want2clessofme

Well it’s been a while hasn’t it?! I believe an insanely long blog entry is in order!!
I want to first say that due to you, my dear VST people, nothing that has happened has been a surprise, and that has been really, really nice
 
I had my sleeve surgery on Wed., May 22nd. My “call time” was 1 pm, and my surgery was scheduled for 2:45. I believe I was #3 on my surgeon’s docket for the day. My parents, my husband and I arrived and were all ushered into pre-op, where I was asked to go behind a curtain and put on a hospital gown. I was so interested in the conversation my parents and husband were having that I rushed, and when I popped out from behind the curtain, the nurse said “No honey, you’ve got it on backward”. Lol. I was wearing it like a robe. So I had to switch it. Then I climbed into bed and my family sat in front of me in chairs – felt like I had an audience. The nurse was extremely nice – she got me all covered up and warm under the blankets and this special inflatable thing that blew warm air on me. I also got the leg-squeezy things and some fab socks with nonskid rubber on the bottom.
 
Another nurse came by and started an IV – I asked what was in it and she said it was basically Gatorade without sugar. I’m guessing there was no color or flavor either. Then I heard some commotion and found out that my surgeon was running ahead of schedule so they’d be taking me early (!) The anesthesiologist came over. This was the first time I’d met him, and let me tell you, he was so adorable I would have gone anywhere with him! But alas, he only wanted to take me to the OR…. lol. Before we left, he put something in my IV that made me goofy – I remember looking at my family and saying “ooh that was fast” and then someone putting the shower cap type thing on my head & I had to help because I have long hair. I remember being wheeled into the OR, and once in there they had me scooch onto a different table. I think. That could well have been after – it’s one of those weird disconnected memories. Anyways, I do know that my surgeon was there and they started introducing all the support team “this is John, and you know Dr. Z, and here’s Vern “ and I was chuckling to myself like you guys really think I care at this point who’s who? I think they were chuckling too – I just remember that there was happy banter and/or joking as they went about prepping me, and it was a good feeling all around to have happy people around me.
 
Next thing I knew someone was calling my name, and I surfaced VERY reluctantly from a deep sleep. Once I let them know I was awake they left me alone, and I could drift in and out all I wanted. At times I had pain in my upper belly and felt a little nauseous. What’s interesting is that it is such a distant memory now it hardly seemed like anything as far as the pain goes. I was aware of another patient in the recovery room – a large man who was moaning a lot. In my drugged out mind, this made me feel the need to do some moaning of my own just so I wouldn’t be forgotten. LOL. No logic there, just instinct. Someone was apparently standing behind me monitoring my machines, because pretty soon they said it was time to go and my bed started moving. We went in the elevator and pretty soon I saw my family come into view as I was wheeled past them to my room. I felt very concerned with making sure they knew I was just fine, so I was saying hi and trying to smile. But boy I was still pretty high!
 
Once in my room, I began to experience some more pain. I must say it is nearly impossible to assign a number to pain. I think I’m a people pleaser, and I was like “oh it’s not so bad, a 4? Maybe?” But it was a bit worse than that. My mom said she could tell I was in pain because she could see my blood pressure going up. The nurse gave me morphine in my IV, and within a few minutes I felt no pain, but I did feel the nausea. I salivated a lot, but I breathed through it without heaving, thank goodness. In retrospect, the pain must have been gas and the nausea was from the morphine.
 
I drifted in and out for a few hours, then in the evening I got the nurse to disconnect me from everything but the IV, so I could walk and go to the restroom.
From that time on, I honestly had no real pain. I used gas x strips every 3 hours, burped a little, didn’t toot at all I felt the tiniest bit of the gas in my neck, but even that came and went quickly. They never had to put the oxygen thing back in my nose because my oxygen levels stayed good (yay for me for quitting smoking!!!)
 
My hospital stay was uneventful. The tray they brought the next day was silly – I asked if there was any protein in any of it, and when I was told no, I thought why waste the time & tummy space? I ate some to prove no problems, and then was released to go so I could start working on protein My surgeon came by and said everything went really well. I have one incision in my belly button and two more "punctures" high up on my left side. These are smaller than a grain of rice and I'm sure will be undetectable once healed. I'm still completely amazed at this surgeon's skill -- to think that 85% of my stomach was removed and no one will ever be able to see a scar -- blows my mind. He said I was good to go if I wanted. Once unhooked from the IV, I admit I didn’t feel nearly as perky as I had when I was hooked up to it. But they let me walk out on my own and I did not have to do the wheel chair ride.
 
