Michelle's Gastric Bypass Surgery

People Noticing

2009-10-24T09:30:00Z

Well, here's something weird (but very, very nice!)

In the past week I had 4 separate people ask me if I am losing weight. YAY! It has gotten to the point where it is noticeable!

The weird part is, though, I'm still stuck at that 112 number on the scale. But, my pants are feeling loose again (those 16s that I finally got into - maybe this means I'll be able to get into a 14 before too much longer!!!) and I really cannot eat the same amount of food that I was 4 months ago. It seems my stomach pouch has "destretched" or bounced back from the extra food I was putting in before. I almost feel like I did right after the bypass.

Which includes vomiting unfortunately. I'm having to re-learn my "fullness curve" and learn how to eat slowly again (and not in front of this darn computer - my worst habit!!!)

My back is still in bad shape, so still no exercise for me - doing some slow walking, but nothing that gets my heart rate up. I figure I can start dropping the weight again when I can start that back. For now I'm working on stretches and the slow walking - so at least I won't die when I finally do get back to the real exercise.

Well, that is it for progress for now - not a whole lot to report, but it was still neat. 'Til next time.

24 Oct. 2009

212 Lbs.

Plateaus

2009-10-17T10:37:00Z

Whooops! I let a month go by with no blog - sorry!

This past month has been insane. Unfortunately there is not much to report.

Plateau...it is such a pretty word. Plateauuuuuu, it just kind of rolls off the tongue. Plateau - makes you think of rolling green hills going on forever into a blue sky.....

Unless you are trying to lose weight! Then plateau becomes an evil word the equivalent to the "F" bomb.

Yep, I've hit one. I was losing weight very steadily and was so excited, and now I'm stuck at 212. (Of course that is better than being stuck at 250, but I was really shooting for less than 200!)

I know *why* I've hit a plateau, but unfortunately I can't do anything about it just yet.

I need to start exercising. I can diet all day long, but until I start exercising to raise my metabolism, my body is going to continue to slow down to conserve energy. It thinks I am starving so is slowing down the fat-burning in my body (metabolism). If i start exercising, then I can boost that metabolism back up - because my body will be *forced* to use that fuel.

However, my back is in bad shape right now. I am seeing a chiropractor (Dr. Tanya Turner who is fantastic!) Somehow I have managed to pop a rib out of place (ow, ow, ow!) So until that gets fixed I'm kind of on restriction. She says I can do some stretches right now, and can start some easy walking soon. SO those will help get me ready to start the big stuff again, hopefully.

So not much to tell you guys right now. Food intake is still pretty good. I had a couple of bad nights when I forgot and ate in front of the computer again while working - yes I threw up. You'd think I'd learn by now. {sigh}

Until next time!

10/17/09

212 lbs

The Flu & Getting My Vitamins

2009-09-19T12:13:00Z

Before you panic - no it isn't the Swine Flu (much as people like to make fun of us overweight folk).

My enitre family is down with the flu; me, my husband, daughter (she's been out of school for an entire week, and my youngest son.) OK - not my entire family. My oldest son is not sick. He neve gets the flu. It is so strange! Michael has Asperger's, it is on the the spectrum of Autistic disorders for those of you not familiar. He's very high functioning. But he has the most amazing immune system. He has never had the flu - and he has been on antibiotics, like 5 or 6 times in his whole life (he just turned 18). One of those times was when his appendix burst! It is like God said. "OK, your son is going to be Autistic, but to make up for it - I'll make sure he never catches the Flu." Weird, huh? I'm not complaining. But for the rest of us the week has been pretty miserable.

For me in particular, it is almost dangerous. It is for anyone who has had WLS - especially the Roux-en-Y. I have not felt like eating anything, and what little I have been able to eat has just made me extremely nauseous. This is not a stomach flu, but my head hurting and spinning and the high fever have just kept me feeling really ill. Also, I have felt more like sleeping than drinking - so I have gotten a little (maybe more than a little) dehydrated. Which is really dumb when you consider how much I've been pushing gatorade, water, and chicken soup on my kids. But I fell into Mommy mode of taking care of them and kind of forgot about me.

