Lori Black

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And I'm overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from the people on this board. I love this cyber family, it is such a strong source of information, support, and love!!  I would not be here without all of you and I'm grateful to know I have someplace to turn when nobody else understands.

By this time tomorrow, I'll be switched.  My surgery is at 9am.  I feel so much confidence in Dr. Inman, her staff, and Carmel St. Vincent's Bariatric Center.  I plan to go in smiling and come out smiling even bigger!!  Smile through the pain, right?  I can do this.  I'm ready.  Bring it on!!!! 

I'm not nervous anymore, I'm done freaking out.  I'm ready to get on with my life and I'm thrilled that I have the opportuniy to have this surgery.  Waiting for it has been a long ride, but I'm happy that my turn is here!  

I read a post on duodenalswitch.com last night that I'm really glad I read!  It was talking about how most people can and do lose weight during their weight loss window sometimes regardless of what they eat.  However, some of these same people find themselves having to change habits all of a sudden when the weight starts creeping back on when their window is up.  Had they been forming good habits all along eating well would come easily.  But because there was no behavior modification, it can cause some to gain weight back, sometimes way more than they would expect. 

I want to start things off right by always getting in my protein, water and supplements.  The rest, when there's room, is just extra.  I want to maximize my weight loss window by exercising again.  If I do it right, I can try adding in carbs when I'm at goal.  If I have this surgery and keep eating the same crap I am now, I will be the person this surgery doesn't work for.   So I guess these are my goals for now.  Exercise will have to wait but I will be walking everyday until I'm cleared for exercise.  

It's 1:24 am, I should really get into my bed now.  I'm just so excited that it is hard to sleep!

White Chili  

 

2 lbs chicken breast (cubed)

 

 

3-4 cans great northern beans (drained)

 

 

1 can Cream of Celery soup

 

 

1 T olive oil

 

 

4 clove garlic

 

 

2 med onions – chopped

 

 

4 cans chicken broth

 

 

2 tsp cumin

 

 

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

 

 

1 tsp oregano

 

 

8 oz can chopped green chilies

 

 

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

 

 

Sautee:  Onions and chicken in oil.  Add garlic to chicken & onion.

 

Sautee:Onions and chicken in oil.Add garlic to chicken & onion.

 

Add soup to chicken mixture.  Stir well.

 

 

Mix chicken broth into crock pot and add sautéed mixture.  Add chilies.

 

 

Add:  Drained northern beans.

 

 

Slow cook:  3 hrs

 

 

About 1/2 hour before serving... Add:  Cumin, cayenne, oregano... add salt & pepper to taste.

In a muffin pain, place a thin slice of deli turkey or ham in each of the muffin holes.  Shape the meat like a bowl, to fit the area.  Then, mix  thawed/drained spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese together.  I do a 50/50 mix.  Fill the meat bowls with the mixture, then bake @ 375 for 10-15 minutes. 

The meat keeps a bowl shape, and is a little crispy, and the cheesy insides are soo yummy!  You can also add any other flavors you want, but I'm stuck on just the 2  lol


Meat Rollers...

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 ounces sour cream
• 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Leafy lettuce (Romain or Spinach works GREAT!)
• Tomatoes (Vine Ripened are really YUMMY for this!)
• Deli Cheese, THINLY sliced (I like Provolone or Swiss best!)
• 1 pound deli sliced ham, turkey, roast beef, or anything you like, sliced thin enough to easily roll into a tube
• LOW CARB Tortillias (burrito size, IF you can find them work GREAT...We have them at Wal-Mart here)

Post Date: 5/20/07 12:13 am

Since Alyson is having some difficulty with food I was going to post this on her thread but I thought instead I would make a whole new thread so everyone would see it.  This is info gathered over the past 20 months so it is a LOT.  But please, read through, copy and keep it if you like, gleen what you will use and most importantly, PLAN ahead and keep food at hand so you never end up without anything to sustain you.  All of you post-ops, whether new or old, jump on in and post what works for YOU so that we can share and compare!!  *hugshugs*

This is a lot of information so don’t get overwhelmed!  *hugs* 

My saving grace during the first few weeks after surgery was milk.  I absolutely never, ever used to drink milk before surgery, but afterwards, it was a godsend.  Basically it’s a protein and a fluid source that you can do anytime you want/need.  1g of protein per oz. So each little amount you drink is both fluids and a decent protein for you, if you can tolerate milk. 

