm not trying to sound negative here. I'm having a reality check today. (And this is the girl that was dreaming about "trapping" cats on the hospital parking lot immediately after surgery.) I know its early for me and the best is yet to come but I'm Just feeling the up's and down's of the POST side. I know I'd like to be 100% tomorrow, and I may be, but my mind may say one thing and my body another. Anyway, "one day at a time."
When you are advised not to gain weight prior to surgery, please take your doctor seriously, any additional weight does slow your recovery down, and anything you can lose prior to surgery can only benefit you in your recovery! My doctors would be proud of me for saying this but I should have done it myself! Oh well, lesson learned! Resist the temptation to go into "last supper mode." It only makes it harder on YOU!
November 30th, I went for a walk today, my first since surgery. Another mile stone (ok a 1/4 mile stone.) I walked about 20 minutes. My side started to hurt a bit so I turned around. I think I walked bout 1/4 mile. Tired me out a bit, so I came home and took a nap! Tomorrow is supposed to be 50 mile an hour winds here so I think I'll walk with my back to the wind then call my husband to come and pick me up when its time to turn around ;0) I should be able to do some mileage that way...
MERRY DECEMBER! It's the 3rd already! My left side is doing better! But gee wiz, these emotions! I feel like a 16 year old kid! (nothing against 16 year old kids, I remember, however faintly, being one! ) Last night I was having this "down" moment thinking about how hungry I was and even though I am so happy I had the surgery, but at this particular moment how unhappy I was and how if I was on a "regular" diet, this would be the moment I would "blow" the diet, and how did I ever get into the position that I had to do something so drastic and life altering to lose weight!?! Those Domino ad's and TGIFridays ads work hard on you! But, thankfully, since there is now no turning back I had to deal with it! So I ate something, 1/4 of my husbands toasted bagel, the top half only, and probably not the best choice) but never the less very delicious! Within a few moments my pouchie poo said "Oh I Like That!" and I was fine! Today I got up this morning and weighed myself and I’m down a total of 21 lbs in 17 days.
December 5th, I've spent the last three weeks trying to figure out what "full" felt like, afraid of eating too much and of hurting myself, never really getting to the "full" mark. Yesterday I was eating some chili, nice and slow, chew and chew and suddenly I YELLED to my husband, "I'M FULL". I felt like television commercial from "Taco Bell.” Not the usual full lower gut feeling we all get to know so well. This is definitely a different feeling from that. Its like someone inflated a little balloon in your upper abdomen. I must be dumb or something, I was waiting for the old "full" feeling. Also a bonus! As I am "filing" up, I set off my "burping" mechanism. It's like an alarm that says, "Now! your almost there." Only 2 more little bites! How much would that cost as an option if you could buy it? Now that the cat is out of the bag that I'm not the genius that you guys all assumed I am, I am wondering I could be so dumb expecting it to feel like anything else... okokok...I'm only 3 weeks old and learning how to eat :-)
Saturday, December 11th, I'm getting a cold with a cough. Normally it would be something easily tolerated, however, when you have healing incisions, a cough is not a pleasant thing! I got Sudafed (what the doctor requested) and sugarless cough drops and they help a bit. It hurts more to cough laying down than standing or sitting up so I spent the night getting up and down to cough. Well at least I am at the point where I can get up and down with minimal discomfort.
As I sat down to my lunch today of tuna and cottage cheese, I was hungry! While I was nibbling away, my husband put some little hot dog things which were wrapped in a bagel type dough(kind of like "pigs in a blanket") in the microwave. As the smell infiltated the kitchen, my mouth watered. He looked at me and asked me if I wanted teeny bite. ok, just a teeny one. I took the teeny bite and pulverized it, however within minutes, I felt a blockage that hurt really badly. I stopped eating and rapidly became nauseous and wondered if again, as before, I would be able to talk myself out of "losing" lunch. I layed down on the couch, the feeling didn't leave. Within moments, my first "elimation by mouth" (I yaked) had happend. I still felt the blockage and sipped on some hot tea. About 15 minutes later, I actually felt the blockage move through and I was fine. Later that day, I ate dinner of a few small strips of pork chops and mashed potatoes with no unpleasant events. I don't know if the piece of bagel set me off or if I didn't chew something well enough, or if I ate too fast. Whatever I did, I'll try very hard not to do it again. It's not a pleasant experience! OH HEY! I'm down to 259 this morning! I'm down 24 lbs in 3 days short of one month since surgery.
I got my statement that has a breakdown of costs while I was in the hospital only. It didn't include preop testing, and no surgeons fees, etc. It was $21,500. A few days later I got my statement of coverage from my insurance company. For this bill of $21,500, the hospital accepted the amount of $9,000!!! That's a mighty big difference. I'm thankful I don't have to pay anything out of pocket but does this mean that if I had no insurance coverage I would have had to pay the full $21,500? I am wondering why the price is so over inflated. Perhaps a write off for doctors and insurance companies? Thank God for good insurance!
December 14. What's with my disgruntled pouch thingy? Everything I used to love to drink tastes horrible! I HATE WATER. I HATE FRUIT20, I HATE CRYSTAL LITE, I HATE DIET SNAPPLE. Everything tastes like perfumed metalic water. I posted this on the board today and got some ideas on different things I can try until this passes. I'll probably mix up some iced tea and stick with it. I'm still confused on whether to use decaf or caffinated. There is something about decaf tea taste that "loses" it. I feel the need for more experiments. That's what this all is isn't it? A VERY BIG EXPERIMENT!
December 17th. Welp, I had my 1st month post appointment today with Dr. Wieger. My incisions hurt from all my coughing but I'm doing good. I am transitioning into a regular diet! Most things are working for me. I am down 22 lbs. I've seen better and I've seen worse, but that's my number. I'm still tired. I'm getting my protein and water but I'm not exercising. I need to get with the program. The doctor said my cough set me back a few weeks. Time to catch up!!!!
Today is December 22nd. I'm taking the doctors vitamins, made for bypass patients. I take a 2 multi and 2 calcium daily and b12 weekly. I wish I had the energy to exercise. I just got to make myself do it. With exercise comes energy....
I do get hungry but it takes little to satisfy me. I was hungry just a few minutes ago i ate 3 peanuts and it was enough for me .... wow thats something new :0) I believe I am eating about 800 calories a day so thats pretty good. I am getting in my protein because of the powder I consume. Finding something to drink was a chore and I finally settled on hot tea. It works good for me, for now anyway. Every day is something different..... and I haven't puked today :-)
December 27th! I made it past Christmas, nibbling on cheese and ham, and drinking protein shakes to suppliment. But what are these noises coming from my pouch? Aliens have landed ....... and they are residing in my pouch! What are these noises coming out of me? I opened my mouth to talk during the holiday visits, and gurgling and resinating sounds came out of me. I think I scared everyone .... haha
December 29th! It's official. Shout it from the mountain tops! I NOW WEIGH LESS THAN MY HUSBAND! I posted this on the board and everyone had so much fun with it! Do you weigh less than your husband? Email me and let me know. ALSO, BONUS! I'm almost out of the " morbid" range! I'm almost "severly obese!" Wow! Too cool! haha
December 30th. There has been a few times over the holidays that I along with family have visited restaurants, and it is official! The thrill of eating is gone! It's a pain in the butt to sit with a table of people scarfing down their food while you sit and nibble. I wanna scarf too! Attitude adjustment time! I'd just as soon sit in front of my computer and nibble on a piece of turkey or sip on tea. It sounds like I'm making it complicated, but wow what a life style change for me!
Also, as I laid in my bed last night trying to get to sleep after such a emotionally charged week with things such things happening as the death of a fellow WLS friend, the fact I weigh less than my husband, the fact that I'm about to change numbers and put me in a lower "obese" catagory, and so many other things, I was overwhelmed with thinking of all of you here that are so supportive of so many they only know through a text message, an email or a phone call. I have never witnessed anything like it, and I have witnessed alot. (you'll have to take my word on this.) I am so THANKFUL I have met so many wonderful supportive people who have reinstilled in me that people for the most part are wonderful, caring and fantastic people!
It also reaffirmed the fact the the nicest people i the world are OBESE people or FORMERALLY OBESE PEOPLE! This may be my imagination, but I don't think so.
An example of this is the fact that over 2 days of asking for surgery support for Allan before he died, dozens of you took time to go leave comments for him and his family.
So this is an "official" thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone here for being so supportive to so many. I love you more than words can ever express! I wish you all and your families and friends a prosperous and healthy 2005! Here's to many tons lost by all of us in the coming year! CHEERS! YOU ARE APPRECIATED MORE THAN WORDS CAN EXPRESS!
NEW YEARS AVE 2004, I went to dinner with my family and had a nice leisurly meal that took hours to eat between courses. It was a gastic bypass patients dream meal. Although I didn't eat much, the crab cakes were delicious, as I started feeling full, I picked the crab out of them. The cheese dip appetizer was yummy, I ate 2 teaspoons of it, I nibbled on the salad and passed on the fabulous desert, however I had a tiny nibble of the most decadent cake I've ever eaten. It was enough to satisfy me. It had white and dark chocolate between layers.
I received many nice compliments from people who didn't even know I had surgery, they said things like I radiated! and I glowed! Wow! What a way to make a girl feel good! (Maybe it was the glitter on my cheeks) Anyway, was a fabulous evening out with my husband, and family.
Here is something I read on the board yesterday and had no idea about. Learn something new everyday, they say! Very useful information for New Years eve! The combination of tylenol and alcohol can be lethal in people. The majority of those with MO, or just O, have a fatty liver which damages the liver. This adds to the risk that the liver would be negatively affected by the combination. Alcohol is a liver toxin + tylenol and alcohol can cause liver failure +obesity and the liklihood of liver damage = high risk to the liver. I'm sure it probably tells of this on the bottle label, but who reads those things!
HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!!!! New Year Day in PA and it's 65 degrees. I fired up the bike today. Much to my surprise, I tried on my jacket that I bought over a year ago. Actually, I think it was sized wrong when I got it, so it just hung in the garage looking really pretty and lonely. I was so upset when I got it and I couldn't zip it closed. I bought it on a ebay auction and returning it was to be a major hassle. Some how I did wish, that along with those size 10 jeans stashed in my closet for 20 years, that some day it would fit! GUESS WHAT??!! IT FITS! COMFORTABLY! EVEN WITH THE ZIP OUT LINING IN IT! FREAKED ME RIGHT ON OUTTA HERE! I went for a ride on my pretty bike, (which can be seen on my profile) with my cool jacket and my hubby said I was looking good! So this week, along with weighing in less than my hubby, changing from "morbidly obese" to "severly obese" and now my favorite jacket finally fitting me, I know it does get better than this, but right at this moment, you'd have a hard time convincing me otherwise :-)
OK, It's January 15th! I'm almost 2 months post-op. Sometimes it seems like 2 years. I can't wait until I am not constantly fixated on the daily requirements of the postop life. At some time, I hope I just get up in the morning and lead a normal life, knowing that the limitations of food won't be a bother to me and I will actually just go about life as second nature, you know, they way most "normal" people live? I just want to eat enough protein, drink my fluids and exercise without constantly thinking about doing it. I don't want to keep leaving little post-its in the kitchen so I can keep track of what I have eaten for the day. I know this will happen. There is a lot more to life than thinking of your obese self everyday, after all! I wouldn't change my decision to have surgery for anything in the world, don't get me wrong. I'm over the post op depression thing that I had BAD. I don't tolerate some foods well, but most I do ok with. Anyway, I am rambling.
I reached 2 goals this month. The first is: I NOW WEIGH LESS THAN MY HUSBAND AND second is, I now am severely obese instead of morbid. The weight is steadily dropping, not as fast as I would like it but I do know I am not exercising the way I should be. I still do have my tired spells and they really do slow me down. Heck! I seem to forget I'm still only 8 weeks postop! IMPATIENT ME! My weight is down to 245 from 283, not bad for an old almost 52 year old grandma, eh? I'm sorry if I sound down in the dumps, I'm not, just in a "reflective" mood instead of my usual "cracking jokes" mood. You all take care and I love you lots! I'll update soon :-)
Hi all! Feb 4th now, and if feels like a spring day! In the 40s! That groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter! He needs to retire!
What a difference a month makes when you are a new post op.
In the last month I have
1. Crossed my legs
2. Found that fluids don't taste like metalic water
3. My pouch sensitavity has lessened with hot/cold.
4. I can actually gulp fluids.
5. I can tolerate pretty much ANYTHING as far as food as long as i chew and eat at the right speed. I still haven't tried sugar and I don't want to. I broke that habit a long time ago and don't need to get it stirred up again!
6. My energy has returned, It's not much but im treking 1.5 to 2 miles a day on treadmill, and it seems to get better every day! Hey, I'll be 52 this month and I feel ummm 32????? I think?
7. My depression is gone, and mental clarity is amazing. I feel like I could solve most of the worlds problems now.
8. I have definately found the "full" mark, and I know how to not abuse it!
9. In the last 2 months, I have gone from a 3x (26-28) to XL's all over. Hokey smokes! Am I proud, you betcha!
These are the things that come to mind and there are more. I just wanted to post this to encourage brand new postops. In my mind, no one else felt crapier than "me" right out of surgery. But then I'm a big baby! HEY LOOK AT ME NOW! THIS IS MUCH BETTER! AND restaurant cards still don't work BUT they do taste good!
Here it is February 16th. I’m one day from my 52nd birthday. The baby boomer is BIG TIME BOOMIN’! I feel better than I have in years, even though over the years I have weighed much less than I do now. Those years of starvation and subsequent re-gain of weight really took a toll of my mental and physical health. But we all know that story. I had a goal to lose 52 lbs by my birthday, but I don’t think it is going to happen. I’ve lost 48. That’s cool! I could have done more I guess to lose more, like not eating the LONG JOHNS SILVER (dumping) fish. But that’s a whole nother story and a whole different post already done. The changes in me are amazing. My color is good, my hair although slightly thinner is something only I notice, glistens from the biotin I take. Also my dry skin is virtually gone, also assuming it is from the biotin. I am walking 1 ½ miles to 2 miles a day. I feel guilty when I miss a day too! (who is this person and what have you done with the old me?) I’m down from a 3x to x-lg and some larges. Something else too, and I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this …. I have never lost weight so evenly over my entire body. With “traditional” dieting, I would lose much more and more quickly on ½ top of my body and have to work like crazy to get it off the bottom ½ half. It’s even loss throughout my whole body! My mental health is greatly improved. I did experience some depression in the first 6 weeks after surgery. As my sweet angel KiKi told me, you just wait! It will disappear! And so it did! I’ve experienced a complete turnaround!
I can now cross my legs, run up and down the steps without losing my breath. I can ride my motorcycle without looking like I’m bigger than my bike. My favorite fringe jacket fits me well too, even with a sweater under it. I weigh less than my husband by 20 lbs! He hears about that a lot! My esteem is great! And to know that I have a solution for the only thing that used to depress me into the depths of hell makes me so excited I want to shout to the world. I HAVE MY ANSWER!