The next 2-3 days were all about sleeping. I tried my darndest to get fluid & protein in, but I felt pretty nauseas. Had the super-saliva production thing going on a couple of times where I thought I would start heaving, but I never did, thank goodness. My sweet husband would run to bring me a paper towel to spit the saliva into (I mean I was producing tremendous amounts of saliva when I got nauseas! sorry if TMI) and then he would rub my back and say sweet things to me while I took deep breaths and let it pass. Nausea sucks. But! By day 3 it was ALL gone. Ever since then all I can say is that the vague soreness in my tummy has gotten MUCH better every day, and the tiredness is slowly getting better. Day 4 after surgery I went on a very short trip to Target and was amazed to stop and think about the surgery I’d just had and that I was out walking around. After about 10 minutes though, I was headed to the lawn furniture department for a lil break
 
I have a desk job, and I took just short of 2 weeks off work – I honestly can’t imagine taking more than that with how normal I feel. Yes, I am pretty damn tired right now, but c’mon, I was tired all the time before surgery! It’s just going to get better and better.
 
Today is the last day of ‘full liquids’. Tomorrow I get pureed! Hooraaaaay! Been daydreaming about cottage cheese lol. The liquid diet has begun to go literally right through me. Yes I get hungry but nothing like presurgery. Once I drink a few sips off a protein drink, I am satisfied. However, within half an hour, it is coming out tha other end if you know what I mean. TMI I know, but I’m here to tell it like it is So I’m hoping that pureed foods will be just what I need to set things right in that department. I had my first poo maybe 3 or 4 days post op and it was normal, if a bit small. I was very happy not to have the severe constipation some folks have immediately post op. I know it could still happen, but at least I’ll be a little further out from surgery.
 
Last I checked, I had lost 20 lbs since the start of pre-op, and about 10 lbs since surgery (about a lb per day). HOWEVER – and here’s something really fun --- my husband accidentally kicked my scale into the wall in the dark and it shattered into a million pieces. I had left it out in the middle of the floor – my bad So... I haven’t weighed in days! I’ve ordered a new fancy scale on Amazon, and I think it will be kinda neat to just wait until it arrives. I know I’m losing weight. But for some reason, my immediate focus is not the weight loss, it’s just about doing what I should be doing.
 
I really feel like I made the right decision for me, and honestly, it has been a good experience so far. looking forward to feeling better and better and better!
 
ONWARD!

Today marks 3 weeks since surgery, and things are going quite well. I started my pre-op liver shrinking diet on 5/8/13, so I consider that my “start”. Since then I have lost 27.8 lbs, although my period started today so I’m probably good for another pound or two soon. I’m in the “soft foods” stage right now. I do feel restriction now! I also do feel hunger, although it is a reasonable hunger (not like the hunger I felt before all my life – THAT was unreasonable crazy and all-consuming hunger!). …..And once I have a few bites of good protein, my reasonable hunger is satisfied I love that.
I am eating things like cottage cheese, good quality lunch meat (chewed well), baked fish, ricotta, PB2, eggs, and protein shakes of course. For an obese girl I am a pretty healthy person –I love and have missed my fruits and veggies. So I bought a nutria-bullet! For those who haven’t seen the infomercial, it is a small blender type thing that is extremely powerful and will pulverize anything you put in it. So this week I have begun incorporating ‘green drinks’ into my daily routine. It has made a WORLD of difference in my energy level! You load it up with half dark green leafies, some avocado, and half fruit (covers the taste of the green leafies!) and add healthy nuts or dried goji berries (these get pulverized so it’s not bad for the sleeve!). The resulting smoothie is much better than jamba and no doubt much more healthy. I also add my protein powder and voila! I get my protein drink plus my fruits & veggies! I now feel much better that I am getting a good balanced diet.
I do 3 meals a day of a good protein, then 2 snacks in between of the green protein drinks, and I feel awesome. Sometimes for a late night snack I will mix up a tablespoon of PB2. Yum.
My nails are growing like crazy! I guess it’s the protein? I certainly don’t feel malnourished, even though my calories are still pretty low. I’m not losing all that crazy-fast, but it’s ok. I am losing. And I had wondered pre-surgery whether I would be a fast loser or a slow loser, and I have to say – both have good things about them. If I am indeed a slow loser, I believe my skin will be in better shape in the long run. I hope. I also have high hopes that my hair will not fall out if I am a slower loser. I also think that my colleagues and other people who don't know I had surgery will be less likely to try to get all in my business if I lose slowly, because it will be a more gradual change. The obvious benefit to being a fast loser is that you get to have the weight off faster!!! Since it;s summer time, that is really appealing. But I takes what I gets!
I have to say that all the months and months prior to surgery, time seemed to go by so quickly, and now time actually seems to go really slowly….because I know it’s just a matter of time until I lose a significant amount of weight. I am being a bit impatient in that way.
Oh! I must share this too – yesterday I decided to have one of those Morningstar farm breakfast sausages for lunch -- I'd been thinking about those for the whole time I was on liquids! I ate too quickly, and/or didn’t chew well enough, because OMG I had a really bad experience! It honestly felt like someone had punched me in the stomach, and I got really nauseas – although I never threw up. It. Really. Really. Sucked. Lesson learned. I guess we all go through that at least once, ya?
I think next on my agenda will be starting some more rigorous activity or even what could be called exercising So far I have just been hiking up the hill behind my house and back everyday. My dog loves it, because I am able to let her off leash. It’s maybe a mile round trip but it is an incline. The first few times I did it after surgery I was really going at a snail’s pace. But now I’m able to go at a pretty good clip. So it’s time to go farther I believe!
 
