Tammy M.
HONDURAS - Conference, Dates, Baby Shower
Oct 23, 2008
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TERRY LOWE / PAM ROUSE HONDURAS MISSION TEAM
"Taking volunteers on medical/dental mission teams to Honduras"
Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International
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CONTENTS
-> BMDMI National Mission Conference
-> Dates for next year’s trip
-> Canon Rogers’ Baby Shower
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BMDMI NATIONAL MISSION CONFERENCE
Dear BMDMI Friends:
Our National Conference is TOMORROW! If you are planning to join us and have not registered yet please do so as soon as possible. BMDMI needs to know how many are coming so that they can plan for the correct number of meals. You can easily register by:
2) by calling BMDMI at 601-544-3586
The National Conference is always a lot of fun and very moving. Come join us as we celebrate another year of serving God in Honduras & Nicaragua! BMDMI's first Regional Conference of 2008 will be held at Carterville Baptist Church in Petal, MS. Come and fellowship with other team members, share stories about the year past, brainstorm on ideas for the trip ahead, encourage future team members as they prepare to travel with BMDMI!
We look forward to seeing you!
Regional Conference
October 24, 2008
Carterville Baptist Church
1115 Carterville Rd,
Petal, MS 39465
601-584-9457
Agenda
6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Dinner, Missionary Testimonies, Media Presentation, & More!
Missionary Speakers
Larry & Karol Morris
Career Missionaries to Honduras
Other Speakers to be announced
Hotels in Hattiesburg/Petal Area
Hotels listed below are about 10 miles
from Carterville Baptist Church:
Comfort Suites.................. 601-261-5555
Baymont Inn & Suites....... 601-264-8380
Hilton Garden Inn............. 601-271-3770
Microtel Inn....................... 601-450-1496
Hampton Inn..................... 601-264-8080
Courtyard by Marriott........ 601-268-3050
Fairfield Inn........................601-296-7777
Hotels listed below are about 8 miles from
Carterville Baptist Church:
Holiday Inn.........................601-296-0302
Quality Inn & Suites...........601-296-0565
Childcare will be provided, but you must make reservations. Make plans to attend now by calling BMDMI Headquarters at 601-544-3586.
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DATES FOR NEXT YEAR’S TRIP
June 6, 2009 through June 13, 2009
This will be a Saturday through Saturday trip.
Mark your calendars now and start packing!
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CANON ROGERS’ BABY SHOWER
We hope to see you all at Canon's dedication this Sunday at the 9:45am service at First Baptist Church of Hattiesburg.
I know you've seen this before, but with everyone's busy schedules, I just wanted to remind you.
Love, Julie and Matt
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Tammy Matlock
************************Terry Lowe / Pam Rouse Mission Team************************
Baptist Medical & Dental Mission International is a Christian, non-profit organization that spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ and serves the poor of Central America by sending out teams of volunteers on short-term mission trips as well as commissioning and sending out fulltime missionaries.
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One Month Surgiversary!
Sep 12, 2008
Today is my one month anniversary for my REALIZE Lap Band surgery! And I truly feel like "a new creation in Christ"! (2 Cor. 5:17) 
LOL!
I feel so energetic, even when I don't get a full night's sleep. I still feel nervous everytime I put on my clothes, worried that they will be too tight or that I can't get my arms through the sleeves. And instead, they fall onto me so much nicer. And I have to pinch myself to make sure that it is really true!
Wednesday night I sat in a chair at church, and my hips weren't sore when I got up from being crammed in between the arm rests. I've gotten lazy about Curves though these past 2 weeks, so I really need to get back onto that bandwagon. No excuses, just laziness.
Other than that, we are in the process of changing churches. Last Wednesday night, I officially joined the choir at church. So this Sunday our family will officially join the church. I know. I did it backwards, but music is my passion. So for me, I did it in the right order. Lol. But this process has been pretty stressful on us. What church you attend is a very personal matter. And some of our friends understand our reasons for this, while others don't. And that's hard when your friends can't or won't try to understand that it's not about them, but the big picture. Yet I've not used this as an excuse to overeat. And that is the 1st time in my life I haven't dealt with stress by shoving food into my mouth. Maybe that's God's way of telling us we are doing the right thing. Only time will tell.
Stats:
Wt lost: 23 lbs
Shirt sizes: 1 - 2 sizes
Skirt size: 1 size
Pants size: 1 size
AND - I am having to adjust all of the arm straps on my bras because upper torso and my arms are shrinking. Who new?
Lifestyle: I've had to adjust my steering wheel one notch because my stomach isn't in the way anymore.
1st fill: 09/25/08 Dr. Avara's office 9:00 am - this makes me a little nervous. So I am alternating real food with mushy foods to make sure that I am chewing it enough before swallowing. But it will be ok.
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
LOL!I feel so energetic, even when I don't get a full night's sleep. I still feel nervous everytime I put on my clothes, worried that they will be too tight or that I can't get my arms through the sleeves. And instead, they fall onto me so much nicer. And I have to pinch myself to make sure that it is really true!
Wednesday night I sat in a chair at church, and my hips weren't sore when I got up from being crammed in between the arm rests. I've gotten lazy about Curves though these past 2 weeks, so I really need to get back onto that bandwagon. No excuses, just laziness.
Other than that, we are in the process of changing churches. Last Wednesday night, I officially joined the choir at church. So this Sunday our family will officially join the church. I know. I did it backwards, but music is my passion. So for me, I did it in the right order. Lol. But this process has been pretty stressful on us. What church you attend is a very personal matter. And some of our friends understand our reasons for this, while others don't. And that's hard when your friends can't or won't try to understand that it's not about them, but the big picture. Yet I've not used this as an excuse to overeat. And that is the 1st time in my life I haven't dealt with stress by shoving food into my mouth. Maybe that's God's way of telling us we are doing the right thing. Only time will tell.
Stats:
Wt lost: 23 lbs
Shirt sizes: 1 - 2 sizes
Skirt size: 1 size
Pants size: 1 size
AND - I am having to adjust all of the arm straps on my bras because upper torso and my arms are shrinking. Who new?
Lifestyle: I've had to adjust my steering wheel one notch because my stomach isn't in the way anymore.
1st fill: 09/25/08 Dr. Avara's office 9:00 am - this makes me a little nervous. So I am alternating real food with mushy foods to make sure that I am chewing it enough before swallowing. But it will be ok.
God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Status
Aug 28, 2008
Clothes are getting bigger
I thought that Monday might have been a fluke, but it wasn't! I have been able to wear clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years. I am wearing a shirt today, that was too tight on the arms and I couldn't even button up all the way as recently as a month ago! God is so merciful and mighty!! I don't cringe when I go through my closet as I used to. LOL!
Healing nicely
I only have steri-strips left on my largest incision site. You almost can't tell that I have 4 other mini incision sites. They are all less than an inch long. My largest one though is just above my belly button and is probably an inch and a half to 2 inches long. And I think my port is just to the left of this site.
Dieting rules
I am now eating real food. But there are some rules:
Rule 1. Stop drinking liquids 30 minutes before my meals and don't drink again until 45 minutes to an hour after I eat.
reason - My stomach pouch won't stay full of food if I keep washing down my food with liquids. So I will never get that "full" sensation.
Rule 2. Don't put anything larger than a dime in my mouth.
reason - I don't want to stretch my stomach pouch. So I have baby spoons stashed at home, in my desk drawer at work and in my purse. I use them all the time to remind me of the size my bites need to be.
Rule 3. Eat many smaller meals so I don't get hungry.
reason - This may be a "DUH" thing. But if I only eat a big breakfast, lunch and supper, then I am starving by meal time and can easily get stupid. So I try to have a small snack around 10 or 10:30 and then again about 2:30 or 3:00. This will help me to use some common sense at my main meals. Yesterday I was diligent in packing my 2 snacks in my lunch bag, I forgot to pack a lunch. LOL! So I went to Wendy's to get a baked potato with cheese sauce. I don't remember EVER going to a fast food restaurant and (1) buying only one item and (2) having a bill under $3. Seriously.
Rule 4. Chew, chew, chew, and then chew some more.
reason - I have to force myself to chew each bite about 25 times. This is another one of those "DUH" things. But remember, I have an eating disorder. I eat too much, too quickly. This is a mechanical way to remind me to slow down, but it also will prevent me from clogging up my lap band. I don't want to get sick. I want to enjoy the flavor of my food. So I will be doing this a lot. This might be the real reason Lap Band patients lose weight in their faces first. They chew so much, they overwork their facial muscles.