This IS one of the dangers of gastric bypass; you don't feel hungry. Which makes it great for losing weight, but on weeks like this past week when i could have really used the hunger pangs reminder - well, it wasn't there. And since I have been back on the gastric bypass diet, it really wasn't there. I wasn't even starving at night by the time my husband got home from work. All I wanted to do was to collapse into bed and sleep and let him take over nursing duties.

So, do be careful when you get sick. Your body needs nutrients more than ever so that it can heal, but depending on where you are in your post-op recovery, you may not feel the urge to eat. And you especially need fluids. This was my biggest mistake.

Now on to the vitamins and supplements issue.

Last week, before any of this Flu stuff came up, I had my annual physical with my doctor - full blood work, EKG, the works. He was very pleased to see me back on my diet and that my weight was already coming down.

Well, I got the call yesterday that my Potassium level was too low. I completely forgot about the fact that when you start eating the way you are supposed to on the GBS diet, that you do not get all the vitamins you need - so that you do need to take supplements. So my doc wants me to start eating foods high in K (like bananas - but those are high in sugar, so I'm going to go do some looking up today) and he prescribed me a supplement, because he said what I could gete over the counter is not high enough.

My husband picked up this prescription for me last night and had this srange look when he handed it to me. OMG! I have never seen a pill this big. Hve any of you ever seen "The Matrix" ? (If not we need to have a serious talk.) These pills are about the size of that thing they put in his stomach. I'm not sure I could have swallowed one of these before my surgery. But I gamely attempted. uh-uh, no way - I threw it up. To make things even worse, there is no coating on this thing to make is slip down easier (who are these manufacturers, sadists?) Cutting it in half is just as bad, because it has jagged little edges. I'm going to have to talk with my doc about some other alternative - 'cause these ain't happening!

This experience did remind me that I need to pick up some vitamin supplements; a multi-vitamin, calcium, B-12, and for me (obviously) a K.

But guys, I am excited! I was in a size 20 jeans that are now too big, so I went and picked up a size 18. I didn't try them on in the store, and when I put them on at hom - they were baggy! So went back and proudly exchanged them for a 16. Of course these are Gloria Vanderbilt stretch Women's jeans, so they are a little more forgiving than say Juicy Couture - but they say 16 on them so I don't care!!!!

9/19/09

212 lbs.

Slowly Eating Better

2009-09-08T00:05:00Z

Hey Guys!

I bet y'all thought I would disappear for months again at a time; well Surprise! Here I am!

I told you I was going to try to do this again, that means being accountable - and this is one of the best ways to do it.

I'm not totally there, yet. I haven't made the time to start exercising, but I am trying to do better with my food and am mostly succeeding. It is not as easy the 2nd time around - so if you haven't started getting into bad habits, yet - stay away from them!

I found this really cool food log thingy on ObesityHelp.com

It helps you track all your food and water for the day. It also tells you how much protein/carb/fat % you have eaten. That is what killed me.

Don't get me wrong, a food log is great - almost essential for getting back on track. And you need to be brutally honest with yourself. But I worked really hard that first day. The only thing I had with carbs was a morning cup of tea with sugar ('cause I forgot I was starting over) - then everything was mainly proteins or veggies all day.

But, that darn trakcker at the end of the day said I had eaten 23% protein, 21% carbs, and 56% fat!!!!! That killed me. I was so depressed I went and ate one of my husband's M&M ice cream cones (pretty dumb, huh?)

I started over the next morning and have been pretty good since then; not perfect, but pretty good.

Today I had to bake sugar cookies for my daughter's class tomorrow. Do you know how good sugar cookies smell when you aren't supposed to have them? I was weak, I had to have one. Last week I would have said "well, I've blown it - let's binge". A friend consoled me by saying "tomorrow's another day". But I thought about it and decided, I don't have to wait for tomorrow. So for dinner I had shrimp and water. Instead of letting 1 mistake be a reason to binge, just let it be a mistake. (And ask another Mom to make the sugar cookies next time - I'll send in the Capri-Suns!)

9/7/09

218 lbs

Getting Back on Track

2009-09-01T13:40:00Z

I have been sent an angel, and her name is Mary (rather appropriate, huh?)

She is one of the editors on BellaOnline.com with me and she has also gone through gastric bypass. Except she has done tremendously well and has fantastic advice. We e-mailed back and forth several times last night. Her advice made so much sense and she has such a great sense of humor I told her "You are my new accountability partner!"

