Tiffany W
Update
Jul 04, 2006
July 5, 2006
Happy belated Fourth of July! I'm now 23 days post op and down a total of 25 pounds. I went to for my first post op appt. with Dr. Quinlin, my surgeon. They weighed me in at 317. I'm happy with that. I started out at 343. I've been on the pureed phase for a couple of weeks now, and have tolerated everything just fine. I take TEENY TINY bites and CHEW, CHEW, CHEW and all food sits fine in my pouch. I've tried chicken, ground beef, beef roast, turkey dogs, and salmon. I was warned that meats may be hard to tolerate. But not for me. I'm also drinking milk just fine, another thing that people warned me that I might not be able tolerate after surgery. Thank goodness I can drink milk. It helps to get my protein in every day. I have at least one large glass of milk (16 ounces) with a squeeze of sugar free chocolate syrup. So basically it's chocolate milk. It sits fine in my pouch, tastes wonderful, and is the easiest way for me to get in a lot of protein at once. My nutritionist moved me to phase III today - the soft phase. Basically, that means I no longer need to put food into the blender/magic bullet. I can now cut up everything into tiny bites, and chew it to a pureed consistency myself. No blender needed from now on. Yippie! In a couple of weeks, I'll begin eating a little more regular foods - like salads. Yummy! I'd love a salad right now!
I've been off work for nearly a month now. I go back to the office on Monday. I decided to take a full four weeks off work to have plenty of time to recover and get used to eating again. I'm glad I took this much time. I'm trying to enjoy these last few days off, and then it's back to the grind. I think I'm ready though.
Preop weight: 343
23 days post op: 317
Total weight lost so far: 25 lbs.
July 13, 2006
One Month Anniversary was yesterday
I am feeling like I should be losing faster than I am. This morning my weight was 316.5. So I've lost 26.5 pounds in one month. I was hoping for more. :-( Since I have so much weight to lose, I thought it would come off faster than this in the begining. I've only lost a pound or two in the past week or so. It's really been coming off slowly. I'm begining to eat a little more normally. I'm eating mostly all protein, with a few light carbs and veggies here and there, and I'm still taking tiny bites and chew, chew, chew before swallowing. I've only had one experience with throwing up since surgery, and it actually just happened yesterday morning. For the first time, I wanted to try a peice of low carb toast with my scrambled eggs and cheese. I was only going to eat half a peice of toast, so I didn't think much of it. I took a small bite of the toast, chewed, chewed, chewed and then after swallowing took a bit of eggs, chewed, swallowed, and by the time I picked up my fork for a second bite of eggs, I felt sick to my stomach. Like a very uncomfortable/full sensation, accompanied by some nausea. I sat there, without eating anything more, for about 15 minutes seeing if it would pass. But it didn't. I finally said, screw it! I need to throw up if I'm going to feel better. So I went to the bathroom and out it came. And within minutes after getting sick, I felt relief. I don't think the problem was that I didn't chew well enough (I'm very careful to chew everything to a mushy consistency), but rather I think the bread was the problem. My pouch obviously doesn't like bread...period. I'm actually happy to know this. Although I'm never going to eat bread the way I used to, I've seen people post on the OH website that they can have a peice of low carb toast with their meals some times. So I thought I would try it. Mistake. I'll remember this experience in the future, when I want bread. No, no, no. Let's see, what else? I'm back to work full time now. It's been going okay. I'lve been tired at the end of the day, but getting through it with no real problems. I NEED to get a work out plan going. I have the "walk away the pounds" dvd's at home, I need to USE them. Once I get myself started into a routine with exercising, I'm okay. But getting started is so hard. My goal is to do the walking dvd tonight for the first time since surgery. I've been walking, of course, but not for the sake of working out. I also want to start lifting weights at home, to help prevent so much sagging skin after I loose all of this weight. *sigh* I hate working out, but once I get going, I KNOW I'm going to feel better, and it will also help in getting this weight off quicker. The more I sit, the longer this process is going to take. So this week I'm going to start on it. Walking, lifting weights, swimming, etc...anything to get moving!
Surgery date (6/12/06) - 343
As of today (one month post op) 7/13/06 - 316.5
Total weight lost since surgery - 26.5
July 24, 2006 - 42 days post op (1 1/2 months post op)
This morning I weighed in at 309.5. This is an exciting number for me, since this "used" to be my alltime high weight a few years back. This is the weight I was when I started working out, eating better and I lost almost 40 pounds. This was 4 years ago. Since starting at CMU, I've gained 80 pounds. Wow, that's a lot. I started this job weighing roughly 265 and after 4 years of working here, and right before surgery, I weighed in at 343. Anyway, seeing the scale say 309 (although it's not a low number at all) is an accomplishment for me. I've at least lost that extra 34 pounds that I had gained on TOP of my alltime high weight. So, since surgery, I've lost 34 pounds. In a month and a half. I guess I'm doing okay. I did expect to loose faster than I am, but the important thing is that I am losing. Some days the scale even shows a weight gain of a pound or so. But then, later that day or the next morning, I've lost that pound and then some. So, to all those who are reading this, remember...You might still gain a pound here and there, but it doesn't mean you're actually gaining weight. It's your body adjusting, I think. I'm trying to also remember that being a "slow loser" can be advantageous to me. The longer it takes to loose this weight, the more time my body and skin have to tone up and hopefully prevent a ton of hanging skin. I started working out last week, finally. I've been doing the Walk Away the Pounds dvd at home and going to the pool as well when the weather is nice. I've not been working out every day, but every couple days. I need to step it up still, and work out more consistently. But at least I've started. That's the hardest part. I'd like to work out every other day, for the rest of my life. That's my ideal goal. That's 3-4 days a week of working out, plus other activities that will get me out and burn some calories. But intentional exercise, I need more of it.
