Amy L.

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My BMI is normal!!!! Not morbidly obese, obese, overweight- it's NORMAL!!!!! I am soooo excited!!!!

I've had several people ask me what it takes to stay healthy post-op, so I thought I'd blog it....
How I stay healthy...64oz water or more, 800calories, 80g protein, 2 multivitamins, 2 Calcium, 2 iron, 2 selenium, 2 vitaminC, 2 vitamin D3, 2 folate, 2 zinc, 2 Biotin,2 magnesium, probiotics, stool softener, B12 shots every 2 weeks, Rx from Drs, EXERCISE, therapy.That's after surgery, 3 days@hospital, PAIN, 4wks to heal & learn to eat again. Hair fall out@3months, dumping syndrome a couple times, no fatty/fried/sugary/"white"food & get DRUNK on 1/2 glass wine. I will take this & eat this way 4ever.  Oh- plus I've had to buy new shoes and re-size rings because feet & fingers got smaller. I've gone down from a 22 to an 8 so far, so lots of clothes shopping. But, it's a great ride, and I'd do it all over again! Not Not cheap, not easy, but if you stick with it, it works :)

I had a few questions asked about what my daily routine is, so here goes....

Morning: 1 Centrum Multivitamin, 2 Citracal,1 Phillips Colon Health Probiotics, 1 folic acid, 1 iron, 1 vitamin C, 1 D3, 1 Selenium, 1 Biotin, 1 Zinc, 1 Magnesium.
Night: 1 Centrum Multi, 2 Citracal, 1 stool softener, 1 folic acid, 1 D3.
Every two weeks: b12 injections

Wake-up: 16oz water with my pills, then 8oz of fat free milk with dry milk added to it.

Breakfast:
1 egg omelet with diced ham, peppers, onions, & cheddar cheese (I eat 1/2 to almost all of it)
OR
1/2 whole wheat bagel or toast with a little cream cheese and fruit jam.  (I can't usually eat the entire 1/2 bagel)

16oz water

Snack: (if I have one)
a little fruit- 3 srawberries, 4 cubes of cantelope, and 4 cubes of watermelon.
OR
1/2 slice of whole wheat toast with some peanut butter on it.

16oz water

Lunch:
1/2 turkey or roast beef sandwich on whole wheat or rye toast with lettuce, tomato, and light mayo
OR
a small portion of leftovers from dinners
OR
a small spinach salad with grilled chicken breast, a few grape tomatoes, and balsamic vinaigrette.

16oz water

(I don't usually snack before dinner)

Dinner: (I usually eat what my family eats, with a few "tweaks")
1/2 grilled chicken breast, a few bites of baked potato with a little butter, a few bites of broccoli
OR
3oz grilled beef tenderloin, a few bites of garlic smashed potatoes, a few bites of green beans
OR
2 small meatballs with sauce, and a small spinach salad with balsamic dressing.
OR
1 filet of grilled Tilapia or Mahi, a little bit of tartar sauce & lemon, a few broccoli florets or small salad.

16oz water

Snack:
1/4 to 1/2 cup of Kaski Go Lean Crunch with a splash of fat free milk
OR
1 slice of rye or wheat toast with a little butter
OR
fresh fruit
OR
yogurt

Bedtime: 8oz water with my pills

If I haven't met my protein goal for the day, then I will add another 8oz of fat free milk with dry milk mixed in.
Sometimes I will have 1 Diet Coke or 1 cup of coffee during the day, but not every day. (both caffeine free)

Exercise: (4-5 days per week)
Treadmill- walk 3.5mph on 5-13% incline for 25-40 minutes.
Abs- I do about a 15 minute routine of various ab exercises both on a balance ball and on machines.
Weight training- I use both Cybex machines and free weights, alternating body parts each time I go.  I will do biceps, triceps, and forearms together.  Back, chest and shoulders together.  Legs & glutes together.  
I am usually at the gym for about 1 1/2 hours at a time.
I plan to start some classes soon to change things up- maybe Zumba or Body Combat.

On days that I can't get to the gym, I try to take time to use my exercise bands to work some body parts, and maybe take a walk outside if the weather cooperates.

