KathieInHawaii

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08/16/2007:  WOW! I can't believe the response the Protein Ball Recipes have gotten! Because I have received do many requests to post (and repost) the recipes, I thought I would add them to my profile so that whenever anyone wants them, they can come here to get them at their convenience and also so I don't monopolize the Message Board. I know that folks who frequent the message board must be getting sick and tired of seeing this long list posted over and over again. SO, for those of you who want the recipes, here they are!!!! In the future, if folks ask about them, please refer them to my page to get them. When I create new ones, I will add them here too. 

EGG NOG PROTEIN BALLS^©

1  CUP of Cream Cheese
1 CUP of Vanilla Protein Powder (whatever brand you like).... I use the French Vanilla Myoplex
1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of rum extract
Splenda to taste
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
For a crunchy texture, coat with chopped nuts (optional.....but it adds a nice crunch)
For a smooth texture, mix some Splenda with a small amount of Allspice and Nutmeg

1.  MIX cream cheese, protein powder, the extracts and Splenda (to taste) until well blended
2.  Dip fingers in water and coat your palm with a small amount of water
3.  Form 1" balls
4.  To coat, roll the balls in your choice of coatings (smooth or textured)
5.  Refrigerate
6.  ENJOY!!!!

It is like having a little egg nog truffle!!! 
Let me know what you think!!!

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN BALLS^©

1 CUP cream cheese
1  1/3 CUP protein powder (Vanilla is still my choice)
1/3 CUP pure packed pumpkin
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 teaspoon of Nutmeg
Splenda to taste ( with another extra 1/3 cup of the Splenda in packets set aside to make a coating)
Pumpkin Pie Spice (approx. 1/8 teasppon)
1/3 cup of water

1.  MIX all ingredients except the reserve of Splenda and Pumpkin Pie Spice and water
2.  Form 1" balls
3.  MIX reserve Splenda with the reserve Pumpkin Pie Spice
4.  Coat 1" balls in the Splenda and Pumkin Pie Spice mixture
5.  Refrigerate 
6.  ENJOY!!!!

For this recipe, use your own taste preferences to decide how much Splenda and Pumkin Pie Spice (if any) you want to use to coat your protein balls. Some folks love em fine without a coating. Others like the additional sweetness. For me, I tend to leave the coating off.....but have made it for friends who love the additional sweetness and flavor.

The estimated protein for each of these recipes (Egg Nog and Pumpkin Pie) are about 8 grams each depending on the protein powder you use and also the type of cream cheese. I go with the regular cream cheese which has a higher protein value than FREE or Reduced Calorie cream cheese. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP MINT PROTEIN BALLS^© (Chips are optional!!)

1 CUP of cream cheese
1 CUP of chocolate protein powder
1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon of mint extract
1/2 Cocoa Powder (set aside half for coating)
Splenda to taste
1/3 cup of water
OPTIONAL:  1/4 cup or more of carob chips or sugar free chocolate chips (Hersheys makes one now!!!) OR if you are like me and have a horrible reaction to sugar free products, I use about 1/2 handful of dark chocolate morsels)
OPTIONAL:  Dark chocolate shavings (also can use sugar free!)

1.  MIX cream cheese, protein powder, extracts, Splenda, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder together
2.  FOLD in carob chips or chocolate chips (optional!!)
3.  Form 1" balls
4.  Dip fingers in water and coat the palm of your hand
5.  ROLL in remaining cocoa powder
6.  REFRIGERATE
7.  ENJOY!!!!

As with the basic protein ball (peanut butter) recipe, the average protien for each ball is about 10 grams (less or more depending on the type of protein powder you use and also the size of balls)

COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER  Feel free to use these recipes for your own personal use and to share with your support groups to show how to incorporate as much protein in our diets as possible. Please do not use these recipes in cookbooks that are intended for sale/resale to weight loss surgery patients or any other groups as my goal is to provide them free of cost to folks in need. (Failure to ask permission to use them in for-profit publications violates copyright laws. Please contact me if you do want to use them for other than personal use).

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

08/09/2007:  Well, today is my birthday and I also had my 5th year anniversary of my Open RNY two days ago. It seems like I was doing the horrible bowel cleansing yesterday.........then again, it seems like a lifetime ago. It has been a tough week. I try to only weigh myself once a month because I tend to become a bit of a "scale whore" of the worst kind at various stages along the way........but I am hoping to see that I am gaining weight with the new vitamin/mineral supplementation and diet changes. I am feeling a bit better but today when I jumped on the scale, I was broken hearted. I lost 10 pounds in two weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Depending what my labs look like on August 20th, I may end up having reversal surgery which I am absolutely dreading. I had a panic attack today thinking of having another surgery. Lets just say I feel like a pitiful mess. Hopefully things will turn around in the next couple of weeks. The doctor I saw yesterday had to hand me tissues because I just started to bawl like a baby. Talk about feeling weak and a total failure!!! My regular PCM was out of town so I had to recount my entire 5 year saga AGAIN, which definitely was no fun. Most folks who hear about my situation sit there with their mouths gaped open. The truly weird thing is that my medical record still has a comorbidity of MORBIDLY OBESE (man I hate that term still!!!!). She came in, looked at me, looked at the record...looked at me... asked me my name and birthdate and when I gave her the information, she just plopped down in the chair with her jaw wide open. At any rate, my goal is to be more positive during the next few weeks to try and get past this. My dietician has "prescribed" eating Burger King 3 to 4 times a week. (the only fast food I can tolerate). Talk about weird to have a dietitian tell you to add MORE fat to your diet. Still feels odd......but hey! I did manage to put down about 1/2 of a Jr. Whopper and a few fries. Felt like I was in the twilight zone! LOL Pray for me guys.... NO REVERSAL SURGERY!!!!