Onward!

Ok, in the interest of full disclosure, the 1st part of the title isn't true about green beans - at least not in my case, they don't give me gas. But the good news is, they do make me "regular."
 
Garden season has sprung in Texas and my dad's green beans are coming up like weeds. As usual, he planted waaaaaaay too many green bean plants and is complaining about having to get out there and pick them. And when I say waaaay too many, I mean just that. He has 3 rows of green bean plants - each row about 40 feet long. That's a lot for just my mom and dad.
 
I know that he secretly loves the fact that he has too many. He enjoys giving away the extras. But is always complaining that no one wants to come and pick. I try to tell him, "Grow something that people
want and they'll come. No one wants to come dig turnips!"
 
Now a normal person would just pick what they could use and let the rest rot on the vine. Not my dad. He grew up at the end of the Depression and can't let anything go to waste - even if he never uses it.
 
So they will pick and can fruit and vegetables until the garden dies. Then, a year later, he's throwing out the old canned and frozen stuff to make room for new.
 
Mom, dad, and me picked about 5 gallons of green beans off one row, and that was AFTER they had already picked the row two times previously! So, they gotta lotta beans left to pick on the other rows.
 
Now I have a freezer stocked with fresh green beans.
 
Cooking them is simple: put in water, bring to a boil, add garlic, salt, and onion to taste.
Boil for about 15 minutes.
Poke with fork to test tenderness.
Grab one with tongs for taste test.
Blow on green bean to cool it off.
Taste.
Hold ice cube on burned tongue.
Eat meal with green beans - not being able to taste anything because of burned tongue.
 
I've eaten a cup or two every evening for the past 4 days and I've gone to the bathroom once a day since I started eating green beans. My normal schedule is once every 4 days, until now. So I'm crediting the fiber in the green beans.
 

 
A cup of green beans has about 40 calories - 2 grams of fiber - 2 grams of carbs.
 
All varieties of green beans are low in calories and contain healthy nutrients: dietary fiber, calcium and iron.
One cup has 200 milligrams of potassium, plus beta carotene and vitamin A.
 
Next month: One potato...two tomatoes
 
Keep Pimpin that Sleeve!

It is official, 85 percent of my stomach is gone. It's hard to wrap my mind around that. To walk through some some events of my hospital stay. 5/22 I went and got a new haircut and my legs and brows waxed. Then went home and drank the horrible bowel cleaning drink and waited. I felt bad the rest of the day and received a call that my surgery time had moved up, I needed to check in at 5:30 am. I fell asleep easily and my parents drove me to the hospital on time. Checked in, was weighted in, answered some questions and the IV was started. I met a slew of nurses, doctors, my surgeon and quickly enough I was in the operating room. I remember only a sliver of that room then I was waking up. I just said pain and nausea and quickly feel asleep again. I guess my potassium levels were too low and they started potassium through the IV. It still burns just thinking about it. Then I fully woke up and remember everything around 1pm. I got to my room, it was private thank goodness. My parents were in there worrying about the delay. My mom is a nurse and has seen it all, but just the potassium was holding me up. Then quickly the nausea set in. Horrible, listless feeling I wouldn't wish on enemies. I didn't realize the nausea the directly linked to my pain meds. I rarely take any pain meds and just couldn't handle them. My husband visited that night and I remember him just holding my hand while I drifted off to sleep to soothing music. I really love that man!
Next day more potassium burning, nausea, a change of pain meds, and swallow test. When my nurse walked in and said I didn't have any leaks I lost it and started balling. I had no clue how worried I was about that. I just felt like I had too much nausea not to have a leak, so to hear I would be taken off of IV pain meds and some of the machines I was so releaved. One more step closer to freedom! That night my IV site was burning that I rang my light at 3am asking for a new one. By 4am and a few tries I had a new far less painful site. They gave me some benedryl to sleep and let me go to 9am!
All that was left was the need to pass gas, then I could go home! And I woke up and tooted, again happiness. I told the nurses immediately and they were pumped for me. Unfortunately my blood work came back with low magnesium and potassium. Fortunately I only needed the magnesium through the IV and to drink the horrible potassium. I kept telling myself this was better then a burning vein and powered through. By 3:30 my mom was taking me home.
 