It's been quite a while since I posted on my blog.  I don't really have much to report, except that I've lost 85 pounds!  I feel good, eating well, reaching my protein & fluid goals every day.  I never miss my vitamins and supplements, and my hair loss has been very minimal- I lose about 10 strands of hair when I brush my hair after my shower in the morning. No one has notices at all. My BMI has gone from 42 to 27.  I have just 7 pounds to reach my surgeon's goal, although I would like to lose an additional 20-30 pounds.  I thought I would post some before and after pictures of how I've done so far. 

I am down 30 pounds today!  It's so hard to believe that it can melt off that fast.  I know it's going to slow down eventually, but for now I am enjoying the ride.  Although, I won't really feel like I have accomplished anything until I am under 200lbs.  I am 222 today, so hopefully that will happen some time in January. I've had a "grouchy pouch" the past 4-5 days.  Nauseous a lot.  Haven't thrown up or anything, and I am drinking water and milk fine, but the thought of eating makes me sick, and I just have no desire to eat.  I do make myself eat, but it's been a struggle getting my protein and calories in the past couple of days.  I do, no matter what, make sure I get all of my meds, vitamins, and supplements in every single day, I have not missed yet since I've come home from the hospital. The only thing that gave me trouble in the beginning is that stupid calcium pill. It actually got stuck one day! So, I have switched to Citracal petites, which are half the size, and go down much better.  I still can't find a protein powder or drink that I can tolerate- they all make me gag, literally.  I've spent so much time and money on that shit- I am giving up for now!  I have found a way to make a smoothie without protein powder, that still gives me 23g of protein, I use 8oz FF milk, 1/3c dry milk, 6oz yogurt, a couple pieces of fruit.  It's really tastey, and no nasty whey in there!  As long as I have one of those a day, along with my regular diet, I easily get 70g of protein and close to 800 calories.  My energy is good, and I can get around really well now.  It's a little frustrating, because I am still not supposed to bend or lift anything for a couple more weeks.  So, I hate having to depend on hubby and the kids all the time to pick things up, or carry groceries, or stuff like that.  My incision is healed well.  Still red/pink, not sore, but looks smooth and clean.  My drain site has scabbed over, in fact the scab fell off in the shower yesterday and I was afraid to look, but it's nice and pink and clean underneath.  All healed up. I see Dr.C for my follow up appointment tomorrow, I am going to ask him his opinion on using products like Mederma to reduce the look of the scar, and if/when I can start using it.  I also want to ask him about the exact time that I can start exercising, I know with open RNY they want me to wait 6 weeks post-op, so I have another 3 weeks.  I want to ask him about housework, if vacuuming, taking out garbage, scrubbing the bathtub, stuff like that are still out. I need to get some stuff done around here. I mean, hubby and the kids have been great, but there are just some things that I need to be doing myself, and there are only so many tv shows and books I can read during the day to keep busy!  Well, that's all for now. Have to finish up this smoothie and get myself dressed before the kids get off the bus. Happy Holidays everyone!

 

Date Sent:	November 28, 2010 - 9:40am
To:
Subject:
I'm doing okay.  Surgery went smooth, and right on time.  But, in recovery, they had trouble getting my temperature up to normal, it stayed around 96 degrees, so while I was in and out of consciousness I kept waking up to them putting warm blankets on me- even on top of my head!  So, I was in recovery for about 3 hours instead of 1 hour, and no one came out to tell my hubby what was going on! He finally, after the second hour started asking questions and they told him what was going on. Now, I had open RNY, not laparoscopic, and ironically, it takes much less time, under an hour for the actual procedure.  My surgery was at 10:30, I should have been in my room no later than 1:00, but because of the complication with my temp I got there at 3:00.  I was still pretty out of it the first day, but they had me sipping water right away and up to go potty.  That was tough, the incision area was pretty sore.  I felt like I had done a million crunches.  I had a pain pump, and also a thin wire-like device that fed local anestetic right to my incision sight.  So, I had the long line incision, about 3 inches long, and one small "hole" to the side of it, where the JP drain was inserted.  Now, that was an experience, when they yanked that thing out! I knew it would feel weird, and hurt a bit, but that it would be over in seconds- but I was not expecting that feeling at all! It felt like the thing was 3 feet long!  haha  And, what really surprised me is that they don't sew that shut, or glue it or something, they just leave it open and cover it with a dressing.  But, it has not hurt me even once.  I just keep it clean, and change the bandage every day, and it's starting to "solidify", it should scab in a few days, I would think. I went home on Wednesday, and by then I was ready to get out of there, so tired of getting woken up every hour for vitals and such.  My steristrips over the incision are already starting to come off-come loose. And, last night I was really itchy while I was sleeping, and I woke up realizing what I was itching at- and I ended up taking off about half of them!  No problem, the incision line is perfectly clean and smooth, I didn't do any damage.  But, I was so afraid to look when I got to the bathroom! I've been having a hard time getting all of my fluids in, and all of my protein.   I'm lucky if I get 500 calories a day, and 40-50 grams of protein.  I am trying, but I know it will get easier once I am on soft food. I am able to swallow all of my vitamins and meds, have been doing that since day two, and I am down 18 pounds as of today!  (that includes the 8 pounds I lost pre-op liquid diet) I feel a little "icky" yesterday and today, not particularly tired, or in pain or anything like that, just "off".  I'm thinking it's the lack of fluids/protein? I am gonna try harder to reach that goal.