Rule 5. Don't eat dry meat. Add some broth or something else to it to keep it moist.
reason - Dry meat is tough and I may forget to chew it enough possibly causing the meat to clog my Lap Band. I was able to eat a couple of bites of baked pork tenderloins last night and it was WONDERFUL!!
Stats
time: 2 weeks post-op
Lbs lost: 20 lbs
Inches lost: 1/2 to 1" over entire body
sizes: down 1 size
I guess that's it for today.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
I thought that Monday might have been a fluke, but it wasn't! I have been able to wear clothes that I haven't been able to wear in a couple of years. I am wearing a shirt today, that was too tight on the arms and I couldn't even button up all the way as recently as a month ago! God is so merciful and mighty!! I don't cringe when I go through my closet as I used to. LOL!
Healing nicely
I only have steri-strips left on my largest incision site. You almost can't tell that I have 4 other mini incision sites. They are all less than an inch long. My largest one though is just above my belly button and is probably an inch and a half to 2 inches long. And I think my port is just to the left of this site.
Dieting rules
I am now eating real food. But there are some rules:
Rule 1. Stop drinking liquids 30 minutes before my meals and don't drink again until 45 minutes to an hour after I eat.
reason - My stomach pouch won't stay full of food if I keep washing down my food with liquids. So I will never get that "full" sensation.
Rule 2. Don't put anything larger than a dime in my mouth.
reason - I don't want to stretch my stomach pouch. So I have baby spoons stashed at home, in my desk drawer at work and in my purse. I use them all the time to remind me of the size my bites need to be.
Rule 3. Eat many smaller meals so I don't get hungry.
reason - This may be a "DUH" thing. But if I only eat a big breakfast, lunch and supper, then I am starving by meal time and can easily get stupid. So I try to have a small snack around 10 or 10:30 and then again about 2:30 or 3:00. This will help me to use some common sense at my main meals. Yesterday I was diligent in packing my 2 snacks in my lunch bag, I forgot to pack a lunch. LOL! So I went to Wendy's to get a baked potato with cheese sauce. I don't remember EVER going to a fast food restaurant and (1) buying only one item and (2) having a bill under $3. Seriously.
Rule 4. Chew, chew, chew, and then chew some more.
reason - I have to force myself to chew each bite about 25 times. This is another one of those "DUH" things. But remember, I have an eating disorder. I eat too much, too quickly. This is a mechanical way to remind me to slow down, but it also will prevent me from clogging up my lap band. I don't want to get sick. I want to enjoy the flavor of my food. So I will be doing this a lot. This might be the real reason Lap Band patients lose weight in their faces first. They chew so much, they overwork their facial muscles.
Rule 5. Don't eat dry meat. Add some broth or something else to it to keep it moist.
reason - Dry meat is tough and I may forget to chew it enough possibly causing the meat to clog my Lap Band. I was able to eat a couple of bites of baked pork tenderloins last night and it was WONDERFUL!!
Stats
time: 2 weeks post-op
Lbs lost: 20 lbs
Inches lost: 1/2 to 1" over entire body
sizes: down 1 size
I guess that's it for today.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Celebrating Good Times
Aug 25, 2008
Celebrate good times, come on! It's a celebration
Fashion Show
Saturday morning I felt so good, I put on a fashion show for myself. I found about 5 - 6 outfits that either I had not been able to fit in over a year, or outfits that I had never worn before and could now fit. I even wore a suit to work today that was a WHOLE SIZE smaller than what I have been wearing in the past couple of years!!! This includes the skirt and jacket! I can't wait to see the new outfit I get to wear tomorrow.
Celebration
Last Saturday night was a HUGE celebration! Dr. Avara's office hosts this yearly Celebration for those patients who have lost at least 100 pounds during the past year. They received a pin from Dr. Avara and a certificate. I was only a week and a half post-op, but I went to listen to the testimonies and see the success of others. And there were plenty of them.
One guy lost 270 pounds! WOW! There were 3 or 4 women there who had just gotten pregnant after losing their weight. And another one had just given birth 8 weeks prior. Now don't get all mushy on me. Kenny is out of business so Alicia will NOT be having a baby brother or sister. Whew! Glad we go that straight!
I was told that since I have been doing so well, I could start eating real food. I just have to make it as mushy as possible, by chewing each bite like 20 - 25 times. So instead of enjoying an amazing supper, I had to deal with the hubby constantly nagging me - "slow down", or "are you sure you can eat that?", or "take smaller bites", etc. I advised him to shut his trap or he was going to walk out with a fork sticking out of his eye. UGH!
I was able to talk to the CEO of Singing River Memorial Hospital. He asked for people to call him or talk to him advising of their good or bad experiences at the hospital. So I told him I had a complaint. While being wheeled into the surgery suite, somebody in the hallway asked me why I was there. I said, "to get a boob job, a tummy tuck, and some liposuction" and instead all I got was a Lap Band. He laughed and introduced me to his head of surgery and I explained the same complaint to her. She laughed and said that if I was still doing so well next year, that I could come back and get any of that done. I laughed and said, "No thank you. I'm going to Curves so I won't need any of that next year."
I explained to the CEO and to the head of surgery that I was from Hattiesburg, and had recently gone to Wesley Medical Center for an obesity-related issue, and felt ashamed, not listened to, and worthless during the entire process. This hospital by far, exceeding my expectations. Everybody from the head physician to the orderlies from the nurses to the transport people were very polite, respectful, encouraging, loving, and accommodating of my physical, mental, and emotional needs. They treated my like I was a normal human being. AWESOME!!!!
Sealed with a Kiss
At the end of the celebration, there was a band that performed 70's & 80's hits. Kenny, Alicia & I stood around, enjoying the music. We noticed a lady dancing with her son. The lady had a successful weight loss surgery so she was dressed up in a gorgeous red dress. Her son had a pony tail, shiny earrings, and gold teeth. Well, we thought it was her son. The lady and her "son" put a huge lip lock on each other. And we quickly realized that it was 2 women kissing. Kenny lit up and said, "Dang looks like the party is just now getting started." Alicia and I glared at him and proceeded to leave the party. That is NOT what I came to see and / or celebrate.
Curves today
Today I went ahead and got on the machines at Curves. And I had no problems at all! PRAISE GOD!! I went on all of the machines, except for the one that makes you squat. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that one. I had problems finding my pulse though. My wrists are too fat to I always locate my pulse on my neck. However, I struggled with that today. I wonder if maybe my neck has shrunk, so my artery has actually moved. Hmmm.
Support Meeting
Tomorrow night is my 2nd support meeting. I am excited to see people after my surgery. And to hear about other people's struggles & successes. :-) It's nice to have that to fall back on as well as ObesityHelp.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Fashion Show
Saturday morning I felt so good, I put on a fashion show for myself. I found about 5 - 6 outfits that either I had not been able to fit in over a year, or outfits that I had never worn before and could now fit. I even wore a suit to work today that was a WHOLE SIZE smaller than what I have been wearing in the past couple of years!!! This includes the skirt and jacket! I can't wait to see the new outfit I get to wear tomorrow.
Celebration
Last Saturday night was a HUGE celebration! Dr. Avara's office hosts this yearly Celebration for those patients who have lost at least 100 pounds during the past year. They received a pin from Dr. Avara and a certificate. I was only a week and a half post-op, but I went to listen to the testimonies and see the success of others. And there were plenty of them.
One guy lost 270 pounds! WOW! There were 3 or 4 women there who had just gotten pregnant after losing their weight. And another one had just given birth 8 weeks prior. Now don't get all mushy on me. Kenny is out of business so Alicia will NOT be having a baby brother or sister. Whew! Glad we go that straight!
I was told that since I have been doing so well, I could start eating real food. I just have to make it as mushy as possible, by chewing each bite like 20 - 25 times. So instead of enjoying an amazing supper, I had to deal with the hubby constantly nagging me - "slow down", or "are you sure you can eat that?", or "take smaller bites", etc. I advised him to shut his trap or he was going to walk out with a fork sticking out of his eye. UGH!
I was able to talk to the CEO of Singing River Memorial Hospital. He asked for people to call him or talk to him advising of their good or bad experiences at the hospital. So I told him I had a complaint. While being wheeled into the surgery suite, somebody in the hallway asked me why I was there. I said, "to get a boob job, a tummy tuck, and some liposuction" and instead all I got was a Lap Band. He laughed and introduced me to his head of surgery and I explained the same complaint to her. She laughed and said that if I was still doing so well next year, that I could come back and get any of that done. I laughed and said, "No thank you. I'm going to Curves so I won't need any of that next year."