I want to tell others that your pain meds may be linked to the nausea.
Walk as soon as possible. I was up and moving as soon as I hit my private room. The gas will come out far more quickly.
 
This is the first time I have had the mind and focus to read, go online, watch tv or even talk. It took a lot out of me, but if it helps me get this damn weight off it will be worth it. The memories of pain are quickly fading. I really hope to see the scale move down fast!

I'm Tammy (or Flutterby - the original name for a butterfly... )
 
I'm 45 yrs old, 5'8" tall. I weigh 295 lbs. My BMI is at 44.8. My first goal is 170 lbs. Ultimate goal is 137 lbs.
 
I've struggled with my weight since my second child was born about 23 years ago. I tend to gain weight all over. Well, except my bust area (strange). However, in the last several years I have gained more in my belly. I look like I'm about eight months pregnant... Uggghh! Now, don’t get me wrong, I loved being pregnant and I adore being a mother, but I’m not having any more children and I’m ready to be able to lose all MY baby fat. The baby fat may have stayed with me, but I added a whole person’s weight to it. I need to lose half of my weight – a whole person’s worth. Only those who have been here understand how much that realization can hurt and disgust me.
 
I have tried to lose weight by diet, exercise, supplements and programs just like so many others here. From Slim Fast, Cabbage Soup Diet, Herbal Life, fasting up to two weeks at a time,, Atkins, Low Calorie, Juicing Diets, Wheat Belly Diet, Gluten Free Diet, Gaps Diet, Hallelujah Diet, Mediterranean diet, Paleo Diet, HydroxiCut, Green Tea, many herbal supplements, OTC aids, a short span on prescription diet meds and thyroid medication and using vinegar as a diet aid. As I think about it, losing weight been a driving desire/force in my life since I turned 23. The endless weight loss/exercise and health-related books and internet ideas and “snake oil” type cures, well I’ve researched and attempted many of those as well.
 
I've tried exercise alone, or in combination with diet plans. I've used 10 to 12 different exercise videos both aerobic and weight lifting combined with aerobics, walking, swimming, biking, stationary machines, free weights, machines like elliptical, treadmill, stationary bikes, etc.
 
My results were sporadic and frustrating. I could stay with a weight loss or "get healthy" plan for months, sometimes even three years at a time but when I failed to lose weight at all or stalled with 10 or 15 pounds loss with hard work and high cost to sustain, I would slowly go back to eating my "normal diet". “Going back to my old ways” basically meant 70% healthy choices and still incorporating something new I learned, but I would stop resisting the dessert, the chips and dip, the popcorn with butter. I think the "extras" and "snacks" are one of my biggest weaknesses. I’ve also noticed in the last few months that I really do eat big portions especially when alone. I keep cooking for a big family and it’s only me and my teenage daughter at home to eat right now.
 
No matter what, my weight has continued to climb the last 23 years. I get so sick of my failure to be able to control it or change it. Several times I have resigned myself to being fat. But as I got bigger and older, other things started happening to my health and I realized how much it affected my family and my ability to actually live life like I longed to.
 
I kept thinking there had to be a "key" or a certain combination of things that would magically get my health back under control and I'd start losing weight. I had a sleep study done and found out I had severe obstructive sleep apnea. I was full of hope that using a CPAP would solve my problems because obviously I wasn't sleeping well with meant I wasn't getting proper rest. This in turn, I thought, surely meant it affected my metabolism and maybe perpetuated the problems with my weight.
 
 
I considered that since I started gaining excess weight when my first marriage got emotionally and mentally and sexually abusive I might have been trying to be less desirable to protect myself from my husband at the time. I just wanted to be safe. I could write out that long story here, but suffice to say I got out of the marriage finally, after 16 years.
 