I got the call yesterday! I meet with Dr. Caruana in just two weeks, Oct.7th at 1:45pm.  I am soooo excited, and nervous, because it's starting to seem real now.  And, I now things will happen much faster after my appointment with him. 

On another note, I lost a family member the other day.  My uncle, he was more than my uncle.  He has been my "dad" ever since my father passed away when I was 5 years old.  He has seen me through good times and bad, been there to give me advice, and hug me when I needed it.  He was truly a wonderful man.  He raised thousands and thousands of dollars for cancer research every year through Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  He was an incredible father, husband, uncle, brother, and friend.  He died in a horrific car crash.  Completely tragic, unexpected, devastating to my family.  He leaves behind a wife, 4 children, and 10 grandchildren.  And me, his surrogate daughter.  And many brothers and sisters and inlaws.  And his elderly mom.  We are all in such pain, There are just no words.  We all got together at my aunt's house last night, and it was just heart wrenching.  It was comforting, but awful at the same time.  This next week with the wake and funeral are going to be impossible. 

So, while I am supposed to be excited for my new journey about to begin, at the same time, I am grieving and just feel lost right now.

I know I said I wasn't  going to tell anyone about my WLS except hubby & the kids, and maybe my sister in law, but I did confide in my one aunt last night.  She completely understands, and is happy for me, nervous, but happy for me.  She knows I have done all the research and that I have really good doctors who would not approve of this if it wasn't necessary, and safe for me.
So, I just reassured her with what I know so far, and told her about Dr.C and his practice, and all the awards and recognition he and Sisters Hospital have received as Bariatric centers of excellence. 

She was like "oh no, not before THanksgiving!"  I said, eh, I will just have it early! Or, not at all. It's not my favorite meal anyway.  I'm thinking more like pasta- maybe some chicken fettucini alfredo from Olive Garden, a nice piece of chocolate cheesecake, their awesome salad and breadsticks!  Yes, I think that will be my last meal.  And, I will definitely need to have some pizza before hand too.  Because, well, I live in Buffalo, and we have the BEST pizza!

Well, that's all for now.  Must get the kids off to school, get the hubby out the door for work, and then I'm off to my aunts house to help in any way that I can.  Another day of UGH....

I know I shouldn't complain because I am one of the lucky ones who doesn't have to go through a 6 month waiting period/diet plan.  But, UGH.  So, I saw my PCP on Monday for my annual checkup and got my letter of medical necessity for Dr. Caruana's office.  Mailed that out to them on Monday, so it should be in my file by now.  On Friday I have appt with my Cardio to get clearance & letter from him, and then I just have to stop at my psych's office with copies of both letters and they will give me a clearance letter for surgery as well.  All will go in the mail to the surgeon's office on Friday afternoon, so hopefully I will get a call early next week to set up my appointment with Dr. Caruana.  When I called his office last week, they told me I'd get in to see him with in a week or two after they got all the paperwork, so let's keep our fingers crossed!  After he does his exam on me, and goes over everything, signs off on the surgery it all goes out to the insurance company for approval which I am told should take about 2 weeks. I plan on calling both the surgeon's office and BCBSwny after 1 week to make all the paperwork has been sent out and received.  I don't like to leave things to chance.  I think that's why there are delays and problems with paperwork so often.  So, I am taking control of the situation myself. I am keeping copies of everything.  I am sending the letters to my surgeons office myself instead of leaving it up to the staff at my other doctors offices- who knows how long it would take them.  It just gives me peace of mind to know that I have some control over the process, and that I know things are going where they need to, when they need to. 