I explained to the CEO and to the head of surgery that I was from Hattiesburg, and had recently gone to Wesley Medical Center for an obesity-related issue, and felt ashamed, not listened to, and worthless during the entire process. This hospital by far, exceeding my expectations. Everybody from the head physician to the orderlies from the nurses to the transport people were very polite, respectful, encouraging, loving, and accommodating of my physical, mental, and emotional needs. They treated my like I was a normal human being. AWESOME!!!!
Sealed with a Kiss
At the end of the celebration, there was a band that performed 70's & 80's hits. Kenny, Alicia & I stood around, enjoying the music. We noticed a lady dancing with her son. The lady had a successful weight loss surgery so she was dressed up in a gorgeous red dress. Her son had a pony tail, shiny earrings, and gold teeth. Well, we thought it was her son. The lady and her "son" put a huge lip lock on each other. And we quickly realized that it was 2 women kissing. Kenny lit up and said, "Dang looks like the party is just now getting started." Alicia and I glared at him and proceeded to leave the party. That is NOT what I came to see and / or celebrate.
Curves today
Today I went ahead and got on the machines at Curves. And I had no problems at all! PRAISE GOD!! I went on all of the machines, except for the one that makes you squat. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that one. I had problems finding my pulse though. My wrists are too fat to I always locate my pulse on my neck. However, I struggled with that today. I wonder if maybe my neck has shrunk, so my artery has actually moved. Hmmm.
Support Meeting
Tomorrow night is my 2nd support meeting. I am excited to see people after my surgery. And to hear about other people's struggles & successes. :-) It's nice to have that to fall back on as well as ObesityHelp.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
1 Week Surgiversary
Aug 20, 2008
One week Surgiversary!
A week ago yesterday was my Lap Band surgery! It's hard to believe that a whole week has gone by since then. Time flies when you are having fun. LOL!
Losing bandages
I still have 4 of my 5 incisions covered by the hospital bandages. One of the hospital bandages finally fell off last night so I put a band-aid over the steri-strip that covers that incision. Even though the doctor said that they would just fall off, and to let them do so, I still didn't want to take the chance of getting an infection.
I have either lost 15 or 20 lbs.
Now 10 of those pounds was pre-surgery. So the other 5 or 10 have been in the past week. My scale at the house, 1st thing in the morning, says 10 pounds. The scale at Curves, just before lunch, says 5 pounds. Either way, I am still heading toward's the loser bench.
I have lost inches in everything.
I had my measurements taken this past Monday at Curves and in one week's time - I have lost either 1/2 an inch or a full inch off of every one of my measurements.
And my clothes are fitting so much better. Especially my underwear. LOL!
I don't feel like I'm starving.
I really don't. I know I have cheated by jumping ahead to full liquids / pureed foods a week or 2 early, but the all clear liquid diet was just too bland. And I have a tough tummy. So I went ahead and jumped ahead just a little. However I have no plans to eat real food until my fill date in another month. So I feel like I am still following the doctor's orders. Kind of.
Everything has been picture perfect.
Other than the bloating issue I had over the weekend, from not eating enough fiber, everything has been picture perfect. And I am adding more fibrous food items to my diet to fix that problem. I don't want to just take a fiber supplement. I know that others use these products religiously and that is ok for them to. But I want to learn how to have a properly balanced diet in order to have the right amount of fiber in my diet in a nutritious way. And if, in the end, I do indeed need a fiber supplement, only after I have exhausted all of my other options, will I give in. But for now, it's applesauce and refried beans. Um - but not mixed together. That would be gross.
Working out at Curves
I know this weight took a very long time to put on, so I anticipate that it will take a very long time to take this weight off. That's what I'm supposed to say, but now I'm antsy about getting the weight off as fast as I can. :-D So I've been at Curves daily walking on the recovery boards.
I thought on Monday I would be slick and add the machines that only work the arms. WRONG! I climbed onto one of the machines and worked the arms without any problems. The problem came when I tried to climb off of the machine. UGH! I didn't realize how many abdominal muscles I used when climbing out of those chairs. So I have stayed on the recovery boards since then.
I need a food processor
Now I am looking for a food processor. I anticipate needing it at I try to adjust to real foods in a month. I don't want to hurl because I ate too large of a bite of something, so I want to ease back into that part of my diet.
New Lifestyle.
I want to learn proper eating techniques so that this will be a very successfull and new LIFESTYLE change for me. I don't want a quick fix. I want to use this Lap Band as a tool to help me re-learn portion control, healthy food choices, etc. And so far, so good!
And now I am wondering why I just didn't do this a lot sooner.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
A week ago yesterday was my Lap Band surgery! It's hard to believe that a whole week has gone by since then. Time flies when you are having fun. LOL!
Losing bandages
I still have 4 of my 5 incisions covered by the hospital bandages. One of the hospital bandages finally fell off last night so I put a band-aid over the steri-strip that covers that incision. Even though the doctor said that they would just fall off, and to let them do so, I still didn't want to take the chance of getting an infection.
I have either lost 15 or 20 lbs.
Now 10 of those pounds was pre-surgery. So the other 5 or 10 have been in the past week. My scale at the house, 1st thing in the morning, says 10 pounds. The scale at Curves, just before lunch, says 5 pounds. Either way, I am still heading toward's the loser bench.
I have lost inches in everything.
I had my measurements taken this past Monday at Curves and in one week's time - I have lost either 1/2 an inch or a full inch off of every one of my measurements.
And my clothes are fitting so much better. Especially my underwear. LOL!
I don't feel like I'm starving.
I really don't. I know I have cheated by jumping ahead to full liquids / pureed foods a week or 2 early, but the all clear liquid diet was just too bland. And I have a tough tummy. So I went ahead and jumped ahead just a little. However I have no plans to eat real food until my fill date in another month. So I feel like I am still following the doctor's orders. Kind of.
Everything has been picture perfect.
Other than the bloating issue I had over the weekend, from not eating enough fiber, everything has been picture perfect. And I am adding more fibrous food items to my diet to fix that problem. I don't want to just take a fiber supplement. I know that others use these products religiously and that is ok for them to. But I want to learn how to have a properly balanced diet in order to have the right amount of fiber in my diet in a nutritious way. And if, in the end, I do indeed need a fiber supplement, only after I have exhausted all of my other options, will I give in. But for now, it's applesauce and refried beans. Um - but not mixed together. That would be gross.
Working out at Curves
I know this weight took a very long time to put on, so I anticipate that it will take a very long time to take this weight off. That's what I'm supposed to say, but now I'm antsy about getting the weight off as fast as I can. :-D So I've been at Curves daily walking on the recovery boards.
I thought on Monday I would be slick and add the machines that only work the arms. WRONG! I climbed onto one of the machines and worked the arms without any problems. The problem came when I tried to climb off of the machine. UGH! I didn't realize how many abdominal muscles I used when climbing out of those chairs. So I have stayed on the recovery boards since then.
I need a food processor
Now I am looking for a food processor. I anticipate needing it at I try to adjust to real foods in a month. I don't want to hurl because I ate too large of a bite of something, so I want to ease back into that part of my diet.
New Lifestyle.
I want to learn proper eating techniques so that this will be a very successfull and new LIFESTYLE change for me. I don't want a quick fix. I want to use this Lap Band as a tool to help me re-learn portion control, healthy food choices, etc. And so far, so good!
And now I am wondering why I just didn't do this a lot sooner.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Back to work
Aug 14, 2008
Yesterday was my 2nd day post-op, and I went to work! The 1st day after my surgery, I was so stir crazy at home. I got up and cleaned the kitchen a little bit, watched some TV, and played TONS of Sudoku. I was super bored. But not in pain. So I went to work the next day.
I still have not had any pain issues. The first day or two, my abdomen felt tight. And if I stood up too straight or too fast, it felt like I might be tugging at my incisions. So I improvised. I started to use my arms & legs more aggressively while standing up and sitting down. And I looked like I was 9 months pregnant doing it. LOL!
Yesterday I even went to Curves. I only walked in place on the recovery boards. No machines. And I only walked for 15 minutes. I wasn't sore after that, but I didn't want to push it. I have come way too far to sabotage my success! And I plan on going back to Curves today on my lunch break again. It's a nice break from sitting at my desk all day long, typing.
