Cassandra Blake
PIC LINK AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE ........................................Hi there nice to meet you! I have short brown hair, hazel eyes, wear a size 3x shirt, size 24-26 pants, and size 11 wide sneaker. I am 5'9, age 31, 290 pounds. No kids yet, happily married. Saturday, May 3rd, 2003.: I thought I might say a few words about me and my journey so far. I am hoping to have laproscopic roux n y weight loss surgery by Dr. Harris here in Wilmington, NC. I used to be 5'11 but did you know that after disk rupture surgery and being 100 pounds overweight you can lose 2 inches in height? it's true!. I also have PCOS . I have already had ovarian drilling due to a dermoid cyst on my right ovarie. My previous dr had me taking 1500mg of Metaformin (Glucaphage) a day but it was not helping me at all. I have since been taken off it by my now current pcm.. My journey started with a very fearful comment to my PCM. I think I said something like " do you think I would be a canidate for WLS?" with my eyes all wide and trembling voice.. I was afraid she was gonna turn to me and say (just like EVERY other person in my life has) NO YOU JUST NEED A GOOD DIET! Surprising enough, she said.. you know what I think you would be and I have a good friend of mine that does wls I can recommend him to you. My PCM's name is Dr. Dickerson and is one of the nicest, sweetest, best female doctors I have ever met. I was off to meet Dr. Harris, who is the wls surgeon that Dr. Dickerson recommended. I got my height and weight checked.. you know on one of those real nice scales, so there is no guessing! I find out that I need to give them all my recent lab work from my PCM like your hormone, sugar, lipid, and trigliceride levels, you may be asked to update all your labs.. I had to have 2 classes with my dietian: (Alison Block), and a phycological evaluation with my phycologist (Dr. Parkison) . I passed the evaluation.. he had a 600 question true/false questioneer. It is best to fill this out first and then mail it back into him before your appointment. I got my nutrition classes done and Alison was wonderful. She gives you all this information about food, vitamins, protein and when to take it and how much. All of this so far has taken a good 4 months.. because you have to wait for your appointments. I have been planning this since January of this year..I had a meeting with Dr. Harris on Monday of this week (6 days ago).. where I had to sign the final waver giving him permission to do the laparscopic Roux n y surgery on me. He answered some more of my questions and told me he would be faxing the paperwork into my insurance this week.. waiting for approval is NERVE RACKING! lol
Sunday May 04, 2003.. I called Tricare today and they said they don't have it in the computer yet. That could mean 2 things... 1. Dr. Harris did already fax it in, but it is sitting on somebodys pile of paperwork at Tricare waiting to be looked at and approved and then put into the computer, or......
2. Dr. Harris office has not faxed it in yet, even though he told me last Tuesday that he would fax them in on Wednesday the 30th.
I guess I will wait a few more days and see what happens.
Wednesday May 2nd, 2003.
Wellllll just got off the phone with Tricare. For all those out there that say its soooooo easy to get approved, pay attention. ok here is the deal.. I been waiting for a week now for approval, and this is what the girl at Tricare told me just now on the phone. My Primary Care Manager orginally referred me for a consultation for evaluation for weight loss surgery. Note: this did not mention the words : treatment. Because Dr. Dickerson's referral did not include the words "EVALUATE AND TREAT" on the orginal referral, I am back at square one with Tricare. I have to go back... get a new referral,one that states: "EVALUATE AND TREAT " ... then.... I have to call Tricare back and REACTIVATE the NEW referral. THEN... I have to call Dr. Harris' office back and tell them to resend his request for surgery approval in to Tricare. ok now if that isn't enough to just make my life any worse?? Tri-care goes on to tell me that it would never has gotten to level 2 anyways because the referral had expired!!! It was only good March thru April!!!!!!! Did you know that there were time limits on all referrals? So now I am back at square one with my insurance,. it might just well be me sitting in Dr. Dickerson's office back in January asking her if I would be a candidate for surgery. I will be making alot of phone calls tomorrow.