Right after surgery I started drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast (CIB) in milk and that was very helpful. Not really high in protien but with the milk it was a decent amount.
         

One thing I wish I HAD found early out was a good unflavored protein powder. ANY unflavored powder you can tolerate would work here but my experience was with Unjury so I’m gonna go with that.  Some people HATE it but I think that’s probably because they tried it by itself.  ICK.  If you flavor it up enough, you wont know it’s there.   It is light, easy on the taste buds and quite tolerable. Here’s the secret recipe/mixing instructions:

For me the clumps/texture of protein powders is ICK so here’s a few tricks.  Stir one serving of Unjury into your milk, SLOWLY, slowly, slowly… adding just a little at a time and stirring constantly.  This allows it to really mix in with the least amount of texture.  Once you’ve gotten it all in, add your Carnation Instant breakfast, one serving or two depending on your taste.  More is more protein and I liked mine extra chocolaty so it worked for me.  After it is ALL mixed together, pour your drink though a very fine teas strainer to remove any last clumps/texture!  

The colder the drink is, the more palatable it is for many people.  Sometimes I’d stick mine in the freezer until it thickened up almost like a Frosty.  Sometimes I’d just drink it as is.  Using a straw helps because you get the liquid and not any of the froth that can accumulate on top of protein drinks.  I hate the froth so I use the straw hehe.  If you do 16oz of milk (16g) and 1 serving of Unjury (20g) and Carnation Instant breakfast (5g for one, 10g for two servings) then one shake is at least 41g and as much as 46g of protein.  You can drink it over time as you can and again, pop it in the freezer and eat with a spoon later if you want to.  This was a staple for me for about a year.  Any time I was low on protein from real food I’d do a shake.  If I KNEW I would be out and about and busy, I’d do one early on and then deal with my day.  (For ME, by 1 month out I was drinking 16oz of milk with carnation instant breakfast.  Slowly over a span of time and only as my tummy was comfy.  I added unflavored protein powder to that and it became a MAJOR staple of my protein world for a while.  16oz milk, 1 serving Carnation, 1 serving protein powder and you has 41g of protein.)   This was a LIFE-saver in my journey.  =D

Unflavored protien powder is easily mixed with things like Oatmeal, pudding, jello & eggs etc to boost your protein too by the way.  I found mixing it in my slightly cooled oatmeal was easy to eat, toss on some cinnamon, splenda or whatever you use and some milk and nibble at that for a while.  Good protein in the milk, the oatmeal and then the powder.  Start off light on the powder, like ¼ a serving until you find your tolerance level.  I don’t think I ever did more than ½ a serving at a time for my particular tastes.    

Now for some food suggestions ~

Here's a list of a few things I could eat in that first month.  It will differ for us all!

Very small protein shakes, careful if they are too airy they might cause burping.  I would do milk, protein powder and then use any of the following to flavor it up: Bananas, peanut butter, strawberries or other berries/frozen fruit or even yogurt.

EGGS!! Every way you can imagine! 
Very soft-boiled eggs, bout 8 min. so they were firm but soft

Deviled eggs
Egg & cheese quiches (homemade or storebought)

Scrambled eggs (add a touch of water or milk for lighter, fluffier eggs)

Scrambled eggs w/cheese or Omelettes, add meat/veggies/spices as you like
Fried/poached eggs

Tuna or chicken salad with lots of mayo

Cream of wheat w/unflavored protein powder

Oatmeal w/unflavored protein powder

Any soups you can tolerate.  If they are bulky simply blend them for consistency if you need to.

Tomato soup made with milk and w/cheese melted in it

Chicken noodle soup, easy on the noodles
Egg Drop Soup (10g of protein per serving, SO good)

Chicken if cooked right.  Dark meat preferred for moisture, small, small bits, like 1-2oz over the meal slowly.  Very moist recipes with butters/sauces/gravies are critical in the early stages. 