07//20/2007:  The past year has been absolute hell. Because of the severe malabsorption issues I have, my body no longer absorbs nutrients from food and vitamins. After running a series of tests, they determined that my body no longer absorbs fat (from food or vitamins/supplements) either. Normally, we would think this is great huh? NO!!!!! At this time, I have Adrenal Insufficiency, Thiamine Deficiency (Beri-Beri), Copper Deficiency, and I no longer absorb any of the fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). I have always known the importance of vitamin supplementation and have been very compliant in making sure I took my supplements religiously. Unfortunately, because my intestinal tract has decided not to play NICE, I am plagued with many disorders that are life threatening.

To try to resolve the issue, my doctors have had their work cut out for them. Because of my severe state of malnutrition/malabsorption, I was told to throw ALL of my good dietary habits to the wind for three months. Because of tthe malabsorption, I can't absorb almost all of my medications. I have to have IM injections for my medications, IV infusion therapy to get my vitamin and mineral stores up enough so that I don't starve to death and if I can't get in the 10 meals a day that they have prescribed, I have a fall back plan of nasal/gastric feedings. They put me on the same supplementation that they put kids with cystic fibrosis on (they can't metabolize fat either). I found that they also have a WATER SOLUBLE form of the fat soluble vitamins available on the market... they are called ADEKS (for vitamins A, D, E and K). They are chewable and much more easily absorbed. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to see if their surgeons or PCPs will prescribe them for you. (I believe you can also get them OTC). I stopped taking B12 injections after about 18 months and was switched to sublingual B12.....but since I have absolutely no stores, they put me back on B12 injections 1x month............and had my first injection one month ago. I can already tell a difference.. no longer exhausted and also I have less confusion, etc..  The other new supplement that they have prescribed is called MCT Oil. Because I can't metabolize and/or absorb fat from food/vitamins, the MCT Oil is basically pure fat.  By taking it with food and vitamins, it will help me to maximize absorption. The only downside is that (1) NASTY STUFF!!!! and (2) The oil is pure fat and is 150 tablespoon....and I have to take 6-10 tablespoons a day. THIS may kill me before the starvation!!!!)................

In August, I will have repeat labs and tests to see if there is any change. If not, I will most likely have to have a reversal surgery. I have peripheral neuropathy of my left side and have had a couple of falls because I can't feel my leg and/or arm. I have Beri-Beri and Rickets (Vitamin D Def.), perniscious anemia, chronic anemia, low blood calcium, my thyroid is way off even though I take 600 mcg a day (not absorbing), syncope (fainting), low blood pressure, disorientation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and was also diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. In a nutshell.... I am messed UP!!! 

Hopefully my labs will look better because in all honesty, I am terrified and horrified at the prospect of (1) having a reversal and (2) having another surgery!!!!! I have had 19 surgeries since my TT... I am tired of being cut open and because of the Vitamin E deficiency, healing is a huge challenge. (Had surgery in April 2007 and am still trying to heal...)

My goal is to stay positive, get my life back... and life a healthy, long life.

In a nutshell, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take your supplements! Your life depends on it!

06/09/2006: I haven't logged in to AMOS in AGES!!!!!!! It looks totally different! I like the new format! I miss all my friends so I decided it was time to come back! This past year and a half has been HELL. Things were going great (even after the cancer, etc.) and then I started to have these episodes of syncope (fainting). My heart rate would slow down and actually at times, my heart would stop and I almost died several times. In addition to this I was diagnosed with Adrenal Insufficiency. My cortisol levels were not existent. Finally after months of having these horrible symptoms, I had a doctor who finally was able to diagnose me properly. He found that I had a Thiamine Deficiency! (Also known as Beri Beri). This is very rare and is typically only seen in alchoholics with a poor diet (I don't drink!) or starving people in third world countries. After all the tests, they told me that my body had stopped absorbing protein and carbohydrates. I was starving to death. I lost all my muscle mass, my heart became compromised/damaged and my brain was shutting down. It was very scary. I did suffer two heart attacks and a stroke in April 2006. Once they were able to figure out what the problem was, they started me on a THIAMINE supplement. ONE B1 vitamin each day. Can you believe it?!??!?! ONE STINKING VITAMIN!

My goal now is to inform ALL POSTOPS that they need to include B1 and Folic Acid to their supplementation regime. All the protein and calcium won't do you a bit of good if your body becomes deficient in Thiamine and is not able to absorb anything. The Bariatric Surgeons will be meeting in July to discuss the new findings. This is happening MORE and MORE. Please... please.. please.. read this and if you already have symptoms (passing out, feeling weak no matter what you do, GO DO YOUR DOCTOR AND HAVE HIM CHECK YOUR THIAMINE LEVELS!!!)

I don't want anyone going through what I have been going through. Stay healthy and happy!

Hugs,
Kathie

01/14/2005: It is SOOooooo hard to believe that it is 2005 and the New Year has begun. So far, it has been a pretty great New Year. Cancer free and life is grand! I have even managed to gain a few well needed pounds back. I feel really comfortable and stable at about 127-130 pounds. Anything lower than that and folks say I look sick. (Hate it when that happens! LOL). We are having a bit of a "family reunion" when most of my family arrives in Hawaii tomorrow. My younger brother has a medical conference he has to attend. His wife, who is also a doctor, is coming just to relax. My mother and father said HECK! If they are coming so are we! And hopefully my brother who lives in Australia will be able to break away and come too! It will be nice. They haven't seen me in well over a year or so. I have changed a lot physically since then. It will be interesting to see if they even recognize me! Last time they didn't! lol

10/21/2004: Hard to believe that in just a few days I will be minus an organ (or two or three! LOL). It is just about TIME! I don't think I have ever looked forward to surgery more.. even my tummy tuck. At any rate, the plan is to do the hysterectomy and also exploratory surgery. They can't figure out why I keep having fevers and my lymph nodes keep swelling so the main thing is to find out whether or not the cancer has spread to my lymph nodes and/or other organs. I am being optimistic. But I have to say that this whole experience has left me IMPATIENT to get back to a healthy ME. Talk about "inconvenient!".. LOL I hope to be able to post soon. Surgery is on 10/25/2004. Should be in the hospital a week. Longer if I need to start chemotherapy. Hoping that this is not the case. THEN it is home and time to recuperate! OHH!! I just found out that I can pretty much have my thighs, breasts and arms done in March as long as I am healthy and cancer free! SO pray for me!!! Because these thighs, breasts and arms are a mess!