My size 26 pants are really getting loose. I was a tight 26 before surgery. Now I can fit into most of my size 24's, and I'm still wearing some 26's but they are starting to hang. I hope to be in a size 22 in another month or so. We'll see.
Till next time...
Surgery date (6/12/06) - 343
As of today (one and a half months post op) 7/24/06 - 309.5
Total weight lost since surgery - 33.5
Happy belated Fourth of July! I'm now 23 days post op and down a total of 25 pounds. I went to for my first post op appt. with Dr. Quinlin, my surgeon. They weighed me in at 317. I'm happy with that. I started out at 343. I've been on the pureed phase for a couple of weeks now, and have tolerated everything just fine. I take TEENY TINY bites and CHEW, CHEW, CHEW and all food sits fine in my pouch. I've tried chicken, ground beef, beef roast, turkey dogs, and salmon. I was warned that meats may be hard to tolerate. But not for me. I'm also drinking milk just fine, another thing that people warned me that I might not be able tolerate after surgery. Thank goodness I can drink milk. It helps to get my protein in every day. I have at least one large glass of milk (16 ounces) with a squeeze of sugar free chocolate syrup. So basically it's chocolate milk. It sits fine in my pouch, tastes wonderful, and is the easiest way for me to get in a lot of protein at once. My nutritionist moved me to phase III today - the soft phase. Basically, that means I no longer need to put food into the blender/magic bullet. I can now cut up everything into tiny bites, and chew it to a pureed consistency myself. No blender needed from now on. Yippie! In a couple of weeks, I'll begin eating a little more regular foods - like salads. Yummy! I'd love a salad right now!
I've been off work for nearly a month now. I go back to the office on Monday. I decided to take a full four weeks off work to have plenty of time to recover and get used to eating again. I'm glad I took this much time. I'm trying to enjoy these last few days off, and then it's back to the grind. I think I'm ready though.
Preop weight: 343
23 days post op: 317
Total weight lost so far: 25 lbs.
July 13, 2006
One Month Anniversary was yesterday
I am feeling like I should be losing faster than I am. This morning my weight was 316.5. So I've lost 26.5 pounds in one month. I was hoping for more. :-( Since I have so much weight to lose, I thought it would come off faster than this in the begining. I've only lost a pound or two in the past week or so. It's really been coming off slowly. I'm begining to eat a little more normally. I'm eating mostly all protein, with a few light carbs and veggies here and there, and I'm still taking tiny bites and chew, chew, chew before swallowing. I've only had one experience with throwing up since surgery, and it actually just happened yesterday morning. For the first time, I wanted to try a peice of low carb toast with my scrambled eggs and cheese. I was only going to eat half a peice of toast, so I didn't think much of it. I took a small bite of the toast, chewed, chewed, chewed and then after swallowing took a bit of eggs, chewed, swallowed, and by the time I picked up my fork for a second bite of eggs, I felt sick to my stomach. Like a very uncomfortable/full sensation, accompanied by some nausea. I sat there, without eating anything more, for about 15 minutes seeing if it would pass. But it didn't. I finally said, screw it! I need to throw up if I'm going to feel better. So I went to the bathroom and out it came. And within minutes after getting sick, I felt relief. I don't think the problem was that I didn't chew well enough (I'm very careful to chew everything to a mushy consistency), but rather I think the bread was the problem. My pouch obviously doesn't like bread...period. I'm actually happy to know this. Although I'm never going to eat bread the way I used to, I've seen people post on the OH website that they can have a peice of low carb toast with their meals some times. So I thought I would try it. Mistake. I'll remember this experience in the future, when I want bread. No, no, no. Let's see, what else? I'm back to work full time now. It's been going okay. I'lve been tired at the end of the day, but getting through it with no real problems. I NEED to get a work out plan going. I have the "walk away the pounds" dvd's at home, I need to USE them. Once I get myself started into a routine with exercising, I'm okay. But getting started is so hard. My goal is to do the walking dvd tonight for the first time since surgery. I've been walking, of course, but not for the sake of working out. I also want to start lifting weights at home, to help prevent so much sagging skin after I loose all of this weight. *sigh* I hate working out, but once I get going, I KNOW I'm going to feel better, and it will also help in getting this weight off quicker. The more I sit, the longer this process is going to take. So this week I'm going to start on it. Walking, lifting weights, swimming, etc...anything to get moving!