Cottage Cheese
Cottage Cheese Pancakes!!  Recipe to follow!

Yogurt (add protien powders if you like)

Pudding

Fruits with no pulp/skin/etc. are tolerable
Melons

Peeled/cored apple slices with peanut butter
Bananas mashed with peanut butter and a little honey

Cheeses, any kind you can tolerate, be inventive, try tons of new cheeses.  Remember fat is our friend and its great protien.

 

Real mashed potatoes with butter, sour cream or cheese.  No instant, they swell and tend to feel really, really heavy.

Carl Buddig lunch meats

Other thin sliced lunchmeats

Adding whole grain crackers like triscuits with the meat/cheese/tuna salad etc. is a decent way to get some fiber in and make the food happier in your mouth and tummy and so long as you don't go overboard, it's not a big deal on the carbs.  I was eating triscuits (like 1-2 of them) on my 4th day post-op.

After 2 weeks I began expanding my horizons.  Here are some additional ideas: 

Tilapia or other fishies
Seafood

Very moist meatballs & gravy/sauce

Stouffers meals (protein only) like turkey & gravy, Salisbury steak, Swedish meatballs, even their baked chicken breast w/gravy was moist enough.  *Again, small bites and slowly but very palatable.

Began eating nuts when I was on the go and needed protein.

Casseroles, very moist only

Meatloaf, again very moist

Soft vegetables; green beans, zucchini, squash, etc. with butter

Chili with cheese and any other toppings as you like:  Cheese, sour cream, onions and a few chips eventually. (Chili can be very heavy on the tummy early out so caution)

The best thing I ever tasted was at Arby's at 4 weeks out.  I ordered a beef and cheddar, no bun, no red sauce.  They put the hot sliced beef in a plastic container, poured hot cheese over it and I dipped away in Arby's sauce and horsey sauce.  I swear that was that the best thing I ever tasted in my life.  OH my goodness, so tasty.  Hehe.

I stock up at Costco once a month, here's some ideas for you.

Costco STAPLES: 

Flap meat is a cut of meat I've only found at Costco and it is AMAZING.  It's large sliced pieces of very tender, very marbled meat that cooks up so fast and SO juicy and tender you wont believe it.  I LIVE on this steak.  Medium rare is perfection.  Mmmm.

If you grill, season with garlic salt and pepper or other dry steak seasoning, cook 4 min., flip, another 4 min. = medium rare.  Or on the stove, olive oil in pan, slice across grain, sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper, high heat for 2 min. per side = medium rare.

Rotisserie chicken, tender, juicy beyond belief and a hundred uses for this!

Shredded Mozzarella

Kraft American cheese slices

Sliced turkey/ham/lunch meats

Crystal Light ice tea

Disposable 16oz cups

Disposable plates (Such a relief to use post op, just makes life easier)

Eggs

Milk

Butter (YAY BUTTER!)

Cream

Peanut butter
Chili

Olives!!!!  WOOHOO

Spices at Costco!

(My FAVORITE spice in the whole world is the “Canadian/Montreal Steak Seasoning.”  It is the same thing but called different names in different parts of the country.  It is amazing on steaks on the grill.  I eat sliced raw tomatoes with my steak and dip them in the seasoning too hehe.  I used to HATE tomatoes but the acids in the tomatoes break down the protein in the meat so I got used to eating them together and now I’m highly addicted!!   My favorite protein meal is still grilled steak w/sliced tomatoes.  Nothin’else.  The moisture from the tomatoes also makes this a wonderful combination for us post op!)

 

 

Other Costco Favorites for later down the road:

El Monterey Chicken Quesadillas (20g of protein in each, only 21carbs)
Pre-made meatballs, love these things in so many ways.  I can give you ideas if you like.
Fishys and shrimps and seafood
Hot wings
Tyson breaded chicken filets.  MOIST and meaty and so many uses! 