And she said "let's do it" and immediately asked me what I was having for dinner, LOL!

So I am not going to let her down. This morning I woke up and had my Earl Grey tea as usual with sugar in it without thinking about it - and cringed when it hit me (after I finished the cup). So I am now having a protein shake for breakfast. I haven't had a protein shake in almost a year.

I will get back on track.

Gastric Bypass is a tool, and unless I use it correctly - it can't work. It is kind of like using a wrench to bang in a nail. You get *some* results but not nearly the ones you could achieve if you had used a hammer.

So it is back to the hammer y'all!

Oh - and I have a couple of goals to work towards; an awesome costume ball on Nov 6th and a gathering of lots of old friends around Christmas who will be flying in for the holidays. I may not be a size 10 by then - but I can at least NOT be a size 20.

Sept 1, 2009

222 lbs

So - How Am I Doing?

2009-07-19T01:47:00Z

I have been getting so many emails asking me how I am doing and what my progress is, probably because I have not been posting. (You think? Duh.)

But it has really surprised me how many people want to know about me. I told y'all I would keep you informed, and I haven't. I apologize. I have not wanted to post, because I have not been happy with myself. But I also promised you guys "the good, the bad, and the ugly". So, you have a right to know my failures as well as my successes. This surgery is a huge decision. I do not want anyone ever to go in blind. I still believe in this surgery, if you read this through all the way to the end you will understand why. But it is not the easy route to go by any means. Don't be fooled by the haters that call it "cheating".

I am holding kind of steady at the halfway point. I feel very unhappy about my weight loss - because I was doing so well, and then got off track. I keep forgetting to look at what I HAVE lost.

I initially lost 90 lbs, then gained about 50 back - so have a net loss of 40 lbs. That's still 40 pounds that I lost and have kept off. Which is more than I was ever able to do on any diet I did. (But we women always are so hard on ourselves aren't we?)

For me, some of my biggest obstacles are that I suffer from Clinical Depression and am treated for it. The medications for Depression often have a side effect of causing weight gain. Which is plausible, but I exacerbate it. On my really down days I do not want to leave the house and face people, and sometimes I do not want to get out of bed. I am not exercising regularly. The thing is I *know* that (in my brain) being outside in sunlight and exercising will actually help my Depression, but when I am deep into it - I cannot convince my heart that it is true.

Also, I have always been a very bad "grazer". I snack throughout the day. Having my stomach cut down to small size doesn't really have a "penalty" for this. You know when we eat big meals or eat too many carbs we either throw up or go through dumping syndrome, so we get that negative feedback. But if I snack on little snacks all day, then I can take in lots of calories and can manage to not get sick.

So basically I've found all the ways to cheat around my bypass. I need to kick my butt back into motion.

All my progress really started going downhill when I stopped going to my support group. I had to because of personal reasons dealing with my oldest son who is Autistic, but I never made the effort to get back into it once our crisis was over. I thought I would be fine on my own. That is the biggest mistake I made. Then all the other mistakes followed right in line. Having that support and accountability is so, so, SO important. I never realized how much before.

My father had this surgery about a year ago, has lost 125 pounds has had his 1st full knee replacement fully healed and has his other knee scheduled for next month. This is the first time in 15 years he has not been in total pain. There are great successes out there. Mine is just a little one, and maybe just a little stalled. I'm not going to give up on this. I have the tool. And that is the thing that I forgot. Weight Loss Surgery is still just a tool to be used for weight loss. True it is like the Bulldozer of tools compared to diet pills being a hammer; but if you never turn the Bulldozer on, it still won't tear anything down. You have to use WLS the right way. You have to exercise, you have to eat three meals a day with no snacking, you have to take your vitamins - you have to do what the doctors told us to do before we ever started down this road.

So I guess I better go eat a little crow at a support group meeting, and get back in this for real. Y'all are free to start pummeling me with emails if i do not update on a regular basis from here on out.

So here we go (again)

18 July 2009

223 Pounds

Sorry for the Looooooonnnnnnnnggggggg Wait

2009-03-03T15:43:00Z

Oh boy - have I been putting off writing this post.

Let's see my last post was in July of '07, it is now March of '09 - huh, can you say "procrastination?"

A very large part of it is shame, and another large part of it is that I do not want to be the bad example that keeps others from getting this surgery, because despite my set-backs - over all I have done pretty well.