So, I am hoping to get in to see Dr. Caruana by early October.  I am a SAHM, so my schedule is totally open, both kids in school all day. So, I can always ask to be put on a cancellation list to get in sooner.  If the timeline holds true, then insurance approval should come in by mid-late October, and I should get a surgery date in mid November.  Hopefully. 

Once the ball is rolling at Dr. Caruana's office, I have to go to a NUT class, a fitness class, and a support group meeting.  I am hoping to knock them all off the same day, or atleast in the same week.  Then, ofcourse, there will be some pre-op tests.  With the patients of his that I have chatted with on OH, he doesn't do too many pre-op tests, unless you have certain health conditions.  Thankfully, I don't have asthma, breathing issues, sleep apnea, or anything like that. No GERD or any digestive issues either.  So, all I am really expecting for him to order is typical bloodwork, chest xray, and ekg.

Wish me luck!

On a side note- I got a flu shot on Monday, and like clockwork, it kicked my ass. I mean, I feel like I have been hit by a truck.  Low fever, total body aches, really tired.  Usually lasts me a few days, and then I am fine.  But, I suppose it's much better than getting the full blown flu or swine flu. Oh- this is a great example of something---- I get totally sick from the flu shot- a pretty rare side effect.  Most people are just fine from it.  But, not me, I am sick every time.  Nothing I can do about it, no way to prevent it, and I had no idea it would make me sick until the first time I got the shot. But, I still get the shot, because I know it's what is best for me.  Well.....there are some people on OH who LOVE to scare the shit out of other people on here with their stories of how bad their post op experiences are.  I am not going to name names, but there is one in particular that really pisses me off.  This person has such a holier than thou attitude, shouts through the rafters to anyone who will listen about how bad their post op experiences have been, how they want to warn everyone and anyone who gets RNY that they could very likely end up in their boat.  Well, MOST of OH people stick to their diet.  MOST of OH people listen to their surgeons orders and plans for them.  MOST of OH people do not dump regularly.  Hmmm...could this be why you are in this situation?  So, needless to say, this person LOVES to scare the shit out of everyone on the OH boards telling them about their complications and how they think more and more people will have them- especially newbies.  LOVE IT- NOT!!!! I've done the research, many. many. times.  More than most doctors do.  I am a well educated patient.  I have a thirst for medical knowledge, and I read constantly about anything and everything medical, especially things that pertain to my own health or that of my family.  And, so my current passion is RNY.  I can't get enough info on it.  And I am here to tell you that this persons attitude and information is not factual- it is based on their own experience.  Just one of hundreds of thousands of people out there who have had RNY.  So, don't  let this person scare you with their "information".  Get the facts yourself, from real medical personnel, from real medical research.  It's not that hard to do.  SO- what I started to say in the beginning of this paragraph is ....just like I am among the very rare few who get sick from the flu shot, this person is among the very rare few who have suffered their complications post-op!

OK, enough ranting for today.  I feel better now.

I haven't been a size 8 since I was 19 years old.   And, I found out today that two of my dearest cousins are getting married next summer, July 2011, so I will have two different weddings to attend...oh how I would love to walk in wearing a really cute little size 8 dress!  I can just see the surprised look on all of my relatives faces when they see me for the first time, months and months after RNY, looking so healthy and fit!  I just want that so badly.

Oh, and I know there has to be more than just me out there who would love to walk past their old high school boyfriend looking totally hot!  My 20 year reunion is June 2012, so that is another reason I really want to be a size 8 again!

I want to be able to effortlessly bend over, touch my toes, clip my toenails, all those little things we struggle with each day....

I want to hop into a ride at an amusement park and not worry whether the safety belt will fasten- or worse, that I will be too big to ride at all. 

I want to be comfortable in an airplane ride, no matter what seat I am in- aisle, window, middle. 

I want to have the energy to go jogging- yes, jogging, not walking, not speedwalking- jogging!  For miles, not a couple of minutes.  

I don't want to be the fat girl at the gym anymore. I want to wear cute workout clothes instead of baggy t-shirts!

My children have never seen me thin.  I was about 120 pounds when I got pregnant with my first son, and gained 65 pounds while pregnant, and just gained and gained ever since.  I want my two boys to have a thin, healthy mom. 

I want to get off of a bunch of my meds.  I hate putting chemicals into my body, and most of them have long term side effects.  I want to be healthy enough that I can get rid of them!  They are expensive!

