Tina Fisher

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Ended up going to ER early this morning to make sure I wasn't dehydrated!  Found out that I have a bladder infection, which was causing my nausea!  Hopefully the doctor faxed in something for nausea and pain, besides the antibiotic, like he said he would.  The paperwork they gave me only said Bactrim DS! 

I am still on foods that I can mash with a fork.  I haven't found much that I can eat, but I can't admit that I've been trying much, either.  I tend to buy what I know works.  I am tired of the Greek yogurt, though.  The Dannon Fit and Light with fruit was my favorite, but I just have lost the taste for it.  Maybe it'll come back, later.  I have tried Hormel's turkey chili without beans, cottage cheese, turkey meatballs with turkey gravy, baked chicken, and grilled shrimp.  Oh, also tuna and egg salad.  I can't eat the tuna salad, but was able to get the egg salad down.  I am pretty much only able to handle 2 oz. of anything, sometimes 3 if I take it really slow.  My worst thing is trying to not drink anything until half an hour after eating.

I started my vitamins last week.  I was taking my Calcium Citrate in tablet form, but found that I can barely get them down!  I am to get 1200 mg in a day, but could only find 1000 mg chewable tablets.  I am still waiting for that order to arrive.  The liquid mutlivitamin has some of that in it, though.  I think next time I am at the bariatric center to see the surgeon's assistant I will check their pharmacy.  I've been told their vitamins are much cheaper than at Walmart or elsewhere.  I didn't have time to look last appointment, because we thought we had to meet with his aunt and uncle the same night.  It's almost a two hour drive to the center, alone, due to weather and construction work on the highway.  Anyhow, I found quite a few deals on Amazon for my other vitamins and supplements.  I was prescribed Vitamin D to take once a week and Actigall for my gall bladder.

Maybe TMI, but I was having regular bowel movements even without taking Miralax and Colace.  Today's was very hard so I'm back on both.  I think my lactose intolerance kicked back in because I drink my soy milk with the dry milk in it to increase the protein content.  That and I've been drinking the high protein Ensure that was recommended to increase my daily protein intake.  Although, I am still having a hard time getting all my protein in.  I am to get about 64 oz and am only getting 51, even if I'm able to physically eat a third meal.  The Ensure is meant to supplement, not replace a meal, but unfortunately I have been doing that.  Yesterday I didn't get my Ensure in, so that might be why I had troubles with today's bowel movement.

Onto better things, I have lost about 100 pounds since I started my weight loss journey in October of 2012.  I'm about 46# down from surgery.  I took the weight off my last appointment with a doctor, which was last Wednesday.  I haven't weighed myself at home since.  I see another doctor on Wednesday, so I will see then.  I posted recent pics in my photo albums.  I was wearing a 5X Just My Size T-shirt and size 4X Just My Size Capris.  Both barely fit, but I will soon be able to wear them!  Finally, I can shop at a regular store and not have to order my clothes online!  I think when I feel up to it and have a little extra cash, I will hit Goodwill.  My friend is going to give me some size 26W jeans, which probably won't fit, but still will be nice to have.  My 3X pants from OneStopPlus, online, are starting to fall off of me and the only other pants I have are 1X and I wasn't able to wear those just yet.  The 1X is pretty much equivalent to the 4X JMS.  I think they are size 26W's.  I still am in 5X shirts from OneStopPlus, although a few of the newer ones were too big!  They were really cute shirts, too.  I might try to sell them on eBay because they are so cute and I only tried them on!  I do fit into a Torrid size 5!  Which was really cool, because I could wear my Big Bang Theory Soft Kitty T-shirt on date night, where hubby and I went to see Paleyfest at the movie theater,  with the cast and producers of the show!  It was nice to get out and I was able to get around with my walker more easily than I ever have!

I still feel like crud, though.  Most the time I am tired and just want to sleep.  Hubby doesn't understand it, because he thinks I should be feeling better already.  Maybe I should.  I might call the surgeon's office tomorrow to see if I can start back up on my Zytrec that they took me off of prior to surgery.  My allergies are starting to kick in and I'm sneezing several times a day.  They are small pills so I don't see why not.  I also want to take Biotin again and try some of that chronium glucosamine(however it's spelled) for my joints.  I am around the same weight I was diagnosed with degenerative joints in my knees.  Maybe I can also get a cortizone injection again!  Once I put on 100#, their needles weren't big enough to get into my joint, so they stopped working!  I just want to be able to get around again!  I'm so tired of not being very mobile or having to use my inhaler after just getting out to the car!  I also want to drive again!  I haven't done so in over a year!