So here's a basic recap:

1/25/06 I started ou right at 270 lbs (267 to be exact - I had a huge cast on my leg which I figured is what took the weight up to 270).

1/28/06 After a week in the hospital I was down to 261

1/31/06 - 251

2/6/06 - 251

2/12/06 - 245

6/16/06 - 204

9/1/06 - 189

7/1/07 - 206

Now, (Ugh, I hate putting this) 3/3/09 - 220. it is still 50 lbs less than when i started but it is about 30 pounds more than my lowest weight ,and about 50 higher than my target wieght.

The really bad things is that I know EXACTLY where my mistakes lie, and I've just got to get up the guts to re-change them again. (I had made these changes, and slowly slipped back into the bad habits).

My mealtimes are not bad. The only real "no-no" I do at mealtimes I do is that I drink *with* my meals. GBS pastients are urged to keep liquids and foods separate, becuase the liquids help move the food throught the digestive tract more quickly. Without thos liquids to puch the food throug - we stay full longer (and also our bodies get more nutrients out of the foods we eat.)

Drink mistakes; I love coke zero - which is two bad things, caffeine and carbonation. Caffeeine helps cuase the body to become dehydrated and also cuase the body to think it is hungry - not thing we want after GBS. Carbonation can actually swell and stretch the pouch back out. Ifi it gets too swollen, sometimes it can stay distended, and then we have negated having the surgery done in the first place.

The other thing that I am bad about, is now that I am doing a lot of writing from home (working on article and on a couple of books) I am "grazing" again. Our small stomachs are great at keeping us from eating large meals - but they don't really get in the way of us having small snacks throughout the day. So if I sit here and graze all day (even on healthy stuff) the weight is gonne stay on. I've got to keep my bottle of water next to me at the computer desk and NOTHING ELSE! And then get up and get away from the computer for meals. I HAVE to get those two areas separate in myt mind. This is for work, This is for food - and never the twain shall meet! That is a mind-block that I must work on.

I am back into Physical Therapy, for my back this time, and I intend to keep up with it. I have a little extra motivaviont this time, LOL! My high school 20 yr reunion is this Aug. - I gotta look at least a little good.

On the really good front, my Dad had his GBS done, HE has lost over 125 lbs and was able to get his 1st total knee replacement done, yea!!!! The other knee will be done in 2-3 months. I know he is going to feel like a new man once he finishes recovering from all of this. He has been in pain for so long. But he is being dilligent about his PT - most of it in the water because of his knees. But he's working hard and enjoying it. It will be great to see him play with the grandkids.

I will do my very best to update you guys weekly on what is going on - and now leave everybody hanging so long this time:

Good snacks: Almonds, cheesesticks, edmame, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes

Good Breakfast: egg in a hole using whole grain toast and low fat cheese

Good Lunch; spring mix, chopped chicken, apples, crasins, pecans; honey balsamic vinaigrette

Good Dinner: Fried Rice: take brown rice(cooked), brocolli slaw mix, finely chopped up chiken, sliced mushrooms, sesame seeds, sprouts, low sodium soy sauce, 2 eggs beaten in small bowl

1. In large skillet heat 1 Tbsp dark sesame oil, add broccoli slaw mix, sprouts, mushrooms, & sesame seeds - stirfry until veggies start to give a little

2. Add chicken - stir fry for 1 minute

3. Add rice & 2 Tbsp soy sauce - mix well

4. pour beaten egg over rice& veggie mix - let stem for a minute. "Scramble" into rice, add more spy sauce to taste if needed

OR for a similar version with almost no carbs whatsoever, try this:

This came from Good Housekeeping:
Warm Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds

Quinoa is often called a supergrain. Because it contains all 8 essential amino acids, it is considered a complete protein. It has a delicate flavor, but some people don’t care for it because they find it has a bitter aftertaste. Toasting quinoa helps reduce the bitterness and bring out its tasty nutty flavor. Look for it in health food stores and some supermarkets.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup(s) quinoa
2 1/2 cup(s) (plus 1 tablespoon) water
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
2 tablespoon(s) reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon(s) rice vinegar
1 teaspoon(s) Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon(s) grated peeled fresh ginger
2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
1/4 cup(s) sliced natural almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS
1.In 12-inch skillet, toast quinoa on medium 5 minutes or until fragrant and golden, stirring frequently.

