Alayna A.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

I made it half way to the Elm Creek Park Reserve from the CR Dam. I had my friend Stephanie with me. We drove to the dam to save about 5 miles so we could go further in the dam once we were there.I am working my way up to be able to bike from home to the ECPR for a bike ride I am doing on Sept. 15th for Pancreatic Cancer (what my dad died from).

Today...

DST      10.5 miles
MXS      19 mph
AVS      11 mph
TM         57.26

I went for another bike ride today. I worked on speed instead of distance. Maybe I will do every other.

DST   5.537 miles
MXS   18.1 mph
AVS   12.5 mph
TM      26.35mins

September 11th will be my last appt with the dietician at which point my bariatric group will submit all of my paperwork for insurance approval.

I REALLY hope I won't have to fight it and appeal or anything like that.

Water and vitamins are going great! I wasn't doing so well with them, until my shrink said if I am not getting my water they won't operate with dehydration being too much of a risk etc.

I ran into an aunt of mine today. I haven't seen her in years. Her and my mom don't really talk. Each of them says the other never calls. Anyways....she didn't recognize me!! WTH? LOL My substitute teacher from elementary school recognized me the other day and my own family doesn't recognize me. She made a comment that I look like I have lost a lot of weight....uh, I am at my heaviest, well 16lbs less than my heaviest. Oh well. Next time I run into her she really won't recognize me!!

Until I can have my last structured diet appt. and then we can submit for insurance approval. :) I am so excited!!

I have been biking and walking. I think I might post in here my #'s from my bike rides. I got a new speedometer so I know how far and fast I am going.

Today I went...

DST    8.827miles      (Distance)
TM      47.30 Minutes   (Time)
AVS     11.2mph            (Average Speed)
MXS      16.3mph         (Max Speed)

When I had my last shrink appt. we discussed water. I was doing very bad at getting my water in. He mentioned that if when it comes time for surgery and I am still not getting my water in my surgeon won't operate, the chance of dehydration would be too great. Since he said that I have been doing MUCH better with my water!! LOL It just took the possibility of not having surgery and serious dehydration to get me in line!

Since then I have been doing well. I also got some prescriptions for vitamins. I have been taking a viactiv with half of a chewable vitamin C 2x a day and my multi-vitamin. I need to have my pharmacy order me the iron my doc wants me to take and need to pick up my Vitamin D prescription.

I got a phone call today from the HealthEast Bariatric group saying they got my lab results back. I have an iron and Vitamin D deficiency and she will be sending me out Rx's for that. She also said that I have Impaired Fasting Glucose. I looked that up and basically I am pre-diabetic. She said "surgery will fix that though."

I am getting more and more excited everyday. I am working really hard at learning how to eat and making good choices. I went to lunch last week twice and had them box up half of my meal before they even brought it to me. The other half went to one of my friends for her dinner at work, and the other to  another friend.

The whole pre-diabetic thing was kind of big for me. I never imagined I would be. I never thought it'd happen to me. I never thought I was that close. I see what diabetes can do to people everyday at work. I am so thankful I have chosen WLS, and I am so thankful of all of the work I have to do for it. I am appreciative of the 6 month structured diet. It's helping me get used to what life post-op will be like. It's teaching me how to eat, and what the right choices actually are.

Just had my 3rd dietician appt. today. Down 12lbs officially since April 9th. I have been struggling the past month with my eaiting. Making good choices a lot of the time, but not most of the time. The shrink gave me some homework for my next appt. with him. I have to make a list of 20 things I will do instead of eating when I am bored, lonely, sad, upset etc. I am going to my first support group meeting in a couple of weeks here on July 10th. I am looking forward to that. Especially meeting others that understand! Today the phlebotomist at the lab asked me if I had lost a ton of weight, she knew I was a bariatric patient. I told her I was pre-op still and she said "oh so you're going to get REALLY skinny!!!" LMAO. My curiosity is killing me. I wonder all the time what I will look like at goal, when I am fit and healthy. I guess it's probably a good thing that I don't have a preconceived notion in my mind of what I will look like.

I can't believe I am almost into my 3rd month of my structured diet already! As of this past Wednesday when I had my psychologist appt. I am down 10lbs since April 8th.

I have my follow up psych appt on June 6th. So far I have met with the P.A. to begin my structured diet. Then I met with my surgeon, he spent a very long time answering all of my technical questions. He didn't spare me any details and was a pleasure to speak with about the surgery.

I have also met with the dietician. She was great. We discussed options for each meal of the day and portion sizes and my history with food and dieting. She also told me that I didn't have to wait until Oct 13th to have my last appt. for structured weight loss, but that I could schedule it as early as possible, it just has to be in the 6th month.

I am getting very excited. I have a great support system in place with friends and family. My mom and I read thru the book that was given to me at my first appt. It details what to expect.

I recently heard a friend of mine will be getting married in Mexico next April. I am definitely saving up to go!! That will be about 5mos post op and I am sure I will be feeling great!!

I attended an informational meeting at St Joe's last Thursday night with a friend from work who is also looking into the surgery. I have begun my process. I have to do a 6-month STRUCTURED diet which I will begin in just a few short weeks. I need to get copies of all of my medical records so I can finish filling out the health information packet so I can make an appt with the bariatric nurse. I already made an appt for a sleep study consult and for a physical. I am glad I signed up for a flexible spending acct this year! I will have a lot of co-pays!

My mom and I were watching a surgery on OR-Live.com and as I was scrolling up I said "Here's the surgery I want to have." We watched it and I gave commentary to help her understand what they were doing. We skimmed the surface of the post-op emotional stuff I would go thru and had a really good talk about the procedure and post-op stuff. She's been very supportive and I need to let her be. I think that will be hard for me, letting others in and know what I am going thru emotionally afterwards and showing any kind of struggle. The more I read around these boards, which is quite a bit, the more I can't wait to start the process of getting approved. I have a job interview on the 13th for the organization I want to work at, and it helps the surgeon I want is in that system too. I hope the health insurance kicks in quickly once I start my new job after graduating on December 20th.

For the past few days I have really been mulling over in my mind about telling my family I am 'considering' WLS. I already told my best friend and she was supportive. I spent the day with my sister yesterday and couldn't find the courage or timing to tell her. Finally this morning I told my mom. I was so scared she would think I was crazy or think "oh you don't need that" or something similar. Instead she immediately said she would support me and that she was there for me. I cried, we hugged, it was a great mother/daughter moment. After I find myself a job when I graduate and get signed up with health insurance there I will be beginning the process. No matter what diet and exercise routine I do I can't maintain and end up weighing more than when I started. I have been overweight my ENTIRE life. I feel I am at the point where I need help, of the surgical variety, to help me be successful in losing and maintaining a loss. I want to be healthy. I want to run, and be physically active and prevent future health problems. The list could go on and on, but I am sure whoever reads this can relate and I really don't need to spell it out. Also, I am 99% sure I will go with Dr Schwartz as I have seen his work first hand (I work in surgery) and the abundant positive reviews as far as his clinical side have helped.