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Updates, Progress and General Ramblings...

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11 Days Post-Op. 25 Pounds Lost.

I am 11 days post-op. I have lost 25 pounds total. I cannot believe it. I am so thrilled. OK. So I am going to post the truth. I started eating soft solid and solid foods. 3 days ago. Seriously. I couldn't stomache another protein shake. They were so sweet. I started with 2 teaspoons of mashed potatoes, thinned out with gravy. Zero problems. 3 hours later, I ate another 2 teaspoons. Again zero problems. I loved them. I decided to not take anymore chances that day, so the rest of the day was isopure protein water, and water.   2 days ago, my mom made deviled eggs for Thanksgiving so I took 1/2 and mashed it up really well. I ate 1/2 of that (so 1/4 egg) and then waited and I felt great. Again, I waited about 3 hours and had the other half. I ate it over the course of 15 minutes and chewed really, really well. I slept like a baby yesterday. I was able to drink almost a whole protetin shake and another isopure water throughout the day, along with my water.   Yesterday I was feeling really brave. I made one chicken apple sausage link, cooked moist in a little broth. I cut that one sausage into three chunks and then cut one of the chunks into teeny tiny pieces. I ate slowly, one piece at a time. I had no problems. Throughout the day I ate the other 2 chunks of sausage the same way. I had no heartburn, no slime, no gas, nothing. I ate teeny bites, and stopped when I felt full. I waited several hours before eating again. I still supplemented with isopure and protein shakes along with water.   Today, I made some creamed spinach (yum - my fave) and ate about 1/2 cup throughout the day, 1 teaspoon at a time. I ate about 3 oz of dark turkey meat (no skin) over the course of 3 meals (so about 1 oz each meal).   I walked on the treadmill 3 times today (each time 12 minutes). I am getting ready to walk for a fourth time. I am off work for one more week, but I feel really great. I have a lot of energy. I have to say, I feel like I have had a relatively easy time with my recovery. The first few days were rough, I'll admit. The first couple days home from the hospital I hurt like hell. I couldn't get the gas out of my body. It was painful and my body kept rejecting the pain and nausea medication. I kept throwing up, which of course made it hurt worse. Sleeping was not happening. I couldn't get comfortable.   BUT - suddenly, on the morning of the 4th day, it didn't hurt so bad. And on the 5th day, I was able to finally get comfortable and fell into a deep sleep. I needed no pain medication at all. I started taking my chewy vitamins. I started walking on the treadmill (2-5 minutes at a time). As I got stronger, the pain practically disappeared over the next 24-48 hours. I have read from other posters, that unfortunately, their recoveries haven't been so easy. So I feel blessed.   25 pounds gone forever. I am looking forward to when I can post that I have lost 50 pounds...
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

4
 

First Blog Entry

This is my first blog entry. I will be using this blog as a place to log my journey. I will post updates, future appointment dates, my surgery date and so forth. After my operation, I will use this as a tool to post about successes, set backs, and my day-to-day well being.   A quick update on my progress thus far: 1. Met with my PCP to get a referral to the BS Department (8/24/12) 2. Attended mandatory orientation for gastric sleeve (8/26/12) 3. Met with Surgeon for GSV (8/31/12) 4. Had EKG, Upper GI X-Ray, Ultrasound, and necessary lab work (9/4/12)   Still TO DO: 5. Meet with NUT (Mandatory for clearance) 9/17/12 6. Have Psych/Mental Health Eval (Mandatory for clearance) 9/24/12 7. SCHEDULE SURGERY DATE (TBD)   I am almost there. Luckily I have already been pre-approved by my health insurance, so this process has been running like a well oiled machine (knock on wood & fingers crossed). I hope to have my surgery date scheduled sometime in October. I am very pro-active in my care, so I made sure to contact my insurance company first, prior to starting the process, to see what I would need to get this done. I also went ahead and scheduled all my appointments directly, rather than waiting for the various departments to contact me, which I have past experienced in the past, could be delayed up to 2 weeks, before someone finally gets around to contacting me. By being proactive, I am making sure all my t's are crossed and i's are dotted so to speak.   I am nervous, as I am sure everyone is. BUT - I am also ready. SO ready. I am prepared, mentally, emotionally and physically for this. I have my own reasons for this surgery, as I am sure everyone has. This could literally help save my life and make the time I do have better. It's about quality of life for me at this point. And I am prepared to do whatever it takes.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

0
 

Two Weeks... Well Technically 13 Days!

Wow. Time has gone by SO fast. It felt like I just posted that I had a month to go, and now here it is the two week mark. I am almost perfect on my liquid diet. I say almost because I had some crackers (4) the other night to help take some medication. I haven't weighed myself yet, but I probably will on Friday.   November 13th! It is just around the corner. I am really busy at work so that helps. Next week is my last week at work and then I will be off until December 3rd. I have a lot to do before I go on leave.   I am going to clean out my closet this weekend. I am going to donate everything that is slightly big on me now as well as most of the rest of my clothes that fit too. I have a lot of clothes in smaller sizes from when I grew too big to fit into them, way in the back of my closet. I figure why wait until after surgery to do it? I have pjs and comfortable clothes (T-shirts, Sweats, etc) to wear while I am healing and the clothes I am donating, I don't ever want to see again. Bye-bye size 22, so long size 20. I have 18 and 16 waiting for me. I CANNOT wait to say sayanora to those as well. I haven't been a single digit size since BEFORE grade school.   I am taking pics this weekend along with taking my measurements.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

3
 

Takeout Takeaway....