 

 

One final note:  I created a file of recipes over the past year + and I basically plan 2 weeks worth of meals, buy for that menu and then I have all those meals available to me during howevery long I make them last for.  I usually choose my next days meals and get that meat out of the freezer and try to stay one step ahead of myself.  Leftovers ROCK and I almost always cook more than needed so I can have it the next day if I want.   Just take the time to prepare for YOU so that you are taking the BEST possible care of YOU, no matter what.

I hope no one has had a seizure reading all of this hehe.  As I said, gleen what you will use and try to make your life easier!  Much love to you all!

As promised ~

Ezpy's Cottage Cheese Pancakes:

Ingredients:
1 cup of cottage cheese (any kind -- I like Knudsen small curd)
4 eggs (3 if they're really jumbo)
1/4 cup of flour (this can be almond, but is best with wheat)
2 tbsps of butter melted (can be salted)
Cinnamon and salt to taste if you like (I like LOTS of cinnamon)
Milk to thin (optional)

Scoop the cottage cheese into a blender (You can use a hand blender instead) Add 2 eggs and blend for like 30 seconds.  Scrape the sides of the blender.  Add flour and 2 more eggs, blend for another 30 secs or so until pretty smooth.  Add cinnamon and salt to taste.  If batter is too thick and thinner is preferred, or to use as crepes, blend in milk to thin. 

They cook just like regular pancakes on a oiled skillet.  I use real maple syrup heated very hot so as not to add too much sugar but to get the taste.

I think it has been a blessing and a curse to have a surgery date scheduled out this far!  I found out in March that I was having this surgery, and here it is, late May, and I'm still almost 2 months away from my surgery date.  Waiting, waiting, and waiting, I know I'm not the only one, but it really kinda just plain old sucks!

Eating has become a bit of an annoyance in my life.  I hate to stop and do it because I want to get so many things accomplished before I have my surgery.  I have started selling a higher volume on Ebay to keep myself occupied so I don't have to think about how long this is really taking!  I'm selling Webkinz...I've sold over 700 and it is getting old, but I'm grateful for the time-filler!! 

I second guess my decision to have the DS all of the time!  Don't get me wrong, I think the DS is a superior surgery and it is the only invasive WLS I would even THINK about having, but I question having WLS in general just getting freaked out about the notion of going under the knife because I can't get my weight under control.  I just keep reminding myself that the odds are stacked against me when it comes to weight loss, and that I only have about a 3-5% chance of keeping it off if I go it alone.  I like my long term stats of keeping the weight off a lot better with the DS on my side!

This is a really busy time of year for us between soccer, softball, dance and Chris's (Almost 2 year old) Birthday.  We are hopping all of the time trying to keep the kids involved in activities! 

Okay, that's all for now!

I have really had a pretty good life, all and all.  I didn't have a weight problem as a kid, but I certainly wasn't the skinny kid either.  I remember being what I would consider now as 'just right' and there was one girl named Esther that told me I was fat when I was in the third grade.  I wasn't fat, but her comment never left me.  It stuck with me and by the time I was in the 8th grade, I thought I was as fat as you could get.  I know that I'd LOVE to be THAT fat now, I weighed around 130-135.  I was a cheerleader for a short time during my middle school years and when I was a freshman I moved from a small town in Indiana, back to a gigantic school in Indianapolis where I became absolutely NO ONE because there were too many someone's to compete with, so I just didn't try. 

I slowly began losing the battle against my weight through my high school years because of being sort of an annonymous face amongst the crowd of 4,000 other students.  I yo-yo'd between 140-175 all through high school.  I can't remember a time since the 9th grade when I haven't been dieting.  College was the same story.  I'd try some new fad of the week what seemed like all of the time.  I stayed between 160-185 all through college, again...not fat, just not the skinny one.  I seriously thought I was THE fattest person on the face of the earth, little did I know that one day those weights would be my DREAM weight/goal! 