Surgery date (6/12/06) - 343
As of today (one month post op) 7/13/06 - 316.5
Total weight lost since surgery - 26.5
July 24, 2006 - 42 days post op (1 1/2 months post op)
This morning I weighed in at 309.5. This is an exciting number for me, since this "used" to be my alltime high weight a few years back. This is the weight I was when I started working out, eating better and I lost almost 40 pounds. This was 4 years ago. Since starting at CMU, I've gained 80 pounds. Wow, that's a lot. I started this job weighing roughly 265 and after 4 years of working here, and right before surgery, I weighed in at 343. Anyway, seeing the scale say 309 (although it's not a low number at all) is an accomplishment for me. I've at least lost that extra 34 pounds that I had gained on TOP of my alltime high weight. So, since surgery, I've lost 34 pounds. In a month and a half. I guess I'm doing okay. I did expect to loose faster than I am, but the important thing is that I am losing. Some days the scale even shows a weight gain of a pound or so. But then, later that day or the next morning, I've lost that pound and then some. So, to all those who are reading this, remember...You might still gain a pound here and there, but it doesn't mean you're actually gaining weight. It's your body adjusting, I think. I'm trying to also remember that being a "slow loser" can be advantageous to me. The longer it takes to loose this weight, the more time my body and skin have to tone up and hopefully prevent a ton of hanging skin. I started working out last week, finally. I've been doing the Walk Away the Pounds dvd at home and going to the pool as well when the weather is nice. I've not been working out every day, but every couple days. I need to step it up still, and work out more consistently. But at least I've started. That's the hardest part. I'd like to work out every other day, for the rest of my life. That's my ideal goal. That's 3-4 days a week of working out, plus other activities that will get me out and burn some calories. But intentional exercise, I need more of it.
My size 26 pants are really getting loose. I was a tight 26 before surgery. Now I can fit into most of my size 24's, and I'm still wearing some 26's but they are starting to hang. I hope to be in a size 22 in another month or so. We'll see.
Till next time...
Surgery date (6/12/06) - 343
As of today (one and a half months post op) 7/24/06 - 309.5
Total weight lost since surgery - 33.5
Update
Jun 01, 2006
June 2, 2006
My mom is having surgery this morning to have her gall bladder removed. Her surgery is also laproscopic, so she's going through very similar cuts that I'll be getting in a little over a week when I have my gastric bypass surgery on JUNE 12th! She planned her surgery around mine. She'll have three weeks off work to recover from her surgery. The first full week off (next week) she'll spend at home resting. Then, she and my dad and grandma will be coming to Pittsburgh next Saturday night to stay with me until my surgery that following Monday morning. After my surgery is over and I'm an official "LOSER", my dad and grandma will drive back home to Ohio and my mom will stay with me in the hospital until I go home to my apartment, where she'll stay with me up to two weeks. So her three weeks off work will both accomodate her surgery and my surgery. I live alone, so having her with me for almost two weeks will be wonderful.
My surgery is officially 10 days away!!! I cannot believer how fast time flies! I'm so excited to finally be a loser! :-)
June 7, 2006
I had my second appt. with my surgeon today. Although I have a mild case of bronchitis (bad cough, congsted, and on an inhaler and antibiotics) my surgeon thinks I'll be fine for surgery on Monday, thank goodness! I was really nervous that he would postpone my surgery because I have been sick. I am feeling MUCH better, still have a cough and some head congestion, but otherwise perfectly fine.
I asked my surgeon my final questions before surgery: Will I have staples or stitches on my incisions? (no, neither...yippie!), How many nights in the hospital? (2 nights, 3 days), Do I need to take my blood pressure meds the morning of surgery? (no), etc. He shook my hand and said he'd see me Monday at the hospital. I'M SO EXCITED!!! I cannot believe it's now only 5 days away!
I have a VERY busy next couple of days at work, finishing up everything before I leave my job for a whole month. I'm going to be stressed out until I walk out of that office on Friday afternoon, but it will be worth it. My student assistant is going to be replacing me while I'm on leave. He's very reliable and I feel like he'll take good care of my area. He'll be doing a lot of project work for me, and will be solving issues when they come up so that when I come back to work in mid July, I won't have a ton of things waiting for me. Don't get me wrong, it's still going to be crazy when I get back in July, but I think it will be bearable thanks to my assistant being there for me while I'm out.
5 days and counting....
June 8, 2006
Tomorrow is my last day of work before surgery. Wow, time flies! It seems like only yesterday I was going to my first consult, hoping that I would even be a qualified candidate for surgery...and now, 7 months later, I'm in the final days of preparation before the big day! I bought all of my liquids for Sunday (day before surgery is all clear liquid diet) and also for when I return from the hospital. Broths, clear juices, water, SF popsicles, and clear SFjello. Seeing my frig emptied of all of the crappy food that I'll no longer be eating, and now just filled with liquids...it's all setting in. This is really happening for me!!! Work is going to be crazy tomorrow, lots of little loose ends to tie up before I leave for a month off work. I'm looking forward to the time off. I know I'll have days where I'll feel like I'm going stir crazy, and probably even days where I'll wish I was at work - but for the most part, having 4 weeks off work is going to be SUCH a well deserved break, and a great time to heel, get used to my new life and new way of eating.
4 days and counting...