February 23, I just got back from my 3 month checkup.... Besides being disappointed that I am 5 lbs heavier than I thought I was, DARN BLASTED HOME SCALE) My labs were perfect... Byebye high chlorestral. Bye high blood sugar. Hello great everything levels. Don't ask me what the levels cos I wouldn't know a good number from a bad number, but the doctor said I should earn a PLATNIUM STAR! and bonus! my blood pressure is 110/65. Cool, eh? Even with the weightloss being a bit lower than I thought it was, he reinterated that I am losing at a good steady rate and to keep doing what I'm doing. I even fessed up to eatin' a bit of LONG JOHN SILVERS fish.... he didn't care... he said it was the "bit" that counted NEW MOTTO: EAT TO LIVE DON'T LIVE TO EAT! THAT'S MY NEW CLUB!!
Observation and reflection time. I’ve never been one to measure body areas along the weight loss journey. Now, I wish I had been doing it all along. Although the scale tells us one thing, how our body looks and feels is another. As I previously have said, I do believe that I am a relatively slow loser. That’s ok. That’s just me. I’m older, wiser, and know more Romy & Michele quotes than most. What that has to do with anything, I have no clue. But the amazing changes in my body are remarkable. Although I have ONLY (I’m using this world lightly) lost 50 lbs, I put on an article of clothing that only last month, and 8-10 lbs ago, I bulged out of. So what’s the difference? Muscle, perhaps, I am exercising. Is it a redistribution of weight? That sounds likely. Is it a combination of many things? I’m sure that’s it. When people ask me how much weight I have lost and I tell them 50 lbs, they are shocked. I have heard from several people that I look like I’ve lost 80 lbs plus! My good friend and dear angel Kiki told me some time ago, that as she loses her weight, her body looks different than it ever has before when doing the “traditional” dieting thing. I can see it! It’s amazing. It is even loss the whole way from the top of my head to the tip of my little toe. In the past, I would lose 20 lbs on the top half and have to work like a maniac to get the weight off my thighs and hips. Moderate exercise is doing it for me, like it never did before :-)
Happy March 1st, 2005
Over and over again I see comments when people sign up as new members on OH about how desperate they are because they can't succeed in a relationship because of a partner who can't tolerate their obesity. Although, this should not be a reason for surgery, for many it certainly is an issue. The relationship with this person may have begun when the obese person was of a semi-normal weight and the partner is resentful of the weight gain. How difficult this is for many of us who don't have the ability to emotionally fight back, so we just take it. What other option do we have, after all??? It is how we see ourselves, weak and undesirable. The concept of “We don’t have to take it” is just too much for us to bear. Because of this, we owe it to ourselves to be strong, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually! Do it for yourself first, and the other relationships in your personal life will adjust accordingly.
With all that in mind, your body image is how you perceive, think and feel about your body. This may have no bearing at all on your actual appearance. For instance, it is common in our country for women to believe they are larger and fatter than they really are. Only one in five women are satisfied with their body weight. Nearly half of all normal weight women overestimate their size and shape. A distorted body image can lead to self-destructive behavior, like dieting or binge eating.
A poor body image can promote an unhealthy lifestyle. The urge to diet or use other potentially dangerous weight loss methods (such as fasting, smoking or laxatives) is almost always prompted by feeling unhappy with body shape or size. It is well documented that even 'moderate' dieting increases the risk of developing an eating disorder amongst girls. If a woman feels self-conscious about her appearance, she may avoid exercising because it might mean exposing her body shape to the public eye. Alternatively, she might over exercise in a bid to lose weight quickly. Some studies indicate that a young woman's body image is the single largest influence on her self-esteem. If she thinks she looks unattractive or fat, her self-confidence drops and this can impact on other areas of her life.
When growing up with dieting parents, or one who was unhappy with their body shape, or living in a cultural tendency to judge people by their appearance, and living with peer pressure among girls to be slim, go on diets and compare themselves with others, constantly being exposed to the media and advertising images promoting thinness as the ideal, a constant tendency in women's media to push fad diets and weight loss programs and well-meaning public health campaigns that urge people to lose weight is it any wonder that so many have weight/self image problems.
You can make healthier choices. A negative body image develops over the course of your life, so changing it can take time and effort. Suggestions for improving your body image include: Reflect on your experiences and try to unravel the development of your body image from childhood. Talk about feelings and experiences with other women who have similar concerns. Make a pact with yourself to treat your body with respect, which includes giving it enough food and rest. Give yourself a break from women's magazines and the mass media for a while. Try some form of physical activity purely for the fun of it, not as a means of weight loss. Stop weighing yourself. Change your goal from weight loss to improving your health. Get informed by reading up on body image issues.
If you feel depressed about your body, or if you start bingeing or fasting, then professional help is a good idea. There are counselors and psychologists trained in the areas of body image who can guide you in changing negative beliefs and behaviors. A chronic crash dieter might need assistance from a dietician or psychologist to introduce healthier ways of eating and of relating to and caring for your body.
Remember, Your body image is how you perceive, think and feel about your body. Most women think they are larger and fatter than they actually are. A negative body image is formed over a lifetime from many different influences, including family, peer group, media and social pressures.
March 2nd. I'm a regular posting fool so far this week ;-)
My husband has a reputation for building the best decks in the neighborhood, maybe the whole town, or state for that matter. His deck design in our backyard actually won a design award for a deck magazine. He did build me a 3 tier deck that circles the pool with a sun room that doubles as a place to put my gold fish and tropical plants in the winter. He also built a room for my hot tub. OKOKOK im spoiled. I'm a princess after all..... so anyway.... getting to the point now..... one of our neighbors, who my hubby said he would help build a deck came to the door last night to discuss plans for the deck building event with my husband. He is a 98 lb 5'4 little cute korean guy. Anyway, when I opened the door, there he stood, and he stared at me for about 15 very uncomfortable seconds. I thought he might have forgotten how to speak English. All of the sudden he blirted out in his cutest little Korean accented voice..... "YOU'RE JUST A WIDDLE FAT"
I'm sure that was meant as a compliment... and it's sure alot better than some of the stuff I've been called. So that's my WOW moment of the week.... It's not as elaborate as some I've heard, but I'll take what I can get....
March 4th, today my angel KiKi posted this on the boards...
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/messageboard/postdetail/1078110.html?vc=0
with a link to find out what kind of "dog" you are...
http: //www.gone2thedogs.com/index.html
I had so much fun with this post! Kiki is so funny!
Here was my response to my find!
I'm happy to announce that i am a NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER. Along with this discovery, I have added my interpretations.
My interpretations ill be in (quotes).
I come from Canada.... (FIGURES, where hubby is from)
As a NOVA SCOTIA DUCK TOLLING RETRIEVER (I) thrash (trash) about at the waters edge (where ever I may be at any one particular time) in order to attract the attention of wildfowl (men) a performance known as tolling (trashing around or otherwise known as flirting). Eventually the wildfowl (men) get angry or curious (sounds accurate)enough to swim (get close enough) within the range of the gun. (you figure it out).
Despite it's specialized working habits, (screwing off most of the day) this is a quiet (yeah right) and obedient (umm yeah ok) animal (me)that makes a good family member (depends who im married to) as long as it gets the run of the outdoors (mall).
THIS DOG IS SO ME!!!! Thank you KiKi :-)
March 15th, Here it is another month behind me. At 4 months postop, I’m down 52 lbs. Last evening, I attended our local support meeting that was packed with standing room only. The 3 doctors were all in attendance, and it was a joy to see all of them. I'm sure they come for the hugs, because they sure do get embraced alot at these meetings Every month, the attendance at these meetings increases dramatically. Obviously this means, demand for this miracle is increasing. The most distressing thing is to hear of the new insurance requirements, increased restrictions and even of coverage being elimated by so many companies. It is so important for those of us who had insurance companies who took care of us to let them know how instrumental they were to us in getting our lives back on track. Let’s face it, no one understands US the way WE do.
I love the new friends I have made at the support meeting; it’s so wonderful to talk to people how have similar life experiences as I have with all my friends locally and online. Its such a different experience, no one is stuck in this mindset of, oh wow, look how much weight you have lost, because lets face it, if we aren’t losing, something is very wrong. It is the expected. What is so great is to see the happy faces beaming with their ever changing life, their new experiences, their improved health and their ever emerging happy personalities who have been set free from the bondage of obesity. Our stories are all so similar but on the other hand, so different. It is so wonderful to look a pre-op in the eyes who is questioning you whether or not you would have surgery again, and answer them with an absolutely, positively “YES!”
Not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for all of you and the many friends I have made. It is true that there is a plan for every day of your life. Please take a few moments to encourage someone who needs you. Perhaps it could be a prayer, a hug, or even opening a door and flashing an encouraging smile.
March 21st, I've been a perfect angel since surgery, so it was time to be naughty, but I didnt know how naughty a tiny bit of brew could make me.
I drank 2 1/2 beers and was POLUTED. I never thought it was possible. Not only was I poluted, but I was obnoxious and loud. I didn't set out to get drunk, but hey, when they say it effects you quick, they ain't kiddin'. I didnt have to drive, so I just stayed in my house and made alot of noise
So there you have it. Just in case someone thought I was PERFECT, now you know differently. BURP BURP HICCUP
March 22nd, POSTING AGAIN! Holy Smokes! I have read so many successful stories about people who drop weight at record speeds. And then there is ME and probably about 15% of others who, depending on our beginning BMI, age, food/water/protein intake, exercise, etc, are destined to be what we believe to be SLOWWWWWW losers. My doctor told me that losing 10 lbs a month 4 months post op was a good average for the average person. So ok Just so I could GAIN 25 lbs in a month in my past life, doesn't necessarily mean I can LOSE that same 25 lbs in a months time.
Well, the way I see it, I have 2 strikes against me right off the bat with the old age thing and the lower BMI. The rest of of the stuff, Im pretty good with EXCEPT for the beer incident the other night. But thats another story.....
Anyway. For those of you who think you are slow losers, or just stuck at a constant weight, let me tell you what I am experiencing. THINGS ARE REALLY PICKING UP AGAIN. Right after surgery, some of us gain, from water from the surgery, then we lose big time the initial "blop". Then we level off and get fustrated. (most of us that have no patience) ... Then we start losing. Just the other day (Saturday, 3 days ago, I said to my friend, hey I'm under 230. I got on the scale this morning and I'm 223. So please remember, even though your not losing at a constant rate, you are losing the way you are going to lose. NOT ONE OF US ARE THE SAME. We can compare ourselves to one another but YOUR BODY IS YOUR OWN, and you will have your own story to tell about your successful weightloss journey.
The other evening at my local support group, I saw my friend Janet, who looks wonderful 14 months postop. I told her, I just don't see how I can achieve the goal the doctor set for me. 5 days later, I do see it. Just hang in there, keep doing what your supposed to do, and it will happen!
This stuff is way too exciting for my widdle ole heart.
I luff you guys. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I'm trying to keep posting my thoughts on the board because it seems to me that the longer I stay off the board, the harder it is for me to post.
That's my latest thought and experience from this tremendous journey that I credit to getting my phyical and emotional life back on the track to happiness, prosperity and a long healthy life!
March 29th, 2005.
I proclaimed it to the world… Or at least to central Pennsylvania.
This morning, a local talk radio host was commenting on gastric bypass surgery. According to THIS HOSTS statistics, most that have surgery have lost a tremendous amount of weight after surgery and gained most of the weight back. Sure everyone is entitled to their opinions, but when he started on the Carnie Wilson fat thing, I couldn’t keep quiet. There was no mention of her pregnancy. I paced and I fretted, and picked up the phone to voice my opinion. The radio producer answered the phone, and I mentioned to him who I was, and why I was calling. And he said “why don’t you tell our listening audience?” At which I replied, “ummm ok???!!!”
I’ve mentioned before on this board that I have a “semi” famous father who is on the speaking circuit for motivational and business type seminars. I have called the station in the past so this is how I identify myself, Candy C the daughter of Charlie “Tremendous” Jones, otherwise they have no clue as to who I am. (very sad haha) So I was introduced as being the daughter of this famous speaker who had recently had surgery and was calling to dispute what was being said. The host did mention to me that the phones had been ringing off the hook since the comments were made regarding Carnie and the surgery.
I had a few brief moments to talk about the fact that Carnie is in fact pregnant, of which nothing had been mentioned. The radio host commented that after Carnie has her little bundle of joy, she will still be obese. At this time I mentioned, that yes she might be obese, but she will deal with it as many millions of women do, post pregnancy. I also politely disputed the comments that were made regarding to the success rate of maintaining weight loss. I did get to say that as far as people gaining weight back, that yes it does happen to a small percentage, but because of that possibility, we, (before approved by insurance companies) have to go through much psychological testing to make sure our eating “disorders” are in check. Nothing is easy and we all know that this surgery IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT or AN EASY FIX as so many critics have proclaimed. What the host was saying is what we already know. If you head is not fixed, your body isn’t fixed. That we agreed on ;-)
To substantiate the success rate of maintained weight loss from the surgery, I also mentioned the OH website is a fantastic source for information and to show skeptics and non-skeptics alike the many thousands of people who have had their lives changed through surgery. What a morning :-)
May 4th! Spring has sprung, and its been awhile since I updated except for the weight chart below. I am doing well. Almost at 6 months post already! I'm a bit tired but my labs are due and I'll hear the verdict in a few weeks. I'm anxious to know :-)
Here is a post I put on the board yesterday...
This is a “couples” post for those of you have been in a semi long term relationships. These thoughts have been in me for some time and although I know it won’t influence many, it is something I would like to say. This is from my “serious” side, yes I do have one
This started out to be a poem and didn’t work out so I’ll just write what I’m feeling.
On occasion, I see posts from the newly discovered and new and improved postops. We read the same things over and over about how we have come alive with new vibrancy and happiness. After all, we’ve turned from a hibernating moth into a beautiful butterfly. Perhaps for the first time, heads are turning to admire our new and greatly improved “physical” appearance. We cannot help but to notice the new attention we are receiving, it is the self esteem builder that we never could have imagined. Our heads may swell a bit, rightfully so, we are beautiful, perhaps more beautiful than we ever could have imagined. After all, we have accomplished many things!
Perhaps, suddenly, what is on the home front doesn’t seem as “great” or “satisfying” as we once thought. Although we may not act on it, our thoughts wonder to what “else” is out there because after all we gave all we had to this one person for so long, and after all people change and there is a good chance we have grown into independent spirits. Maybe one starts to think… I could have anything or anyone I want…….
What we forget is how we are loved now, have been loved and will be loved. We forget how we have been loved unconditionally no matter how we looked, what we wore and how we acted on our worse unsecure days. No relationship is perfect but before we would even consider “a change of scenery,” we need to step back and evaluate how blessed we really are. It is very easy to admire an outwardly, physically beautiful person, BUT to be seen and loved for ourselves at our worst, that takes true love.