I met my husband in 1995 and we moved to Minnesota where we knew no one but just the two of us.  We led very busy lives and found ourselves eating fast food way more than is normal or healthy.  It kind of became our new lifestyle.  I broke the 200 barrier during our 9 short months living in Minnesota.  The Minnesotans swore it was the layer of fat needed for survival in their region, but I don't think my body ever got the memo that we weren't in that region anymore when we were transferred to Cleveland, Ohio. 

I spent the next year and a half of my life on Atkins, Fen-phen, and whatever craziness I could find to lose weight.  I did lose weight.  AND I gained it back too!  I lost 50-60 pounds on Fen-Phen and quit the pills in November of 1996, and in March of 1997 we found out we were expecting in Nov. of 97.  I was so excited!  I know people tell you that you're eating for two, but I like many others found myself eating for 2 adults, as opposed to one adult and one infant.  I gained a lot of weight with Justin, between 75-80 pounds.  At the end of my pregnancy with him, I weighed 255. 

I have fluctuated like crazy since then with the births of two more healthy babies, one girl and one more boy.  They are now 9, 5, and 20 months.  I lost 55 pounds on South Beach right before getting pregnant with our 3rd, only to gain 75 more pounds during the pregnancy.  I have lost and gained weight several times since the birth of our youngest, but I slowly but surely got myself back up to where I am today, 250 at the Bariatric Center in Carmel, IN. where I was weighed today during my first consult. 

Where I am now...

We are living in Carmel, Indiana now.  We've been in the Indianapolis area for 8 years.  I have just gone through two foot surgeries during 2006, and have had lots of time to reflect on my life, unfortunately also lots of sedentary time to gain enough weight (once again)to be a bariatric candidate.  I went to my family doctory in December, and am now starting the process for WLS.  Today (1-8-06) I just had my first consultation at the St Vincent's Bariatric Center in Carmel, Indiana.  I met with my surgeon, Dr. Margaret Inman.  I have decided that I will undergo the duodenal switch if insurance will cover me for this procedure.  She seems like the best of the best, I was really hoping she would choose the surgery for me, but she has left the ball in my court.  After much research, I feel confident that the DS is the best fit for my life.  Should insurance deny coverage, then I will  be looking to self-pay for the procedure because I am that adamant that this is the right surgery for me.  I'm sure my husband will be thrilled if we have to pay for it.  He really likes it when I spend money...lol! 

 

Based on eating 3000 calories a day, this is a breakdown from BT.

3000 * 90% = 2700 calories from carbs x 100% absorption = 2700 calories

Now let's say that you have equal portions of fat & protein.

3000*5% = 150 calories * 20% absorption of fat: 30 calories
3000*5% = 150 calories * 60% absorption of protein: 75 calories.

Total caloric intake: 2805

That's a 6.5% reduction in intake, so you can expect to lose 6.5% of your total body weight, or 14.755 lbs

Now let's say 20% of your caloric intake is carbs, 40% is fat & 40% is protein.

3000 * 20% = 600 calories from carbs
3000 * 40% = 1200 calories from fat * 20% absorption = 240 calories
3000 * 40% = 1200 calories from protein * 60% absorption = 720 calories

total caloric intake: 1560 calories

I'm inserting this info for future reference for myself or anyone when a new care provider needs info about the DS.  This is so informative!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 "Hello Dr. X. My name is . Before we start our relationship, I think it is important that you understand a fundamental fact about me and my background, so please let me explain a few things. I have had a form of bariatric surgery with which you are unlikely to be familiar. I spent studying this procedure as well as other bariatric surgeries before I had my surgery, and I daresay I know more about it and the post-op care I need than you do -- although I hope that you will agree to become educated about it if you undertake my care. It is of CRITICAL importance to me that you do not dismiss my knowledge or concerns, and that you treat me with respect regarding these matters, so if this is not something you are comfortable with, please let me know now so that I can find a doctor who can work with me."