09/23/2004: I found out a couple of days ago that I will be having my hysterectomy on October 25, 2004. I can't WAIT to have this done but I am devastated that they might end up ruining my abdominoplasty and gorgeous belly button!! Waaahaaaa!!! I know I am a big baby... but heck! I went through a lot to have my tummy tuck done and to have it messed up really is upsetting. The good news is that I am back on the list to have it repaired if necessary. If they can "salvage" it now, they will. Otherwise, in a few months, it can be redone. I was hoping to have my mastopexy and thighs done sometime after the New Year..but that might change. Oh well! Things happen right?

09/16/2004: OKAY! Even though I updated my profile just yesterday (lol), I had to update once again. I had my appointment with my GYN/ONC surgeon today and it looks like I am ready to have my hysterectomy! I cannot wait to have it done but I have some mixed feelings because he is not sure where he will place the incision. If he goes horizontally, he will potentially mess up the abdominoplasty incision. If he goes vertical (following the same line as my RNY incision), then he may mess up the belly button that I adore. Sheesh! In either case, I just pray that they are able to maintain the muscle tightening that was done with my abdominoplasty. If I have to have it done AGAIN, I won't be pleased..but heck, if I have to have another abdominoplasty to repair the previous work done, I will. That is my latest news. I am very close to being cancer free ... which is really wonderful. I can get back to my OLD self soon.. WOOHOOO!!!

09/15/2004: Because a certain wonderful person (SPYDER) coughed and said it was time to update my profile, I am here.. updating my profile! LOL Things are going very well. I hit my 2 year anniversary for my Open RNY on August 7, 2004. It still amazes me that it has been two years already! Then again, feels like a lifetime. The changes have been nothing short of miraculous. When I went back through my medical charts and saw that in April 2002, I weighed a whopping 323 pounds and here today, I am at 123, I can't comprehend that this means I am down a whole 200 pounds. That is how much a BABY ELEPHANT weighs at birth!! OMG! lol At any rate, I am 7 months post-TT and I have to say I adore the results. I am waiting to have my mastopexy and thighplasty done but before I can do these (because they are elective), I have to have a hysterectomy so I am, once and for all, free of uterine cancer. (Lord, I hate that word!). Other than this, not a whole lot is going on! Life is grand! I adore waking up each day to face a new, exciting day.

07/08/2004: I can't believe it has been so long since I posted. Time sure flies. It has been an interesting few months to say the very least. Six weeks after my tummy tuck, they found I had some huge masses/tumors/fibroids in my uterus and abdomen. Talk about painful! Initially I wasn't sure if it was pain due to the tummy tuck/hernia repair or not. The pains were "different". Almost like contractions. Needless to say, after many tests, they found out what the problem was. I had an arterial uterine fibroid embolization done.. they implanted radiation seeds and once they kill everything off, I will have a hysterectomy. At first I was totally devastated because I had just had abdominal surgery. Now, two months later, I am so ready for them to remove every bodily organ that I don't need to survive! lol I can't wait to get back to the gym. I feel so much better when I work out, that is for sure. At any rate, the weight loss is stable, THANK GOD! I don't want to lose another ounce and it has been hard to maintain (and not lose). I am at about 128-130 right now, which still seems surreal to me. As for clothing sizes, I am not one to get all jazzed about that because, heck, depending on which style and which designer you buy, the sizes vary so much. Typically I am in a 4/6.. sometimes larger and sometimes smaller. The smallest I have worn to date is a size 2. I can still wear a size 8 here and there. It all depends.. The best news is that other than the uterine cancer thing, I am healthy!! I hope the next year proves to be a healthy one. Even with everything that has been going on, I am ecstatic about what I have been able to accomplish so far. Regrets about WLS? Absolutely none!!

03/01/04: Today I am 3 weeks postop for my hernia repair and tummy tuck! WOO HOOOOO!! Hard to believe that time has gone by so fast. I am totally thrilled with the results of the abdominoplasty. The swelling has been unreal but even with all of it, the effects are great. I have a nice, flat stomach for the first time in my life AND a great new belly button. The surger itself was actually pretty easy. Relatively no pain, which is great. I was really nervous about it to be honest. The only set back I had was about a week after the surgery. I ended up with a bowel obstruction and was admitted for a few days. They were able to unkink the intestine without taking me in to the operating room (only 30 minutes to surgery before it worked! Talk about scary!). Other than that, the recuperation has been pretty uneventful!

02/02/2004: Well my first round of plastic surgery starts in less than six days! Hard to believe!!! I am having a hernia repair, muscle wall repair, scar revision and abdominoplasty on February 9, 2004. Originally I was scheduled to have it done on December 22, 2004 but due to some abnormal lab values (anemia), a miscarriage and being told to not lose ANY MORE WEIGHT (yeah right! when have I ever hear that before?? NEVER! LOL), they placed it on hold. At any rate, I am excited and nervous. I had my final appointment with the plastic surgeon yesterday. I go to my preanesthesia appointment on Friday morning and surgery will be on Monday. I have to admit I am a bit more nervous with the plastics than I was with the Open RNY. I have an excellent plastic surgeon though so I am thrilled. Well that is all for now. I will update and post new pictures once the swelling goes down. MAN! What an amazing journey this has been!