Thursday May 8th 2003
Welll, I found out a few things. 1. Dr. Harris' office did not get the paperwork faxed in until May 6th (2 days ago). 2. I noticed that when I called Tricare on Sunday they never mentioned anyyy of this to us. (the whole gotta-have-the-word-treatment-on-the-referrl deal). 3. My hubby went to Dr. Harris' office first thing this morning, and told them what was going on ... because they had NO CLUE about what Tricare had said about the referral. 4. Dr. Harris' nurse at the front window finally looked at the paprework and said "ohh yeah.. if it doesn't say evaluate and treat on the referral, Tricare wont even consider it"... well thats just wonderful to know and it would have been better to have known that little tidbit oh letss say about 5 months ago. 5. He also found out that only one other lady has gotten approved through Tricare with Dr. Harris so far. (but mine looks good she says) ..... *sigh* 6. Well my hubby drives over to Dr. Dickerson's office to tell her about having to write the new referral. When at that point Dr. Dickerson's nurse tells him that she thought the orginal referral said evaluate and treat already on it. 7. but no one can know for sure because all my records were already sent to the hospital.. because of course Dr. Dickerson thought I was getting ready to have surgery...8. so now they have to have the hospital send all my records back to Dr.Dickerson (my pcm) look at the orginal referral.. check and see if the word evaluate and treat on it,, and if in fact it does not, they will at that point rewrite a new referral and send it in to Tricare... where this whole process will start over again.
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Sorry it took so long to update. As it turns out, my orginal referral to Dr. Harris from Dr. Dickerson did say to " evaluate and to treat " on it. So Dr. Dickerson's office was kind enough to resend a brand new one to Tri-care. It seems Tri-care was the ones that made the mistake. The referral did have to evaluate and to treat on it, but whoever looked at it at Tri-care did not put it in the computer correctly. **sigh** Tri-care did approve this new referral. (because it said to evaluate and to treat on it). So now Dr. Harris (my surgeon) has to resend in all the paperwork on me (for a second time). And now we are in the middle of the "new" 7- 10 day waiting period for an answer on approval for surgery. By the way, Tri-care makes all obesity surgery request AUTOMATICALLY go to 2-nd level. We did all that on the 8th (last Thursday) . So it has only been 4 days since all the "new" stuff was sent in. I will probably call them tomorrow or Friday to see if I have been approved yet. Most peoples profiles I have read that have Tri-care prime got their approvals in 48 hours. We will see. Blessed be~~
update: Thursday May 15th.. just wanted to let you know I called tri care yesterday and they said it was now at level 2. and it could be 2 weeks b4 I hear anything.. or it could be tomorrow.. *sigh* blessed be~~
Monday May 19th, 2003
I just got off the phone with Tri-care and I am APPROVED FOR SURGERY!!! ALRIGHTT!! FINALLY!! WOO HOO!! Does the happy dance all over the room*** I will call Dr. Harris' office tomorrow and give them the good news and hopefully they will call me back with a surgery date!! OMG I AM SO GLAD THE APPROVAL WAIT IS OVERRRRRR! THANK THE LORD! WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO !!! BIG OL HAPPY SMILE OVER HERE!
Tuesday June 03:
well I am sorry it took so long to update... amy from dr harris office had called me about a week after i found out i was approved for surgery to tell me i would be having surgery perhaps* on the 23 of june or the 30 of june.. because she said that their office only does that kind of surgery on mondays... ok...after that she would call me back in a few days to let me know which day it would be.....