I did have an issue with bloating yesterday. I burped and hiccupped too. Reading the forums, the majority of people who get bloated are those who either use Splenda (because sometimes sugar alcohols are also an ingredient) or if they drank something with milk. I did both of these yesterday. I had some hot tea for breakfast with half a pack of Splenda and my liquid vitamin mixed in. For lunch I had 1/2 a can of Slim Fast Optima with my protein powder mixed in. So last night I drank some iced tea with Splenda and no problems. This morning I didn't put any sweetener in my hot tea, and I am having yogurt for lunch. If I have another bloating episode, then I know it is from the milk in the yogurt, and that I am probably now lactose intolerant. I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another. LOL!
Kenny & Alicia are so worried about eating in front of me, but I'm not hungry. It sure smells good and looks good, but I honestly am not hungry for it. I kept reading prior to my surgery, that the Lap Band can act as a natural suppressant. Yeah right. Well I am here to tell you that it is true!
Last night was Alicia's Open House at the school. We all went so we could put faces to the names on her schedule. But I was very cautious. I made sure to sit on the bottom rung of the bleachers in the gym. I didn't want to have to walk up any stairs and pay for it later. And when we walked down a crowded hall, I held my purse and my notebook in front of my tummy so if anybody bumped into me, they would hit my purse or my notebook and not my tummy. And it worked!
Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement. I was ready to give up on myself, and to hear from all of my friends, has really awakened me and reminded me of many reasons to keep going on. And for that, I will forever owe you guys a major debt of gratitude.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
I still have not had any pain issues. The first day or two, my abdomen felt tight. And if I stood up too straight or too fast, it felt like I might be tugging at my incisions. So I improvised. I started to use my arms & legs more aggressively while standing up and sitting down. And I looked like I was 9 months pregnant doing it. LOL!
Yesterday I even went to Curves. I only walked in place on the recovery boards. No machines. And I only walked for 15 minutes. I wasn't sore after that, but I didn't want to push it. I have come way too far to sabotage my success! And I plan on going back to Curves today on my lunch break again. It's a nice break from sitting at my desk all day long, typing.
I did have an issue with bloating yesterday. I burped and hiccupped too. Reading the forums, the majority of people who get bloated are those who either use Splenda (because sometimes sugar alcohols are also an ingredient) or if they drank something with milk. I did both of these yesterday. I had some hot tea for breakfast with half a pack of Splenda and my liquid vitamin mixed in. For lunch I had 1/2 a can of Slim Fast Optima with my protein powder mixed in. So last night I drank some iced tea with Splenda and no problems. This morning I didn't put any sweetener in my hot tea, and I am having yogurt for lunch. If I have another bloating episode, then I know it is from the milk in the yogurt, and that I am probably now lactose intolerant. I'll get to the bottom of this one way or another. LOL!
Kenny & Alicia are so worried about eating in front of me, but I'm not hungry. It sure smells good and looks good, but I honestly am not hungry for it. I kept reading prior to my surgery, that the Lap Band can act as a natural suppressant. Yeah right. Well I am here to tell you that it is true!
Last night was Alicia's Open House at the school. We all went so we could put faces to the names on her schedule. But I was very cautious. I made sure to sit on the bottom rung of the bleachers in the gym. I didn't want to have to walk up any stairs and pay for it later. And when we walked down a crowded hall, I held my purse and my notebook in front of my tummy so if anybody bumped into me, they would hit my purse or my notebook and not my tummy. And it worked!
Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement. I was ready to give up on myself, and to hear from all of my friends, has really awakened me and reminded me of many reasons to keep going on. And for that, I will forever owe you guys a major debt of gratitude.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Taking Care of Business
Aug 12, 2008
Well friends, today was the big day. The best birthday present I could give to myself and to my family - weight loss surgery. We got up around 5:00 in order to be at the hospital by 7:30 am. I had to put on a hospital gown and THANKFULLY it fit. I was a little concerned about the peek-a-boo on my leg, but I got it to stay closed sitting in the chair. When the nurse and the transporter came in with my bed, the nurse started laughing really hard. Apparently I put the gown on backwards! 
Now this is only the 2nd time I have ever been in a hospital. The 1st time was 15 1/2 yrs ago when I gave birth to Alicia. So how was I supposed to know. My thinking was if it is open in the front, then easy access for the surgeon. But apparently not. So I had to take a moment and fix my gown.
I climbed onto the bed and I was pushed down to the surgery waiting room. I met the 2 nurses who were going to be in the surgery suite with me and the anesthesiologist. The nurse (Chris) who checked me in last Friday was also there. So it was comforting to recognize a face.
Everybody reviewed my chart and asked me a couple of questions. Nurse Chris put some white boots on my legs and plugged them in. One would slowly inflate then deflate. Then the other leg would do the same thing. They were to massage my calves so I wouldn't get a blood clot. I asked if I could borrow them for when I get a pedicure, but they wouldn't let me.
Nurse Chris did a great job starting my IV. I informed him that I was a hard stick and all the problems other have had. And after studying all my veins, he got it on the 1st shot! WOO-HOO! And as if I didn't look sexy enough, I had to put on a lovely and stylish blue hair net. I also got a Heparin shot in my gut.
While being wheeled down the hall to the surgery sweet, another nurse asked what I was in for. "A boob job, some lipo, and a tummy tuck," was my answer. But they still only did the Lap Band. . . I remember telling a nurse that I didn't know much about football and that I was a freshman at USM for Brett Favre's senior year at USM. But since I didn't talk about the Rebels, he said he didn't want to talk to me. That's the last thing I remember until waking up in the recovery room.
The recovery room was the hardest part of all of this. Even harder than the liquid diet. Even though I had a patch behind my ear for nausea, I was still SEVERELY nauseous. The head of my bed was slightly elevated. Another nurse took a washcloth and wiped some gunk from my eyes that was put there "during surgery". I was still very groggy, but panicked and said, "Please be careful wiping my eyes. I've had Lasik surgery." I am totally out of it, but yet can come to just in time for that. LOL!
A facemask was placed over my nose and mouth, and I instructed to take deep breaths because it would help with the nausea. I was also given some Zofran to help. A nurse walked by to relieve other nurses for lunch. She asked, "who hasn't gone to lunch yet?" I hollered out "ME!" She stuck her head in my curtained area to see if it was nurse who said it, instead 3 nurses started laughing at her saying, "Um that was the patient who answered." I still had my IV in my arm, only it was at my right wrist and not at my left elbow where Nurse Chris put it. UGH! And my throat was extremely dry. This was in part to the nausea patch I had on and from being intubated while in surgery. I asked for ice chips, but they said I needed to wait until I got back to my room. I was in here an hour, but I only remember being in here maybe 20 minutes.
While I was in the recovery room, Dr. Avara spoke to Kenny. He said that I was at the highest level of obesity with my BMI being over 60. And that my high BMI made his job a little bit more difficult than usual. He said that there were no problems, but that the added fat caused my procedure to take a little bit longer to deal with. He also advised Kenny that if anything were to happen to me in the next 48 hours, that he was to immediately rush me back to the hospital.
I was wheeled back to my room, where Kenny was waiting for me. I had to wait a minute or 2 before I could sit up on the bed. Then the nurse & Kenny helped me turn, swinging my legs off of the bed. After a minute or 2 there, I was able to walk to the medical chair. I got a cold washcloth placed on my neck, and 2 very small cups of ice. I sat there for a while, and a nurse came in asking how I was. I told her that I was still very nauseous. She came back with something to put under my tongue. After about a half hour, I called the nurse because I had to pee. There was a receptacle inside the toilet to catch my urine. But I had to pee so bad, I couldn't aim. So I missed the container, but still made the toilet. LOL! I was helped back to the chair. FINALLY, after about an hour, the nausea subsided.
The nurse came back in asking if I was ready to walk. So we did 2 laps up and down the hallway. She said I could get dressed and go home. After I changed back into my clothes, she returned with 4 pages of post-op Orders and instructions. Most of them I had heard before, but there were a couple new ones. Which reminds me, I need to read over them again.
I had brought my liquid Lortab to the hospital with me. So I took a dose in anticipation of the car ride. Kenny went out to bring his car up to the door and I was wheeled down in a wheelchair. I really didn't have any problems getting into his car. And we stopped about 15 minutes away to gas up the car. I walked a couple of laps around his car and then walked the marathon to the restroom and back. All this time, I am in no pain, and the nausea had gone away. YES LORD!