11/14/2003: WOW! I am 15 months postop and have lost a total of 172 pounds. It still feels totally unreal at times. Compared to where I was 2 years ago and where I am now, it is like I am two totally different people! My biggest personal accomplishment over the past few months has to be my exercise routine. It still amazes me that I actually look FORWARD to working out and no longer feel it is a chore! In fact, if I don't work out, I feel like I am missing something.. like walking around naked or something (LOL..and that would NOT be a Kodak moment!). At any rate, I work out 6 days a week at the gym. I get in at least 1 hour of intensive cardio training a day. I also do weight training at least 3 times a week. I have also recently started yoga (which is sure harder than I thought it would be!). I would have to say that the elliptical trainer is my obsession. I try to get in various types of cardio machines but I am HOOKED on that elliptical trainer. When I first started to workout a while back, I lasted about 3 minutes before I felt like my chest was going to explode. Well I can now proudly say that I go for an hour (or more!) and feel fantastic! The level is between a 6 and 15.. which is something I am extremely proud of! I can now even keep up with the active duty military folks who work out at the same time! In fact, many times my workouts are even more intense than theirs! May sound a wee bit silly but that is an accomplishment for since a little of a year ago, it was a huge effort to even look for the remote control for the TV! LOL ..

07/24/2003: I had my Plastic Surgery consult this morning with Dr. Parsa. I am so incredibly impressed with him!!! His office is wonderful. It is really nicely decorated (granted this might sound silly but we are talking about a man who is going to resculpt my BODY!! He better have good taste darn it! LOL). He is an accomplished artist and has his own artwork on the walls. If he ever gave up his practice, he would very easily make a living at selling his paintings! He also has persian rugs on the floors and the most impressive furnishings. Definitely MY KIND OF GUY!! Dr. Parsa was very easy to talk to and explained things thoroughly. We are looking at doing abdominoplasty and mastopexy (breast lift). He took measurements and his approximate estimate about the amount of skin that he will remove is anywhere between 16-19 pounds!! That seems like a LOT!!!! At any rate, he can do the surgery at any time (like as in the next TWO WEEKS!!!!!) but I am going to hold off (no matter how much it kills me!!!) until January or February. I will be more stablized with my weight which will yield a better (hopefully!) result. At any rate, I am so excited! I now know what to expect in a few months. Looks like I am on the second phase of my JOURNEY!! Life is grand!!!!!!

07/23/2003: I am getting pretty bad about updating my profile! Lots has been going on. First of all, I am almost at my ONE YEAR anniversary for surgery. It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year (on August 7th). To date, I have lost 154 pounds. I am scheduled for my Plastic Surgery Consult tomorrow morning with Dr. F. Don Parsa. He came highly recommended to me by the President of my company, who is also a surgeon. I was fortunate enough to get consults both at Tripler and with Dr. Parsa. At any rate, I think I will most likely shoot for a surgery date in January 2004. I would like a few more months to (1) stabilize my weight (2) accrue more vacation/illness time, and (3) wait till after the holidays! I am so excited!!!! I will post more after the consult.

04/28/2003: Can it really be that I haven't updated my profile in THREE MONTHS? Where does time go??? Well, lots has been happening! My weight loss has slowed down a bit BUT I am still ecstatic about where I am. I have lost 142 pounds!!! WOO HOOO!!! I am wearing a size 12 skirt, size 10/12 or large shirt. Once I have my tummy tuck, I hope to be able to wear a size 10 pants but for right now the extra skin is keeping me in a 12 or a 14. I have actually had people ask me when I am going to "STOP" losing weight! They are concerned I may be TOO thin! WOW! Never thought I would hear that before!! I have about 20 more pounds to go before I reach my goal.. LIFE IS GRAND!!

01/20/2003: WOW!! I can't believe it has been so long since I updated my profile!! A lot has been going on! To date, I have lost 118 pounds. Still seems very unreal! I am wearing a size 14 or a size Large. I even bought a Large-Petite this weekend. Lately, there have been lots of comments from people but as usual, I still don't see it! lol However, when I was at the gym last week (working out 5-6 days a week!), I could tell when I looked in the mirrors on the free-weight floor. I even had to do a double take because I didn't think it was me! TOO FUNNY!! Things are really going well. I am trying to cut down on my carbs a bit because the loss has been slowing down lately. My calorie intake is between 700-800 per day. I am trying (and I do mean TRYING!) to keep my carb intake to under 40 grams per day. But I love my fruit and veggies so it can be tough. I am trying to keep it balanced. I have never been one to do 100% protein.. so we shall see how things go. I really look forward to my workout every day. What a difference a few months makes!! Exercise was torture before. Now I feel bad if I don't. Amazing huh??

11/18/2002: Well, it has been a little over 3 months since my surgery and I am done......(drum roll please!! lol).......92 POUNDS!!! EEEEKK!!! I am only 8 pounds away from the CENTURY CLUB!! OMG!!!

11/13/2002: Well I had the most wonderful request today from a very special lady!!!!!!!! Roni Morris asked me to be her ANGEL!!! What an HONOR!!! Of course, I accepted without hesitation! She is an absolute DOLL! I am ecstatic that she is FINALLY getting her surgery. I just wish that it wasn't so far away. I am half tempted to fly to California to go and see her! lol My husband would have a fit....but hey! I love this girl!!!
Her big day is November 21st. Hmmmmmmmmmm!!! Gotta call Cheap Tickets!!!! By the way, I had an appointment with my PCP and my status is great! Down 85 pounds!! WOOO HOOO!!! They lowered my Iron supplements and in a weird twist, also lowered my Synthroid!! STRANGE!!! I am taking almost NO MEDICATION NOW!!! Life is grand!!!

11/07/2002: Today is my 3 month anniversary since my weight loss surgery! It feels like it was yesterday. Then again, it feels like it was YEARS ago!! I am so happy with my progress so far. As of today, I have lost 80 pounds. MAN, when I type that it is so hard to believe but it is true! It will be interesting to see what the next few months bring.