well about another week went by and she left a voice mail on my answer machine saying i have a *tentative* date of july 2. (which is on a wednesday btw) and that dr harris was supposed to be working with dr miles on my surgery... but tri-care does not have dr miles listed in their network.. so she said she would call tricare and see if she could get tricare to approve dr miles to assist dr harris with my surgery. if they will not.. then she would get another dr that works in dr harris' group to assist him, but of course that would mean that i will have to wait for an even longer date*... *big sigh* it just seems like the wait is taking forever you know. I am trying so hard to be patient. I was not expecting all the delays. No one told me in the beginning that dr miles worked with dr harris. anyway.. I will post again when i hear from amy again.. till then take care god bless
Thursday, June 5, 2003: I haven't heard anything new from Amy
at Dr Harris office yet. take care and God Bless
Monday June 9, 2003
Hi friends... I wanted to tell you that I had the wrong month on my surgery date page. I am so sorry. I recieved alot of well wishes from angels and now I realized my mistake. I should have put july 2 instead of june 2. I hope you can forgive me. also I wanted to tell you that I heard from Amy today from Dr Harris office. She said she is going to schedule me with one of the Dr's there in their practice to assist Dr. Harris with my surgery because Dr. Miles does not participate with Tri-care Insurance..(which prolly means I will have a later surgery date than July 2) She said she was going over the schedule today and that she would be calling me with that information today. I called my husband at home and he said there were no messages on the answering machine. ***sigh** I will call her again tomorrow and find out if my surgery date is the same or if in fact it has been changed again. Someone please pray for me to have patience. and I know this may be the 3rd time they have changed my surgery date... I hope you can understand what I am going thru .... God Bless
Update Wednesday June 11, 2003
I got a call from Amy yesterday morning. She said my surgery date is June 25, 2003. I will go have my bloodwork done on June 20,, 2003. Dr. Harris will be assisted my Dr. Tacket who is with Dr. Harris' practice. Unfortunately Dr. Miles does not accept Tricare Insurance. I am glad I finally have a set date. It has changed a couple of times lol... now I am counting down the days. I can't wait I am so looking forward to being a loser! LOL
update: Friday June 20th 2003:
Today I have to go to the lab and have blood drawn and pee in a cup. LOL OH I have to tell you my hubby bought me a "love-a-lot" care bear to take with me on wednesday to the hospital. Isnt he a sweetheart! This weekend I will be packing for the hospital because I have to work on Monday and Tuesday. The site here has a few articles in thier library on good stuff to pack. Still excited about Wednesday! havent gotten the case of the nerves yet I am just so happy to have hope of a wonderful new healthier life! God Bless everyone who has sent me well wishes and prayers. You all don't realize how much they meant to me. I cried when I opened my mailbox and seen all of them there. I am so glad i found this website and the support here is just wonderful! God Bless You!
UPDATE: JUNE 22, 2003
Hi there, I wanted to tell ya what was going on 3 days before surgery. Well today I will be on low carbs and high protein today, and monday. On tuesday, I will have nothing but clear liquids. ( broth, sugar free jello, unsweetened fruit juice, sugar free popsicles, unsweetened lemonade, decaff tea/coffee.) After midnight on tuesday, nothing at all. I was told I needed to drink more water than i ever had in my whole life on tuesday because i will not be allowed anything to drink all day wednesday and part of thursday. I have to vioxx wed morning with just a sip of water. I will go to admitting at New Hanover Medical Center.. go into a little pre op room, get my gown and cap, get my iv started, hug and kiss the hubby, and get wheeled off to surgery. At that point I will meet Dr. Tackett and Dr. Harris, and my anetheseologist(? spelling) I was told I would be on the 9th floor..and that I would be under about 5 hours ( 4 for the surgery and 1 hour in recovery) . I will have an ng tube put in and taken out before I wake up. I will have a catheter when I wake up, as well as a morphine pump. I will have these special leg stockings on that will blow up and then deflate to help with blood clots. I might have drain tubes but I doubt it, well see. I can not have anything to drink until Dr.Harris does the dreaded barium test to make sure I am not leaking on the inside anywhere. Well, here it is 3 days before surgery, and I am still not really nervous or anything, I am still looking forward to having it done and starting my new healthier life! God Bless everyone!
UPDATE: JUNE 25TH 2003, 8:00 AM ::
: I wanted to post one last time before going up to the hospital. I had some trouble going to sleep last night because of my thoughts, but I was happy to fall asleep because I was so tired. I was on clear liquids all day yesterday and I had to work so I was really wiped out! I got everything packed the night before so I am good to go. I got up this morning, washed up, brushed teeth, and took my vioxx. You know its funny my tummy isnt as upset this morning as it was yesterday? Weird. My in laws should be here shortly (their coming up from Fayetteville) and we will leave here around 9:30 AM. I wanted to send out special thank yous to Karin My Angel she has been very supportive, and her consultation is in August. Last night was the first time I had any doubts, but I read here that that was normal, and not to worry, and in the next 2 weeks I will go thru that " oh my god why did i do this to myself " period, but after about 3 weeks I will be really happy that I did this life saving procedure for myself so I will have a long happy life. I am going to be so much healthier! Once again, thank you all for your well wishes and prayers! Hugs to all and I will see you all on the other side!! BLessed Be!