These words come from a 52 year old middle aged woman who is 6 months post-op and has been there and done that three times in her dysfunctional weight losing life, perhaps there is a small amount of wisdom here…….
I am so thankful to have a husband that has loved me at 300 lbs, loves me now at 215 and will love me yet the same at 145 lbs. These words are for him. Remember, be thankful for what you have. The grass is not necessarily always greener... Thanks for reading what I have to say. I feel so blessed today. Hope you all feel the same.
Dealing with a Difficult Partner...
This is my opinion, so take it or leave it.... If you don't like the "submissive" wife twist to my thinking... IGNORE IT. No one is going to put a gun to your head and make ya do it
Last week at our local support meeting, a very sweet girl approached me and asked me about relationship issues with husband. She was concerned because her husband was badgering her that she was doing this because she wanted to find someone else...etc...
We all have issues, including our partners...
My husband has/had issues as well. This, (whether or not you agree with my actions) is how I dealt with the problem and get him to settle down.
I dearly love him and would do anything to make him happy and keep him content. If you have the same love and dedication for your partner... you probably would do anything as well.
1. I was very accountable to him. Not that I'm not usually but I made a special point to tell him where I would be, so he had no doubts. And because I love him and was doing it for what I feel was the RIGHT reason, I didn't mind doing it at all. I believe it's easy to do when you have nothing to hide in a relationship.
2. I reassured him that he is and will only be the only one for me.
3. I make it a point to tell him how wonderful he is and how much I appreciate him.
4. I tell him I love him several times a day.
Over the course of the last few months, not only has he become excited to see his wife becoming the person she always wanted to me, but he has totally encouraged me all the way. He is anxious for my consult on my facial surgery next week. He wants to be there.
Give it time if you have a partner who seems insecure. If you relax and reassure him/her, it is all you can do. Your transition into and thru the surgery process is going to change you forever and your relationship too. Alot of good can come from it. My relationship with my dear husband is proof of that, as I am sure many can say the same for their relationships.
May 18th.... Could I be in any better health? The answer is NO. This is straight from my doctors mouth What a wonderful thing to hear! 6 months post, down 74 lbs by the doctors scale. Of course I do play by the doctors "rules".... I easily get 70-100 gram of protein, 80 oz of water, and 45 minutes of exercise daily. I take the recommended vitamin dosages.
My high cholorestral is now NORMAL HDL and LDL levels, making an excellent overall number of 158. Blood pressure is 118/72. I won't bore you with all the numbers... but iron, potassium, magnesium, EVERYTHING is perfect! I could have never done this without the surgery. I am reminded how fortunate I am. I finally wrote that letter to my insurance companies public relations office to tell them "THANK YOU" for saving my life.
For those of you who are postop and your lives are ever changing, CONGRATS! For those of you who are preop, although every surgery has it's risks, consider my results and the results of MANY others..... Consider the fact that life as we knew it preop, was most likely depressing and we could not see any light at the end of the tunnel. Today, at 52 years old, I am in better health than I HAVE EVER BEEN. I am so thankful.
We are so fortunate and have so much to be thankful for and this second chance to have a productive life! And thank you all for being my friends and support. God bless you all!
May 19th, 2005. As I mentioned earlier, Last fall as I laid in the hospital getting my EGD in preparation for sugery, I won a truck camper on ebay with a snipe program. Its a small truck camper that is cheap to take places. I was excited to win it at such a very decent price. When we got to ohio to pick it up tho, I was dismayed at how my butt bumped everything inside, and if you know anything about truck campers, you know it is a long step up to the queensize bed on the top level, also not to forget the legs that it stands on for stability. I remember squeezing my big butt in there and thinking oh dear God how am I going to get up on that bed? I grabbed a stabalizer bar on the ceiling and had my husband push me up. I got up, and getting down was another interesting story. I had bruises all over my legs and butt!
We opened it up last weekend to put some stuff in it in preparation for our upcoming trip, and i bounced around in that thing like it was a 75 ft long mobile home. What a difference 6 months makes! I am so looking forward to this trip, feeling good, and doing things! I wanna ride some amusement rides! I wanna jet ski, I wanna put on a bathing suit that I look great in (um ok yeah from a distance) you know what i mean right?
and sunbathe in the boat....
Anyway, it's exciting thinking about all the great things ahead! Lot's to look forward to for all of us! I'll miss ya's while I'm away
Take care! have fun doing what you do this summer!
May 28th... A change of plans.
What do you do when you have a weeks vacation to go camping and all that is forcast is rain and wind? I'll tell you what you do..... you follow the weather even if it is to the other side of the country. That's just what my d/h and I did. When our camping trip to Virginia and NC fell thru, we decided to do something different! And that we did! On a Thursday, we thought we were going camping. The next day, we had a flight booked from Harrisburg, PA to San Diego, CA.
We flew into San Diego on Sunday morning. Our hotel was in Solana Beach. It had a great pool and wonderful hot tub! Solana Beach has a georgeous beach with what I would assume great surfing waves because we watched the surfers surf at sunset and they were having a blast! Monday, we drove up the coast to San Clemente looking at all the beaches along the way. We crossed rte 74. The road ended at Lake Ensinor, a beautiful mountain road that went from sea level to 4000 ft back to sea level. We twisted down down a mountain road that would have made hair pin turns seem straight. We drove down the Baha Pennicula, and crossed the border at Tijuiana where we successfully bartered some great deals on some great junk from the street merchants. I honestly had to chuckle when I had to pay 25 cents to use a toilet, and a very dirty toilet at that. If I had been in the US, it would have ticked me off, but being in Mexico, for some reason, I got a good laugh out of it. I also exchanged 2 sentences in Spanish with a merchant and much to my surprise SHE UNDERSTOOD ME! My friend Letty would have been proud of me :-) They might have thought I was Mexican but my red hair and fair skin kinda gave me away. One day, we drove due west almost to Yuma Arizona. Lots of sand and cactus and more desert called Mesa Desert. We crossed the Vallecito mountains and the Vallecito Desert state park. When we entered the park, and pulled to the side of the road, it was at least 100 degrees. We saw nothing but sand and huge sand hills for miles and miles. We climbed the mountains which looked like big piles of huge builders. It looked like a huge dump truck had just dumped zillions of tons of huge COMPLETELY round boulders that were shapped like eggs. It wasn't mountains with rocks on top on the surface but totally huge piles of rocks! This was the Mesa Grande Indian Reservation and it was simply breathtaking. At the top of the mountain, as dry and desolate as the side was that we just crossed, the side that layed ahead of us was dotted with pine and palm and green vegetation.
The next day our adventure lead us to Vegas. A 300 mile trip up highway 15 thru San Bernadino Mountains, the Devils Playground, the Bristol Mountains, and best of all the Mohave Desert. HOLY CRAP IT WAS HOT! We crossed into Nevada by the McCullough Mountain Range, When we got to Vegas, we had some time kill so we tripped out to the Hoover Dam in Boulder City. We checked into our room in Vegas, and passed out for a bit, then checked out the big strip. It was ver cool, if your into that stuff. ;-) and we net profited $14! woohoo! haha. We especially enjoyed the music chorographed water fountains at the Bellacio.
The next morning, after sleeping in till 8 AM, (yep that was sleeping in for us) we set out on a road trip back acroos the desert taking route 58 to 14 south around Edwards Air Force Base. In the Tehachapi Pass at 3,793 ft elevation you can see thousands of windmills on the hill that were once used to generate power. Some were still operating. On this road you also can see the snow capped higher elevation mountains in the distance. The we proceeded into Simi Valley to see the Ronald Reagan Library and burial site. But the biggest excitement of the whole trip was driving down a cliff and winding road named hwy 23 into Malibu Beach! I was on a mission to find Romy and Michele's apartment, and to pose in front of it. But yah know, those places all look alot alike so I gave up. We traveled down the coast thru Malibu, Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach, which we took a break and got out to see the beautiful beach. It was pretty chilly out so there wasn't much activity there, but it was wonderful to see.
5 days and 1,600 miles later, I am home after a very exciting week. My husband did all the driving and the highlight of his trip was getting to experience Los Angeles traffic during rush hour. I would have freaked out if I had to drive it, but nothing bothers him :-) The ONLY thing I would have done differently is that I wouldn't have made room reservations. Tieing ourselves coming back to Solana Beach every evening really kept us from seeing even more. It was a great place to stay, but there is so much more you can see if you keep going to new places.
So there you have it, my spontanious adventure. For those of you who live in this area, consider yourself blessed. It is a beautiful state. As I flew across the country and saw the landscape of this great country, I was reminded of the beauty in every part of our beautiful land. I am so glad to be home to see my precious kitties that were angels! THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME :-) Oh and by the way, I lost 2 pounds on vacation :-)
THIS IS DEFINATELY A FIRST! Some of my vacation pictures are available on the picture trail link at the top left of this profile.
June 14th, 2005, Sometimes I get so caught up in every day life to forget life is not a race to GET ‘ER DONE. I want this weight off NOW and that is THAT seems to be my mentality. We forget we didn’t gain it in 2 weeks so we can’t lose it in 2 weeks. As we get older (speaking from experience here) the days slip more quickly away. The years fly by. Every day of life on earth is a gift. If you’re like me, this is a reminder to you and myself also to slow down and take it one day at a time.
I remember somewhere around 2 months post op talking to my angel KiKi on the phone and saying "I just wish I could have a day when I didnt get up and worry about how much protein I eat and how much water I consume and how much I poop..." You know all that. She assured me, it would soon be 2nd nature to me. Thankfully, it has. And I am so glad! I may never be totally "normal" BUT I am closer than I ever have been.
Also, just another thought here, pre-op, I was so concerned that I wouldn’t be able to “stay with the program”, eat what I should, that I would slip back into my old habits. I am so thankful for this surgery, that at still a new post-op of nearly 7 months, my tool has kept me in check. I truly don’t know if I dump on sugar, as I have never tested it. I have tried the fried food thing, and that is definitely a no-no. But why even try it? If I feel the need for something sweet, there are alot of non-sugar/splenda type products out there
I was talking with my mom yesterday as she commented on how well I look, how healthy my skin looks, how easily I move around…etc… and the subject came up on foods that I once consumed massed quantities of and are now considered taboo. It is very true that everything that is now considered taboo is something that wouldn’t have been good for me even pre-op, let alone post-op. This surgery is a blessing in so many ways. It truly has taught me to “eat to live” and not the former “live to eat.” Then I think, oh how I wish I could have eaten like I do now all my life. Why couldn't I? Same reason why millions of us can't. But I am where I am today for a reason... just taking it one day at a time.
June 16th, 2005 What Onederland means to me…
I’m almost 7 months post-op. I have obtained “onederland status”. I haven’t been here for 8 years. When I lose another 15 lbs, I will be lower in weight than I have been for 15 years. When I lose another 20 lbs, I’ll be lower than I have been in 20 years, and when I lose another 25 lbs, I’ll be lower than I have been in 25 years It weird how that worked out, but that’s the way it is. It’s amazing, when you get to be an old girl like me how you remember your weight by the year. (well for me anyway). I am down a total of 83 lbs since day of surgery and down a total of 105 lbs from my highest weight ever which was back in 1996.
Along with obtaining onederland, I have also lost 2 complete bags of concrete (40 lbs each) plus a bit more. I also have a BMI of under 30. And best of all I am no longer “obese”. I am finally overweight. Who would have thought a year ago when I was just starting my “process” to obtain surgery, I would be sitting here comfortably in a size 14 “shift” type dress (very form fitting) that has absolutely no room for “give.” ACK it is sleeveless too… and it doesn’t look half bad! Last year at this time, I was in stretchy 3x pants and hiding behind the biggest t-shirts I could locate. The bigger the t-shirt … the better. The other day I threw on one of those t-shirts when I got out of the pool and believe it or not, the neck hole actually fell down over my shoulders. I looked like I was a flash dancer from the 80’s. okokok…. Some of you might not relate to that one.
Someone said to me the other day, boy, I sure hope you don’t lose much more, you are wasting away to nothing and you look good now! (well ok, she did look like my grandma, and sounded like her too) ….
So that’s my update for this month. Anyway, life is good and gets better all the time.
It's July 19th and I've not been in a big hurry to do my monthly "progress" post as there was no progress this month. I know it's temporary but I actually went backwards. So instead of bitching, I'm just going to hold my words until the next post. I just gotta keep doing what I should do and everything works out. Maybe next month (HOPEFULLY) I'll get to post that I've entered "onderland" for the 5th and final time :-)
August 10th, 6 days from my 9 month anniversary but I'll post today because I just returned from my checkup. My labs were great, (except a tad low on the iron) and I'm slowing but steadily losing. My doctor said that is the best way to do it so OK sounds good! 89 lbs lost
so, have to stay on my iron and it is suspected that my ulcers are flairing back up. Thats what happens when you have a husband who likes to spend alot of money ...........
What surprised me is that the nutritionist told me that when I get extremely (which I do frequently), it might not actually be hunger, it could be from my acidy little pouch just making me think I am hungry, and acid causes ulcers, and he said there has been a very large amount of ulcers reoccuring in postop patients..... I hate to talk on the board about being hungry so I hold that one back haha. I'd rather talk about tsunamis and earthquakes than being hungry all the time! Sometimes when you guys talk about reciepes and good stuff to eat, I knaw on my monitor. So I am on Nexium for a bit then onto Prilosec which treats heartburn and ulcers. The good thing is I can get it otc. The bad thing it isn't a tax write off.
OH WELL :-) See ya's soon.... Hugs!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Acid and ulcers BE GONE!
Someone wave some fairy dust over me pleaz.
August 22nd, 2005
I went shopping with the INFAMOUS Sassy Cathy as she roared thru my area in her very cool SUV. We hit the 80-90% off sales and didn't leave much behind. When I was at the store, I found a little pair of pokadot capris that match my favorite pokadot jacket. I held them up and said "well like darn it!" they are size 10 petite (yeah right) and hung them back on the rack. I thought about it later and said, ya know, they came down to a price of $7 bucks. Whats the worst thing that can happen? I don't get into them and I'll sell em on ebay "new with tags." So I tripped back to the store, got them along with another $90 bucks of clothing. (which doesnt sound like much, but when stuff is 90% off, ITS A BIG DARN BAG! When I got home, I held them up again and studied the size and held them up to my body. At that point, I thought, yeah right ok... but I said what the heck, lets try em on. Well I GOT THEM ON. Forget the part that I did the classic lie on the bed and suck in the gut. That little purple emoticon posted on the title, looked like me and forget the part that they are a nice stretchy comfortable woven material. (which is really a nice thing) BUT I GOT EM ON! I GOT EM ON! I GOT EM ON. SIZE 10? IS THIS POSSIBLE? I GUESS IT MUST BE. I'm 9 months post last week, from a 3x to a size 10 (yeah ok I know I'm pushin' it) but HOLY SMOKES! ITS A MIRACLE AND AS OF TODAY, IM DOWN 90 LBS. Look out century club here this ole' gurl comes! This has to be a WOW MOMENT. hugs~ Candy PS When I went shopping with Cathy, I felt like Romy & Michele on a shopping binge. I was the MARY and she was the RHODA! If ya wanna see pix of us together, I put them up on my picture trail link on the top left of my profile under MY ALBUM She is like the totally coolest person I have ever met!!!! If she ever comes your way, SNAG HER!