I want to see the look on all of my friends faces the first time they see me after months post-op, when I've dropped all of those pounds, inches, and sizes, and they can't even recognize that it's me!

I want to walk into a store, knowing that I can pick up pretty much any piece of clothing in the non-plus sized section, and it will fit!

I want to own a bathing suit that doesn't have a skirt! (and like my legs in it)

There is this thin girl inside of me who is screaming to get out, and I can't shut her up with cookies anymore!  I won't.  So, that is why I have chosen to have RNY, to get that help I need to reach my goal, to be healthy, and live a long and happy life.

Hello everyone...thank you for checking out my blog...hopefully it will be interesting, may be funny at times, and most of all I just want it to keep me sane through this whole process!

I have been thinking about WLS for a very long time now, did a little research, asked a few questions here and there, but it didn't really "hit" me until a couple of weeks ago when all of a sudden my legs feet and ankles swelled up like balloons, I was short of breath, and my blood pressure was crazy high.  Got to the cardiologist, hopped on the scale - and whoa- 256 pounds   the heaviest I have ever been- by far.  I hadn't been on a scale in months, but boy was I upset.  Now, they did put me on Lasix for the swelling, and I was down to 248 in two days time, but still, the heaviest I have ever been.  And, something clicked, I said to myself "it's time".  So, When I had my follow up a few days later with my primary doc I asked him how he felt about me having WLS, and he thought it was a very good idea. He immediately knew who to send me to- Dr. Caruana at Synergy Bariatrics, the best in NY State, and among the top 5 percent in the country, and only a 10 minute drive from my home!  It was releaving after reading up on his credentials and medical reviews that he's done over 3500 WLS to date, and has a less than 0.5% complication rate. And, we have a state of the art Bariatric Surgical wing at Sisters Hospital dedicated to WLS, with 10 private rooms, dedicated staff that is trained especially in the care of WLS patients, and it's also ranked among the top 5% in the country.  Very comforting. Atleast I know I should be in good hands for all of this.

Now, to explain to hubby what my plans are...he was very surprised. He did not expect those words coming out of my mouth at all. And, he was quite negative about it too.  Said he felt I should just diet and exercise, and that surgery was a crazy idea - and gross!  He just didn't understand.  He is 6 feet tall, 193 pounds, solid muscle, goes to the gym 3-4 days a week, and can eat anything he wants.  He doesn't get it that I have struggled for the past 17 years to get this weight off, and it just doesn't want to happen.  I will kill myself at the gym, cut my calories like crazy- I've even tried Alli and Slimfast before with no success at all. It took me an entire year to lose 45 pounds, and I gained it all back in a matter of 3 months, and then an additional 20 after that! Back surgery last summer was my downfall.  I was doing so well before that, had such a momentum at the gym, and did so well with my diet, but the recovery from surgery was way more than I bargained for, and it took a couple of months to feel good again- even after rehab at the gym, strengthening my back and legs, and doing the treadmill.  But, when the scale wasn't moving, I lost all momentum.  I gave up.  Since then I've tried walking and cutting calories again, no success. After going over all of this with hubby, and explaining the surgery in detail, the recovery time, showing him statistics of success and weight loss rates, he seems to finally "get" it.  He says if this is what I want, then he will support me all the way. Thank goodness.  I was going to do it no matter what he thought, but it's so much better knowing he's on board now.

So, I got on the Synergy Bariatrics website and learned the steps I needed to take to complete their requirements prior to surgery:
1. attend information seminar online or in office.
2. complete and mail in registration packet.
3. get letter of referral from primary doc.
4. get letter of referral from psychiatrist.
5. Have appointment with surgeon.
6. paperwork submitted for insurance approval.
7. attend meeting with NUT.
8. attend atleast one support group meeting in office.
9. receive surgery date!
10. pre-op tests and bloodwork.

The entire process should take less than 2 months. I am expecting a surgery date somewhere around mid to late November. Gosh, I wish it didn't take that long! I would do all the steps in two weeks if I could! But, I can't get in to my psych's office until Sept.28th, so that will delay things a bit. I am gonna call each morning to see if there's a cancellation, so I can get in earlier. I see my primary doc next week. He already did a referral, but my insurance and the surgeon's office requires a specific typed up letter in detail of my needs for WLS , as well as a signed form approving my participation in pre-op workout program.

So, I hope you will follow me on my journey, maybe message me with some advice...thanks for reading!