11/01/2002: WOW! Not even 3 months and I am down 76 pounds!!!!!!!! I am still in shock when I look at the numbers! During the past week, I have had several people actually call me skinny. That word has not been used in association with me in YEARS!!! It feels great though. The hardest part about the weight loss so far is dealing with the plateaus and CLOTHES!!! I seem to need to buy new clothes every other week. I am in a size 16 or 18 now, which floors me! I think that by Christmas I might be in a 14! Could it truly BE?!?!?? As far as plateaus go, they are maddening as hell! The only good thing that comes out of them is the fact that my other friends are going through them too so I know it is not just me. All and all, life is FANTASTIC!!!

10/18/2002: Well, at 2.5 month, I am down 68 pounds. Went from a size 24/26 to size 18! My bra size went from a 44DD to a 40D. I actually bought a size XL skirt and it fit. I am still amazed. I had two ladies stop me in the building where I work to tell me how wonderful I looked. They didn't think it was "me" at first. I thought it was really sweet that two ladies I have never spoken to before made a point to tell me that I looked fabulous and to keep up the great work. It will be interesting to see what things are like by Christmas time! Who knows....I might be at goal?? I know I will start having a slow down in the weight loss here shortly but I am excited that I have lost almost 70 pounds...and I think another 40 is really manageable at this point! The key is the exercise and water. I am working out every morning for an hour before I go to work and if possible, again in the evening. My best friend, Steph, and I are also taking Belly Dancing classes! It is LOTS of fun...but much harder than one would expect. I took it in college but hey, I was younger and in better shape then! At any rate, I feel fantastic!! That is what I am most thrilled about. Everything is falling into place nicely. Not that this coincides with the weight loss...but I am in line for a promotion at work! I wonder if it DOES have anything to do with the loss though? HMMM!!! Time will tell!

10/07/2002: It is hard to believe that it has been two months since my surgery! So much has happened and yet it doesn't seem that long ago that I was waiting for surgery!! At any rate, life is FANTASTIC!!! I have lost 58POUNDS in TWO MONTHS! That in itself is just incredible! I feel absolutely wonderful! I am slowly being taken off all my medications, which is terrific. I am exercising! I have energy! I have gone from a size 24/26 to a size 18! Life couldn't be better!!!!

09/25/2002: Today was my first day back at work and I feel great!!! As of yesterday I am 46 pounds down... not bad in seven weeks! It is kind of hard to believe that I am slightly less than half way to my goal weight.. WOW! I know that things will slow down a bit from here on out but I am feeling terrific and that is what counts. I had my "Return To Work" physical at my workplace today (even though my surgeon gave me the ALL CLEAR. When the nurse took my blood pressure, she told me that she was a little concerned because my pressure was 90/54!!!! She asked if I was taking hypertensive meds..which I am. Looks like I won't be needing them anymore! I have to make an appointment with my PCM to re-evaluate whether I need to still take them! I am amazed that in such a short time, I have gone from taking 24 meds a day to 7...and now I will be taking LESS! I am SOOOOoooo thankful for this surgery. If anyone is reading this and is not sure, trust me, you deserve this. I should have had this done years ago. I would have saved myself years of pain and agony. LIFE IS WONDERFUL!!!!!!

09/02/02: A little over 3 weeks post op and I am doing fine! I have gone from 296 to 267....a total of 28 pounds. The scale keeps going back and forth on me. lol Up a pound...down a pound. It can be very frustrating. Even though I KNEW I was going to hit a plateau early on (after about the second week), I guess emotionally you aren't ready for it. lol It is okay though.. I know I am doing what I am supposed to be doing though. I am trying to get the protein in...that is my worst problem area. Water is not too bad. Walking is pretty good. I am not in the mood to snack (or EAT!) at all...so I am not having any head hunger. My caloric intake each day is pretty low. It is ranging from 300 - 450 per day. The highest days are when I try to get in a protein shake...which my stomach HATES! lol Oh well!!!

08/19/2002: Well, I am 12 days post op and feeling pretty good!! Surgery went well. It was a bit longer than expected because they had difficulty getting the epidural in. The catheter was all set but then they bent the wire so it had to come out...which meant no epidural for me. Bummer! They decided that they needed to get on with the procedure so they proceeded. Upon opening me up, they noticed I had significant adhesions from my previous C-sections, which were taken care of because they were also doing an umbilical hernia repair. There was a major artery running directly in their path so they had to tread lightly. In addition to this, they had difficulty finding my gall bladder! Seems the little guy was hiding! LOL After all this was taken care of, the RNY was performed. Per Dr.Z., he said that my surgery was the most text book case he had performed to date. :) The surgery lasted almost eight hours because of all the other things that needed to be done. After surgery I was taken to the ICU. Because the surgery lasted longer than expected and the amount of anesthetic used, my respirations were pretty low coming out of surgery so they left me on the vent. Trust me..it was NO fun waking up on a ventilator...but it was not that bad either. I was bound by restraints to prevent me from pulling at the tubes. The worst parts were not being able to talk, having the machine breath FOR me and not being able to move my hands/feet. After about five hours, they removed the breathing tube and restraints. During the time I was on the vent, they could not administer any pain meds because it could make my respirations shallow again. This was no fun at all because the anesthesia was wearing off and I started to feel the pain very intensely. My body was not a happy camper!!! The pain of the incision triggered a migraine from hell. We spent the next 18 hours trying to get the pain under control. Rebound pain is the worst!!! The good thing was that I didn't even NOTICE the NG tube!! The NG tube was removed the next day...but it was not even that bad! I was one of the first patients Dr. Z. has put a gastric tube in also. This was by far the worst part of the surgery (when they removed it the day I left the hospital!...UGH!) At any rate, I was released after 5 days of hospitalization. I was so happy to be home. The first few days were tough because no matter WHAT you do you can't get comfortable. Last night was my first really GOOD night's sleep. I am feeling really good and I am quite convinced this is the best thing I could have ever done. I am also amazed at the portions I am eating...or lack thereof! LOL Even though I KNEW I would only be able to eat two bites.....actually DOING so is amazing. Though it is not official, my scale says I have lost about 13 pounds. We shall see... I have my first appointment with Dr.Z. tomorrow afternoon. We shall see what HIS scale says. At any rate, I am on the way back to feeling quite normal!!! Life is great!