September 15th, 2005. 10 months postop and doing well. Slow steady weight loss. and I'm in the century club :-) Thank God for this surgery.. I'll post later when I'm in a better mood. Someone I love hurt me bad, and words I want to say are not coming right now.
Luff ya's
September 16, 2005
Yesterday I posted about a heart break in my life. No, the situation has not improved, but I do realize I have to deal with it as it comes at me until it is resolved. It make take some time until it is.... All I am doing with this stressing is kickin' up my ulcers. (yep, I can fell em burnin.' I never knew I had 'em before surgery, until I had my EGD, but I sure know I have 'em now.)
The problem with my family member, no matter how they have hurt me, has got to resolve itself eventually. So life goes on, and I'll remember to count my blessings on a daily basis...I AM SO FORTUNATE.
OK.. Back to the shopping thing.. Last evening, I hit the sales again. Somehow, it does help I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT I WOULD HAVE A CLOSET OF CUTE CLOTHES LIKE I DO. As exhausted as I was last night after not sleeping for a week, I had a mini fashion show for my husband and my sliding mirrored closet doors in my bedroom. Over the last few months, as soon as the BIG sales started, I started buying. I estimate that I have spent $400 on upscale clothing.. at 80% 90% off.. well you do the math. I got ALOT OF CLOTHING! I bought clothes that were snug, some are still snug but a lot are fittin' good. In fact, I got so much, that all the crap that I've been holding onto for years and years thinking I've get into this stuff sometime again....well I sent it to LA and MS to the Salvation Army. It felt good!!!! and I feel good! and... well yes I am 10 months post-op today and yes I am down 100 lbs. exactly, and yes my doctor told me that the "normal" is 10 lbs a month, so does that make me normal? ummm yeah I guess. (I laughed, this is good )
Well anyway, this is the most important part of this lingering meandering all over the place post.....
YESTERDAY WHEN I POSTED MY HEART WAS BREAKING. I just sat at my computer and sobbed most of the day. It is so hard to conceive how someone I have done everything possible for to help with money, with support and with love can do me so "dirty". Welp, all of this still hurts plenty bad, but I have got to realize that it it is not my problem, it is theirs. .... So life goes on, and after I clean up the financial mess from this fiasco, I'll flash ya a full fledged smile again.
AND NOW I AM GETTING TO THE POINT OF WHAT IM REALLY TRYING TO SAY IS THIS... As I sat in my total state of hurt yesterday, I thought of you guys and what you mean to me. I posted to be close to you. I just sat and gazed at your responses and thanked God that I have the opportunity to be a part of this community. I got emails.... I got phone calls...and the posts... :sigh:...
Now, I know that every one of us on the board are grateful and post frequently that we are thankful for the support here... and not that I feel differently than the rest of us, but I cannot tell you guys yesterday how you touched my heart. You made my sorrow turn to joy. You made all the selfishness and hurt in the world to generosity and tremendous gratitude. I love you guys more than words can express... and if I sound repetitious here, please forgive me. It's the way it is bubbling out of me today.
THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART...
UTOH, I went shopping for more clothes and on the way home, I bought a new car... (well it's new to me.) Not a scratch on it and 30,000 miles... its a 2002 Camaro and everyone looks at it and says is that a 2006? obviously they don't know GM discontinued Camaros and Firebirds in 2002. I feel like a million bucks in it. (wow, that sounds shallow, sorry)
oh yeah and I got a new batch of clothes too .....
someone burn my credit card at 90% off, I'm having a hard time staying away from the mall!...
If you wanna see my new car, it's on my profile, along with some other shots on the picture trail link at the top left. I am also "modeling" one of my new outfits that is a size 12. Let me know if I am starting to resemble PEG BUNDY. Next to Romy & Michele, she is my idol.
Have a great day all. If you are down in the dumps, pull yourself out of it. (last week was my week.) Just do the best you can and things will work out the way they are supposed to And remember being down in the dumps is not free reign on grazing, hitting the fridge or bingeing.
Lots of luff and hugs!
Candy
Today is my first anniversary of gastric bypass surgery... One year later..... In so many ways it seems like it was just yesterday, and in other ways it seems like an eternity... My RNY was 11/16/04. Yes, I had a difficult time in the beginning as so many do. My emotions were a wreck. I hurt longer than I thought I should have, and I was totally exhausted. As the weeks progressed, especially after the 12th week, my sprits lifted and I became a new person. Some still say to me, and I politely disagree, "you took the easy way out." The easy way out? Wonder what the hard way out would be?
Now looking back, and "maturing" in the process, I do realize that YES I'd do it again in a heartbeat, and YES it is the best thing I ever did for my physical body. At 52 years old, my options were dwindling and I was destined to be morbidly obese. I am so thankful that this option was available to me. If not for the surgery where would I be today? Well, if I was 20 years old, I might be 305 lbs or as low as 145 lbs. But this uncertainty was the problem, wasn't it?
Was I scared to have the surgery? You betcha! ....If you aren’t at least slightly apprehensive, I believe you haven’t done your research. If you feel wls is for you, do your homework by researching doctor, hospital, after care, and all aspects of the whole process. Then put it to rest and just take it one day at a time. Don't stress before or after the surgery, just take it one day at a time.
Actually, the approval and process was almost too easy for me, except for a very slight delay in my insurance approval, everything just fell into place.
Rambling on here, 1 year later, 110 lbs lighter, (yes I could have done better, but I am pleased with that), I realize that if it takes me another year to lose my last 25 lbs or so, this is not a big issue. The greatest point in all this is, I did do this to be healthy. My labs came back 100 % perfect! Perfect iron, perfect b's, perfect cal/mag, etc, perfect sugar, cholesterol, and perfect blood pressure. Only God knows where I would be without the surgery.
Again I am so thankful.
And most of all please remember! We are here for you. This support system is 2nd to nothing. I have relied on my friends here probably even more than my doctors because you guys are always here. And where else can discussions of restaurant cards, pouch pals, weighing less than my husband and drinking soda be so entertaining.
Thank you, my good friends for being here on my bad days and my good as well, getting me through everything, such as helping me climb of my well of depression to rejoicing with me on the many milestones which I had forever given up on reaching.
I LOVE YOU GUYS.
Candy –105 (20 lbs from goal) 283/175/155
5 ft 8 inches (I am standing an inch taller since surgery)
RNY 11/16/05 by Dr.Currie (my hero)
January 19, 2006, At 14 months postop, this is a much needed and belated update…
Thanks to all of you who have written to me and asked me about my "out patient surgery" that turned into "in patient" surgery.
On January 30th I ran to the emergency room in intense pain. I was doubled over... sometime later that evening, the pain subsided and i was fine until i visited my doctor the following week. he was sure that it was in fact NOT my ulcers but some kind of hernias that had formed somewhere in my tummy or intestines.... unfortunately the only way to find these suckers was to get "re-lapped" using 3 of the original 4 cuts that were made for my RNY.
that time has come and gone, my surgery date was a week ago. it was almost uneventful, the doctor found 2 intestinal hernias, sutured them, removed scar tissue from the surgery and told my husband he was pleased that my pouch was virtually the size he had made it some 14 months ago... (that shocked me cos i am sure pretty sure that i could consume mass quantities.....) but that’s another story
the only thing that caused a problem was that it is official now that i cannot come out of anesthia gracefully. i went home and wretched and dry heaved until my new incisions were bloody and opened. at the risk of becoming dehydrated, the doctor re-admitted me and put me on fluids and anti-nausea thru an iv. the following day when i could eat a cracker and jello and could stand the taste of water again, back home i went.
I’ve told a few people about my episode and have gotten some feedback like.... "that happened because of the surgery." well no it didn’t. as the doctor explained to me, after "we" lose weight and our fat breaks down, organ walls can become thin and brittle and it is possible for tissues to "snake" in and out of areas and cause these assorted types of hernias.
welp, that’s it, and after all this.... my ulcers are all cleared up... (surprised everyone there) and I am now hernia free ...YIPPIE!
2/28/06
New Wife.
Last night we were in Home Depot (husband and I) and we ran into a neighbor who had moved away last year. He is Korean and speaks very BROKEN English. This, mind you, is not criticism, because at least he can kind of speak English along with Korean. I know English and meows for my cats.... My husband helped him build a deck and the communications were difficult to say the least. I saw him, and smiled and waved, he just gave me this blank stare and I realized he didn’t know who I was. I went and got my husband and said "Look Yung, I'm Barry's wife". It took a few seconds but it registered and he started doing the hand gestures from "big to small" etc... Then his twin brother came by, (yes they are identical 90 lb Korean men) along with their mother. His brother looked at me and also started doing big - small hand gestures, then their mom looked at me and said to her sons in Korean, "did Barry get a new wife?" When what she said was interpreted, we all started laughing so hard, the whole store came running to see what was so funny. Anyway, LOL maybe you had to be there but it was funny .
2/28/06
Last night we were in Home Depot (husband and I) and we ran into a neighbor who had moved away last year. He is Korean and speaks very BROKEN English. This, mind you, is not criticism, because at least he can kind of speak English along with Korean. I know English and meows for my cats.... My husband helped him build a deck and the communications were difficult to say the least. I saw him, and smiled and waved, he just gave me this blank stare and I realized he didn’t know who I was. I went and got my husband and said "Look Yung, I'm Barry's wife". It took a few seconds but it registered and he started doing the hand gestures from "big to small" etc... Then his twin brother came by, (yes they are identical 90 lb Korean men) along with their mother. His brother looked at me and also started doing big - small hand gestures, then their mom looked at me and said to her sons in Korean, "did Barry get a new wife?" When what she said was interpreted, we all started laughing so hard, the whole store came running to see what was so funny. Anyway, LOL maybe you had to be there but it was funny.
3/06/06
What the heck is wrong?
If i told you guys what I ate today, I’d hang my head in shame. I guess this is my way of coming' clean, even though you guys don't know I need to come clean. Does talking about it with my friends help? I don't know. Do I need therapy? Sounds like it, eh? What does it take to get back on track? I have no clue. I did a similar post a few weeks ago, getting everyone on the bandwagon to re-commit, I lasted about a week, and here I am falling by the way side again. Hope some of you re-committers lasted longer than I did…….
Someone emailed me a few weeks ago and told me how much she loved and looked for my posts because they were so uplifting and positive and how she never saw anything negative come out of me... How I appreciated that! But here is the negative spilling out of me.
Am I asking for advice? If you got something that will help... sure I'll try anything. What does it take? Has any of you gotten so far off track then gotten on and finished the job? I'm just sitting here shaking my head in desperation. The old mentality of my pre-op days is creeping back. My thinking... ok I’ll eat what I want today and tomorrow I'll do better. then tomorrow comes....
HELP ME, I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP …Thanks for listening all of you...
3/16/06
Back in the saddle…
For those of you who remember... a few weeks ago I posted about my total dismay over developing horrible eating habits, slipping back into old patterns... etc... I received much encouragement that day, as we always do when we post in a mood of despair... Thank you. It took a few more days and for the scale to creep up another 2-3 lbs before I had a "reality session" with myself... screaming at myself in the mirror. Those 6-7 lbs that I had picked up over the last few months were showing in the clothes that had gotten snug. At one time, 6-7 lbs would have not been felt, but they sure do now.
After the screaming match I had with my "other" self, I came to terms that I had to do something and NOW. Since that time, I have gotten my act together. I don't "over" exercise because personally for me, that is falling back into my obsessive nature, and I go with a blast and burn out quick... but I am walking for 45 minutes 5 days a week. Not bad for someone who "laid down when the thought of exercise crossed her mind, and waited until the feeling went away." I have also increased my protein, upped the water... and most importantly changed my way of thinking... After all, all of this starts in our "head" doesn’t it?
So here I am about 18 months post op, and although my honeymoon period is over... I will get the rest of this weight off. YES I WILL DO IT, and for those of you who are floundering around, you will too, because if this old girl can, you can too...
OH AND BY THE WAY, SINCE MY "CHANGE OF MINDSET," I've lost 5 of those 6-7 lbs. I feel so good today...
Thanks for listening to my blah blah... and for being here for me...
3/17/06
I know it is a figure of speech… or just wishful thinking on the part of a lot of us…But ….. how many times have we heard someone (ok yes and including me) 50 LBS GONE FOREVER, OR 75 LBS GONE FOREVER…. ETC…
This couldn’t be farther from the truth. What a shame to get caught into this mindset. It, if anything, it is a very dangerous way of thinking. It is a recipe for sure disaster, this complacency in thinking that NOTHING WILL EVER MAKE ME GAIN WEIGHT AGAIN. I AM CURED!!! I can do anything! I am invincible!!! Remember, Nothing was cured on our surgery date. We just got a bit of help to get us started on a new life of hopefully healthy eating habits and healthy thinking.
I have heard it put, “those weight loss surgery people take the easy way out.” Well in a small way we did, we got the help, a new start for a very large problem in our life. But it certainly didn’t end there… and this is where the hard part started. Adjusting to our new life and everything that affected us is the difficult part. Unlearning old habits and achieving new goals, is the hard part. This is why I will say, I never took they easy way out. What I allowed the surgeon to do on November 16th, 2004, was a new start in a healthy life, with a lot of adjustments and ever changing daily needs and thoughts. I would go through it again in a moment. Yes, I would. If there was any other alternative for me, I would have taken it though. Yes, this was, and should be for anyone contemplating surgery, the last straw. This is the easiest and the hardest thing I have ever done.
As I rebound from a very difficult time of getting back into the rut of bad habits, old habits that I formerly believed were gone forever with the miracle but of a surgeon’s knife, I realized that nothing is permanent unless I make them permanent. Even though I may not ever weigh 300 lbs again, I can certainly, especially after the past few months, imagine myself back at 250. Overcoming the thoughts in our head that originally took us to the realm of morbid obesity and beyond is a difficult task. More than ever, I believe and see the value of support, both here and wherever we can get help when it is much needed. This post is a reality check for me, hopefully some of you can relate. If it isn’t or doesn’t make since to you, consider yourself blessed. You are truly fortunate…But then in a lot of ways, we all are.