The hospital gave me a Teddy Bear as I was leaving. It's stiff and is given to people who have had chest or abdominal surgeries to hold tightly against their abdomens when they cough. So I clung tightly to it most of the way home, as the road sometimes was bumpy. There were a couple of time I could feel a quick, but sharp pain at one of my five incision sites, but it immediately went away. I know it was due to the bumps on the road.
We also stopped in Wiggins so I could stretch my legs. I did not come this far to start having blood clots. We got home around 4:00 and we pulled out the sofa bed for me to sit up on. After slipping down and trying to re-adjust myself twice, I asked Kenny to put the bed back together and we are all sitting on the couch now.
The lap band doesn't have anything in it just yet. I will go back to Ocean Springs and Dr. Avara will fill it with saline solution in a few weeks. He wants my body to recover from the surgery first.
My liquid vitamins finally came in today, so that is another blessing! But the best blessing of all is that my blood pressure is still stable, even though I am no longer taking any blood pressure medications, AT ALL. My bottom number has always been my worst, sometimes even 90. Today it was at 60 or 70 depending upon when it was taken. My top number was even pretty good. My final reading, before discharge, was 117/62. THAT IS AWESOME!! And my blood pressure returned to normal prior to this surgery. The normal blood pressure was as a direct result of me allowing God to step in and Take Care of some Business, and me stepping completely out of His way.
Right now, I still am not in any pain. I figure I might be a little stiff when I wake up tomorrow, but I don't forsee any problems. I will stay home from work tomorrow, just in case. But I plan to be back at my desk by Thursday morning. God is so good!
And I want to thank all of our friends for your words of encouragment and prayers. The prayers were definitely needed and felt. Our phones were ringing off the hook and we both were getting tons of text messages throughout the day. And I want to thank you for that. I know that I find out what special friends I have when I am going through a difficult time. And Kenny and I are both humbled and honored to have the friends that we have. We love you all!
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Now this is only the 2nd time I have ever been in a hospital. The 1st time was 15 1/2 yrs ago when I gave birth to Alicia. So how was I supposed to know. My thinking was if it is open in the front, then easy access for the surgeon. But apparently not. So I had to take a moment and fix my gown. I climbed onto the bed and I was pushed down to the surgery waiting room. I met the 2 nurses who were going to be in the surgery suite with me and the anesthesiologist. The nurse (Chris) who checked me in last Friday was also there. So it was comforting to recognize a face.
Everybody reviewed my chart and asked me a couple of questions. Nurse Chris put some white boots on my legs and plugged them in. One would slowly inflate then deflate. Then the other leg would do the same thing. They were to massage my calves so I wouldn't get a blood clot. I asked if I could borrow them for when I get a pedicure, but they wouldn't let me.
Nurse Chris did a great job starting my IV. I informed him that I was a hard stick and all the problems other have had. And after studying all my veins, he got it on the 1st shot! WOO-HOO! And as if I didn't look sexy enough, I had to put on a lovely and stylish blue hair net. I also got a Heparin shot in my gut.
While being wheeled down the hall to the surgery sweet, another nurse asked what I was in for. "A boob job, some lipo, and a tummy tuck," was my answer. But they still only did the Lap Band. . . I remember telling a nurse that I didn't know much about football and that I was a freshman at USM for Brett Favre's senior year at USM. But since I didn't talk about the Rebels, he said he didn't want to talk to me. That's the last thing I remember until waking up in the recovery room.
The recovery room was the hardest part of all of this. Even harder than the liquid diet. Even though I had a patch behind my ear for nausea, I was still SEVERELY nauseous. The head of my bed was slightly elevated. Another nurse took a washcloth and wiped some gunk from my eyes that was put there "during surgery". I was still very groggy, but panicked and said, "Please be careful wiping my eyes. I've had Lasik surgery." I am totally out of it, but yet can come to just in time for that. LOL!
A facemask was placed over my nose and mouth, and I instructed to take deep breaths because it would help with the nausea. I was also given some Zofran to help. A nurse walked by to relieve other nurses for lunch. She asked, "who hasn't gone to lunch yet?" I hollered out "ME!" She stuck her head in my curtained area to see if it was nurse who said it, instead 3 nurses started laughing at her saying, "Um that was the patient who answered." I still had my IV in my arm, only it was at my right wrist and not at my left elbow where Nurse Chris put it. UGH! And my throat was extremely dry. This was in part to the nausea patch I had on and from being intubated while in surgery. I asked for ice chips, but they said I needed to wait until I got back to my room. I was in here an hour, but I only remember being in here maybe 20 minutes.
While I was in the recovery room, Dr. Avara spoke to Kenny. He said that I was at the highest level of obesity with my BMI being over 60. And that my high BMI made his job a little bit more difficult than usual. He said that there were no problems, but that the added fat caused my procedure to take a little bit longer to deal with. He also advised Kenny that if anything were to happen to me in the next 48 hours, that he was to immediately rush me back to the hospital.
I was wheeled back to my room, where Kenny was waiting for me. I had to wait a minute or 2 before I could sit up on the bed. Then the nurse & Kenny helped me turn, swinging my legs off of the bed. After a minute or 2 there, I was able to walk to the medical chair. I got a cold washcloth placed on my neck, and 2 very small cups of ice. I sat there for a while, and a nurse came in asking how I was. I told her that I was still very nauseous. She came back with something to put under my tongue. After about a half hour, I called the nurse because I had to pee. There was a receptacle inside the toilet to catch my urine. But I had to pee so bad, I couldn't aim. So I missed the container, but still made the toilet. LOL! I was helped back to the chair. FINALLY, after about an hour, the nausea subsided.
The nurse came back in asking if I was ready to walk. So we did 2 laps up and down the hallway. She said I could get dressed and go home. After I changed back into my clothes, she returned with 4 pages of post-op Orders and instructions. Most of them I had heard before, but there were a couple new ones. Which reminds me, I need to read over them again.
I had brought my liquid Lortab to the hospital with me. So I took a dose in anticipation of the car ride. Kenny went out to bring his car up to the door and I was wheeled down in a wheelchair. I really didn't have any problems getting into his car. And we stopped about 15 minutes away to gas up the car. I walked a couple of laps around his car and then walked the marathon to the restroom and back. All this time, I am in no pain, and the nausea had gone away. YES LORD!
The hospital gave me a Teddy Bear as I was leaving. It's stiff and is given to people who have had chest or abdominal surgeries to hold tightly against their abdomens when they cough. So I clung tightly to it most of the way home, as the road sometimes was bumpy. There were a couple of time I could feel a quick, but sharp pain at one of my five incision sites, but it immediately went away. I know it was due to the bumps on the road.
We also stopped in Wiggins so I could stretch my legs. I did not come this far to start having blood clots. We got home around 4:00 and we pulled out the sofa bed for me to sit up on. After slipping down and trying to re-adjust myself twice, I asked Kenny to put the bed back together and we are all sitting on the couch now.
The lap band doesn't have anything in it just yet. I will go back to Ocean Springs and Dr. Avara will fill it with saline solution in a few weeks. He wants my body to recover from the surgery first.
My liquid vitamins finally came in today, so that is another blessing! But the best blessing of all is that my blood pressure is still stable, even though I am no longer taking any blood pressure medications, AT ALL. My bottom number has always been my worst, sometimes even 90. Today it was at 60 or 70 depending upon when it was taken. My top number was even pretty good. My final reading, before discharge, was 117/62. THAT IS AWESOME!! And my blood pressure returned to normal prior to this surgery. The normal blood pressure was as a direct result of me allowing God to step in and Take Care of some Business, and me stepping completely out of His way.
Right now, I still am not in any pain. I figure I might be a little stiff when I wake up tomorrow, but I don't forsee any problems. I will stay home from work tomorrow, just in case. But I plan to be back at my desk by Thursday morning. God is so good!
And I want to thank all of our friends for your words of encouragment and prayers. The prayers were definitely needed and felt. Our phones were ringing off the hook and we both were getting tons of text messages throughout the day. And I want to thank you for that. I know that I find out what special friends I have when I am going through a difficult time. And Kenny and I are both humbled and honored to have the friends that we have. We love you all!
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
God's Grace - surgery in 2 days
Aug 09, 2008
My surgery date is in TWO DAYS!! (Cue the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) HA-----LELUJAH! 
I know it's been a week since my last post. Sorry, but it's been a crazy week. A week and a half ago, I was still having some dizzy spells so I returned to my doctor's office. He was still out of town, so I saw another doctor who is a new friend from this year's Honduras Mission Trip. She checked my blood pressure while sitting down, laying down, and standing up. It was still borderline high, but she wrote me a script for a half dosage of the Lasix (water pill). She suggested that I take the half dose and if the dizziness continues, to stop taking it. So I weaned myself off the Lasix. No more dizzy spells and no more water retention in my legs. Another miracle!