2. Stir 2 1/2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt into toasted quinoa; heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 to 17 minutes or until all water is absorbed.

3. Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir together soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, ginger, green onions, and remaining 1 tablespoon water.

4. Transfer quinoa to large serving bowl. Stir in soy sauce mixture until quinoa is evenly coated. Sprinkle with toasted almonds to serve.

I served this with shelled edamame (soybeans) sauteed with baby bella mushrooms and chopped garlic in 1 Tbsp salted butter.

These are both quick, are high in vitamins and protein, and very filling. Also are not too bad on the wallet either.

3/3/09 Current weight: 220

Over a year and backsliding

2007-07-02T00:41:00Z

Wow! I did not realize how long it has been since I posted...

My weight is about the same as I posted last time. Not because I didn't lose anymore weight, but because I have gained some back! This is the biggest reason why I haven't been posting, because I have been embarrased. But then I realized that I said I would share everything, so I can't leave this portion out.

My lowest weight was 189. I was doing really well with my exercise and losing weight, but then I had a set-back that I have not been good about getting over. Last November I started having terrible pain in my right side, and lots of vomiting and diarreah - not associated with the gastric bypass. My family has not had much luck with the appendix (3 family members in a 6 month preiod had to have their's out - including my son) so we thought it might be that. But it wound up being my gall bladder - which is a very common problem after gastric bypass (plus a lovely family history to go with). Also, when the doctor did my gall bladder surgery (Dr. Richard, the ame doc who did my gastric bypass) he found a very large hernia - which is also a common occurence after GBS.

I had that surgery done, and of course had to take time off from working out to heal. The problem is I haven't gotten stared back, yet! And it makes a huge difference. All the muscles that were finally tightening up have gone to flab again. My doc and the nutrionist had told me how important exercise is after GBS, but I guess I kind of blew it off - and now I'm going to have to have to struggle to get going again.

The other thing that has been bad, is I take Ambien for chronic insomnia. Love the fact that is helps me sleep, but my husband told me that I am very bad about snacking after I take it. The problem with Ambien is that I don't remember anything I do while I'm taking it. So here I am eating stuff, and don't even know it the next day. I am going to check with my doctor about switching meds, because this is a bad problem.

All in all, I am very discouraged, and know I have no-one to blame but myself. Everthing that is going wrong are things the docs warned me about ahead of time (well, except the Ambien - but who could have guessed that?!) I need to get myself back in gear. To have gone through this surgery, and all that went with it, and still be overweight is not an option!

I'll be back to let you know how my "renewal" is going.

weight: 206

Case gone badly

2006-06-16T20:55:00Z

As I said in my las post, someone who had been reading my blog wrote to tell me of her sister who passed away due to complications from surgery. I wanted to share this with you all, so that everyone understands it does not always go perfectly. One thing I would like to note is that when choosing a Dr., ask his/her patient's what the follow-up care is like. Gastric bypass or any other WLS is a life-long medical change; and your dr, ad well as yourslef should be prepared to handle it! (BTW, many bypass patients wear bracelets identifying them as such - because in the case you are unconcious and should need to be tubed for air by a paramedic - this info is important!)

(Here are the e-mails)

My sister-in-law died yesterday, March 18th, after being on
life-support, and being brain dead, after gastric bypass surgery on
March 7th. The risks of dying after surgery are 1 in 50, and five times
that is the surgeon is inexperienced. This surgery was from an
experienced, board certified surgeon. Please inform people of the
dangers of gastric bypass surgery. There are other option. Thank you.

----------------------------------

I am so sorry for your loss.

Yes, there is a higher risk for this surgery than others. Mainly because
those of us going under the anesthesia are not in good health to begin
with. I had my living will filled out and ready, just in case. Because I
did not want to leave my husband with hard-to-make decisions on his
hands.

May I post your e-mail on my blog? I would post it anonymously. I do
feel people should know both sides of the story.

Once again, my condolences to you and the rest of your family.