Monday will be my one month surgiversary!  My one month post-op appointment is today!  I don't know how much I've lost, yet.  I try to go by the surgeon's scale. 

Wednesday was my first night out with hubby, in forever!  We went to see PaleyFest with the cast of The Big Bang Theory at a nearby theater!  I was surprised that there was barely over a dozen people in there!  I had to use my walker, but that might be something I'll need to use for quite a while, still!

At my two week followup, I was prescribed Arthrotec for my knees.  I told the surgeon's assistant that I have mainly been taking the oral pain meds because of my knees.  Although, I still have some stomach pain.  I think that should be managed once I get to take Prilosec again, as they took me off it after surgery.  I was put on some liquid stuff they had made for me, Protonix.  It's nasty, tastes real salty, and doesn't do anything for me.  It works for a few hours and I'm only to take it once a day!

Anyway, I sure hope I have lost more weight since my two week appointment.  I had lost around 37 pounds, I believe.  I stepped on my scale the other day and it looked as if I've only lost 4 more pounds, though!  Ugh!  I am on the food stage where I can eat soft foods that can be mashed with a fork.  I have tried some foods, but not all agree with me.  Like canned tuna or chicken, mixed in mayo, just sits in my stomach!  So far, I   can eat cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, baked chicken, and turkey meatballs.  I can only stomach a little over 2 oz, still.  I don't know how I'm going to get all my protein in at this rate!  The most I get in is 40g!  I wish I could drink protein shakes to help.  I think I will ask the surgeon's assistant today about it, as I am scared of anything happening to me because I can't get my protein in! 

That's all I can think of!  Later!

I barely remember much after my surgeon greeting me in the OR!  It went real well, though!  I was there from 5:30 am Monday to check in, until around 8:30 pm Tuesday night!  I passed the leak test Tuesday morning and was able to eat and drink afterwards.  Still trying to get more food in!  I am on the pureed stage.  I'm doing well with water, though!  I can't wait until my two week checkup, to see how much I've lost!  :)

I found out the results of my sleep study the other day.  I have obstructive sleep apnea and am not getting enough oxygen when I sleep.  This is because my fat is getting in the way when I lay down.  I'm waiting to have a blood gas test done before I can start using a Bipap machine.  Once that is done, I will get my machine, and have an oxygen study done the first night I use it.  Basically they'll come in and hook my finger up to a monitor overnight.  This will record my oxygen levels.  The doctor wants this done because if they give me too much oxygen while sleeping, I could start having apneas due to shock. 

I also met with the dietician this past week.  She put me on a 1200 calorie diet plan, with low-carbs and low-fat.  So far it is working out as I have not cheated since I started.  I had been watching my calories prior to this, but was getting around 1600 calories in a day.  This turned out to be too much because of my activity level.  I basically have one serving of lean protein, one serving of vegetables and one of fruit for every meal.  For "snacks" I have a glass of soy milk, as I am lactose-intolerant.

I've decided to move my blog over to Blogger:  http://tinaf1971.blogspot.com/

I am so excited about the possibility of having this surgery!  It'll be a new lease on life for me!  I need it!  So far, everyone in my life has been positive about it for me!  Which I need, as I refuse to hear anything negative about the surgery!  The worst that could happen is that I'd die.  To be honest, I'd rather die than not have this surgery!  It is very hard living at the height/weight I am.  I am over 420 pounds and only 5' tall(that's with shoes on, too...lol)!  I won't know for sure what my exact weight is until I see my primary care doctor on the 16th!  Anyway, life is very difficult for me and I don't want to live like this any longer than I have to!

I've been in frequent contact with one of my friends who had the surgery done around 10 months ago.  She is doing spectacular!  She went to the same bariatric center that I will be going to, as she referred it to me!  We'll have different surgeons, though, which doesn't bother me at all.  I have yet to meet Dr. Gould.  He is from UW-Madison's bariatric center and I trust that Froedtert wouldn't hire a bad surgeon.  My friend said Froedtert is like a five-star dealership(or something similar) when it comes to bariatric centers. 

I honestly can't stop thinking about having this surgery.  I am hoping that I only have to do the three months of supervised diet plan that Medicare requires before surgery.  That would mean I could have the surgery as soon as February, if I get in to see the nutritionist ASAP!  When I see my primary care physician on the 16th, I will have her refer me to one!  I really wish I'd have jumped on the band wagon sooner, as I could've had the surgery closer to my birthday, in January.  It'll have to be a belated birthday present to myself!  LOL!