What is frustrating is that even the strength and self esteem and “new lease on life” I gained by getting out of that marriage didn’t translate into the weight loss I should have or wanted to have and continued to try to have.
 
So, was my weight gain or inability to lose it initially due to the stress of the bad marriage that involved sexual abuses? Maybe, maybe not. More likely it was also genetics and environmental (how I was raised nutritionally). Both my parents are obese and have struggled most of their adult lives trying to lose weight and now dealing with health problems related to being overweight.
 
However I got here, I’m here. And I am so thankful and grateful that things have worked out for me to have this surgery. It’s such an answer to prayer and a dream come true. Honestly, I want this personally, but doing it for my family is a super-close second!
 
One thing I am appreciative of is that I’ve probably learned enough about nutrition, vitamins, food, feeding a body, metabolism, weight gain concepts, healthy living and very interesting discoveries about foods like kefir, kombucha, barley green, apple cider vinegar, good water, food supplements, and the benefits of grass fed beef, range fed chickens & their eggs, and home grown vegetables to write my own book. However, since I’m having weight loss surgery – I doubt it would be deemed worthy of contributing to my health. It’s sad, but true. True because all these things didn’t “work” to help me lose weight. However, I do believe with all my heart that all I have learned will continue to be super valuable to feed my body right after I’m sleeved!
 
 
My mantra has been, “If I don’t put myself first for once and lose the weight and get healthy, how can I be what my family needs me to be?” How can I truly give and serve and support and enjoy in my marriage and our children’s lives unless I first take care of me? Initially weight loss surgery can seem selfish and irresponsible. Only initially! In all truth, it is smart and right for me because it is what lines up with my vision of my future.

Im just a little over a month out. Im down a total of 35 pounds, my clothes are too big. I feel AMAZING!!!!
 
This was, by far, the best decision I have ever made. I was nervous, obviously, but I have not had one complication since my surgery date on March 21st.
I stayed in the hospital only one night, when home the next day. Getting fluids in was tough, but not impossible. I had NO pain or nausea at all. Each day became better than the day before.
By day 7 I was virtually back to my old self.
 
I think the nutritionists prepare you for the worst case scenario, which I thought may happen to me. But I had no adverse effects. No problems, no issues.
I continue to feel well, I am noticing changes in my body, and people are starting to notice my weight loss.
 
If you are ever struggling with the choice of what to do? Please contact me. I could not be more happy.

Hi everyone. I appreciate you taking time to read this. Today's entry will be short because I am on my lunch break. I'm pretty open with my life so I've had a few people encourage me to write a blog. This is all very new to me but I'll try to make it interesting.
 
I guess I should start with the title of my blog, "The Princess and the Sleeve". Now of course I am not a real life princess nor am I a spoiled brat. I was raised by a single mother and have never had much money. My husband and I are happy with what we have but we both work 2 jobs to have that comfort. However, I do have a family that treats me like #1 and a husband that works very hard to give me the things I need and ask for. That alone makes me feel like royalty and therefore, a princess.
 
I was a super skinny kid and a beauty queen, cheerleader as a teen. My weight problems didn't come until after high school. I guess I quit playing sports and was less active. My food choices were all fast food and I was leading a party life. So along with spreading my wings, my ass was also spreading.
 
I met my husband when I was 22 and I was already 250 lbs. He has never seen me smaller than a size 16. We have been married 19 years this June. I am scheduled to have Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery on 2/25/13. I hope you will follow me on my journey.

I thought it would be a good idea to have a record of my journey, and what better place than here?
 
I was sleeved exactly 1 week ago today by Dr. Alvarez. He was great! I felt pretty good right after surgery and even the next day until about 1:00. The rest of that day and all of the following day I felt terrible. I have to admit, at that point I didn't care about my weight and wondered what I had done to myself. I didn't think I was the type to regret the surgery, but I was wrong. Beginning day 3 post op, I had turned a corner and really started feeling pretty good!
 
Of course I couldn't resist the scale and thanks to this site, I laughed and wasn't disappointed when the scale showed no loss. The scale did finally start moving on 1/23 and today, 1 week out, I am down 8 lbs! So exciting!
 
One thing that is different about my recovery compared to most is that I am having no problem with fluids. I can drink normally, and actually have to remind myself to slow down when I'm drinking. Today I have gotten about 50 oz. of fluids and 63g of protein.
 
I have never blogged before, so hopefully I'll get the hang of this.
 
Highest weight 205
Dos weight 179
Week 1: 171 (-8)