Sincerely,
Michelle Taylor

Michelle,

Thank you so much for your reply, and I'm glad that you made it through your surgery without any problems. My sister-in-law did have other health issue (diabetes and high blood pressure), but we know that her death could have been prevented due to the fact that she had a rupture that was not corrected surgically for almost 2 days. Her physician did not take her concerns seriously, even though her water, and her pain medicine was coming out of the drain hole on the left side of her body. She was in unbearable pain, and not able to get any relief. Her tragic death could have been avoided. Her left lung was full of fluid for several days, yet the physician did not drain off the fluid or put in a chest tube. It was not until after she went into cardiac arrest that they inserted a chest tube. By that time she was brain dead. She left a great husband and 3 children who miss her very much. It's very tragic. Yes, you may post my email, anonymously, as we have arranged for an attorney to look at the case. The physician was board certified in bariatric surgery. He had all of the credentials necessary to perform the surgery. His lack of follow-up on the signs and symptoms of a leak cost my sister-in-law her life. Thank you for posting my email, and I pray that all will continue to go well for you and all that read about your journey.

Sincerely,

grieving sister

Long time, no post: Big Difference!

2006-06-16T20:18:00Z

Well, I didn't realize it had been this long since I had posted. Sorry to all of you who had been trying to follow along. We have had some major family issues come up, and blogging just hasn't found its way into my schedule lately.

Well, first off - I am down to 204 lbs, which is about a 63 pound loss since January 26th! I have gone down 2 clothing sizes (I don't count them like the commercials do - they would say I've gone down 4, since women's clothing is numbered only in even sizes) And I have come off of all of my blood pressure medications. The only meds I still take are those for my depression and migraines - and since that is not tied into my weight, it's possible I may never come off of them. But I'm glad to be off all the rest!

Also, I have a neck! And its long and I can wear necklaces and they look good. And I only have 1 chin. And nobody asks me if I'm pregnant or when I am due (that one always hurt the worst, because people did it innocently.) My wedding rings fit again, too. I haven't been able to wear them for 4 years!

Yesterday was really exciting! We took the kids to six flags for the day. The last time I went I couldn't ride many things, because I was so big - I didn't fit in the seats, or the seatbelts wouldn't fasten. my most embarassing moment was when I went to take my 2 yr old on the tractor truck ride. He was going to ride in the cab and I'd be in back. The girl wouldn't start the ride until my belt was fastened (it wouldn't stretch). I mean, it was a kiddie ride!!! So i was going to get off and let Seth ride it with my 7 yr old daughter, Jordan, but he was terrified about me leaving. Everyone was staring at me! I finally sucked in my breath, sat up as tall as i could, and held the set belt "closed" with my hands. The girl had to see it was actually fastened before she would start it. I unbelted as soon as we turned the corner. It was humiliating!

But , yesterday I could ride everything - and even could tighten some belts up! And I wasn't gasping for air after walking up a hill. My feet did hurt at the end of the day - but they weren't swollen, and my knees were just fine. David (hubby) was actually ready to go home before me!

I'm still vomiting if I eat the wrong thing. (I really miss my salmon). I goofed and ate a sushi roll - the rice didn't make me sick, but the seaweed wouldn't go down - so came back up. So now it's just sashimi for me (and I can eat salmon raw I've discovered.) Steak is still too much, but I can get thinly sliced roast beef from the deli, and it goes down well. Pork - that just depends on whether it is still tender, or if it is too dry. I did get an urge for spaghetti one night (watching my family eat) so thought I'd try a little bit - BAD MOVE!!! I was sick all night and the next day. I also tried to drink a cocktail - my husband made me a kahlua and cream - and I guess between the sugar and the alcohol, I was blitzed. But it was not happy! I felt horrible.

I've had a couple of people write into me to say they've either had WLS, and are doing great, or I had one reader write and say she lost her sister due to complications arising from WLS.

I never want to give the impression that this is an easy surgery, or a decision that should be made lightly. So I asked her permission to post her e-mail to me for all of you to read. I'll blank out the names for her privacy, but I do want everyone to be aware that there are serious risks associated with this surgery. The simple fact is, most surgeons do not like doing surgery on the obese because so much can go wrong anyway. Putting an obese person under anesthesia is always risky. But for some of us the benefits outweigh the risk. Only you can make that decision, however.