A week ago was my birthday and all I wanted was a three cheese tortelini from Crescent City Grill for my last meal. And boy was it the very best birthday present I have ever received in my 36 years. :-D
My intentions were to immediately get back onto the all-liquid diet, but my stomach blackmailed me, saying, "HEY - I LIKED the real food on your birthday. Give me more, or I'll give you some reflux!" So while I was trying to behave, I also had to take some Prilosec OTC for 2 days. And I also threw in one Lean Cuisine a day for good measure. My stomach agreed to the compromise and all was well again. That is until Wednesday.
Wednesday I went from work straight to church. And I didn't get home from church and choir practice until after 9:00. So obviously I was hungry. Plus old habits die hard. And my body (and my mind, and my stomach) are used to me eating a late and full supper when I get home from choir practice on Wednesday nights. So while fixing something to eat, I ate. Then when it came time to sit down to eat, I ate, and ate, and ate some more. I was such a PIG!
So the next morning, I climbed back onto the all-liquid diet bandwagon.
For the rest of the week, supper was my weakness. So I am still trying to figure out how to handle it. Each day I was trying something different and so far I haven't found the magic bullet. And with this crazy week behind me, I dreaded going to Dr. Avara's office last Friday. I needed to go sign my consent paperwork and meet with him one last time. And dun, Dun, DUN - get weighed. (groan) I have still lost right at 10 pounds. WOO-HOO! It's not the 20 Dr. Avara wanted me to lose pre-op, but considering the week I had, I was still pretty darned good. YES LORD! But wait - that's not the really good news.
The first time my Blood Pressure was checked, it was normal. So the tech took it a second time because even though I take blood pressure medication, I am always still too high. And the second time, my Blood Pressure was 92/63. I have NEVER been that low, especially my bottom number. I am normally 140/90 even with my blood pressure medicine. My face hurt from the giant smile I started wearing.
I was taken back to an exam room to go over some paperwork and sign my consent forms. I got Kenny & Alicia to come back into the room with me, because I didn't want to get overwhelmed and forget anything. So I figured if they heard it, then we could help each other remember things. Dr. Avara came in and they got to meet him. I appreciated that, but it backfired. Ever since then, my husband has been whining, "Now I am getting really nervous about this surgery." And all I can do is roll my eyes and reply, "Gee thanks for encouraging me. Because that is NOT what I want to be hearing right now."
Then we headed over to Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula to get my pre-admit papers taken care of. I was taken up to ASU and met with a nurse to took another medical history from me. Then a respiratory tech brought me an incentive spirometer. I had to inhale to see what my lung fuction was. Luckily, due to choir, I had a "great lung capacity for a woman" both the nurse and tech said. So they marked where I was and said that post-op I am to inhale 10 times an hour with the goal of reaching that mark each time. And to not be alarmed if it takes me 2 days to reach that point. The hospital will call Dr. Avara's office to agree to a surgery time. So I won't know my surgery time until next Monday.
As we left the hospital, I called my doctor's office and spoke with one of his nurses. I advised her of the low blood pressure number and asked if I could take a smaller dosage of my blood pressure medicine. She scolded me and educated me on how the doctor will require me to come in for 3 or 4 blood pressure readings and only when those are all low would he lower my blood pressure medicine. And that he doesn't just lower dosages because a patient calls in asking for it. But she would give him the message anyway. When I hung up, I joked with my husband and daughter that I just got scolded by my doctor's nurse.
We had a couple of hours to blow before Penny & Greg's wedding so we went to the movies. As we left the movies, I saw where I missed a call from my doctor's office. The voicemail from my doctor's nurse said, "The doctor said to stop taking your blood pressure medicine. And just check your blood pressure periodically. If it becomes too high again, then come in. But, I repeat, stop taking your blood pressure medicine at this time." We all laughed our butts off! I didn't know this nurse who I spoke with, but she didn't realize that my doctor and I are like brother and sister.
Our families are very close. So my doctor definitely knows my medical history. I participate on Honduras mission trips and he's the team captain. We have been to Sunday Night Small Group Bible studies at his house. His Honduran translator (daughter) is my best friend. My daughter spends the night at his house periodically. And I've been to his office 3 times in the past week with blood pressure issues. So, yeah, I felt it was ok to call him with an abnormally low blood pressure reading for me. Plus instead of just text messaging him and getting an answer, I wanted a paper trail in my file to help document my progress.
After this great news, we stopped by the Fire Station where Kenny works and we all went in and changed for Penny & Greg's wedding. Their ceremony was beautiful and perfect. I am so happy that they found each other! We celebrated at the Anatole Bay Clubhouse. There was a lady there who came up to me and introduced herself as Janet. She said that she thought Penny was trying to introduce us to each other. I told her I didn't know anything about that. So I chatted with Penny real quick and she said that Janet was considering weight loss surgery and she was terrified about it. But mainly due to lack of information and since Penny knew that this was such a positive experience for me, she asked if I would speak to Janet about it.
I sat down by Janet and introduced myself to her and advised her as to why Penny wanted us to meet. One hour and many tears later, the reception ended. Janet is truly hurting. She is searching for some peace and hope, but she has already basically given up on herself and her life. I am not a psychologist so I had no clue as to how truly help her. But I helped answer her and her daughter's questions about the surgeries, the process, and Dr. Avara and his staff.
I prayed on the drive home for her and for guidance, and strength for her to attend a support group and to ask the right questions when she gets there. We didn't exchange contact information. And Penny is on her honeymoon in Gatlinburg for 2 weeks, but I will definitely e-mail her and ask for Janet's contact info because I don't want Janet to walk away from Friday night thinking she is still alone. Because she's not. I have been exactly right where she is. But until Janet is ready to realize that she has hit rock bottom and only she can decide enough is enough, there is nothing anybody can do for her except to pray.
This is just another example of God working on me and through me. It is another reminder to be humble and stay in His mercy and grace. I don't want the light to shine on me. But I do want to help anybody else who feels that they aren't worthy. God didn't create us to be miserable creatures. He created us to worship him. And you can't worship God if you are feeling miserable, worthless, ugly, fat, shameful, etc. Those are distractions that Satan fills us with to block us from God's shining grace. I am nothing but a vessel for God to use, and I pray that I am a help and not a hindrance to others and their journey. That is all I ask for on this journey.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
I know it's been a week since my last post. Sorry, but it's been a crazy week. A week and a half ago, I was still having some dizzy spells so I returned to my doctor's office. He was still out of town, so I saw another doctor who is a new friend from this year's Honduras Mission Trip. She checked my blood pressure while sitting down, laying down, and standing up. It was still borderline high, but she wrote me a script for a half dosage of the Lasix (water pill). She suggested that I take the half dose and if the dizziness continues, to stop taking it. So I weaned myself off the Lasix. No more dizzy spells and no more water retention in my legs. Another miracle!
A week ago was my birthday and all I wanted was a three cheese tortelini from Crescent City Grill for my last meal. And boy was it the very best birthday present I have ever received in my 36 years. :-D
My intentions were to immediately get back onto the all-liquid diet, but my stomach blackmailed me, saying, "HEY - I LIKED the real food on your birthday. Give me more, or I'll give you some reflux!" So while I was trying to behave, I also had to take some Prilosec OTC for 2 days. And I also threw in one Lean Cuisine a day for good measure. My stomach agreed to the compromise and all was well again. That is until Wednesday.
Wednesday I went from work straight to church. And I didn't get home from church and choir practice until after 9:00. So obviously I was hungry. Plus old habits die hard. And my body (and my mind, and my stomach) are used to me eating a late and full supper when I get home from choir practice on Wednesday nights. So while fixing something to eat, I ate. Then when it came time to sit down to eat, I ate, and ate, and ate some more. I was such a PIG!
So the next morning, I climbed back onto the all-liquid diet bandwagon.For the rest of the week, supper was my weakness. So I am still trying to figure out how to handle it. Each day I was trying something different and so far I haven't found the magic bullet. And with this crazy week behind me, I dreaded going to Dr. Avara's office last Friday. I needed to go sign my consent paperwork and meet with him one last time. And dun, Dun, DUN - get weighed. (groan) I have still lost right at 10 pounds. WOO-HOO! It's not the 20 Dr. Avara wanted me to lose pre-op, but considering the week I had, I was still pretty darned good. YES LORD! But wait - that's not the really good news.