June 11, 2006
Well, it's the night before the big day. I'm all packed and ready to go. I had all clear liquids to drink today (no red liquids) and I'm not even hungry. Imagine that! I set my alarm to go off at 6:15am. We need to leave for the hospital at 7:15am, to arrive by 7:30am. My surgery time is 9:30am, so the two hours beforehand are for prep (starting my IV, giving me the "happy" drugs, blood pressure, etc) Then it's my turn in the operating room! :-) I'm not even nervous tonight. I thought I would be. I've heard of people having really bad anxiety the night before - crying a lot, wanting to back out, wondering if this is the right thing, etc. I'm none of those things. I'm confident this is the right decision for me, and even though I'm a teensy bit nervous about getting the IV put in (my veins are hard to stick, so hopefully they'll get it the first time) and a teensy bit nervous about being put out, I'm actually very cool and calm today. I've prepared for this day for SO LONG that I think I'm just so psyched up for it, I don't have room for regret or nervousness. I'll be happy to get out of the operating room and into my real room. I'll be in a private room - yippie! No roommates! My mom and I are bringing my portable DVD player and some DVD's so that we can watch movies over the course of the three days I'll be in the hospital. And I'm bringing my own pajamas, slippers, pillow and a little personal fan too (people have said that they get hot in those hospital rooms). So I'm going to be very comfortable having all of my own stuff with me.
Well, it's late and I need to get to bed. Big day tomorrow, and I need my rest. The next time I update my profile, I'll be a LOSER!!! Bout' time! :-)
NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY....
Weight: 342
Dress size: 26
(see you on the losing side!)
June 14, 2006 (2 days post op)
I had surgery on Monday morning (Lap RNY) and just got home from the hospital this afternoon. My stomach muscles are killing me, and the gas pains are pretty bad too. I'm trying to walk as much as I can, to help with the gas. I've been sleeping a lot today too. It's hard getting all those liquids in, but I'm doing my best. My goal is to drink a little more everyday, slowly working up to getting in 64 ounces per day - I know I'm not getting in even close to that amount right now, but it's only been two days since surgery. I don't feel hungry at all. Very weird feeling, not being hungry. I'm mainly just very, very sore and am pacing myself when I'm up walking. The nurses thought I was doing great. I just hope I do a little better each day.
Anyway...I'm home and officially a LOSER! So happy that this journey has begun for me. It's a bit surreal to think that I've actually already had the surgery and I'm home. All this planning, and now I'm on the losing side.
Thanks to all of you for your awesome support! I'll post again this week once I'm feeling a little better. Right now, it's back to bed for me.
June 22, 2006 (10 days postop)
I'm doing really well now. I had my first really good day on Sunday, my 6th day after surgery. That day, my mom and I went to the community swimming pool and lounged around in the water for a couple of hours. It felt good to get out of the house, and it was exercise too. I was still moving around really slowly until about 2 days ago, when I noticed that my stomach muscles weren't hurting nearly as much. I started sleeping in my own bed on Tuesday, which felt great. And today, it barely hurts to get up and down from the bed, chair, etc. So I'm really happy about that.
I was on liquids until Tuesday, when the nutritionist called and moved me to Phase II - pureed. I've had mached potatoes with chicken gravy/pureed chicken, cottage cheese, eggbeaters, cream of wheat, yogurt and SF pudding over the past 3 days since I moved to pureed. So far, so good. Everything has been sitting well in my pouch. A little neausea here and there the first day or so, but now I don't have any nausea and have yet to throw up (thank god). I started my vitamins on Tuesday as well. And I'm getting in all my liquids too. It's tough, but I've been doing it. I've been drinking 1 protein drink per day (32 grams of protein per 16 ounce shake), plus my three meals per day, plus lots of water in between. Yesterday I hit all my goals: got all my vitamins in, got 68 ounces of liquids in, got 59 grams of protein in (goal is 60 grams, but I figure 59 grams is close enough to consider it goal) and got a lot of exercise in - mom and I went out shopping for a few hours, so LOTS of walking yesterday. It was a really good day. And today has been good too. I can only hope I continue to have good days, and meet my nutrional goals. It won't be easy, but I'm fighting to get it all in.
As of this morning, I've lost 21 pounds so far. My offical preop weight was 343. This morning, I weighed in at 322. I'm very happy, but I know that I won't be losing this fast for much longer. My hope is to loose another 10 pounds before my one month anniversary, so that I would have lost a total of 30 pounds the first month. But we'll see how it goes. Until next time...
June 29, 2006
It's been 17 days since surgery. I've lost 23 pounds so far. I'm happy with my weight loss. Although, I had lost the 23 pounds as of last Thursday, and in the week that has since past, I've not lost anything. I know it's a lot to expect, weight loss everyday. But I was expecting something. I've maintained my 23 pound weight loss for these 7 days. I can't wait till the scale starts moving again.
I hate food. It's such a pain. I'm sick of the foods I've been eating...refried beans, yogurt, pureed chicken, etc. I'm struggling to get in all of my water and protein each day. The protein shakes are not great, but I get in at least one per day. I use the carnation instant breakfast with 1/2 scoop of protein powder and 8 ounces of skim milk = 18 grams of protein per drink. It's not great, but not terrible. I don't really have any hunger, persay, but I do have cravings. I want substance, even though I know my pouch wouldn't be able to handle it. I've been feeling pretty low lately. I sleep a ton. I think I have a mild case of depression, not to mention I'm getting ready to start my period. So that doesn't help. The weather has been crappy too, so this time off work hasn't given me much other than time to spend inside of my apartment. I thought the weather would be nice, considering it's late June. I wanted to be out more, lounging at the pool, window shopping, anything to get me out of my apartment and also give me some daily exercise. The sun is out right now, so I plan on taking advantage of it. I'm going to go to the pool and try to let the sunshine cheer me up. This is not easy. I knew it wouldn't be. I can at least say I was pretty prepared for these "low times". All of the stories I read on this website, almost everyone seems to go through these low times. I don't regret my decision to have gastric bypass surgery, I still know that this was the right thing for me. I just hope I can get through this low time quickly. I know it's going to get better. I think once I'm off the pureed phase, and can move to real food of real substance, I'll feel better.