So be sure if you are considering this to do lots of research, and if your doctor doesn't require a psychological exam, try to find a counselor familiar with this anyway, to see if you are prepared for the changes. Because as happy as I sound, there have been some rough moments (vomiting, fighting food cravings - the mental kind, stomach cramping). And you really need to be sure you are ready for this - because this is kind of like a hysterectomy; no going back to undo it once its done!

Weight: 204

No Salmon for Me!

2006-02-13T02:19:00Z

I love seafood, which would normally be a good thing - because it is one of the proteins I can eat right now. So Friday I got a small piece of salmon, marinated it and sautéed it up; trying to keep it very moist. Even though it was a small piece, I was only able to eat about half of it, so I put the rest up to eat later. I reheated the other half yesterday for lunch in the microwave.

I'm not sure if reheating it dried it out too much, if I ate too fast, or if I just didn't chew it well enough; but I got violently sick. I know I didn't overeat, because I had only had a portion of what I had eaten the day before. But while I was eating I had this horrific pain somewhere between what I consider my chest (kind of between my left breast and my sternum) and my esophagus or throat. It felt like someone was trying to tear it in half. It was finally a major relief when I was able to vomit, but by that time my entire body hurt - chest, throat, shoulders and back. Plus I just felt weak and horrible after throwing up (did I mention I hate doing that?) Needless to say, I think I'll wait a while before I try salmon again, LOL.

On the brighter side, I went to my first support group meeting post-op last Tuesday. I asked the group if I was the only one that felt wiped out after surgery, because everyone's blogs that I had ever read all talked about this amazing amount of energy! Nearly everyone said they were wiped out for the first month to 2 months. Chris - the nurse practitioner for Dr. Richard's group, said to keep in mind that the body is still healing from the surgery itself as well as adjusting to many fewer calories; so it’s natural to have a much lower level of energy. That made me fell a lot better! They also told me that once I started on my vitamin supplements regularly and exercise I would start feeling better.

I did start back to physical therapy - very easy - Brendon is taking it quite slowly. We're going to try pool therapy for a while and see how that goes. I had hoped to stay out of a swimsuit until I'd lost more weight, Oh well... After last week's easy day, I was about wiped though!

So for now, I'm enjoying my sugar free popsicles (because they are the only thing I truly like), and I’m trying to ignore Valentine's Day. Although my husband offered to go buy me one piece of sugar free Godiva, LOL. [<:o)]

Weight: 245

I can EAT!

2006-02-06T14:33:00Z

Woo-hoo! I went for my 1 week post-op visit on Friday (should've posted then; sorry.) Dr. Richard cleared me for starting on soft solid foods; scrambles eggs, cottage cheese, very well chopped chicken or tuna salad, etc. Which is very good for me, because the solid foods have been much less nauseating than the liquids.

But I did make another boo-boo. I was supposed to eat a soft scrambled egg before seeing him on Friday, well I sat down to eat it in front of my e-mail. Yep, I did it again! Man, that is a hard habit to break! I don't have nearly as hard a time at lunch, but I am so used to 1st thing in the morning, eating breakfast while checking e-mail. I ate almost the whole egg before I realized I was really hurting. And then to top things off, after I'm hurting - I look at my plate and think "I hate to waste that..."

That little piece of brainwashing has been with since age 2! LOL, I'm sure you guys know what I mean - starving kids in Africa? or China? I didn't eat those last few bites of egg, because I would have thrown up if I had of, but before surgery it would have been gone. It is still amazing to me thought that I can't finish 1 egg! I used to be able to eat a 2 or 3 egg omelet with cheese and mushrooms and bacon, throw in a little cinnamon toast on the side, some coffee, and maybe juice or fruit. Now I'm thinking about buying small eggs so I won't waste as much. [:D]

I am having a few problems still, not major, and actually more related to the peripherals of surgery. Where I was taking so many IV antibiotics - I have a very annoying yeast infection - not fun! And also my IV site seems to have a minor infection in it, phlebitis. Luckily nothing that requires any more antibiotics (seeing as how I'm allergic to half of them now, and I get yeast infections from the other half. LOL)

On a much more serious note; a friend of mine just lost her husband to a heart attack this weekend. They are in their mid-30s just like me. He had been overweight, but had recently lost weight and was working out and eating better, he had not had WLS, just done it on his own. But apparently the damage had already been done, his arteries were clogged. He had gone to sleep on the couch with a bottle of Rolaids because (apparently) he thought he was just having heartburn.