07/31/2002: One week from today! I am amazed. In a way, it truly hasn't set in yet. Time has been going by so quickly too. My father flew into town last night with my oldest son, Tim, who has been on the mainland all summer. It was so wonderful seeing him again. PLUS, it was great seeing my father again too. At any rate, I had an appointment with my surgeon yesterday. We are a "go" for the 7th. My next step is my SAC (Surgical Admissions Center) appointment on Monday morning. Tuesday I will come to work for an hour or so...then it is time to do the ever so LOVELY bowel prep. Then it is off to the hospital Wednesday morning at 4:45 a.m. (Most likely a 5:30 a.m. check in). I can't believe that after waiting so long, my date has finally arrived. WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

07/29/2002: My surgery date is nine days away! Hard to believe. The only down side is that my best pal, Stephanie, who was supposed to have her surgery on July 15th, is still waiting. I know she will have her date soon but I was really hoping that August 5th would be her special day and that we would be together. She is such a special lady and we have become pretty close during the past few weeks. We have so many common interests and all and all, she is just a gem. I know it will all work out..but I want it to work out SOON!!! SO much for patience!!! At any rate, I am getting excited. My father is going to be here while I have surgery. He extended his trip an extra couple of weeks so that he could be here to help with the boys so that Len could spend time with me while I was in the hospital. I am so very touched!! At any rate, I can't believe surgery is a week and two days away!!! WOW!!!

07/22/2002: I HAVE A DATE!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe it!!! After waiting almost three years, I have a date and it is only two weeks away! August 7, 2002! I am so ecstatic I don't know what else to say. My only wish is that Stephanie, my sweet, dear friend, could have surgery on August 5th. I will keep praying for her. I know that things will work out.

07/17/2002: It has been a long week so far!! Tammy had her surgery on Monday. Stephanie and I spent the whole day with her husband, Gordon, in the waiting room. Everything went well. We got to see her after she was all settled in the Surgical ICU. The next day and a half, she had some discomfort due to the NG tube and a low grade fever. They performed a barium swallow test today to rule out a leak. Good news was that there was none. Because of her fever and low O2 sats, they decided to keep her in the SICU one more night. They did take the NG tube out though which seemed to make a huge difference! I am really proud of Tammy. She handled everything like a trooper! Now we have to get Stephanie in for her surgery (her day was supposed to be Monday but they rescheduled due to some abnormal bloodwork).

GOOD NEWS FOR ME!!!! I received a call from Anna today! She gave me an appointment date/time for my one-on-one appointment with Dr. Zagorski and her!!! She said that during this appointment, Dr. Z. will give me a date!!! Len will be going with me. I am praying that he answers the questions the "right" way. At any rate, it looks like surgery will take place in the first few weeks of August. It would be amazing if they said it was sooner. Who knows!! I will post more on the 23rd when I know more!!

07/05/2002: Well, life has been pretty grand. I had my EGD/Colonoscopy last week and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. The doctor told me my colon looked beautiful (gotta wonder about someone who would say that.. but HEY! LOL) and that my iron deficiency anemia is most likely caused by menstruation. Which is fantastic news. Another bit of good news is that I heard from Anna, the gastric bypass coordinator for my surgeon and it looks as though my labs are looking better and better. As soon as Dr. Z. gets back I might be able to get in to see him. Hopefully that means there is an end in sight. Things are starting to look up. The only down side is that there are some rifts going through our little online support group. I wish everyone could get along but I guess when you are dealing with people on the WLS emotional roller coaster ride, there are bound to be bumps and scrapes along the way. I hope that next week I will have some good news to report. I will have my labs repeated on Monday and I see my PCP on Tuesday. Dr. Z. returns from his mainland trip on Monday as well. Anna wanted to make sure that he had the results/report from the GI work up when he returned so hopefully that means we are moving forward. She has been really wonderful. At any rate, my fingers are crossed.

06/25/2002: I had my appointment with the Neuro-opthalmologist today. The news was not good...not that I expected otherwise. My optic nerves are being damaged by the increased pressure. There is even more reason now to perform the surgery ASAP. He fired off an email message to the surgeon explaining my condition. Hopefully when Dr. Z. gets back from his mainland trip on July 8th, we will be able to get some information about a surgery date. The visual disturbances are increasing and the pain is not under control. I have my EGD/Colonoscopy scheduled for 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Hopefully that is my last road block before surgery. I have a feeling that the iron deficiency anemia is either being caused by excessive menstrual bleeding and/or malabsorption. That is what the gastroenterologist thought when I went to see him for the initial consult on May 1st but he decided to do the tests to rule out anything significant.. which is fine. :) At any rate, I feel I am one step closer to getting this surgery done. I think I will call Anna with the findings of the test Thursday or Friday. I hope that she has been able to take a breather with Dr. Z. being out of town. She has been running herself ragged. If anyone deserves a vacation, it is her.

06/21/2002: Well, it has been an interesting couple of weeks! Lets see....My sweet pal, Tammy, got her date!!!! She will be having surgery on July 17th! WOO HOO!!!! Another girl in our group is having surgery on the 15th (Stephanie!). AND Judie (VA) is having her's on the 16th! What a busy week!!! I am SO happy for all of them. There have been some other "strange" happenings in our group also. One poor girl had what we can only describe as a disasterous outcome with her WLS surgery journey. She was ready to have surgery scheduled.. then BAAM! Now she is going to go to see Dr. Balfour instead. My heart goes out to her. I wish there was some way I could give her my spot on his list since I know I am not going to use it. Who knows. .. if I stay on his list long enough and then pull out at the last minute, hopefully she will be moved up into my spot. She deserves it. ANYWAY, no new news on my date. I have my EGD/Colonoscopy scheduled for next week. Hopefully we shall hear something after that. I had my labs done again today to see what my Iron levels were. They are slowly coming up. I also had to have my 3 month cycle of chemotherapy. GOD, I cannot wait until I have this surgery so I don't have to go through this torture anymore. It is so hard to explain to people what I have to go through with this stupid comorbidity. I try to remain positive...but at times it is so hard. I do know that if I don't have the surgery soon, I would prefer death to living like this for much longer. BUT I am going to remain positive.... because my surgery date will happen soon enough. (FINGERS ARE CROSSED!)