Have a great day!
| Date | Weight | Pounds Lost | Total Pounds Lost | BMI |
11/15/04 pre-op | 283 | 0 | 0 | 46 |
11/26/04 1st doctor checkup | 269 | 14 | 14 | 44 |
12/17/04 1 month post | 261 | 8 | 22 | 42 |
1/15/05 2 months post | 245 | 16 | 38 | 39.5 |
| Date 2/16/05 3 months post | 235 | 10 | 48 | 37.9 |
| Date 3/15/04 4 months post | 230 | 5 | 53 | 37.1 |
| Date 4/17/05 5 months post | 216 | 14 | 67 | 33.8 |
| Date 5/15/05 6 months post | 211 | 5 | 72 | 33 |
| Date 7/16/5 | 199 | 12 | 84 | 29 |
| Date 9/15/5 | 183 | 16 | 100!!! | 28.3 |
| Date 12/16/05 | 177 | 5 | 105 | 27.7 |
| Date 1/18/06 | 172 | 5 | 111 | 26.9 |
| Date | Weight | Pounds Lost | Total Pounds Lost | BMI |
#1 | W#1 | PL#1 | TPL#1 | BMI#1 |
| Date #2 | W#2 | PL#2 | TPL#2 | BMI#2 |
| Date #3 | W#3 | PL#3 | TPL#3 | BMI#3 |
| Date #4 | W#4 | PL#4 | TPL#4 | BMI#4 |
| Date #5 | W#5 | PL#5 | TPL#5 | BMI#5 |
| Date #6 | W#6 | PL#6 | TPL#6 | BMI#6 |
| Date #7 | W#7 | PL#7 | TPL#7 | BMI#7 |
| Date #8 | W#8 | PL#8 | TPL#8 | BMI#8 |
| Date #9 | W#9 | PL#9 | TPL#9 | BMI#9 |
| Date #10 | W#10 | PL#10 | TPL#10 | BMI#10 |
| Date #11 | W#11 | PL#11 | TPL#11 | BMI#11 |
| Date #12 | W#12 | PL#12 | TPL#12 | BMI#12 |
| Date #13 | W#13 | PL#13 | TPL#13 | BMI#13 |
UMMM THOUGHT THIS WAS INTERESTING, FOUND IT ON A WEBSITE WITH THE CAPTION "THIS IS WHAT WAS THOUGHT OF AS A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN 2,000 YEARS AGO." She is "Venus of Willendorf."*** I am amused ;-)
***name provided by Julie / Scraps Young.ren cos I didn't have a clue of who the heck the ole fat gurl was ;-)
I AM A BIG ROMY & MICHELE FAN IN CASE YOU HADN'T HEARD ;-)
Here are some WLS tips that may be of use. They were sure helpful to me ;-)
High Protein Foods
Serving size:protein grams
almonds (1 cup) 26.0
red snapper(3 oz.) 39.0
barley, uncooked (1 cup) 16.5
salami (1 oz.) 6.9
baked beans (½ cup) 8.1
scallops (5-6 med) 39.5
kidney beans (½ cup) 7.2
shrimp (5 lg) 15.5
lima beans (½ cup) 5.4
shrimp, canned (3 oz.)20.8
bean soup (1 cup) 7.6
baked ham (3 oz.) 26.3
corned beef (3 oz.)22.9
boiled ham (2 oz.) 14.5
hamburger (3 oz.) 21.8
lamb chop, broiled (4 oz.)20.2
roast beef (3 oz.) 23.3
lentil soup (1 cup) 5.0
beef pot pie 23.0
beef liver, fried (3 oz.)13.2
cottage cheese (½ cup) 13.6
calf liver, fried (3 oz.) 15.1
fried chicken (½ breast) 24.7
lobster (1 cup) 19.5
chicken drumstick 12.5
mac & cheese (½ cup)8.4
chicken, dark (3.5 oz.) 29.3
malted milk (8 oz.) 11.1
chicken, white (3.5 oz.) 32.3
whole milk (1 cup) 8.0
chicken pot pie 23.0
minestrone (1 cup) 5.0
chicken salad (½ cup) 17.4
onion soup (1 cup) 8.1
cocoa from mix (1 cup) 7.0
oyster stew (1 cup) 15.8
corn bread (1 square) 5.0
peanut butter (2Tbsp) 8.5
cream soups (1 cup) 7.0
pea soup (1 cup) 13.3
custard (½ cup) 7.2
perch (3 oz.) 22.5
egg, boiled 6.3
cheese pizza (1/8 of 14") 9.4
egg, fried 6.7
pork chop (3.5 oz.) 21.4
egg, scrambled 7.1
baked sole (3.5 0z.) 30.0
eggnog (½ cup) 7.0
spareribs (6 average) 14.9
baked flounder (3 oz.) 30.2
broiled trout (3 oz.) 20.3
frankfurter 7.2
water packed tuna (½ cup) 36.4
french toast (1 slice) 5.4
turkey, dark (3.5 oz.) 30.0
haddock (1 fillet) 16.6
turkey, white (3.5 oz.) 32.9
choc. pudding (1 cup) 8.1
yogurt (½ cup) 4.4
WATER AND TIPS FOR GETTING YOUR 8 GLASSES DAILY
Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in losing weight and keeping if off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only true "magic potion" for permanent weight loss!
Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Here's why: The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When the kidneys don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. One of the liver's primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy for the body. If the liver has to do some of the kidney's work, it can't operate at full throttle. As a result, it metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight loss stops. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in extra cellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet, legs and hands. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to overcome the problem of water retention is to give the body what is needs…PLEANTY OF WATER. Only then will the stored water be released. If you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in certain concentration. The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it. But getting rid of un-needed salt is easy-just drink more water. As it's forced through the kidneys it takes away excess sodium.
The overweight person needs more water than the thin one! Larger people have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat metabolism, it follows that the over weight person needs more water. Water helps maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss - shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy, and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste. During weight loss, the body has a lot more waste to get rid of - all the metabolized fat must be shed. Again, adequate water helps flush out the waste. Water can help relieve constipation. When the body gets to little water, it siphons what it needs from the internal sources. The colon is one primary source. Result? Constipation. But, when a person gets enough water, normal bowel function returns. So far, we've discovered some remarkable truths about water and weight loss:
*The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently.
*Retained water shows up as excess weight.
*To get rid of the excess water you must drink more water.
*Drinking water is essential to weight loss.
HOW MUCH WATER IS ENOUGH??
On the average, a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about 2 quarts. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. The amount you drink also should be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry. Water should preferably be cold - it's absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water. And some evidence suggest that drinking
cold-water can actually help burn calories. When the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are perfectly balanced. Once this happens you have reached the "breakthrough point". What does this mean?
*Endocrine-gland function improves.
*Fluid retention is alleviated and stored is lost.
*More fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
*Natural thirst returns.
*There is loss of hunger almost overnight.
If you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of balance again, and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight gain and loss of thirst. To remedy the situation you'll have to go back and force another "breakthrough".
By Donald S. Robertson, M.D., M. Sc
Information source The MMPC Spectrum Health, Grand Rapids, MI
Dumping Syndrome
“Dumping” syndrome occurs in response to the presence of undigested food and simple carbohydrates in the duodenum or the jejunum. Following some types of gastric surgery, food is “dumped” into the duodenum or the jejunum 10 to 15 minutes after ingestion, rather than being released gradually in small amounts from the stomach into the small bowel. Because the pyloric sphincter regulates release of partially digested food into the duodenum, procedures by which this muscle is bypassed or excised will indicate the need for diet modifications. Symptoms of dumping syndrome include abdominal fullness, nausea, and crampy abdominal pain followed by diarrhea within 15 minutes after eating. These symptoms result from a shift of fluid from the plasma and extracellular fluid into the jejunum to dilute hypertonic jejunal contents. The shift of fluid can also cause a decrease in the circulating blood volume that leads to decreased cardiac output. As a result, persons may also feel warm, dizzy, weak, and faint, have an increased pulse rate, and break out into a cold sweat. Lying down immediately after eating reduces these symptoms.
Late dumping syndrome may occur 1 to 2 hours after a meal. Symptoms include perspiration, tachycardia, mental confusion, and syncope. These symptoms are thought to be due to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. Dumping syndrome can also appear weeks after the initial surgery.
Generally, liquids are served between meals, rather than with meals to slow passage of the food mass. Simple carbohydrates are limited because of their effect on the jejunum; they are rapidly hydrolyzed and may aggravate the dumping. Protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates are more slowly hydrolyzed and thus better tolerated.
Weight loss due to a complication of early satiety, anorexia, and malabsorption is common, especially after resection. Food intake may be consciously or unconsciously restricted by the patient to avoid unpleasant symptoms after meals. The 15% to 20% loss of fat and protein in the stools resulting from inefficient absorption with dumping syndrome can be compensated for by increasing food intake and modifying the diet to slow the gastric emptying rate.
Lactose Intolerance
The symptoms of dumping syndrome can be complicated by symptoms of lactose intolerance, depending on the extent of intestinal mucosa resected. A secondary lactase deficiency can result in symptoms similar to those seen in dumping syndrome. Therefore, milk products should be introduces slowly to determine tolerance. Dried fat-free milk or various caseins are generally well tolerated. A lactose tolerance test or break hydrogen test can be performed to diagnose a lactase deficiency. Malabsorption of calcium and vitamin D may lead to the development of osteomalacia. Persons with minimal or no intake of milk or dairy products may need vitamin D and calcium supplementation. If milk intolerance is caused by lactose intolerance, various lactose-free commercial formulas with high-calorie, high protein densities and low osmolalities are available. Lactose-reduced milk may not be tolerated because lactase enzymes simply reduce disaccharides to monosaccharides, which are just as likely to promote dumping syndrome.
Hypoglycemia
In persons who have had a partial or total gastrectomy or vagotomy, hypoglycemia may occur 1 to 2 hours following meals. The rapid digestion and absorption of foods causes an elevation of blood glucose, which leads to over-production of insulin and subsequent hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include weakness, nausea, perspiration, hunger, anxiety, and tremors. To prevent hypoglycemia, patients should avoid simple carbohydrates such as candy, sugar, jam, jelly, syrup, honey, cola drinks, cookies, cakes, and ice cream, unless made with sugar substitutes. Simple forms of sugar should be consumed only for treatment of hypoglycemia. A protein source should be included with each meal.
General Guidelines for Dumping Syndrome
Avoid taking liquids with meals. Liquids should be taken 30-60 minutes before or after meals and limited to ½ to 1 cup servings. Fluid intake should be consumed daily to equal the amount of fluid losses resulting from diarrhea, plus losses from urine and insensible losses. Carbonated beverages are not recommended in the initial stages of the diet to prevent excess gas formation.
Small, frequent feeding should be provided. The number of feeding depends on the patient’s tolerance to specific portions of food. Foods should be eaten slowly and chewed well. Avoid those known to cause individual problems.
The diet should be low in simple carbohydrates (20% of calories), high in complex carbohydrates and protein (20% of calories), and moderate in fat (30% to 40% of calories) with the purpose of achieving and maintaining the optimal weight and nutritional status of the patient.
All food and drink should be moderate in temperature. Some patients tolerate warm water better than iced or cold water.
Avoid foods that are natural laxatives, such as figs, prunes, and licorice.
Encourage patients to chew their foods well, relax while eating and eat slowly.
If “dumping” is a problem, it may be helpful to lie down 20 to 30 minutes after meals and even up to an hour to retard transit to the small bowel.
Introduce small amounts of milk to determine tolerance. If milk intolerance is found to be caused by a lactase deficiency, a lactose-restricted diet may be necessary. If milk products are tolerated, they can play a key role in providing an easily tolerated protein and other nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D.
If adequate caloric intake cannot be provided due to steatorrhea, use of medium-chain triglyceride products may be needed.
Pectin, a dietary fiber found in fruits and vegetables, may be helpful for treating dumping syndrome. Pectin delays gastric emptying, slows carbohydrate absorption, and reduces the glycemic response, though small, dry meals are of more benefit. Taking 1 tsp pectin powder 3 times daily may be effective.
DRUGS THAT CAN DAMAGE THE POUCH:
Advil
Aleve
Anaprox
Ansald
Anthra-G
Arthropan
Ascriptin
Aspirin
Asproject zolid
Bextra
Bufferin
Butazolidin
Celebrex
Clinorial
Darvon compounds
Disalcid
Dolobid
Erythromycin
Equagesic
Felden
Fiorinal
Ibuprofin
Indocin
Ketoprofen
Lodine
Meclomen
Midol
Motrin
Nalfon
Naprosyn
Nayer
Orudis
Oruval
Pamprin-IB
Percodan
Ponstel
Rexolate
Tandearil
Tetracycline
Tolecin
Uracel
Vioxx (off market...not safe for anyone)
Voltaren
ALL "NSAIDS
DRUGS THAT ARE CONSIDERED SAFE:
Bendaryl
Amigesic
Anacin
Dimetap
Robitussin
Safetussin
Sudafed
Triaminics
(All) Tylenol (cold products)
Tylenol Ex Strength
Gas-X
Phazyme
Imodium Ad
Colace
Dulcolax-Suppositories
Fleet Enema Glycerin-Suppositories
Milk of Magnesia
Peri-Colace
Tylenol
POUCH RULES FOR DUMMIES
This publication is for information purposes. Although it is intended to be shared, it should not be sold under any circumstance.
INTRODUCTION:
A common misunderstanding of gastric bypass surgery is that the pouch causes weight loss because it is so small, the patient eats less. Although that is true for the first six months, that is not how it works. Some doctors have assumed that poor weight loss in some patients is because they aren’t really trying to lose weight. The truth is, it may be because they haven’t learned how to get the "satisfied" feeling of being full to last long enough.
HYPOTHESIS OF POUCH FUNCTION:
We have four educated guesses as to how the pouch works:
1) Weight loss occurs by actually "slightly stretching" the pouch with food at each meal or;
2) Weight loss occurs by keeping the pouch tiny through never ever overstuffing or;
3) Weight loss occurs until the pouch gets worn out and regular eating begins or;
4) Weight loss occurs with education on the use of the pouch.
PUBLISHED DATA:
How does the pouch make you feel full?
The nerves tell the brain the pouch is distended and that cuts off hunger with a feeling of fullness.
What is the fate of the pouch? Does it enlarge? If it does, is it because the operation was bad, or the patient is over-stuffing themselves, or does the pouch actually re-grow in a healing attempt to get back to normal?
For ten years, I had patients eat, until full, with cottage cheese every three months, and report the amount of cottage cheese they were able to eat before feeling full. This gave me an idea of the size of their pouch at three month intervals. I found there was a regular growth in the amount of intake of every single pouch. The average date the pouch stopped growing was two years. After the second year, all pouches stopped growing. Most pouches ended at 6 ozs., with some as large at 9-10 ozs.
We then compared the weight loss of people with the known pouch size of each person, to see if the pouch size made a difference. In comparing the large pouches to the small pouches, THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE IN PERCENTAGE OF WEIGHT LOSS AMONG THE PATIENTS. This important fact essentially shows that it is NOT the size of the pouch, but how it is used that makes weight loss maintenance possible.
OBSERVATIONAL BASED MEDICINE:
The information here is taken from surgeon’s "observations" as opposed to "blind" or "double-blind" studies, but it IS based on 33 years of physician observation.
