birdgherl

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My 2 week follow up was today. I am 17 days out and have lost 15 lbs!!! Dr. P said everything sounded good and looked good. She told me I need to really take advantage of these first 6 months and expects me to drop 80 lbs during this time. 

I started at 263.3. My goal (and the Barix goal) is 135. So that's 128 lbs. Sometimes this seems like an impossibility! But I am determined. 

I can start pureed foods which is great so I have more variety. 

Goals for next week:
1. Go back to work Monday
2. Join a gym
3. 64 oz fluids and 73 g protein daily

As of yesterday, my energy is back! I was able to go out for most of the day. I was waiting to get tired but lasted for a long time. I am also sleeping less now which is great. I am planning on going back to work Monday so I am hoping to have my body on that schedule by then. 

I put on a dress I bought pre-surgery that was tight and showed all of the lumps and bumps and it actually fit! According to my mom's scale, I am down 14 lbs. I am waiting until I see Dr. P on Friday for the official weigh in though. I don't own a scale and don't plan on buying one anytime soon. I really don't want to be a slave to the scale. For now though, I feel great!

Well, I finally found a protein combo I can "stomach"! 1 Cup nonfat soy milk (9g), 2 scoops Any Whey plain (34g), 1 packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast, no sugar added (5g) and a few frozen strawberries, 2 ice cubes, blend until icy/creamy. It takes a while to drink but it's worth it! 48 g of protein in one shot. I am so thankful. I was having such a difficult time. 

Amy's organic soups are good too. I have tried the cream of mushroom but it's a bit rich. The potato/leek is better, more soothing and less rich. I add a scoop of Any Whey (17g) to about 1/2 cup. 

My biggest craving at the moment is Cabot low fat cheddar and a few Marcona almonds. It's a quite a ways off but something to look forward to. One more week of full liquids and I am moving to pureed which will definitey help in the variety department.

I am doing well with liquids. 64 oz 2 days in a row. Now to tackle protein. I basically gag with any protein powder. I get very nauseous despite drinking little tiny sips and cannot stand the smell of anything!! This is so frustrating....The emotions are also kicking in. I used to read about the meltdowns and say "not me", but sure enough, I AM human, and my hormones are shifting quite a bit. I feel sort of on the verge on tears most of the time, but not sad. This too shall pass.

I am off later today to try some more protein shakes and see what works. 

I know this is all worth it. I press on.

I am 10 days out and it's been a little up and down. I have had so little energy until today. I have a little more but not a ton. I walked around the farm where I live and didn't feel completely exhausted when I came back which is good news. I spoke with Dr. P this morning and she said that I MUST MUST MUST get my liquids in, and that's the main reason I have been feeling so fatigued. Drinking and eating has become a full time job, and I am even more aware of how serious this surgery is. I did not go into this lightly mind you, but post op care is 24/7. I will push on!

I am looking forward to a more "normal" diet in the next few months and doing some research here and there on WLS cookbooks. I have read 3 books that are great.

The first (and best, I think) is:

Recipes for Life After Weight-Loss Surgery: Delicious Dishes for Nourishing the New You (Healthy Living Cookbooks) (Paperback)
by Margaret Furtado (Author), Lynette Schultz (Author) 

The recipes are beautiful (complete with lots of photos) and each comes with a suggested time post-op to add this to one's diet for RNY, Lap-Band and DS. They are both practicing nutritionists for WLS patients with great experience. This runs about $13.

The second is:

Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery: Over 140 Delicious Low-Fat High-Protein Recipes to Enjoy in the Weeks, Months and Years After Surgery (Paperback)
by Patt Levine (Author), Michele Bontmpo-Saray (Author)

This was co-written by a WLS patient. It does not have any photos but the recipes look great and easy to make. Also has suggestions for additions to the diet based on type of WLS. This runs about $11.

These are available on Amazon.com.

The third was part of a sampler package I received of many types of protein supplements:

Before & After
Living and Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery With 100 Low Carb High Protein Recipes for a Healthier, Happier, & Slimmer You by Susan Maria Leach. 

She is an OHer and WLS patient. The first half of the book is her journal entries throughout her WLS journey and the second half is recipes. I love the dessert section the most because she has many options. I also read this book through a few times during week 1 because I needed the inspiration. She sells a bunch of things on her website. I particulary enjoyed the protein sampler because I didn't have to commit to buying major quantities without tasting. http://www.bariatriceating.com/

I got home from Barix yesterday and went to bed right away. I am feeling really good today, working on getting all of my liquids in. 