I write this for several reason; to ask y'all to pray for the Cooper family. It is not easy to lose a spouse (they have a 4 yr old son) at any age, but no-one ever expects a heart attack this young! Also to urge any of you, if you have chest pain, don't just dismiss it as heartburn, pay close attention - it could be something more serious! Is there pain in your left shoulder? Is your left arm numb? Are you haveing any trouble breathing? Is it easier to breathe sitting up than lying down? These are signs and symptoms of a heart attack - DO NOT blow them off! Especially if you are overweight w/ high BP or high cholesterol. Finally, it made me wonder how close I have been to death myself. We always think "It can't happen to me" - that's not just a teenager saying. If I had put this surgery off another year, if I had tried any more diet pills- would David be the one to wake up and find me? It is a frightening thought. And it breaks my heart to try and imagine what my friend is going through. It honestly scares me to try and imagine it. I pray God will help ease her heart's suffering and give her some peace and rest in the coming months.

Everyone take care.

weight: 251 lbs

Feeling blah

2006-01-31T18:33:00Z

I am beginning to wonder about all those other people's blogs I read that just had tremendous amounts of energy as soon as they got home from the hospital; cause it ain't happenin' here!

It's nothing major, but I just haven't felt real great. I should have known that when ice chips made me nauseous in the hospital that it was going to take a little longer for me. Oh well. I haven't had any vomiting (thankfully) but a good bit of nausea. Also my inner workings still were sounding like a rusty factory everytime I drank something. Top everything off with I was constipated with what I had eaten.

So I called my doc over the weekend, he was not on call a partner was (This was Sunday evening). He said as long as I wasn't vomiting to try to make it thru the night, because the only other option was to put me back in the hospital. (NO HOSPITAL - got to go to the Collective Soul premiere. You know doctors, once they get you in, they won't let you go!) So I call back yesterday, and my Dr. Richard prescribes a med called Reglan for me. I looked it up, it helps the peristalsis in the digestive tract so that you don't stay as nauseous, and in my case also helped with the constipation. It used to be used for people after chemo (until they found some wunder-medicines!) and for people with severe acid reflux to keep things moving down instead of up. The only problem is one of its main side effects is depression - and it says right on it, top of the warnings- if you suffer from depression, this is probably NOT the best medicine for you. But, I go to see the doc on Friday, maybe my stomach will have healed anough by then to do its little wavelike movements on its own.

weight: 256

My First Mistake

2006-01-28T23:19:00Z

Well, it didn''t take me long to make my fist mistake. i actually did it while I was wrting the "I'm Home" blog earlier.

One of the major rules of "eating" post surgery, is that you should never eat (or drink your protein supplement) while doing something else. Because then you don't pay attnetion to how much food you are putting into your body, and you tend to oevereat. - Which is something a lot of Americans do on a regular basis.

Well, remember that chocolate protein shake that I said tasted so good? It was an 8 oz cup and I was drinking it while writing. The next thing I new, I had drank the whole thing, and felt horribly sick. It took about 2 hours before I felt halfway decent again.

Didn't take long to screw up! But I guess it makes sense that I would make mistakes in the begininning.

I'm Home

2006-01-28T19:35:00Z

I got to come home this morning. And I swear, having the drain pulled out of me was the worst experience of the whole surgery. It took everything I had not to throw up. It's not that it hurt tremendously (although it didn't feel good) but it felt like she was pulling all of my guts out through this one tiny incision. Blauuughgh! She said my drain was very long...I don't know why it was that long, or if everyone'e is that lone, about 18". But I came home, took some liquid Lortab, crashed out and now am feeling pretty good.

I checked the scale, 261! I've already lost 6 lbs. I would normally blow it off and say< "Oh, water weight." except they've had me on IV fluids, so I don't see how I could have lost water weight. Of course all I ate nothing on Thursday and Friday's meals were made up of 1 cube of sugar free Jell-O, half of a sugar free popsickle, and a 1/2 cup of chicken or beef broth. That's all I could eat before I got full. I would swipe the crystal light lemonade to keep with me to drink on during the rest of the day (0 calories).

I'm trying my first protein shake - chocolate, it's Wonderful! LOL Just something different's great.

Well, i'm still kind of tired so I'll keep it short.

weight: 261