Before surgery: 343
17 days postop: 320.5
My mom is having surgery this morning to have her gall bladder removed. Her surgery is also laproscopic, so she's going through very similar cuts that I'll be getting in a little over a week when I have my gastric bypass surgery on JUNE 12th! She planned her surgery around mine. She'll have three weeks off work to recover from her surgery. The first full week off (next week) she'll spend at home resting. Then, she and my dad and grandma will be coming to Pittsburgh next Saturday night to stay with me until my surgery that following Monday morning. After my surgery is over and I'm an official "LOSER", my dad and grandma will drive back home to Ohio and my mom will stay with me in the hospital until I go home to my apartment, where she'll stay with me up to two weeks. So her three weeks off work will both accomodate her surgery and my surgery. I live alone, so having her with me for almost two weeks will be wonderful.
My surgery is officially 10 days away!!! I cannot believer how fast time flies! I'm so excited to finally be a loser! :-)
June 7, 2006
I had my second appt. with my surgeon today. Although I have a mild case of bronchitis (bad cough, congsted, and on an inhaler and antibiotics) my surgeon thinks I'll be fine for surgery on Monday, thank goodness! I was really nervous that he would postpone my surgery because I have been sick. I am feeling MUCH better, still have a cough and some head congestion, but otherwise perfectly fine.
I asked my surgeon my final questions before surgery: Will I have staples or stitches on my incisions? (no, neither...yippie!), How many nights in the hospital? (2 nights, 3 days), Do I need to take my blood pressure meds the morning of surgery? (no), etc. He shook my hand and said he'd see me Monday at the hospital. I'M SO EXCITED!!! I cannot believe it's now only 5 days away!
I have a VERY busy next couple of days at work, finishing up everything before I leave my job for a whole month. I'm going to be stressed out until I walk out of that office on Friday afternoon, but it will be worth it. My student assistant is going to be replacing me while I'm on leave. He's very reliable and I feel like he'll take good care of my area. He'll be doing a lot of project work for me, and will be solving issues when they come up so that when I come back to work in mid July, I won't have a ton of things waiting for me. Don't get me wrong, it's still going to be crazy when I get back in July, but I think it will be bearable thanks to my assistant being there for me while I'm out.
5 days and counting....
June 8, 2006
Tomorrow is my last day of work before surgery. Wow, time flies! It seems like only yesterday I was going to my first consult, hoping that I would even be a qualified candidate for surgery...and now, 7 months later, I'm in the final days of preparation before the big day! I bought all of my liquids for Sunday (day before surgery is all clear liquid diet) and also for when I return from the hospital. Broths, clear juices, water, SF popsicles, and clear SFjello. Seeing my frig emptied of all of the crappy food that I'll no longer be eating, and now just filled with liquids...it's all setting in. This is really happening for me!!! Work is going to be crazy tomorrow, lots of little loose ends to tie up before I leave for a month off work. I'm looking forward to the time off. I know I'll have days where I'll feel like I'm going stir crazy, and probably even days where I'll wish I was at work - but for the most part, having 4 weeks off work is going to be SUCH a well deserved break, and a great time to heel, get used to my new life and new way of eating.
4 days and counting...
June 11, 2006
Well, it's the night before the big day. I'm all packed and ready to go. I had all clear liquids to drink today (no red liquids) and I'm not even hungry. Imagine that! I set my alarm to go off at 6:15am. We need to leave for the hospital at 7:15am, to arrive by 7:30am. My surgery time is 9:30am, so the two hours beforehand are for prep (starting my IV, giving me the "happy" drugs, blood pressure, etc) Then it's my turn in the operating room! :-) I'm not even nervous tonight. I thought I would be. I've heard of people having really bad anxiety the night before - crying a lot, wanting to back out, wondering if this is the right thing, etc. I'm none of those things. I'm confident this is the right decision for me, and even though I'm a teensy bit nervous about getting the IV put in (my veins are hard to stick, so hopefully they'll get it the first time) and a teensy bit nervous about being put out, I'm actually very cool and calm today. I've prepared for this day for SO LONG that I think I'm just so psyched up for it, I don't have room for regret or nervousness. I'll be happy to get out of the operating room and into my real room. I'll be in a private room - yippie! No roommates! My mom and I are bringing my portable DVD player and some DVD's so that we can watch movies over the course of the three days I'll be in the hospital. And I'm bringing my own pajamas, slippers, pillow and a little personal fan too (people have said that they get hot in those hospital rooms). So I'm going to be very comfortable having all of my own stuff with me.
Well, it's late and I need to get to bed. Big day tomorrow, and I need my rest. The next time I update my profile, I'll be a LOSER!!! Bout' time! :-)
NIGHT BEFORE SURGERY....
Weight: 342
Dress size: 26
(see you on the losing side!)
June 14, 2006 (2 days post op)
I had surgery on Monday morning (Lap RNY) and just got home from the hospital this afternoon. My stomach muscles are killing me, and the gas pains are pretty bad too. I'm trying to walk as much as I can, to help with the gas. I've been sleeping a lot today too. It's hard getting all those liquids in, but I'm doing my best. My goal is to drink a little more everyday, slowly working up to getting in 64 ounces per day - I know I'm not getting in even close to that amount right now, but it's only been two days since surgery. I don't feel hungry at all. Very weird feeling, not being hungry. I'm mainly just very, very sore and am pacing myself when I'm up walking. The nurses thought I was doing great. I just hope I do a little better each day.