So I was hungry at lunch time and had to run some errands so I went to my fave chinese lunch place to get an order to go. I ordered their chicken salad lunch which also comes with 3 potstickers. The salad is big so I usually end up eating only about 1/2 and saving the rest for dinner or the next day. The chicken is also shredded white meat so it's not breaded and fried and the dressing is really light. Overall it's not bad at all and heck - Lord knows I could do worse. So I order it to go and they put my order inside a container inside a bag tied up so that it doesn't spill.   Anyway - I get back to work and I open it and ta da... it is some oily stir fried noodle dish with beef. A huge container of it. I took about 3 bites (literally) and gave the rest to a co-worker. No potstickers either. Sigh. I took it as a sign not to deviate from my diet! Ha! On a positive note, I called the restaurant and they refunded my purchase (turned out they swapped my order with another customer). The downside is I have no lunch.   Maybe the GVS gods are trying to tell me something... STAY ON TRACK   For the first time, I feel antsy today. I feel so close, but still things left to do before I can schedule my surgery date. Next Monday I have my first NUT appt. and the following Monday I have my psych eval. I keep telling myself I did get the first available appt. when I called. And it was only 3 weeks later (now 2 weeks away) so things are still moving really fast. I will have done everything necessary start to finish within only 30 days. BUT - it's hard not to be anxious. I want this so badly. I hate hurry up and wait mode. 14 days until I can schedule my 2nd appt. with the surgeon to get my surgery date.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

1
 

Another One Bites The Dust....

Ha... now I have that song stuck in my head. I am referring to one more medical appointment down and only 1 more to go before I can schedule my surgery!!! Woot woot!. Met with the NUT today and it was totally different than the scenario I had pictured in my head.   First off, she was a lovely woman. Really friendly and nice. Very much like my surgeon. So supportive of my decision and my choice. She went over the diet with me and seemed really surprised about how much I already knew and was doing ahead of time to prepare. (A big thank you to you folks here on the board with all your advice and tips on pre-op dieting and such). She gave me lots of little samples of different proteins, calcium chews, chewable and liquid vitamins, etc. I got a little bag with me. We talked for about 40 minutes and then she ended the visit by letting me know she was sending her approval for surgery over to my surgeon. Once my surgery date is set, I need to schedule one more pre-op visit with her, just to go over the information again (probably only 20-30min) and that's it! No 3 month or 6 month supervised diet, no 6-8 series of visits, etc. like I was envisioning. I really thought I was going to be derailed and have a major crash and burn, but no... it was just really positive. So I'm happy. Happy, happy, happy.   I called to schedule my follow-up visit with my surgeon to schedule my surgery date, but unfortunately, he is on vacation next week. Which means he was fully booked this week. Then I am on vacation the following week (10/01 - 10/08). But I got an appointment right when I get back on 10/09. I will have my psych eval on 09/24 (next monday) so he should have everything he needs by 10/09. I really want to schedule this surgery in October. Fingers crossed!   And another one gone, and another one gone... another one bites the dust.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

2
 

Less Than One Month To Go.....

Drumroll please....   The offical countdown has begun. I am scheduled for surgery, Tuesday, November 13th at 7:00AM. First surgery of the day. Check-in by 5:00am. I am so ready for this. I have everything I need. I ordered supplies online (amazon and bariatric advantage). I have protien in the form of shakes, soups, drinks, puddings and jello. I have scoured the boards and read as many posts for pre-op as I could find. I bought the pillow for my stomach and a wedge pillow for sitting and sleeping. I have gummy, chewable and liquid vitamins. Everything is labeled, organized and charted. I have lists and spreadsheets. I am so ready. Bring it on.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

0
 

Ramping Up... To Get Down!

Weighed myself this morning. Down 7 pounds. 264. Out of the 270's again. Have completed first week (plus 2 days) of 1 protein shake, plus 2 low carb meals per day. I feel pretty good. Day three I had major headache from carb withdrawl, but I definitely knew what to do. I am so focused. I am keeping up the diet until after I come back from vacation and can schedule my surgery date on 10/09. I only have a 7 day pre-op diet, so I am hoping to have my surgery the last 2 weeks in October. I have already made arrangements with my work and that time would fit perfectly into my schedule.   I ordered my liquid and chewable vitamins, have my protein powders already, and have my grocery list ready and waiting for my post-op diet. I am actually having my surgery at the hospital I work at (it has a bariatric center of excellence) so I feel like I am extremely blessed. Plus it helps that my boss and co-workers are all so so supportive of my decision.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

0
 

It's Wednesday!

Just blogging to keep up the habit. Don't want to start missing blogging and then suddenly weeks go by with no posts. Trying to blog every few days. I'm currently drinking one protein shake for breakfast and then 2 low-carb meals (0 carbs other than veggies) for lunch and dinner. Today I had a chicken ceasar salad. YUM! Dinner will be left over steak bites and some sauteed cabbage. Already entered into FitDay. Under 1200 calories and only 16 carbs (5 in protein shake). Making my portions smaller in prepping for my 7 day liquid pre-op diet. Still a couple of weeks away, but definitely confident I can do this.   I go on vacation October 1st through October 7th. I may not have access to internet. If I do though, I will try to blog while I am gone. I can easily follow my diet on vacation. I can stock up on ready to drink protein shakes and keep them in a little fridge in my hotel and pack a cooler with ice packs. I have lots of food I can prepare and bring with me on the road. I have done "low-carb" so many times I can pretty much do it blind folded now. However - this time is different, because I know I am eating this way in order to make my surgery successful. After surgery it will become a way of life permanently, but for now, it is simply something I have to do in order to progress my journey.   Really, really ready for vacation.
dwbrown1978

dwbrown1978

0
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