Jana64

Tonight I was out driving in town and I saw that the moon was nearly full. I realized tonight that this is the last full moon that I will see before my surgery, it falls on a full moon, too. I am virtually assured that I will be having a period during my surgery. That kind of sucks. Oh well.

YAY! We have a veteran here!! Jana

I am two days before you, February 4th at Magee Women's Hospital in Pittsburgh. We are practically sleeve twins!

My doctor is not requiring a pre-op liquid diet for me. I guess because I am right near the 40 BMI mark. But I will still plan to step back from foods the week or ten days prior to my surgery so that going to all liquids is not a big shock to my system and so that I don't have solids in my digestive tract before the surgery. 32 days left and counting down...

I think that we are all pioneers. No matter how hard and expensive they make the process, we women (and some men) are determined to take this chance to change things for good. I get scared sometimes, sometimes I think about backing out. but I have a good core of supportive people at one of the facebook pages that I belong to and that helps, Jan

We are all going to go through this. I have a FB friend and right up to the day she was saying that she was going to cancel. Now she is on the Loser's Bench and has already recovered and is doing well. She was convinced she was going to be THE one to have all of the complications or die on the table. Jana

My surgery is in mid-February and I have done three weighins so far at my hospital program. The last one really threw me, because I was up two pounds. I mean,I was just starting a period and it doesn't help that the weighins are all at night. So this month started out pretty well and I am keeping faithful to my log, but the last week I have been just giving in to the carbs. I am having a heck of a time sticking to 1400 cals a day and I am getting crabby and nasty. I keep asking myself if I want to do this or if I just want to give it up and die fat. It's a long haul and I am really worn out. I have 15 days to lose the two pounds (which I think are now FOUR pounds, according to my scale). 1. How did you manage to get through the insurance mandated diet and be sane at the same time? (Note: I am allergic to dairy, soy, whey and due to diverticular disease, can't eat nuts, seeds, corn, etc.) 2. What is the best way for me to take my morning weight, which is always lower than evening weight and carry that forward on the weighin day? Should I not eat for that day? I have two more scheduled weighins, Dec 9 and January 9th. I meet with the dietician on Dec 4th and she might weigh me then. Can I wear a bathing suit? Weigh in naked? HELP!!

Shizwiz! I wish I could go down and hold your hand for you! I am sorry that you are walking this path alone. You can find me on facebook and I will be glad to be supportive. Just PM me and I will give you my address. I am sure I will face the same jitters. Can you maybe take some melatonin to calm the jitters? I also listen to a calming CD every night. It really helps me. It is NOT a diet, just a calm self-hypnosis CD that reinforces that what you are doing for your health is working and you are succeeding. I love it and it helps me sleep. Janahttp://www.healingwithhypnosis.com/self-hypnosis-products.aspx

I had an eye-opening moment when it was pointed out to me that the risk of dying or complications was under one percent. However, the risk of dying from a diverticular perforation - if it occurs high in the colon is 6 percent and if it occurs low (where my infections always are) is a whopping THIRTY percent. That made my mind up for me. Your mileage may vary. I only wish that I had done the VSG before I got so sick. Jana PS, I am attaching a photo of diverticular disease for reference.

Here is a sheet which, if you choose to participate, can list all of our surgery dates and progress. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aVqpjHKQORE5adLPPEnRC50R5jbjZpgNWkGTZDGePWk/edit?usp=sharing This is only open to those with the link. Just add your information. Do not put anything in column D, it will auto calculate. Then, as you lose weight, you can go in and edit your weight loss by putting a new number in column C. Remember to put either a minus sign in front of the number in column C or put the number in parenthesis: -265 or (265). This makes the number subtract. Jana

I have been doing a LOT better with the 5 month diet. Staying at 1400 calories is easy now. I guess it just took some time to get the junk out of my system. I am down to 262 from my starting weight of 280 and my all time high of 298.

I have started buying my supplies for after my surgery, this is what I have so far (from my doctor's list): Gauze Bandages and paper tape gas-x strips more Water for my CPAP machine Vitamins B-12, C, D, Multivitamin, Calcium - all chewable or dissolvable. I have yet to buy foods, because my kids will eat and drink it all. I want to buy another bedside table, because mine has a broken drawer and I am tired of the clutter. I feel like I am nesting. Is anyone else nesting?

What was the Lapband like?

I'm right there with you on the holiday foods. I've thrown out a lot. I'm back on track this morning finally. We will always battle food holidays and they are in every month, but the important thing to remember is that giving in just because we've screwed up is like getting a flat and slashing the other three tires.

I have a countdown clock on my blog, http://www.onwarddown.blogspot.com, and yesterday I am in the five week til surgery range. Today I am having really bad cramps from eating poorly over Christmas and an oncoming period. I am glad for the period, because I wanted that to fall and be done with before my next and last pre-op weigh in on January 12th. I am super hurty today. But this, too, shall pass.

Today I want to wish all of the February 2015 Sleeve Weavers a Merry Christmas! Remember to log it before you eat it and be mindful. I plan to swim right through the holidays! That means that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I will be up at 5:30 am and in the Water at 6 am. I used to say, well heck, a day or so won't hurt, but now I know that the reinforcement of working out every day (except if I am injured or ill) is one that helps me keep going. After all, it's just 38 minutes out of my day. I am worth it!! Jana PS. I have changed my name legally from Janet to Jana. Just another part of my life change. At fifty years old, you ought to be able to pick your own name!

I had originally thought about the band, too. But the success rates were not stellar and I don't like needles (for the fills) so I shied away from that pretty early on. Welcome to the group! My youtube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgvSAugTmyRTBm_ThLQurJg for anyone who is interested. Jana

I have never been in instagram. You're the second person who's said that. What's the deal with it? I mean, what impresses you about instagram?

Mama...can I call you Mama, LOL! I have friends who have been sleeved in Mexico and have had awesome results. Now that I have been waiting on this since August, I am wishing I had just made a trip to Mexico. I think I would have gone to Dr. Alvarez...because he is hot. Have you seen his videos? https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsGxGkr2nD26E5_pm5PJyNA

Hey Tiger, I'm going in on Feb 4 th. Absolutely we should buddy up!

Nice to meet you, Mamagoettig! I have had a good week so far, I went to a bariatric group's Ulgy Sweater Party, which was a great trip and I had a super time! Man, it was so fun. I gave away all of my 3, 4 and 5X clothes and came back with three garbage bags full of 1 and 2X clothes and some 16/18 clothes. It is so fun fitting into smaller sizes!! Jan

Thank you! Glad to know that you came through it well. Man, you JUST got done. How are you doing with the liquids?