Anyway...I'm home and officially a LOSER! So happy that this journey has begun for me. It's a bit surreal to think that I've actually already had the surgery and I'm home. All this planning, and now I'm on the losing side.
Thanks to all of you for your awesome support! I'll post again this week once I'm feeling a little better. Right now, it's back to bed for me.
June 22, 2006 (10 days postop)
I'm doing really well now. I had my first really good day on Sunday, my 6th day after surgery. That day, my mom and I went to the community swimming pool and lounged around in the water for a couple of hours. It felt good to get out of the house, and it was exercise too. I was still moving around really slowly until about 2 days ago, when I noticed that my stomach muscles weren't hurting nearly as much. I started sleeping in my own bed on Tuesday, which felt great. And today, it barely hurts to get up and down from the bed, chair, etc. So I'm really happy about that.
I was on liquids until Tuesday, when the nutritionist called and moved me to Phase II - pureed. I've had mached potatoes with chicken gravy/pureed chicken, cottage cheese, eggbeaters, cream of wheat, yogurt and SF pudding over the past 3 days since I moved to pureed. So far, so good. Everything has been sitting well in my pouch. A little neausea here and there the first day or so, but now I don't have any nausea and have yet to throw up (thank god). I started my vitamins on Tuesday as well. And I'm getting in all my liquids too. It's tough, but I've been doing it. I've been drinking 1 protein drink per day (32 grams of protein per 16 ounce shake), plus my three meals per day, plus lots of water in between. Yesterday I hit all my goals: got all my vitamins in, got 68 ounces of liquids in, got 59 grams of protein in (goal is 60 grams, but I figure 59 grams is close enough to consider it goal) and got a lot of exercise in - mom and I went out shopping for a few hours, so LOTS of walking yesterday. It was a really good day. And today has been good too. I can only hope I continue to have good days, and meet my nutrional goals. It won't be easy, but I'm fighting to get it all in.
As of this morning, I've lost 21 pounds so far. My offical preop weight was 343. This morning, I weighed in at 322. I'm very happy, but I know that I won't be losing this fast for much longer. My hope is to loose another 10 pounds before my one month anniversary, so that I would have lost a total of 30 pounds the first month. But we'll see how it goes. Until next time...
June 29, 2006
It's been 17 days since surgery. I've lost 23 pounds so far. I'm happy with my weight loss. Although, I had lost the 23 pounds as of last Thursday, and in the week that has since past, I've not lost anything. I know it's a lot to expect, weight loss everyday. But I was expecting something. I've maintained my 23 pound weight loss for these 7 days. I can't wait till the scale starts moving again.
I hate food. It's such a pain. I'm sick of the foods I've been eating...refried beans, yogurt, pureed chicken, etc. I'm struggling to get in all of my water and protein each day. The protein shakes are not great, but I get in at least one per day. I use the carnation instant breakfast with 1/2 scoop of protein powder and 8 ounces of skim milk = 18 grams of protein per drink. It's not great, but not terrible. I don't really have any hunger, persay, but I do have cravings. I want substance, even though I know my pouch wouldn't be able to handle it. I've been feeling pretty low lately. I sleep a ton. I think I have a mild case of depression, not to mention I'm getting ready to start my period. So that doesn't help. The weather has been crappy too, so this time off work hasn't given me much other than time to spend inside of my apartment. I thought the weather would be nice, considering it's late June. I wanted to be out more, lounging at the pool, window shopping, anything to get me out of my apartment and also give me some daily exercise. The sun is out right now, so I plan on taking advantage of it. I'm going to go to the pool and try to let the sunshine cheer me up. This is not easy. I knew it wouldn't be. I can at least say I was pretty prepared for these "low times". All of the stories I read on this website, almost everyone seems to go through these low times. I don't regret my decision to have gastric bypass surgery, I still know that this was the right thing for me. I just hope I can get through this low time quickly. I know it's going to get better. I think once I'm off the pureed phase, and can move to real food of real substance, I'll feel better.
Before surgery: 343
17 days postop: 320.5
Update
May 09, 2006
May 10, 2006
Yesterday was my very last nutritionist appt with the surgeon. I've now completed the six months of "supervised diet" that the insurance requires for approval. I've had all of my tests done and now the 6 months wait is over too. Next Monday, the surgeons office will be submitting all of my paperwork to my insurance company. Then, it's a waiting game. The surgeons office said that since my insurance is local, it shouldn't take more than a few days to receive approval. Once approved, my surgeons office calls me back with a surgery date and sets up my last appt with the surgeon that happens before surgery. I'd love to get an approval date by next Friday, so that I don't panic over it all weekend long. Come on....no whammy, no whammy...QUICK APPROVAL PLEASE!
May 16, 2006
Surgeons office submitted my paperwork to insurance this morning.
May 23, 2006
I called the surgeons office to ask if they had heard back about from my insurance. They had received the insurances decision this morning....I'M APPROVED!!! I am so excited!! My surgery date is Monday, June 12th. So my last day of work will be Friday, June 7th and then I'll be off work for an entire month. Looking forward to having the time to recoop and get used to my new lifestyle. Wow, surgery is less than 3 weeks away!