06/10/2002: I am rather excited! I got a message from my Neurologist today that indicated my surgeon, Dr. Zagorski, plans to perform my surgery NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER!!! He is planning on going to the mainland for several weeks towards the end of June and for the first couple of weeks in July, so I am hoping that my surgery will be shortly after that!! The light is at the end of the tunnel. The last week has been rough because my PTC has been flaring up and I am having difficulty seeing well. Now I can start thinking of my new future. WOOO HOOOO!!!!!

06/06/2002: WOW! I cannot believe that it has been so long since my last post. Not much has happened...yet a lot has happened!! Mada Benoit, my little angelette, had surgery yesterday. She sounded GREAT when I talked with her. My other little angelette, Anna Marks, is doing wonderfully!! She has lost 30 pounds in just a couple of weeks. They are both my inspiration!!

I had an appointment with my Neurologist yesterday. He handed down the bad news that my PTC is flaring up and that I am officially out of remission. I was crushed!! But I knew it was happening because my headaches have become untolerable and my vision in the left eye is very poor. The positive thing is that he says I need to have surgery SOON and that it cannot wait. He is going to let Dr. Zagorski know that the surgery needs to take place ASAP. We shall see what happens! I had my dietary consult earlier this week. It went well. I am done with all my preop consults and lab tests. Now it is just a waiting game. I am going to have an EGD/Colonoscopy done on June 26th because of my anemia. I also have an appointment with my Neuroopthalmologist on June 25th to determine how much damage my optic nerves have suffered with this new PTC attack. I will be praying they at least give me a date soon. I am having a much more difficult time coping with the pain this time. The wait is tough too... but I will survive.

05/15/2002: I am so excited! Anna Marks had her surgery today and I just got off the phone with her. She sounds good! Was in a bit of pain but that was to be expected!!! I am so proud of her!! Lets see...............Not a whole lot is happening with me. I have to go and have lab tests performed. I think I will go on Friday since they have to be a fasting draw. I also have my nutrition consult scheduled for June 4th at 0900. I feel like we are moving forward a bit. I haven't heard from my brother yet about Dr. Z.'s response to his email and/or call. My brother, in his infinite wisdom, doesn't want to appear to be too pushy because (as he knows all too well) you don't want to get the surgeon to think you are questioning his judgement. I have faith that it will all work out soon enough! Granted, I am still tempted to call both Tim AND the doctor's office to see if there is any change in status. I figure that I will call on Friday after the labs are done so I can let Anna know to look for the reports. Fingers are STILL crossed!!!! Besides Anna's surgery today, another VERY special event took place. MADA BENOIT has asked me to be her ANGEL! That is SOOOooooooo wonderful!!!! I was so honored!!!!! Now that my Angelette, Anna, is safely on the other side, it is so nice to have another Angel in the Wings!!! THANKS MADA!!!!!!!

05/13/2002: I am so nervous!! I spoke with my brother, Tim, yesterday about my problems with getting this surgery done in a reasonable amount of time. After he heard the list of medications I am on...and that I am terrified that my PTC will be flaring up soon, he said that he would make SURE that he spoke with Dr. Zagorski today. (He called several times on Friday but I guess Dr. Zagorski was in surgery most of the day and did not get back to him.) It is so wonderful to have such a supportive brother!!! He said that no matter what, we will have this surgery performed well before September. Even if it means flying me to San Diego or to Baltimore... I will have it done. I have a feeling that once Dr. Zagorski talks with Tim (surgeon to surgeon), a date will be soon to follow. At least that is what I am hoping!!! My fingers are crossed. BOY I can't wait to hear what Tim has to say!!!

05/10/2002: Well, today I called Anna at Tripler and asked her if I should take myself off of Dr. Balfour's waiting list. She told me not to do so at this time (because if Dr. Balfour can get to me before Dr. Zagorski, I should go with him). I tried to explain to her that I do not WANT to have Dr. Balfour perform my surgery!!!! She is a doll but I don't think she understands how I feel on this matter. I was very frustrated to say the least. I normally don't pull out what I jokingly call the BIG GUNS...but my brother is a surgeon at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. I called him (in tears!) and explained to him what has been going on. He is such a doll. He understood my concerns and said that he would personally speak with Dr. Zagorski about me and my case. I am just terrified about having more lumbar punctures. I am terrified of having an LP shunt placed in my brain. I am terrified of going blind. I have already had two operations... and medication is beginning to fail. My only alternative at this point is the weight loss surgery!! I am hoping that Tim will be able to plead my case. He is not only going to speak with Dr. Zagorski personally but he is also going to talk to his surgical contacts at Walter Reed to see if anything can be done. Another alternative to my having surgery here in Hawaii is to go to either San Diego or to Maryland. I would prefer Maryland because this is where my brother and sister in law live. WE SHALL SEE! Tim said he would page Dr. Z. this evening (when he gets out of surgery) and try to talk with him. I certainly don't want Dr. Z. to get angry that I am having my brother contact him but I have a feeling that the professional courtesy between two surgeons will go much further than me calling poor Anna (who is so busy!) repeatedly. Hopefully I will have good news soon!