Due to lack of insurance coverage for WLS, what originally seemed like a serious lack of patients to observe, turned into an advantage, as I was able to follow my patients closely. The following are what I found to effect how the pouch works:
1. Getting a sense of fullness is the basis of successful WLS.
2. Success requires that a small pouch is created with a small outlet.
3. Regular meals larger than 1.5 cups will result in eventual weight gain.
4. Using the thick, hard to stretch part of the stomach in making the pouch is important.
5. By lightly stretching the pouch with each meal, the pouch sends signals to the brain that you need no more food.
6. Maintaining that feeling of fullness requires keeping the pouch stretched for awhile.
7. Almost all patients always feel full 24/7 for the first months, then that feeling disappears.
8. Incredible hunger will develop if there is no food or drink for eight hours.
9. After one year, heavier food makes the feeling of fullness last longer.
10. By drinking water as much as possible as fast as possible ("water-loading"), the patient will get a feeling of fullness that lasts 15-25 minutes.
11. By eating "soft foods" patients will get hungry too soon and be hungry before their next meal, which can cause snacking, thus poor weight loss or weight gain.
12. The patients that follow "the rules of the pouch" lose their extra weight and keep it off.
13. The patients that lose too much weight can maintain their weight by doing the reverse of the "rules of the pouch."
HOW DO WE INTERPRET THESE OBSERVATIONS?
POUCH SIZE:
By following the "rules of the pouch", it doesn’t matter what size the pouch ends up. The feeling of fullness with 1.5 cups of food can be achieved.
OUTLET SIZE:
Regardless of the outlet size, liquidy foods empty faster than solid foods. High-calorie liquids will create weight gain.
EARLY PROFOUND SATIETY:
Before six months, patients much sip water constantly to get in enough water each day, which causes them to always feel full.
After six months, about 2/3 of the pouch has grown larger, due to the natural healing process. At this time, the patient can drink one cup of water at a time.
OPTIMUM MATURE POUCH:
The pouch works best when the outlet is not too small or too large and the pouch itself holds about 1.5 cups at a time.
IDEAL MEAL PROCESS (rules of the pouch):
1. The patient must time meals five hours apart or the patient will get too hungry in between.
2. The patient needs to eat finely cut meat and raw or slightly-cooked veggies with each meal.
3. The patient must eat the entire meal in 5-15 minutes. A 30-45 minute meal will cause failure.
4. No liquids for 1.5 hours to two hours after each meal.
5. After 1.5 to two hours, begin sipping water and over the next three hours, slowly increase water intake.
6. Three hours after last meal, begin drinking LOTS of water/fluids.
7. Fifteen minutes before the next meal, drink as much as possible as fast as possible. This is called "water-loading." IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN DRINKING OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS, THIS ‘WATER-LOADING’ WILL NOT WORK.
8. You can water-load at any time 2-3 hours before your next meal if you get hungry, which will cause a strong feeling of fullness.
THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENT TEACHING AND TRAINING:
You must provide information to the patient pre-operatively regarding the fact that the pouch is only a tool: a tool is something that is used to perform a task; but, is useless if left on a shelf, unused. Practicing working with a tool makes the tool more effective.
NECESSITY FOR LONG TERM FOLLOW-UP:
Trying to practice the "rules of the pouch" before six to 12 months is a waste. Learning how to delay hunger if the patient is never hungry just doesn’t work. The real work of learning the "rules of the pouch" begins after healing has caused hunger to return.
PREVENTION OF VOMITING:
Vomiting should be prevented as much as possible. Right after surgery, the patient should sip out of 1 oz. cups and only 1/3 of that cup at a time until the patient learns the size of his/her pouch to avoid being sick.
It is extremely difficult to learn to deal with a small pouch. For the first six months, the patient’s mouth will literally be bigger than his/her stomach, which does not exist in any living animal on earth.
In the first six weeks, the patient should slowly transfer from a liquid diet to a blenderized, or soft food, diet only; to reduce the chance of vomiting.
Vomiting will occur only after eating of solid foods begins. Rice, pasta, granola, etc. will swell, in time, and overload the pouch, which will cause vomiting. If the patient is having trouble with vomiting, he/she needs to get 1 oz. cups and literally eat 1 oz. of food at a time and wait a few minutes before eating another 1 oz. of food. Stop when "comfortably satisfied," until the patient learns the size of his/her pouch.
SIX WEEKS:
After six weeks, the patient can move from soft foods to heavy solids. At this time, they should use three or more different types of foods at each sitting. Each bite should be no larger than the size of a pinkie fingernail bed. The patient should choose a different food with each bite to prevent the same solids from lumping together. No liquids 15 minutes before or 1.5 hours after meals.
REASSURANCE OF ADEQUATE NUTRITION:
By taking vitamins everyday, the patient has no reason to worry about getting enough nutrition. Focus should be on protein and vegetables at each meal.
MEAL SKIPPING:
Regardless of lack of hunger, patient should eat three meals a day. In the beginning, one half or more of each meal should be protein, until the patient can eat at least two ozs. of protein at each meal.
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:
In our study, we noticed some patients had intense hunger cravings, which stopped when they eliminated artificial sweeteners from their diets.
AVOIDING ABSOLUTES:
Rules are made to be broken. No biggie if the patient drinks with one meal–as long as the patient knows he/she is breaking a rule and will get hungry early. Also, if the patient pigs out at a party–that’s OK because before surgery, the patient would have pigged out on 3000-5000 calories and with the pouch, the patient can only pig out on 600-1000 calories, maximum. The patient needs to just get back to the rules and not beat himself/herself up.
THREE MONTHS:
At three months, the patient needs to become aware of the calories per gram of different foods to be aware of "the cost" of each gram. (cheddar cheese is 16 calories/gram; peanut butter is 24 calories/gram). As soon as hunger returns, between three to six months, begin water loading procedures.
THREE PRINCIPLES FOR GAINING AND MAINTAINING SATIETY:
1. Fill pouch full quickly at each meal.
2. Stay full by slowing the emptying of the pouch. (Eat solids. No liquids 15 minutes before and none until 1.5 hours after the meal). A scientific test showed that a meal of egg/toast/milk had almost all emptied out of the pouch after 45 minutes. Without milk, just egg and toast, more than ½ of the meal still remained in the pouch after 1.5 hours.
3. Protein, protein, protein. Three meals a day. No high-calorie liquids.
FLUID LOADING:
Fluid-loading is drinking water/liquids as quickly as possible to fill the pouch which provides the feeling of fullness for about 15-25 minutes. The patient needs to gulp about 80% of his/her maximum amount of liquid in 15-30 SECONDS. Then just take swallows until fullness is reached. The patient will quickly learn his/her maximum tolerance, which is usually between 8-12 ozs.
Fluid-loading works because the Roux Limb of the intestine swells up, contracting and backing up any future food to come into the pouch. The pouch is very sensitive to this and the feeling of fullness will last much longer than the reality of how long the pouch was actually full. Fluid-load before each meal to prevent thirst after the meal as well as to create that feeling of fullness, whenever suddenly hungry before meal time.
POST PRANDIAL THIRST:
It is important that the patient be filled with water before his/her next meal as the meal will come with salt and will cause thirst afterwards. Being too thirsty, just like being too hungry, will make a patient nauseous. While the pouch is still real small, it won’t make sense to the patient to do this because salt intake will be low, but it is a good habit to get into, because it will make all the difference once the pouch begins to re-grow.
URGENCY:
The first six months is the fastest, easiest time to lose weight. By the end of the six months, 2/3 of the re-growth of the pouch will have been done. That means that each present day, after surgery you will be satisfied with less calories than you will the very next day. Another way to put it is that, every day that you are healing, you will be able to eat more. So exercise as much as you can during that first six months as you will never be able to lose weight as fast as you can during this time.
SIX MONTHS:
Around this time, our patients begin to get hungry between meals. THEY NEED TO BATTLE THE EXTRA SALT INTAKE WITH DRINKING LOTS OF FLUIDS IN THE TWO TO THREE HOURS BEFORE THEIR NEXT MEAL. Their pouch needs to be well-watered before they do the last gulping of water as fast as possible to fill the pouch 15 minutes before they eat.
INTAKE INFORMATION SHEET AS A TEACHING TOOL:
I have found that having the patients fill out a quiz every time they visit reminds them of the rules of the pouch and helps to get them "back on track." Most patients have no problems with the rules, some patients really struggle to follow them and need a lot of support to "get it", and a small percentage never quite understand these rules, even though they are quite intelligent people.
HONEYMOON SYNDROME:
The lack of hunger and quick weight loss patients have in the first six months sometimes leads them to think they don’t need to exercise as much, and can eat treats and extra calories as they still lose weight anyway. We call this the "Honeymoon Syndrome" and they need to be counseled that this is the only time they will lose this much weight this fast and this easy and not to waste it by losing less than they actually could. If the patient’s weight loss slows in the first six months, remind them of the rules of water intake and encourage them to increase their exercise and drink more water. You can compare their weight loss to a graph showing the average drop of weight, if it will help them to get back on track.
EXERCISE:
In addition to exercise helping to increase the weight loss, it is important for the patient to understand that exercise is a natural anti-depressant and will help them from falling into a depression cycle. In addition, exercise jacks up their metabolic rate during a time when their metabolism, after the shock of surgery, tends to want to slow down.
THE IDEAL MEAL FOR WEIGHT LOSS:
The ideal meal is one that is made up of the following: ½ of your meal to be low fat protein, ¼ of your meal low starch vegetables and ¼ of your meal solid fruits. This type of meal will stay in your pouch a long time and is good for your health.
VOLUME VS. CALORIES:
The gastric bypass patient needs to be aware of the length of time it takes to digest different foods and to focus on those that take up the most space and take time to digest so as to stay in the pouch the longest, don’t worry about calories. This is the easiest way to "count your calories." For example, a regular stomach person could gag down two whole sticks of butter at one sitting and be starved all day long, although they more than have enough calories for the day. But you take the same amount of calories in vegetables, and that same person simply would not be able to eat that much food at three sittings – it would stuff them way too much.
ISSUES FOR LONG TERM WEIGHT MAINTENANCE:
Although everything stated in this report deals with the first year after surgery, it should be a lifestyle that will benefit the gastric bypass patient for years to come, and help keep the extra weight off.
COUNTER-INTUITIVENESS OF FLUID MANAGEMENT:
I admit that avoiding fluids at meal time and then pushing hard to drink fluids between meals is against everything normal in nature, and not a natural thing to be doing. Regardless of that fact, it is the best way to stay full the longest between meals and not accidentally create a "soup" in the stomach that is easily digested.
SUPPORT GROUPS:
It is natural for quite a few people to use the rules of the pouch and then to tire of it and stop going by the rules. Others "get it" and adhere to the rules as a way of life to avoid ever
regaining extra weight. Having a support group makes all the difference to help those that go astray to be reminded of the importance of the rules of the pouch and to get back on track
and keep that extra weight off. Support groups create a "peer pressure" to stick to the rules that the staff at the physician’s office simply can’t create.
TEETER-TOTTER EFFECT:
Think of a teeter-totter suspended in mid-air in front of you. Now on the left end is exercise that you do and the right end is the foods that you eat. The more exercise you do on the left,
the less you need to worry about the amount of foods you eat on the right. In exact reverse, the more you worry about the foods you eat and keep it healthy on the right, the less exercise you need on the left.
Now if you don’t concern yourself with either side, the higher the teeter totter goes, which is your weight. The more you focus on one side or the other, or even both sides of the teeter totter, the lower it goes, and the less you weigh.
TOO MUCH WEIGHT LOSS:
I have found that about 15% of the patients which exercise well and had between 100 to 150 lbs to lose, begin to lose way too much weight. I encourage them to keep up the exercise (which is great for their health) and to essentially "break the rules" of the pouch. Drink with meals so they can eat snacks between, without feeling full, and increase their fat content as well take a longer time to eat at meals, thus taking in more calories.
A small, but significant, amount of gastric bypass patients actually go underweight because they have experienced (as all of our patients have experienced) the ravenous hunger after being on a diet with an out of control appetite once the diet is broken. They are afraid of eating again. They don’t "get" that this situation is literally, physically different and that they can control their appetite this time by using the rules of the pouch to eliminate hunger.
BARIATRIC MEDICINE:
A much more common problem is patients, who after a year or two, plateau at a level above their goal weight and don’t lose as much weight as they want. Be careful that they are not given the "regular" advice given to any average overweight individual. Several small meals or skipping a meal with a liquid protein substitute is not the way to go for gastric bypass patients. They must follow the rules, fill themselves quickly with hard to digest foods, water-load between, increase their exercise and the weight should come off much easier than with regular-people diets.
SUMMARY:
1. The patient needs to understand how the new pouch physically works.
2. The patient needs to be able to evaluate their use of the tool, compare it to the ideal and see where they need to make changes.
3. Instruct your patient in all ways (through their eyes with visual aids, ears with lectures and emotions with stories and feelings) not only on how but why they need to learn to use their pouch.
The goal is for the patient to become an expert on how to use the pouch.
EVALUATION FOR WEIGHT LOSS FAILURE:
The first thing that needs to be ruled out in patients who regain their weight is how the pouch is set up.
1) the staple line needs to be intact;
2) same with the outlet and;
3) the pouch is reasonably small.
1) Use thick barium to confirm the staple line is intact. If it isn’t, then the food will go into the large stomach, from there into the intestines and the patient will be hungry all the time. Check for a little ulcer at the staple line. A tiny ulcer may occur with no real opening at the line, which can be dealt with as you would any ulcer. Sometimes, though, the ulcer is there because of a break in the staple line. This will cause pain for the patient after the patient has eaten because the food rubs the little opening of the ulcer. If there is a tiny opening at the staple line, then a reoperation must be done to actually separate the pouch and the stomach completely and seal each shut.
2) If the outlet is smaller than 7-8 mill, the patient will have problems eating solid foods and will, little-by-little, begin eating only easy-to-digest foods, which we call "Soft-Calorie Syndrome." This causes frequent hunger and grazing, which leads to weight regain.
3) To assess pouch volume, an upper GI doesn’t work as it is a liquid. The cottage cheese test is useful–eating as much cottage cheese as possible in 5-15 minutes to find out how much food the pouch will hold. It shouldn’t be able to hold more than 1.5 cups in 5–15 minutes of quick eating.
If everything is intact, then there are four problems that it may be:
1) The patient has never been taught the rules;
2) The patient is depressed;
3) The patient has a loss of peer support and eventual forgetting of rules, or
4) The patient simply refuses to follow the rules.