The first time my Blood Pressure was checked, it was normal. So the tech took it a second time because even though I take blood pressure medication, I am always still too high. And the second time, my Blood Pressure was 92/63. I have NEVER been that low, especially my bottom number. I am normally 140/90 even with my blood pressure medicine. My face hurt from the giant smile I started wearing.
I was taken back to an exam room to go over some paperwork and sign my consent forms. I got Kenny & Alicia to come back into the room with me, because I didn't want to get overwhelmed and forget anything. So I figured if they heard it, then we could help each other remember things. Dr. Avara came in and they got to meet him. I appreciated that, but it backfired. Ever since then, my husband has been whining, "Now I am getting really nervous about this surgery." And all I can do is roll my eyes and reply, "Gee thanks for encouraging me. Because that is NOT what I want to be hearing right now."
Then we headed over to Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula to get my pre-admit papers taken care of. I was taken up to ASU and met with a nurse to took another medical history from me. Then a respiratory tech brought me an incentive spirometer. I had to inhale to see what my lung fuction was. Luckily, due to choir, I had a "great lung capacity for a woman" both the nurse and tech said. So they marked where I was and said that post-op I am to inhale 10 times an hour with the goal of reaching that mark each time. And to not be alarmed if it takes me 2 days to reach that point. The hospital will call Dr. Avara's office to agree to a surgery time. So I won't know my surgery time until next Monday.
As we left the hospital, I called my doctor's office and spoke with one of his nurses. I advised her of the low blood pressure number and asked if I could take a smaller dosage of my blood pressure medicine. She scolded me and educated me on how the doctor will require me to come in for 3 or 4 blood pressure readings and only when those are all low would he lower my blood pressure medicine. And that he doesn't just lower dosages because a patient calls in asking for it. But she would give him the message anyway. When I hung up, I joked with my husband and daughter that I just got scolded by my doctor's nurse.
We had a couple of hours to blow before Penny & Greg's wedding so we went to the movies. As we left the movies, I saw where I missed a call from my doctor's office. The voicemail from my doctor's nurse said, "The doctor said to stop taking your blood pressure medicine. And just check your blood pressure periodically. If it becomes too high again, then come in. But, I repeat, stop taking your blood pressure medicine at this time." We all laughed our butts off! I didn't know this nurse who I spoke with, but she didn't realize that my doctor and I are like brother and sister.
Our families are very close. So my doctor definitely knows my medical history. I participate on Honduras mission trips and he's the team captain. We have been to Sunday Night Small Group Bible studies at his house. His Honduran translator (daughter) is my best friend. My daughter spends the night at his house periodically. And I've been to his office 3 times in the past week with blood pressure issues. So, yeah, I felt it was ok to call him with an abnormally low blood pressure reading for me. Plus instead of just text messaging him and getting an answer, I wanted a paper trail in my file to help document my progress.
After this great news, we stopped by the Fire Station where Kenny works and we all went in and changed for Penny & Greg's wedding. Their ceremony was beautiful and perfect. I am so happy that they found each other! We celebrated at the Anatole Bay Clubhouse. There was a lady there who came up to me and introduced herself as Janet. She said that she thought Penny was trying to introduce us to each other. I told her I didn't know anything about that. So I chatted with Penny real quick and she said that Janet was considering weight loss surgery and she was terrified about it. But mainly due to lack of information and since Penny knew that this was such a positive experience for me, she asked if I would speak to Janet about it.
I sat down by Janet and introduced myself to her and advised her as to why Penny wanted us to meet. One hour and many tears later, the reception ended. Janet is truly hurting. She is searching for some peace and hope, but she has already basically given up on herself and her life. I am not a psychologist so I had no clue as to how truly help her. But I helped answer her and her daughter's questions about the surgeries, the process, and Dr. Avara and his staff.
I prayed on the drive home for her and for guidance, and strength for her to attend a support group and to ask the right questions when she gets there. We didn't exchange contact information. And Penny is on her honeymoon in Gatlinburg for 2 weeks, but I will definitely e-mail her and ask for Janet's contact info because I don't want Janet to walk away from Friday night thinking she is still alone. Because she's not. I have been exactly right where she is. But until Janet is ready to realize that she has hit rock bottom and only she can decide enough is enough, there is nothing anybody can do for her except to pray.
This is just another example of God working on me and through me. It is another reminder to be humble and stay in His mercy and grace. I don't want the light to shine on me. But I do want to help anybody else who feels that they aren't worthy. God didn't create us to be miserable creatures. He created us to worship him. And you can't worship God if you are feeling miserable, worthless, ugly, fat, shameful, etc. Those are distractions that Satan fills us with to block us from God's shining grace. I am nothing but a vessel for God to use, and I pray that I am a help and not a hindrance to others and their journey. That is all I ask for on this journey.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
Doing the Happy Dance
Jul 30, 2008
I am finally done with all of my medical pre-op stuff. (Doing the Happy Dance!) 
Yesterday was a real test of modesty. I had to go in to the hospital for my gallbladder ultrasound and for an upper GI series. I thought I would just wear a one piece dress and all would go well. Uh - NO! I should have worn a pair of shorts (with no metal on them anywhere, including a button or snap) and a t-shirt. But because I didn't put on my thinking cap, I paid the price.
For the gallbladder ultrasound, I was taken to a small and dark room. And because I was an idiot and wore the wrong thing, I had to hike up my dress to just below my chest. After lying down on the table, I was able to cover up with a sheet. Hot gooey gel was then dropped onto my right side. Then I spent the next ten minutes "Tak(ing) a breath, hold it, and let it out." And while I was holding my breath, the technician would push down on her gadget, trying to flatten my liver, my gallbladder, and then eventually my kidney. I even had to roll onto my left side so she could get a clearer view of my right kidney, all the while I am lying there with my dress hiked up to my chest and praying that the sheet is covering the rest of me and that I'm not mooning the technician. In addition to all of this excitement, I was able to bring home a souvenir. I swear I can play connect the dots this morning with all of the bruises!
My next piece of excitement involved the radiology room. Because I wore a one piece dress, with a metal zipper (Both of these were No-No's!) I was taken into the bathroom and told to take off my bra and then put on a hospital gown. Now - I am not a "One Size Fits All" kind of gal. In fact, that is the reason I am doing all of this. So one little flimsy hospital gown was not going to cover me. So I grabbed a second one. I put the first gown on and almost cried. The arms were only big enough for toothpicks to poke through. And since I have some meat on my bones, including my arms, they were quite snug. And of course, I couldn' t get the darned thing to wrap around my voluptuous frame. So I took the second one and put it on backwards to cover my front. Looking in the mirror I had to laugh. My arms were sticking straight out on my sides. I couldn't lift them or lower them. I felt like the younger brother on A Christmas Story after his mother bundled him up in 80 layers of clothing before going out to play in the snow. So with my arms sticking out to the side, I waddled out into the radiology room.
I was instructed to climb up onto this table. So here I am, wearing 2 hospital gowns (one of them backwards), a pair of clean underwear (good thinking), and dress shoes, lying on a table. I was told to scoot down towards the foot of the table so that my feet could rest on this foot board. The technician thankfully covered me up with a sheet. I guess he didn't want me to flash him either. The doctor came in and took some pictures on this machine that was lowered over me.
He then raised the head of the table for about 5 degrees. Luckily my feet were already against the footboard at the end of the table. Not that I was going to stand up or actually go anywhere. Then it was time for me to drink the barium concoction that had a hint of strawberry taste to it. While lying down. The technician brought the glass to me. Luckily it had a lid and a straw, and held it right next to my mouth as I took, long slow drinks from it. After each swallow, the doctor took another picture. I could see them up on a screen. I asked him if I could have one of the photos to use as my Facebook profile picture, but he said "No." That would have been cool though!
After the drink was gone, the doctor said that he needed to take pictures with another machine and then left the room. The technician rolled away the machine and then brought out the big guns and rolled over a monstrous machine. I then had to lay there, alone, waiting on the doctor to come back. I recommended to the technician that they pipe in some music for when we are just lying there, doing nothing. The technician, with his slow southern drawl said, "Well since I can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, it wouldn't be a good idea. The music would probably distract me." Seriously. He said that. Then he had me roll onto my right side.