05/01/2002: Today I go for my GI consult to have an EGD and Colonoscopy. What FUN!! I also (still) have the appointment for the MMPI test at 1100. The other day I wrote a long dissertation about how I was NOT going to go to Straub and cancelled the appointment. Well, after speaking with Anna yesterday, I felt a bit uneasy so I decided to keep the appointment instead JUST as a safety net. Anna is very helpful but there are times when I think she is trying to persuade me to go to Straub. I have told her repeatedly that it is not an issue of time (though that does matter) but at this point it is a matter of principle too. I don't like the way I am treated at Straub.... so Tripler feels better for me. She kept talking about IF I have surgery there. So I decided to keep my bases covered JUST in case. I have no doubt after the appointment with Dr. Zagorski in one week I will know better. Since the MMPI was scheduled for today, I might as well take the time and take it!! What do I lose other than about an hour and a half?? I can live with that. I am also hoping to see Linda so I can see what is happening with the surgical waiting list. I have heard quite a few people have dropped off their list so who knows, maybe my name is closer to the top now. If it IS.. then I have one hell of a decision to make. Stick with my convictions and principles and WAIT (for surgery at Tripler).. OR cave and have surgery at Straub... Decisions, decisions....

04/30/2002: Yesterday I cancelled my MMPI appointment with Straub. I was slightly amused about it too. When I called to ask to speak with Linda, the bypass surgery scheduler, I got Steven (one of the receptionist/intake staff). It did not come as a shock to me when after asking my name, I could hear him asking Linda is she wanted to talk to me. I heard her say "Not now"... Needless to say, Steven came back on the line and said she wasn't available and asked if he could take a message. I told him I was cancelling my appointment for May 1st and also told him that next time he should put me on hold since I had heard Linda say she didn't want to talk. After a bit of stammering and stuttering, Steven said that she was going in with a patient and THAT is the reason why she couldn't talk. YEAH RIGHT!!! I tell ya, I am SO glad I made the decision to switch surgeons!!! In fact, one of the reasons I had asked to talk with Linda personally was to tell her about my reasons for switching. In a way I felt bad about being on the active surgical waiting list if I had no intention of having surgery there! SO I was going to tell her to remove me so that another pre op patient might be able to move up a slot or two. But since they won't take my calls, I guess I will just wait to hear from them and tell them at that time.

On a good note, Kathy Soules, a member of my support group and the person who gave me some insight about the problems at Straub and gave me information to get back into the Tripler system, is having her surgery TOMORROW!! I am so happy for her!!! She is a sweetie and has been waiting a long time for her surgery too. Hopefully I will follow in her footsteps soon!!

My appointment with Dr. Zagorski is next week (May 7th). I hope that he will be able to fit me in SOON! I plan to call Anna today to see if there is anything else I need to do before I meet with him. I have already met the behavioral psychologist..but I haven't seen Tripler's dietician yet. Maybe I can get that out of the way so I will have minimal appointments before surgery! Cross my fingers!!!

04/24/2002: Some good news! I received a call from Anna, the gastric bypass coordinator at Tripler. She told me I DO NOT have to attend the cattle call consult that Dr. Zagorski usually holds for his surgical candidates. I am glad. Even though it is only two hours, emotionally it would feel like I am starting all over again. I know my decision to switch to Dr. Zagorski is a good one. Even if I am placed at the bottom of the waiting list, I have a feeling the surgery will still take place before Straub can get to me. Better than that, I really admire the way Anna runs the clinic. She is very thorough and true to her word. That carries a lot of weight with me. I have to say in all honesty I do not have the same sort of faith in Dr. B.'s office. I have gotten too many conflicting stories from them. At any rate, the next bit of good news is that in lieu of attending the cattle call consult, I have an APPOINTMENT WITH Dr. Zagorski on May 7th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know that Anna said they might not be able to put me on the schedule right away and there is the possibility that it might take as long as it would have with Straub...but I am okay with this. I feel so confident with my decision that I am officially changing my surgeon's names on my profile!!

04/22/2002: WELL, it has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything...because nothing is going on!!! I am a little disheartened to find out that the surgeon I have been assigned to has such a tremendous back log of patients that they may not get to me til the end of the year. I am trying to be seen by another surgeon so that I don't have to wait so long. I have to say that I am less than pleased to find out that everyone that attended the cattle call consult I went to on October 22, 2001 has had their surgeries..but here I sit.. waiting!!! I spoke with the Bypass Coordinator at Tripler, Anna, and she has added me to ANOTHER cattle call consult on May 7th. I had to do a LOT of manipulation to my work schedule to go and sit through this two hour session AGAIN..but I really don't feel like I have that much of a choice. It is either try to get into the Tripler system or wait and at the mercy of Straub!! I am very frustrated...but this too shall pass. I honestly thought the hardest part would be getting insurance approval. Little did I know that is when the drama really begins!!! I did call Straub today to see when I might be scheduled for surgery. Linda told me October 2002!! She is just NOW getting to the November 2001 consults!!! I am going to have some GI work ups done in May so I asked I might as well have the Upper GI done at this time too... She said to call back (story of my life!) after I have the consult. The upside is that she went ahead and scheduled my MMPI (PSYCH test containing 550 questions!) for the same day as my consult as I will be in the vacinity. I don't know whether to take this as a positive sign...but since I need one.. I am going to take it that way!!

ANNA MARKS from NY has asked to be my Long Distance Angel! I was so thrilled!!!! She is a true sweetie and I was honored that she wanted to be my angel! THANKS ANNA!!!!

04/09/2002: I AM APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just got off the phone with my insurance company. It took less than 24 hours for the approval to go through. I did call my doctor's office and they said that my surgery will most likely be scheduled for September/August. At least I know I have a tentative time frame to go by. WOW! I have a feeling that September will be here before I know it!!!


04/08/2002: My insurance company received the letter FINALLY!!! From what Winona, the girl from the Tricare office said, my case would go before the review board within the next 48 HOURS!!!! I am so excited! As soon as they approve, then we can schedule a date!!! My fingers and every other digit

About Me

Before & After
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Taken shortly before my surgery. Started at 323 (lost a little before surgery)

323lbs

2 years post Open RNY. Never thought it would happen!

123lbs

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