I will say that I was not prepared for those 2 1/2 days though! I was not nervous at all about the surgery and was taken in without incident. When I woke up, however, that was a different story! I have NEVER felt pain like that before. Luckily, there was a nurse in recovery who acted quickly to help manage the pain. The first night was a blur, just a lot of poking and prodding, and not a lot of rest. I didn't use that much morphine because frankly, I was too tired to deal. The second day was better, and easier than I thought it would be, at least in the morning. I started walking and sipping and breathing....and walking and sipping and breathing....until.....the dreaded GAS!!! Oh my, I would have rather been cut wide open than deal with that again! Talk about PAIN! It's too uncomfortable to sit, or sleep, and you are already so exhausted. But all you can (and must) do is walk. I joked that I was training for a 5K. All of us on the floor were like the living dead...just walking and walking, dragging out IV poles with us. 2 dulcolax suppositores and an enema later....and OOPS I Crapped My Pants. Now that was an interesting moment. Note that the dulcolax is STILL working....Dr. P ordered another to clean me out even after all of that. The next day, Dr. P took out the drain and the nurse took out my It still hurts to sneeze, so wretching is even more painful. It took a while for the nausea to pass...and another suppository later (this time, tigan) and I was better. Dr. P came up twice between surgeries to check on me. She really is something else. She is always available, kind and patient. I feel really good having her as my doc. And as for the staff on the 2nd floor, I cannot say enough about them. EVERYONE (nurses, aides, respiratory, housekeeping etc.) was kind, and thoughful and professional. I felt so well taken care of! And we actually managed a fair amount of laughs! 

I went down to the support group meeting on Wed for only a few minutes. Dennis is amazing...what a marathon man. He is kind and supportive and just what the group needs. There were a TON of people there and I wanted to meet more of them but I was really hurting at that point. It's so great to hear how everyone is doing, and made me feel even just a little better.

I am off to breathe, and walk and sip and rest....

Well the day is finally here and I couldn't feel more at peace with my decision. I am so excited to move to this next phase! The amount of support I have is overwhelming. I am so very blessed! My phone was ringing off the hook yesterday. I have an amzing group of friends. My OH family has been awesome! The support on this site is just outstanding. (I am running out of superlatives!) I am so happy to be a part of such a wonderful group of people who care so deeply for one another and are so committed to better health. 

My main inspiration for this is a former colleague and friend who has RNY about 1 1/2 years ago. She sent me a note and another after picture. She is just unbeliveable. She looks downright HOT. And makes me hopeful that this is going to be beyond my expectations. A healthy and pain-free life is what I came looking for. But I must say, it would be nice to be the girl that turns a few heads once in a while. OK, I am getting away from myself here, but a little dreaming is not so bad once in a while.

At any rate, I am so thirsty...but no liquids until after surgery. So I am going to do someting to distract myself until my Mom gets here.

See you on the other side!

Last night was my last pre-op support group meeting at Barix as a pre-op patient. At next week's post-op, I will be 1 day out. I must admit that I have been getting very nervous, and have some anxiety about leaving certain foods behind forever. I am working on developing better coping skills other than eating when I am stressed or sad or whatever.

I am so encouraged by all of the people I meet. The changes are amazing!  Sister Jan looks 10 years younger and she is 6 or 7 weeks out! 

I really need to take pictures and measurements so I can create a weight loss diary. Though I will hate it, it will surely show me how much I change and what I never want to be again.

PS I lost 5 of my 9 pre-op lbs and am on mostly liquids. I will go full liquid (self-imposed to prep the digestion) starting tomorrow and clear liquids the day before (as per the NUT).

A change in plans....

Due to staffing changes at Barix, my surgery has been bumped to July 17, one week later than before. I have to say that I was a little upset for a second, but I truly believe that for a lot of reasons, this is better timing. And I have certainly learned about patience through this process....

PATs went well, though I did gain weight since March. I need to lose 8 lbs before surgery. I immediately cut down, and plan on doing the liquid diet the week prior plus clear liquids the day before. They told me to come by and weigh in to see how I am doing prior to surgery.

There was a tremendous amount of information to absorb, and lots of homework. I am doing my breathing exercises 3x per day, getting all of my paperwork together, and chipping away at my shopping list. 

I am really looking forward to a new life. I realized how much I have missed out on because my size limits what I can do. My confidence has eroded in the last several years, and I am much less likely to try new things. I always make excuses for not being able to attend functions I am invited to. 

I am very grateful for the ability to take time off from work, have this procedure covered by insurance (total OOP is only $100!!!), and to have a wonderful, supportive group of people around me.