May 25, 2006
I have my second appointment with Dr. Quinlin scheduled - Wed, June 7th at Noon. This is the appt.where he'll tell me any last minute things I need to know about surgery day. I can't believe this is really all happening for me! God has blessed me for sure! My new life is just weeks away from begining.
Yesterday was my very last nutritionist appt with the surgeon. I've now completed the six months of "supervised diet" that the insurance requires for approval. I've had all of my tests done and now the 6 months wait is over too. Next Monday, the surgeons office will be submitting all of my paperwork to my insurance company. Then, it's a waiting game. The surgeons office said that since my insurance is local, it shouldn't take more than a few days to receive approval. Once approved, my surgeons office calls me back with a surgery date and sets up my last appt with the surgeon that happens before surgery. I'd love to get an approval date by next Friday, so that I don't panic over it all weekend long. Come on....no whammy, no whammy...QUICK APPROVAL PLEASE!
May 16, 2006
Surgeons office submitted my paperwork to insurance this morning.
May 23, 2006
I called the surgeons office to ask if they had heard back about from my insurance. They had received the insurances decision this morning....I'M APPROVED!!! I am so excited!! My surgery date is Monday, June 12th. So my last day of work will be Friday, June 7th and then I'll be off work for an entire month. Looking forward to having the time to recoop and get used to my new lifestyle. Wow, surgery is less than 3 weeks away!
May 25, 2006
I have my second appointment with Dr. Quinlin scheduled - Wed, June 7th at Noon. This is the appt.where he'll tell me any last minute things I need to know about surgery day. I can't believe this is really all happening for me! God has blessed me for sure! My new life is just weeks away from begining.
The journey continues
Mar 23, 2006
March 24, 2006
I've completed all of the testing - pysch exam, pulmonary test and clearance, chest xray, and upper GI (which is not NEARLY as scary as I thought it would be). I have two more nutiritional classes (2 more months) until my surgeons office can submit my paperwork to the insurance company for approval. I called the surgeons office this afternoon and asked how this all worked - getting approval, getting a surgery date, etc. She said that once my 6 months of nutritional appts are done (my last one will be on May 3rd) then the surgeons office will submit to insurance. Insurance will approve me (hopefully) in about 1-2 weeks. After insurance approval, the surgeons office will call me and schedule a surgery date with me. She will also make my appt with the surgeon during that phone call. THEN, once I have a surgery date, I'll go back and see the surgeon one final time before surgery to get the logistics worked out - what time to the hospital, what to do the few days prior to surgery, what foods to buy before surgery, etc. So...looks like 2 more months before things really start happening. The girl at the surgeons office today told me that I will likely have surgery sometime in June. SO EXCITING! I'm meeting with my bosses at work next week to tell them what's going on. They have no idea. I'll be off work for 3-4 weeks, so I want to give us all enough time to plan for me being out that long. At least I'll be out during a nice time of the year - it will be June, sunny, nice weather...and I'll be off work! So excited!!!
I've completed all of the testing - pysch exam, pulmonary test and clearance, chest xray, and upper GI (which is not NEARLY as scary as I thought it would be). I have two more nutiritional classes (2 more months) until my surgeons office can submit my paperwork to the insurance company for approval. I called the surgeons office this afternoon and asked how this all worked - getting approval, getting a surgery date, etc. She said that once my 6 months of nutritional appts are done (my last one will be on May 3rd) then the surgeons office will submit to insurance. Insurance will approve me (hopefully) in about 1-2 weeks. After insurance approval, the surgeons office will call me and schedule a surgery date with me. She will also make my appt with the surgeon during that phone call. THEN, once I have a surgery date, I'll go back and see the surgeon one final time before surgery to get the logistics worked out - what time to the hospital, what to do the few days prior to surgery, what foods to buy before surgery, etc. So...looks like 2 more months before things really start happening. The girl at the surgeons office today told me that I will likely have surgery sometime in June. SO EXCITING! I'm meeting with my bosses at work next week to tell them what's going on. They have no idea. I'll be off work for 3-4 weeks, so I want to give us all enough time to plan for me being out that long. At least I'll be out during a nice time of the year - it will be June, sunny, nice weather...and I'll be off work! So excited!!!
The journey continues
Jan 18, 2006
January 19, 2006
I had my psych exam this week. It was a bit strange, but I got through it okay. I had to complete a bubble test that had 165 true and false questions. The questions dealt with everything - my faith, my family, my living situation, my honesty about why I was at the appt, my food/exercise habits, etc. After the test, I went back and talked to the doctor for about a half an hour. He was very stern when he said that "this is not your fault - this is a genetic disease. You did nothing to make yourself this way". I struggle with him saying that to me, since I do believe that I need to take SOME responsbilty for why I got so big. After discussing a lot of things - he started talking about the seriousness of the surgery and some of the risks I might face if I don't follow the plan to a "t". He spoke of the divorce rate after surgery - roughly 40% of marriages fizzle after one of the spouces has surgery. That's a huge number! I'm single, so that statistic wasn't really applicable towards me, but it was eye opening to say the least! He also stressed the importance of taking my vitamins - every single day, without fail, for the rest of my life. He knows of a woman in my area that didn't take her vitamins at all and now she's paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Scary to think about - I will DEFINITLEY take ALL of my vitamins EVERY SINGLE day. He also spoke of the depression that patients can go through after surgery. He said that my surgeon had 3 suicides last year, post op. He made it clear to me that I should not let my saddness continue without talking to someone. He said I could call him, or any one of the many pysch dr's in the area, but to not let it get ahead of me. I'm trying to prepare myself for being "down" after surgery. It's going to be tough adjusting to life post-op. So it's nice to know I can call him if I get too down. Living alone, I won't have anyone at home to help me through the down times. So luckily I'm very close to my mother, who I talk to on the phone almost daily, and she and the rest of my family provide me great support. I know I'll get through this, with their help. But I'm glad to know all of this now, to prepare myself for the tough times ahead.