Now remember, my arms are still sticking straight out. So lying on my right side caused some problems. I had to lay on my right side, and then try to put my arms up above my head. All I could do was bend my elbows, joining my hands into a prayer-like stance, and hold my head up off the pillow. While posing like this, the technician had me scoot to the back of the table so that my back was up against another machine. I had to pose like this for 4 or 5 pictures. Then he stepped out and had the doctor review the films. He came back in for the money shot and then I was done.
I was able to go get dressed. All of this only took an hour. Also I didn't feel ill from the barium swallow, like I thought I might, so I went ahead and went back to work. Being warned about the side effects of the barium swallow, I drank 6 bottles of water instead of my normal 4. And so far, I've not had any "effects" from the drink.
And that's it. Finally.
So I have 2 options right now. (1) Everything is ok so your surgery is still on. or (2) you have something wrong, let's fix it, and then reschedule your surgery. I pick up all of my results tomorrow at my family doctor's office. Then I'll scan them in and e-mail them to the doctor on the Coast.
Friday August 8th I go to Ocean Springs to sign my consent form and verify that I am ready for surgery. Then I go to Singing River Hospital and do my pre-admit stuff there. That same afternoon a friend is getting married in Biloxi. So it will be a great day.
Tuesday August 12th I have my lap band surgery.
And that's it, in a nutshell.
Thanks for listening,
~ Tammy
Yesterday was a real test of modesty. I had to go in to the hospital for my gallbladder ultrasound and for an upper GI series. I thought I would just wear a one piece dress and all would go well. Uh - NO! I should have worn a pair of shorts (with no metal on them anywhere, including a button or snap) and a t-shirt. But because I didn't put on my thinking cap, I paid the price.
For the gallbladder ultrasound, I was taken to a small and dark room. And because I was an idiot and wore the wrong thing, I had to hike up my dress to just below my chest. After lying down on the table, I was able to cover up with a sheet. Hot gooey gel was then dropped onto my right side. Then I spent the next ten minutes "Tak(ing) a breath, hold it, and let it out." And while I was holding my breath, the technician would push down on her gadget, trying to flatten my liver, my gallbladder, and then eventually my kidney. I even had to roll onto my left side so she could get a clearer view of my right kidney, all the while I am lying there with my dress hiked up to my chest and praying that the sheet is covering the rest of me and that I'm not mooning the technician. In addition to all of this excitement, I was able to bring home a souvenir. I swear I can play connect the dots this morning with all of the bruises!
My next piece of excitement involved the radiology room. Because I wore a one piece dress, with a metal zipper (Both of these were No-No's!) I was taken into the bathroom and told to take off my bra and then put on a hospital gown. Now - I am not a "One Size Fits All" kind of gal. In fact, that is the reason I am doing all of this. So one little flimsy hospital gown was not going to cover me. So I grabbed a second one. I put the first gown on and almost cried. The arms were only big enough for toothpicks to poke through. And since I have some meat on my bones, including my arms, they were quite snug. And of course, I couldn' t get the darned thing to wrap around my voluptuous frame. So I took the second one and put it on backwards to cover my front. Looking in the mirror I had to laugh. My arms were sticking straight out on my sides. I couldn't lift them or lower them. I felt like the younger brother on A Christmas Story after his mother bundled him up in 80 layers of clothing before going out to play in the snow. So with my arms sticking out to the side, I waddled out into the radiology room.
I was instructed to climb up onto this table. So here I am, wearing 2 hospital gowns (one of them backwards), a pair of clean underwear (good thinking), and dress shoes, lying on a table. I was told to scoot down towards the foot of the table so that my feet could rest on this foot board. The technician thankfully covered me up with a sheet. I guess he didn't want me to flash him either. The doctor came in and took some pictures on this machine that was lowered over me.
He then raised the head of the table for about 5 degrees. Luckily my feet were already against the footboard at the end of the table. Not that I was going to stand up or actually go anywhere. Then it was time for me to drink the barium concoction that had a hint of strawberry taste to it. While lying down. The technician brought the glass to me. Luckily it had a lid and a straw, and held it right next to my mouth as I took, long slow drinks from it. After each swallow, the doctor took another picture. I could see them up on a screen. I asked him if I could have one of the photos to use as my Facebook profile picture, but he said "No." That would have been cool though!
After the drink was gone, the doctor said that he needed to take pictures with another machine and then left the room. The technician rolled away the machine and then brought out the big guns and rolled over a monstrous machine. I then had to lay there, alone, waiting on the doctor to come back. I recommended to the technician that they pipe in some music for when we are just lying there, doing nothing. The technician, with his slow southern drawl said, "Well since I can't walk and chew bubble gum at the same time, it wouldn't be a good idea. The music would probably distract me." Seriously. He said that. Then he had me roll onto my right side.
Now remember, my arms are still sticking straight out. So lying on my right side caused some problems. I had to lay on my right side, and then try to put my arms up above my head. All I could do was bend my elbows, joining my hands into a prayer-like stance, and hold my head up off the pillow. While posing like this, the technician had me scoot to the back of the table so that my back was up against another machine. I had to pose like this for 4 or 5 pictures. Then he stepped out and had the doctor review the films. He came back in for the money shot and then I was done.
I was able to go get dressed. All of this only took an hour. Also I didn't feel ill from the barium swallow, like I thought I might, so I went ahead and went back to work. Being warned about the side effects of the barium swallow, I drank 6 bottles of water instead of my normal 4. And so far, I've not had any "effects" from the drink.
And that's it. Finally.
So I have 2 options right now. (1) Everything is ok so your surgery is still on. or (2) you have something wrong, let's fix it, and then reschedule your surgery. I pick up all of my results tomorrow at my family doctor's office. Then I'll scan them in and e-mail them to the doctor on the Coast.
Friday August 8th I go to Ocean Springs to sign my consent form and verify that I am ready for surgery. Then I go to Singing River Hospital and do my pre-admit stuff there. That same afternoon a friend is getting married in Biloxi. So it will be a great day.
Tuesday August 12th I have my lap band surgery.
And that's it, in a nutshell.
Thanks for listening,
~ Tammy
Turning my mess, into His message
Jul 29, 2008
This past Sunday, the pastor spoke about Jesus using people who are often the least qualified for the job. Using people who have made messes out of their lives. But his final thought was that Jesus can turn your mess, into His message. And that to me, summed up exactly what I am going through.
Years of thinking that I had control of things, and obviously I didn't. I finally am allowing God to take the messiness of my life and hopefully turn it into His message. Because I want to make this abundantly clear. This is not something I can do on my own, nor have I been able to do this on my own. I have had to rededicate myself to being a better disciple for Christ. And I believe that process includes sharing my pain, my sorrows, and my praises to anybody who will listen.
So listen up!
Today is the most that I will ever weigh for the rest of my life.
I believe that. I am claiming that. And I know that with God's help, that will be forever true.
Here's where I am at in my story.
I have now completed almost all of my medical evaluation. Tomorrow I go in to Wesley Medical Center for an Upper GI series and a gallbladder ultrasound. I have to drink this barium swallow so I took a half day off of work just in case. Today I completed my psych evaluation. The good news is that I was able to walk out afterwards. I didn't get hauled away by a group of men in white coats. :-D And then I topped it off by attending a Support Group Seminar at Dr. Beverly Smallwood's office. This was hosted by Dr. Avara's office.
Lisa and Valorie came up from Ocean Springs and led about a dozen people in an informational meeting. I was able to meet people who have had both the gastric bypass and the Lap Band surgery and people who are about to have the Lap Band surgery. In fact, I need to give a shout out to Adrian and to Donna - "HEYYYYY"!
It was so comforting to be able to speak to other local people who know exactly the struggles I have had to deal with and the decisions that I had to make to start this journey. We discussed the necessity of vitamin supplements. We even sampled an Atkins protein drink that was a cafe caramel flavor. Everybody liked it except Donna and I. To me it was too sweet. Donna didn't like it because she doesn't drink coffee. But it was cool to try it anyway. And it didn't cost me anything. So I really appreciated that. LOL!
I have gotten lazy with my liquid diet, so I am going to have to get my game face back on. And quit making excuses. This is it. No more chances. No more excuses. This is a gift that I now have at my disposal and I won't squander it. But now I know a handful of other people, who are local, that truly understand. And I am grateful that I can turn to them for guidance and support as well. That really means a lot to me! I just hope that I can return the favor one day. If even only in a small amount.
Thanks for listening,
Tammy
About Me
Hattiesburg, MS
Location
65.1
BMI
Surgery
11/12/2020
Surgery Date
Surgeon
Mar 27, 2007
Member Since