1) LACK OF TEACHING:
An excellent example is a female patient who is 62 years old. She had the operation when she was 47 years old. She had a total regain of her weight. She stated that she had not seen her surgeon after the six week follow-up, 15 years ago. She never knew of the rules of the pouch. She had initially lost 50 lbs and then, with a commercial weight program, lost another 40 lbs. After that, she yo-yoed up and down, each time gaining a little more back. She then developed a disease (with no connection to bariatric surgery) which weakened her muscles, at which time, she gained all of her weight back. At the time she came to me, she was treated for her disease, which helped her to begin walking one mile per day. I checked her pouch with barium and the cottage cheese test which showed the pouch to be a small size and that there was no leakage. She was then given the rules of the pouch. She has begun an impressive and continuing weight loss, and is not focused on food as she was, and feeling the best she has felt since the first months after her operation, 15 years ago.
2) DEPRESSION:
Depression is a strong force for stopping weight loss, or causing weight gain. A small number of patients, who do well at the beginning, disappear for awhile only to return, having gained a lot of weight. It seems that they, almost on purpose, do exactly opposite of everything they have learned about their pouch: they graze during the day, drink high-calorie beverages, drink with meals and stop exercising, even though they know exercise helps stop depression.
A 46 year-old woman, one year out of her surgery had been doing fine when her life was turned upside down with divorce and severe teenager behavior problems. Her weight skyrocketed. Once she got her depression under control and began re-focusing on the rules of the pouch, added a little exercise, the weight came off quickly.
If your patient begins weight gain due to depression, get him/her into counseling quickly. Encourage your patient to re-focus on the pouch rules and try to add a little exercise every day. Reassure your patient that he/she did not ruin the pouch, that it is still there, waiting to be used to help with weight control. When they are ready, the pouch can be used once again to lose weight, without being hungry.
3) EROSION OF THE USE OF PRINCIPLES:
Some patients who are compliant, who are not depressed and have intact pouches, will begin to gain weight. These patients that are struggling with their weight, have usually stopped connecting with their support groups, and have begun living their "new" life surrounded by those who have not had bariatric surgery. Everything around them encourages them to live life "normal" like their new peers: they begin taking little sips with their meals, and eating quick and easy-to-eat foods. The patient will not usually call their physician’s office because they KNOW what they are doing is wrong and KNOW that they just need to get back on track. Even if you offer "refresher courses" for your patients on a yearly basis, they may not attend because they KNOW what the course is going to say, they know the rules and how they are breaking them. You need to identify these patients and somehow get them back into your office or back to interacting with their support group again. Once these patients return to their support group, and keep in contact with their WLS peers, it makes it much easier to return to the rules of the pouch and get their weight under control once again.
4) TRUE NON-COMPLIANCE:
The most difficult problem is a patient who is truly non-compliant. This patient usually leaves your care, complains that there is no "connection" between your staff and themselves and that they were not given the time and attention they needed. Most of the time, it is depression underlying the non-compliance that causes this attitude.
A truly non-compliant patient will usually end up with revisions and/or reversal of the surgery due to weight gain, or complications. This patient is usually quite resistant to counseling. There is not a whole lot that can be done for these patients as they will find a reason to be unhappy with their situation. It is easier to identify these patients BEFORE surgery than to help them afterwards, although I really haven’t figured out how to do that yet… Besides having a psychological exam done before surgery, there is no real way to find them before surgery and I usually tend toward the side of offering patients the surgery with education in hopes they can live a good and healthy life.
This rewrite was done exclusively for the people of this spotlight obesity support group. It should not be sold for any reason.
"Dummies" version rewritten by Sally Perez
Original article written by:
Mason. EE, Personal Communication, 1980.
THE GASTRIC BYPASS DIET
~~McFarland Clinic, PC
~~Ames, IA
Gastric Bypass surgery assists in weight lo by restricting the amount of food that can be eaten at one time. In order for this procedure to be a success, you must abide by the limits of the amount of food allowed per hour, coupled with good nutritious choices. Because you are limiting the amount of food and fluids you have at a time, it is important to drink enough water to prevent dehydration, by having some every hour you are awake.
Following surgery, no oral intake is allowed until bowel activity resumes and some healing of the pouch occurs. During this time, your fluid requirements are met with I.V. fluids.
GUIDE FOR MEASURING FOODS:
1 Cup = 240 cc = 8 ounces
1/2 Cup = 120 cc = 4 ounces
1/4 Cup = 60 cc = 2 ounces
2 Tablespoons = 30 cc = 1 ounce
1 Tablespoon = 15 cc = 1/2 ounce
THE FIRST STEP IS WATER
About day 3-4 post surgery, you will begin taking water in sips of 50 cc per hour.
Sip this 50 cc slowly, and stop if you feel uncomfortable. Limits are placed on the hourly amounts taken to avoid stretching or rupturing the small gastric pouch. Early after surgery, the emptying of the pouch may be slow. The feeling of fullness may be different from the feeling you had before surgery. Get to know what this feels like. A sheet for recording your water intake will be provided. Record the amount you take accurately to help gauge your tolerance.
CLEAR LIQUIDS
After tolerating 24 hours of water, the diet is advanced to clear liquids, at a rate of 75 cc per hour.
The following foods are provided on a clear liquid tray in the hospital.
~~Water
~~Broth
~~Diet Gelatin
~~Tea
~~Coffee (caffeine-free)
~~Clear juice (diluted)
You may have the clear liquid tray for two hours. Choose foods from the tray so that you can eat 75 cc each hour for the two hours. The tray will have more on it than you can finish. Once the two hours are up, put the food tray away and switch back to having water at the rate of 75 cc per hour.
FULL LIQUIDS
After a day of tolerating clear liquids, the diet is advanced to full liquids at the rate of 100 cc per hour. Once again, meals last two hours, with water taken in between meals.
The following foods are provided on a full liquid tray at the hospital:
~~Cream of Wheat
~~Soups (strained, creamed soup, broth)
~~Desserts (custard, diet gelatin, sugar-free frozen yogurt, sugar-free pudding)
~~Beverages (coffee, tea {caffeine-free})
~~Seasonings (salt and flavorings in moderation)
~~Pureed fruits
~~Sugar substitutes
~~Skim milk
~~Juices (diluted)
**********By now you should be tolerating 100 cc per hour of full liquids.
**********Patients usually go home after tolerating a day of full liquids.
**********Be sure you plan ahead and think of foods in this category that you can have at home.
**********Again, be sure to drink 100 cc per hour of water in between meals. Do not exceed the 100 cc per hour limit. If you take sips of water during mealtimes, count the amount sipped in your 100 cc per hour total.
SAMPLE MENU FOR TWO WEEKS AT HOME:
Breakfast:
~~100 cc NSA Carnation Instant Breakfast (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/NSA yogurt (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/FF pudding (made with Double Milk)
Lunch:
~~1/4 Cup cream soup (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~100 cc NSA Carnation Instant Breakfst (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/FF pudding (made with Double Milk)
Supper:
~~1/4 Cup cream soup (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/FF pudding (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~2 Tbsp. puree fruit
**********Double Milk Recipe**********
1 Cup FF Skim milk
1/3 Cup non-fat powdered milk
Drink a total of at least 1000 cc (4 cups) of water, broth, diet soda, unsweetened tea or coffee during the day, between meals. Stick to the restriction of 100 cc per hour of full liquids for three weeks after surgery.
PUREED DIET
This diet begins three weeks after your operation.
Take 15-20 minutes to eat one ounce of food. STOP DRINKING 30 MINUTES BEFORE EATING AND WAIT 45 MINUTES AFTER EATING THE MEAL BEFORE HAVING WATER AGAIN. Chew foods well. Be sure to have protein foods at each meal.
PUREED MENU EXAMPLES:
Breakfast:
~~1 scrambled egg (OR)
~~1/4 Cup cereal (OR)
~~1/4 Cup yogurt
Lunch:
~~1/4 Cup pureed meat (OR)
~~1/4 Cup mashed potatoes (OR)
~~1/2 Cup cream soup (made with Double Milk)
Supper:
~~1/4 Cup pureed meat (OR)
~~1/4 Cup pudding (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~100 cc NSA Carnation Instant Breakfast (made with Double Milk)
To puree meat:
1/4 Cup broth
1/4 Cup meat, poultry or fish, cut against the grain
Blend in this small amount to achieve desired consistency.
Clean blender after each use to avoid food borne illness. (Use within 24 hours, unless frozen.)
Freeze:
Place extra blended food in plastic freezer ice cube trays. When frozen, transfer to freezer bags and write date on the bag. Use within two months, or throw away.
MECHANICAL SOFT DIET
This diet begins four weeks after surgery. Be sure to chew well and take 15-20 minutes to eat one ounce of food.
Begin to slowly add soft foods, such as:
~~Fat free or 1% cottage cheese
~~Low-fat cheese
~~Scrambled eggs
~~Hard cooked eggs
~~Unsweetened dry cereals
~~Crisp toast
~~Non-fat crackers
~~Tuna salad (water packed)
~~Baked fish
~~Ground chicken or turkey
~~Low-fat refried beans
~~Canned vegetables
~~Baked potato
~~Watermelon
~~Bananas
~~Low-fat casseroles
SOFT DIET MENU EXAMPLES
Breakfast:
~~1 scrambled egg (OR)
~~1/4 Cup cooked cereal (OR)
~~1/4 Cup low calorie yogurt
Lunch:
~~1/4 Cup baked fish (OR)
~~100 cc NSA Carnation Instant Breakfast (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~1/4 baked potato
Supper:
~~1/4 Cup ground meat (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/FF pudding (made with Double Milk) (OR)
~~1/4 Cup fruit
GENERAL DIET
Begin this diet after tolerating a soft diet. Add foods gradually and remember to chew well.
GENERAL MENU EXAMPLES:
Breakfast:
~~1 scrambled egg (OR)
~~1/4 Cup fresh fruit (OR)
~~1/2 slice toast, SF jelly
Lunch:
~~1/4 Cup tender meat (OR)
~~1/4 Cup yogurt (OR)
~~1/4 Cup cooked vegetable
Supper:
~~1/4 Cup tender meat (OR)
~~1/4 Cup raw vegetables or salad (OR)
~~1/4 Cup SF/FF pudding (made with Double Milk)
DO NOT EAT BETWEEN MEALS. DRINK ONLY NON-CALORIC FLUIDS.
THINGS TO REMEMBER:
Be careful eating red meat for the first four months.
Be careful with white bread for the first four months, unless toasted.
PROBLEM FOODS TO TRY WITH CAUTION:
Beef, orange membranes, skins and seeds of fruit and vegetables, corn, celery, sweet potatoes and fresh breads.
PROBLEM FOODS
The ability to tolerate certain foods depends on teeth condition and thoroughly chewing the food. Keep a written (or mental) list of foods difficult to eat.
Some problem foods are:
**********Tough meats, especially beef. Buy lean hamburger, marinate meats, use a tenderizer.
**********Membranes of oranges. Remove membrane, used canned sections or canned mandarin oranges.
**********Skins and seeds of some fruits and vegetables. Peel and seed fruits and vegetables.
**********Fibrous vegetables (corn, celery and sweet potatoes). Blend, puree, mince or strain to break down fiber.
**********Fresh bread. Toast white bread; use day-old whole grain wheat bread.
FLUID INTAKE
**********Fluids will be provided through an I.V. (intravenous feeding) after surgery. The I.V. will be continued until adequate fluids are taken by mouth.
**********Do not drink fluids with meals. Avoid drinking fluids 30 minutes before meals and 45 minutes after meals.
**********Sip beverages slowly. Let them linger in your mouth before swallowing.
**********Select no-calorie beverages, such as water, tea, SF Kool-Aid or SF lemonade.
**********Limit use of fruit juices to 1/2-1 cup per week.
**********Pay attention to signals of fullness.
**********Drink 4-6 cups of no-calorie fluids daily.
**********Drink a total of 7-9 cups of fluid per day.
**********Drink enough water to urinate four cups per day.
PROTEIN INTAKE
It is important to eat protein at each meal. In order to get 40-60 grams of protein each day, eat the protein foods first, and have skim milk or yogurt daily.
SIGNS OF INADEQUATE PROTEIN:
~~Hair loss
~~Brittle nails
~~Slow healing
INCREASING PROTEIN
**********Use Double Milk
**********Add low-calorie Nestle Quik, low-calorie cocoa, Alba or low-calorie instant breakfast to skim milk.
**********For Lactose intolerance~~~Put Lactaid or Dairy Ease in milk or use soy milk if lactose intolerance is a problem.~~~Choose lactose-free low-fat milk available in the dairy case of most grocery stores, If not available, ask for it to be stocked.
**********Eat an omelet, scrambled egg or low-calorie fruit-flavored yogurt.
**********Combine cottage cheese with canned fruit.
**********Spread tuna or chicken salad, made with low-calorie mayonnaise, on low-fat crackers.
FAT INTAKE
Keep total fat intake below 30-40 grams per day.
**********Read labels~~~To identify hidden fats.~~~To identify unrealistic portion sizes.
**********FAT-FREE is not CALORIE-FREE.
**********Too many calories, no matter the energy source, will slow weight loss.
Calorie per gram of energy nutrients comparison:
Carbohydrate = 4 calories/gram
Protein = 4 calories/gram
Alcohol = 7 calories/gram
Fat = 9 calories/gram
CHEWING
Swallowing food without chewing adequately causes pain, discomfort, nausea, or vomiting. It is possible to stretch the pouch and disrupt the staple line.
Guidelines are:
**********Do not skip meals.
**********Take 30-60 minutes to eat every meal. At first, take longer.
**********Chew each bite 20-30 times until the food is of pureed consistency.
**********Use a dessert spoon or long-handled baby spoon to better control bite size and speed of eating.
**********Savor the flavor and texture of each bite of food.
**********See the dentist, if your teeth are in poor condition.
**********Explain the reason for eating slowly if asked.
VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies of iron, calcium and B-12 can occur following a gastric bypass surgery (Roux-en-Y). To avoid this complication, discharge recommendations are chewable Tums to provide 1000 mg elemental calcium (2-5 tablets, depending on amount per tablet) and chewable multiple vitamins daily. Daily supplements of B-12 (500 mcg) and iron are necessary after your first post-op visit. Tums will be replaced with Calcium Citrate at your six week post-op visit.
Calcium and iron should not be taken at the same time (at least four hours apart). Take iron with high vitamin C foods (citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes, mango and papaya, kiwi, cantaloupe and cabbage family vegetables), but not with milk or antacids. Do not take with yogurt, cheese, tea or coffee. Do not crush or chew extended release iron preparations. If a dose is missed, do not double the dose.
Use one bottle of chewable multiple vitamins with iron, then use any brand multiple vitamin with iron. If using large Centrum-type, break in half.
Do not eat rhubarb and spinach, or bran and whole grain cereals, when taking a calcium supplement. These foods contain oxalic acid or phytic acid and may interfere with calcium absorption.
CONSTIPATION
It is typical to have a bowel movement every 2-3 days following a gastric restriction procedure. Constipation sometimes occurs after surgery. If constipation occurs, include high fiber foods in your diet.