If they don't throw you out of the office at this point then you can go on with the summary of the surgery, including the points that:

• You have had a combined restrictive-malabsorptive procedure in which the restrictive part will substantially resolve over time, but malabsorptive part is permanent
• You malabsorb DIFFERENT vitamins and micronutrients from gastric bypass patients, and you need the doctor to NOT make assumptions based on what they read about regarding different procedures
• Fat-soluble vitamins and calcium malabsorption are primary concerns because of the duodenal bypass, and must be monitored closely -- and SPECIFIC tests that your surgeon recommends must be ordered routinely -- this is NOT negotiable. Calcium must be monitored via PTH and vitamin D3 -- perhaps not the usual tests your doctor routinely orders for non-DS patients, but s/he should become educated as to why YOU need these tests.
• Other tests, such as albumin, liver function, etc., are also extremely important
• The intestinal bypass may result in imbalance in the bacterial flora and you may ask him to prescribe unusual antibiotics from time to time -- perhaps even prophylactically if you have difficulties with gas and diarrhea -- you need to know if he has a problem with this. You should also tell him that you have access to information about non-prescription probiotic replacement products that you would be happy to share with him, which he might find useful with his "normal" patients with intestinal issues such as IBS as well.
• If you discuss your diet with him, you need him to understand that you are not absorbing 80% of the fat that goes in, so he doesn't get concerned that you are eating too much fat
• You want him to understand that NOT every problem you have will be DS-related, just as NOT every problem you had pre-op was obesity-related -- which is what most of us have experienced. Nevertheless, your DS needs to be taken into consideration if problems arise, either as a source of the problem or as a consideration in how medication will be absorbed.

The past few days there has been talk of people who are slow losers, and people who are in serious conditions from having WLS.  I will not discount their feelings, it isn't what I'm doing here, I'm just venting a bit.  I have read more literature about the DS than I think I've ever read about anything since I was in college, and  I think I can say for sure that even then I've never read so much!  I have researched til the wee hours of the night.  I have looked at people's profiles, read medical reports, been to support groups, researched each type of WLS and have studied the stats.  I'm most impressed with the DS and that is why I have made it my surgery of choice.  I know that there are chances for lots of different outcomes for each person, because each person is unique from the next.  I know that I'm taking the chance and I might draw the short straw.  But I want to state for the record that today sucked for me, and it only confirms once again that my decision for surgery is the best decision for me. 

I had to go shopping for clothes for baby Caleb's funeral, I've seriously been dreading the shopping thing.  I have managed to get fat enough that I only have ONE pair of pants that fit me, and they are size 20 stretch jeans.  While shopping, I grabbed some 22's and 24's with stretch in them, and let me just tell you, the size 20 jeans that do fit me must have 100% spandex in them because even most of the 24's were too tight.  I must have tried on 35 pairs of pants and 25 shirts and sweaters.  In the end I had to settle for the clothes that fit, not the ones that I liked.  There isn't anything bigger than 3X at Kohl's and no pant size bigger than 24W.  There was no other sizes to try, no finding the next size up of the outfit that I really liked.  It was horrifying...and when I was walking out of the dressing room, a very petite woman looked at me, then at the clothes I had in my hands, she saw the sizes and her eyes popped out of her head as she just stared at me.  Yup, it was the walk of shame back to the clothes racks with all of the clothes that didn't fit me.  I don't normally let things like this bother me, but it really hurt. I was already having a moment, and then her bug-eyed stare just put me over the top.  I should've left and not bought anything, but I had to get home and I have to have clothes for the funeral, jeans don't work too well for things like that.  

ANYWAY!  Let me jump back on track....It's the little things like my dressing room incident today that make me know that I have to do something about my weight.  This definitely ranks as a more shallow reason for wanting to have the surgery, my main reasons are for my health, and for my family.  I don't have diabetes, YET, it is in my family and if I continue this way I will have it.  I don't want my life to be a path of misery, I want it to be healthy and happy.  I don't think weight loss will solve all of the problems in my life, but I do think that in losing the weight, I will have more time to focus on my true problems instead of obsessing about how fat I am.  It takes up most of my time and it takes the focus off of the important things is what I'm getting at.  

I know that some people have to work harder to lose it than others, I know that there are risks that our surgeries won't go well.  That is why it is so important to do the research before you jump into this with both feet.  Inform yourself and decide if you're willing to take the risk.  I know I am ready.