My next Nutritionist appt is Feb 1st. That appt will be #3 of 6. I cannot wait until May, when all of my appts are overwith and my surgeon can submit everything to my insurance for approval. I want the next 5 months to fly by, so that this surgery can get here and be overwith. I want to start my new life now!!! :-)
I had my psych exam this week. It was a bit strange, but I got through it okay. I had to complete a bubble test that had 165 true and false questions. The questions dealt with everything - my faith, my family, my living situation, my honesty about why I was at the appt, my food/exercise habits, etc. After the test, I went back and talked to the doctor for about a half an hour. He was very stern when he said that "this is not your fault - this is a genetic disease. You did nothing to make yourself this way". I struggle with him saying that to me, since I do believe that I need to take SOME responsbilty for why I got so big. After discussing a lot of things - he started talking about the seriousness of the surgery and some of the risks I might face if I don't follow the plan to a "t". He spoke of the divorce rate after surgery - roughly 40% of marriages fizzle after one of the spouces has surgery. That's a huge number! I'm single, so that statistic wasn't really applicable towards me, but it was eye opening to say the least! He also stressed the importance of taking my vitamins - every single day, without fail, for the rest of my life. He knows of a woman in my area that didn't take her vitamins at all and now she's paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Scary to think about - I will DEFINITLEY take ALL of my vitamins EVERY SINGLE day. He also spoke of the depression that patients can go through after surgery. He said that my surgeon had 3 suicides last year, post op. He made it clear to me that I should not let my saddness continue without talking to someone. He said I could call him, or any one of the many pysch dr's in the area, but to not let it get ahead of me. I'm trying to prepare myself for being "down" after surgery. It's going to be tough adjusting to life post-op. So it's nice to know I can call him if I get too down. Living alone, I won't have anyone at home to help me through the down times. So luckily I'm very close to my mother, who I talk to on the phone almost daily, and she and the rest of my family provide me great support. I know I'll get through this, with their help. But I'm glad to know all of this now, to prepare myself for the tough times ahead.
My next Nutritionist appt is Feb 1st. That appt will be #3 of 6. I cannot wait until May, when all of my appts are overwith and my surgeon can submit everything to my insurance for approval. I want the next 5 months to fly by, so that this surgery can get here and be overwith. I want to start my new life now!!! :-)
I have a date
Nov 01, 2005
Nov 2, 2005 - I have a date to meet with the surgeon for the first time - Dec 7th. I'm preparing ALL of the MANY questions I have to ask him. My mom is coming into town to go to the appointment with me, as she is as curious as I am. I just signed up for a different health insurance (which will begin on 1/1/06), to have a much better shot at being approved for the surgery. I was/currently am HealthAmerica. I've heard through reliable sources (the surgeons office, namely) that HealthAmerica is not covering this procedure after 12/31/05. Since my plan is to have the surgery done in June 2006, I need to make sure I'm with an insurance that is going to cover everything. UPMC healthplan is what I've signed up - people rave about it, and it seems that approval shouldn't be too difficult. I hope this all goes through for me! I'm 335 pounds and need to get my life in order. This surgery is my "last ditch effort".
Nov 28, 2005
I went home for Thanksgiving this past weekend and ate what I wanted, since I know that next Thanksgiving I won't be able to eat much. I'm trying to prepare myself, mentally, for the life after surgery - even though I've only just begun the 6 mos of prep before I might be approved. This surgery is still way up in the air...I meet with the surgeon for the first time next week. I'll begin the 6 mos. of supervised weight loss this month, so my hope is to be approved in June 2006 and have the surgery in July. I'm already starting to think about the life after - what I'll look like, what food will mean to me then, etc. I started telling just a few family members and one good friend about my hope to have surgery. They seem supportive. I want this so badly! I hope the next 6 months FLY BY so that the surgery has already happened and I can finally begin my new life! :-)
Nov 28, 2005
I went home for Thanksgiving this past weekend and ate what I wanted, since I know that next Thanksgiving I won't be able to eat much. I'm trying to prepare myself, mentally, for the life after surgery - even though I've only just begun the 6 mos of prep before I might be approved. This surgery is still way up in the air...I meet with the surgeon for the first time next week. I'll begin the 6 mos. of supervised weight loss this month, so my hope is to be approved in June 2006 and have the surgery in July. I'm already starting to think about the life after - what I'll look like, what food will mean to me then, etc. I started telling just a few family members and one good friend about my hope to have surgery. They seem supportive. I want this so badly! I hope the next 6 months FLY BY so that the surgery has already happened and I can finally begin my new life! :-)
About Me
PITTSBURGH, PA
Location
34.4
BMI
Surgery
06/12/2006
Surgery Date
Oct 26, 2005
Member Since