Additionally, increase no calorie fluids from six to eight 8-ounce glasses daily. Colace, an over-the-counter stool softener, is available if high-fiber foods and fluids do not relieve constipation. Metamucil may be used to increase finer intake.
High Fiber Food Examples:
~~1/4 Cup Kellogg's All Bran (with extra fiber)~~7 fiber grams
~~1/4 Cup Fiber One~~7 fiber grams
~~1/4 Cup Nabisco 100% Bran~~5 fiber grams
~~1/2 Cup Prune juice~~3 fiber grams
~~2 Tbsp. Mashed Peas, Pinto beans or Kidney beans~~1 fiber gram
~~2 Tbsp. Fresh fruits/Vegetables~~
How To Break A Plateau
#1 - Do this for 10 days to break a plateau
#2 - Drink 2 quarts of water a day
#3 - You must have 45 grams of protein supplement and all your vitamins/minerals supplements each day
#4 - You may consume up to 3 oz of the following high protein foods, 5x a day
beef
pork
chicken
turkey
lamb
fish
eggs
low fat cheese
cottage cheese
plain yogurt or artificially sweetened
peanut butter
beans/legumes
You may also have:
sugar free popsicles
tea or coffee
sugar free soda
sugar free jello
broths/bullion
crystal light drinks
#5 - If it's not on the list, you can't have it for 10 days!!!!
#6 - Keep a food diary and try to get up to 30 mins of exercise daily
First Stage of Post Op
HIBERNATION SYNDROME
After WLS, you may be feeling tired and become depressed. When you are several weeks post op, and are either on a liquid diet or you are eating many fewer calories than you were pre op, this depression and inactivity can become more pronounced.
All you want to do is sleep, you may have crying spells, you may begin to believe that the surgery was a mistake, or you may think 'what in the world have I done to myself?
All these feelings are completely normal and, to a certain extent, are to be expected. The low number of calories you are eating produces what many of us call the 'hibernation syndrome' and your depression and feelings of despair,are a direct result.
During the weeks immediately following surgery, our body starts to notice that we are not taking in enough calories. It doesn't know we've had WLS, or that it's the year 2005. Our body is missing food, thinks this is a famine, and struggles to conserve our energy. The human body reacts like it always has in a famine; it makes us depressed--so we don't have the motivation to do anything, and it makes us tired--so we don't have the energy to do anything. In this way, we will conserve as many calories as possible and remain alive.
You can see the practical value of this as our bodies have been living through famines, snowstorms, and other periods of unstable food supply for centuries.
This stage can last several weeks. Our discomfort is compounded as we are, at this same time, trying to recover from major surgery, adopt new eating habits, and deal with a liquid or soft diet. To get out of this stage, our body has to say to itself 'gee, this famine is lasting a bit too long. If I keep conserving my energy with inactivity, I will starve to death. I'd better use my last store of energy (the remaining fat and muscles in our body) to hunt up some food'. At this point, our body will switch from getting energy from food, to getting energy from our fat (and muscle too if we don't eat enough protein) and that is what we want.
In order to deal with this difficult transition period, tell yourself that you're right on track; this is exactly what is normal and to be expected.
Tell yourself that, in a few weeks, this will pass, and you will feel like a completely new person. We all seem to turn the corner about 4-6 weeks post op. Then, your mood will lighten and, with your weight loss starting to add up, you'll feel more positive and have a better outlook on life. Just keep telling yourself that you will not always feel this way! You WILL be back to feeling like your old self. Just give it time!
Poop episode on Oprah - found info on her website:
When it comes to figuring out if you're digesting things properly and eating healthy, Dr. Mehmet Oz says that you should rely on your senses in the bathroom. For starters, have you ever thought about the importance of what your bowel movement sounds like when it hits the water? Listen up!
"You want to hear what the stool, the poop, sounds like when it hits the water. If it sounds like a bombardier, you know, 'plop, plop, plop,' that's not right because it means you're constipated. It means the food is too hard by the time it comes out. It should hit the water like a diver from Acapulco hits the water [swoosh]."
The next thing Dr. Oz recommends is looking at your stool—c'mon, you've done it before! You should look twice—look at the shape and then, the color.
"It should be an S shape and you want to make sure the color's normal because the color of the poop tells you a lot about how you made it," Dr. Oz says. "You don't want [pieces]. Food is a medicine for you. It helps you. [If the stool is in pieces] by the time you finished digesting your food, you don't have enough of it left to poop out in the right way and probably it's hurt the colon that has to process it. At the end of the day you can analyze your body really effectively by looking at what comes out of your body."
Here's a pop quiz. What part of your body is most similar to your brain? The surprising answer is your small bowel, where most digestion occurs.
"That's the saying, you know, you've got blank for blank," Dr. Oz jokes. "But the thing about the small bowel is it has primitive messenger chemicals that tell the bowel how to work. If your bowel's not happy, those same chemicals influence your brain."
In this bowel the green stuff is bile, material in the process of being digested. Dr. Oz says it's important to listen to what your bowel tells you.
"A lot of times you don't pick up on the subtle clues," he says. "It will tell you that you feel washed out or tired or a little bit of cramping. Or, you know, if you wake up in the morning and just don't feel like yourself, you probably had something allergic that you didn't clue into."
Susan (left), a busy, working mother of three children, says that she struggles with constipation—sometimes only going to the bathroom once every five days. She admits to not getting enough water, instead opting for eight cans of diet soda a day. She also says she likes to eat a lot of cookies and chips, but doesn't get enough fruits and vegetables.
Maureen (right), a mother of four children, says that her health is the last thing on her mind. She suffers from diarrhea, hemorrhoids and constipation. "My hemorrhoids feel so bad that it's like grapes hanging out of my rear," she says. "Sometimes they hurt so bad, I can't get out of bed for two days." Maureen admits to eating too much fast food, and not getting enough fiber and water in her diet.
"I mean, their bodies are screaming to them," Dr. Oz says of Susan and Maureen's health. "'Help me. Help me.' Their big colon is saying, 'I need something from you.' And they're not processing it. … We are the best health educated society in the history of mankind but we don't take information and use it to motivate us to change our behavior."
On top of suggesting to Susan and Maureen to change their diets, Dr. Oz says that Susan and Maureen need to pass gas more often and not be ashamed—we all need to! Dr. Oz says that the average person passes gas 14 times a day—and less than one percent of it actually smells. He says it's so important that we start creating a "no embarrassment zone"—we need to pass this much gas!
Learn more about Dr. Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen's book, You: The Owner's Manual.
Dealing with Head Hunger and Other Useful Tips
Here is some information that might help you recognize and deal with hunger after WLS. Always be sure to tailor the information to meet your own surgeon's recommendations. This helped me in my journey, hopefully it will help you in yours.
Particularly in the first several months following wls, for most people, almost all hunger is head hunger, which the surgery can't do a thing to help -- never has, never will. But instead of giving in to the hunger and filling up with high calorie foods, refocusing on something besides the "hunger" will help eliminate the feeling of "hunger". Here are a few tips:
--Take a warm bubble bath
--Read a chapter in a good book
--Work on your favorite craft or project
--Phone a special friend or relative
--Take a walk
-- Play a game
--Vacuum or dust your house
--Write a letter
--Watch a movie
--Listen to your favorite CD
--Dance to your favorite music
--Go shopping
--Do some gardening or yard work
Even true physical feelings of hunger generally dissipate in about 20 minutes. Anything you can do to distract yourself during that time and prevent you from "caving in", will translate into you feeling more in control as well as in a downward trend on your scale.
Remember, head hunger can strike at any time, but we're most vulnerable when we're bored, sad, unhappy, tired, depressed, stressed, angry, lonely -- wls can't fix those things. But you can change how you respond to them. If the distractions listed above don't help, create your own list. Do anything you can to stop from giving in to the strong urge to eat.
There is nothing magical about wls. It is simply a tool. You can't rely on the surgery to change your attitudes. You have to do your part by taking control.
Other tips following wls that are helpful:
--Try eating very small meals six times each day and do not snack. Don't try to cram your food consumption into three meals a day.
--Do not skip meals because this may cause you to eat quickly when you eat again.
--Take very small bites/sips. Using a baby spoon will help control the speed of your eating.
--Chew your food 30-35 times for each bite. This slows you way down and allows you to reach that full feeling with very small portion sizes.
--Eat and drink very slowly. Wait 1-2 minutes between each bite/sip. A stopwatch is a great tool to assist in this.
--Do not drink with your meals. Stop drinking 30 to 40 minutes before your meals and don't drink for at least 30 to 40 minutes following your meals. Doing so can push the food through your pouch quickly, causing you not to get an early signal of fullness, which forces you to feel hungry again quickly.
--Keep detailed, accurate food records which enable you to go back and calculate your consumption. Frequently people don't realize just how much they are actually consuming. Be sure to include any additives such as a teaspoon of butter, or tablespoon of mayonnaise. These also count in your overall consumption and can seriously slow down weight loss.
--Avoid foods such as breads, corn, pasta, and rice. These foods are high in calories and, if consumed frequently, could slow down your weight loss.
--Some wls patients experience intense hunger cravings which stopped when they eliminated artificial sweeteners from their diets.
--The ideal meal is one that is made up of the following: 1/2 of your meal to be low fat protein, 1/4 of your meal low starch vegetables and 1/4 of your meal solid fruits. This type of meal will stay in your pouch a long time and is good for your health. Peanut butter and crackers is not an ideal meal to stave off hunger and the high calories in peanut butter far outweigh the protein benefits.
--Depression following wls is very common. If you're experiencing feelings of sadness, fatigue, distractibility, excessive hunger, poor sleeping, an appointment with a counselor/therapist frequently can help you straighten out the feelings and get you back on the track to health and sustained weight loss.
--Participation in regular support group meetings has proven to increase your wls success. Make it a point to attend as many meetings as possible to bolster your committment to success.
--When preparing foods or eating out, the following terms usually signal healthier choices: Steamed, broiled, poached, garden fresh, in it's own juice, roasted, charbroiled, boiled, baked, on the side.
--When preparing foods or eating out, the following terms usually signal higher fat choices: fried, crispy, butter sauce, rich, creamed, in gravy, cheese sauce, au gratin, pot pie, scampi style, breaded, sauteed, escalloped, en croute, en casserole, Kiev entrees, remoulade, hollandaise.
According to published data, there no difference in the overall percentage of weight loss among various pouch sizes. This important fact essentially shows that it is NOT the size of the pouch but how it is used that makes sustained weight loss possible.
"'Twas the night before bypass"
'Twas the night before bypass, when all through my gut
not a morsel was stirring, not even a nut.
The suitcase was packed by the back door with care,
in hopes that a new me would soon return there.
I lay nestled, snug in my bed
while visions of calories danced in my head;
and me in my plus size pajamas and wrap,
had just settled in for a long, restless nap.
When deep in my mind there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my dreams to see what was the matter.
Away to my fridge I flew like a flash,
ripped open the door and drooled at the stash.
The moonlight reflecting off the beautiful snacks
gave a luster of radiance to all on the racks.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but an array of the comfort foods I hold so dear.
With a familiar feeling of all those I'd pick,
I thought in a moment I just might be sick.
More lovely than angels their voices they came,
and they whistled and shouted and called me by name;
"Now pizza, now French fries, now chocolate galore
on cheesecake, on ice cream, on donuts and more!"
From the tip of my tongue, to the bottom of my toe,
I will miss you all more than ever you'll know.
As an addict that shakes and stirs as he sits,
I'll mourn the loss of my delectable hits.
So back to my bed I went with great haste,
and settled back down with nary a taste.
And then in an instant, in pre-op I sat,
nervously waiting to no longer be fat.
As I sat deep in thought and adjusted my gown,
In came my surgeon in one single bound.
He was dressed all in scrubs, from his head to his feet
and he seemed very calm as he eyed me like meat.
He looked at my chart, with his scope gave a listen,
I don't think he noticed my eyes starting to glisten.
He was chubby and plump -- he could lose some himself,
and I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke barely a word as he prepped for his work,
he paused for a moment, then turned with a jerk.
And laying a finger aside of his face,
and giving a nod, out of the room he did race.
He checked in the next day, to his students gave a whistle,
and away they all flew like a down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he walked out of sight,
"speedy thinness to you and a healthier life!"
Author unknown
HERE ARE TWO OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE ENJOYED!
New York Cheesecake - Regular or Key Lime :-)
This cheese cake is great with or without a crust. I usually don't use one, I simply spray the pan with PAM no stick cooking spray. But it you want one, lightly grease the pan whether or not you use a crust.
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs or Oven-toasted Protein Crunch. ***Protein Crunch can be used in place of graham crackers for a low carbohydrate, high protein pie crust. Each serving has 2 grams of carbohydrate and 27 grams of protein. I found this at a local health food store and also online.
3/4 cup toasted and ground almonds or any other nuts you prefer
1/3 cup splenda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 400 farenheit, Press the mixture into cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool before filling, but refridgerate if not using right away.
For the filling:
2 1/2 lb room temp cream cheese (fat free cream cheese also works well)
1 3/4 cup splenda
3 tablespoons all purpose flour or Atkins baking mix, (a flour substitute)
1/2 teas vanilla
5 large eggs (eggbeaters also work, however, you have to estimate the measurment of one egg)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until creamy, about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters well. Gradually add splenda and flour/flour substitute and beat until smooth and creamy. 1 to 2 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl and the beaters after each addition. On low speed, beat in heavy cream.
Scrape the batter into the pan or crust and smooth on top. Bake for 15 minutes at 500 degrees farinheit then reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour more. Turn the oven off, prop the oven door ajar and let the cake cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove to a rack and let cool completely in the pan before unmolding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably 24 hours, before serving.
KEY LIME VARIATION:
Instead of 5 eggs, use 3, and add apx 1/4 of lime juice. Use green food coloring until desired color is achieved, apx 2 teaspoons.
Also great on this cheese cake is some sugar free CoolWhip. Yummmmmm
Hospital Reviews
Surgeon Info:
Surgeon: Scot Currie
Dr Currie is very professional & very friendly. He took his time in answering my questions and concerns. I am very pleased to have a surgeon this close to my home who I would trust with my life. His staff is professional and friendly. Their program from beginning to end covers all aspects of pre-op through post-op and beyond. He cares about your health after the surgery with scheduled checkups to make sure you are in good health. On a scale of 1-10, I would rate him as a 9.... the additional 1 will follow after surgery :-) I am totally at ease with my choice of surgeons. Thank you Dr. Currie! I'm now 6 days post-op. Here is that additonal "1" to round out the 1-10 plus an extra 5 :-). Surgery went great!
Insurer Info:
Capital Blue Cross, PPO
My information was submitted on September 7th. I have great insurance. Hope they come through for me like they do with everyone else :-).....Update, September 24th. I got my approval today! It took longer than most Capital BC subscribers but they came through in the end! For those of you who read about the 1-2-and 3 day approvals, don't get disheartened when you don't hear right away. Hang in there and keep the faith! YIPPPPPPIEEEE! Thank you God!
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