UPDATE JUNE 28, 2003
HI everyone, I made it! I came home yesterday from the hospital. Thank Goodness. I was exhausted. I arrived at the hospital on Wednesday, accompanied by my hubby and his parents, and they sent me in to the pre op room, while my family waited in another room. I got my gown and cap and footies on, and the nurse came in the start my iv. She tried in my left hand first, but she couldnt get it to start. They give you a shot of lanicane first then your shot for your iv, so it is really two shots, yikes. After wincing and making faces with the left hand she started on the right hand.. ouchies. another two sticks in the hand. ouchies. Then I got a shot in the arm for blood clotting . ok now I am like please stop sticking me with needles. sheesh. It was about 12:30 and my surgery is at 1:30 so I spent some time with hubby, then mom in law , then hubby again. I was just starting to get comfy, when they came and got me. I have to admit I don't remember anything after getting into the surgery room. I awoke for like 2 seconds with Dr. Harris calling my name, then I awoke again in my room. I had a private room so that was nice. I don't remember who was in the room with me I suppose my hubby was . lol. I remember hitting the morphine pump all the time lol. The next thing I remember is the nurse coming in and checking my vitals that night. I had to have a shot in the belly for anti clotting. yikes! Then I went back to sleep. lol. The next day ( thursday ) I dosed off and on all day. I am not allowed to drink anything until after the leak test. I keep that button pushed on the morphine pump, heheh and I enjoyed the massaging of the inflated stockings. I had to go have my leak test around 11:00 and they kept me down there until 2:00pm . man I was really wiped out. I had to drink this cough syrup type stuff omg its terrible)and then I had to drink barium. ((omg it took everything I had to keep it down.)) It is really awful. I was told to lean against the wall and then the wall started to lye down and then they took xrays of my insides. I was told I didnt have any leaks, but I was so tired I didnt care, all I wanted was to go get back to my bed lol. I was given broth and jellow that I didnt eat cause it was so nasty. the broth was greasy and salty and the jello had was regular sugar jello. I was told to get up and walk as much as I could but when I started walking down the hall I started dry heaving and got really nauseated, so back to bed. The nurse came in and gave me another shot in my belly for anti blood clotting. I still mashing the morphine pump good. I had some ice and medicine and went to sleep. My boss and co workers come by to visit me that was real nice. Poor hubby is still trying to work and then come visit me as much as he can. I was feeling a little better on Friday. Dr Harris come to visit me
and said he was releasing me on Friday afternoon. I got meds by mouth and they took off the catheder, and the inflating leg stockings, and the oxygen tube, and the morphine pump. pout*
Around 12:00 I got up and took a shower and that wiped me out. The hubby came and picked me up around 2:00. I come home and actually eat something for the first time, I was really hungry. I had some sugar free jello, and a sugar free popsical, yummy. My hubby went to go pick up my meds, I was looking forward to that. He come home with the meds and I took them and went to bed.
Now it is Saturday morning, I got up, had 30 cc of sugar free pudding and 4 oz of protien shake. My in laws come back this morning to check on me, and my brother in law came last night. I have to wait 30 minutes before I can drink anything. My tummy has been rolling and rolling for 3 days. I finally had my first bowel movement like an hour ago, it was not solid at all. yikes! But it kinda felt better afterwards ya know. I took a walk around the backyard with hubby. and now i am sipping on my crystal lite tangerine/strawberry yummy. I am not in alot of pain, but I kinda feel like a big bruise, just real tender. well I guess that is all for now i will post more soon, blessed be!
UPDATE: JUNE 30TH 2003:
hi again, hope you are well. I have been taking my meds (which are nasty cuz they are liquid) for pain, and taking my vitamins. Man I am so sore around my incisions it aint even funny. I got a total of 15 staples kinda in the shape of a half moon, and they are all on my left side lol go figure.. but the top staple incision that is in the middle and down about 4 inches between my boobies is the most sore.. I can't stand to touch it at all. yeesh. I have been eating the atkins protein mix for my primary source of protein, added with 2 teaspoon dry milk, and 8 oz of ff skim milk, that gives you like 40 grams protein in 8 oz serving.. because you just cant get enough protein with yougurt , sugar free pudding and cream soup LOL. Anyway... I am having a real hard time getting my 64 oz of water in a day...but I am trying. The thing I am having the hardest time with though is the RUMBLING AND RUMBLING of my belly! omg it is a dragggggggg. and painful!! I am eating alot of gas x and lactaid! it helps some but not alot! I haven't weighed yet, but hubby says he can tell already, I dunno lol.. well see.. TTYL hugs!
UPDATE JULY 2, 2003
hi there! I wanted to update and let you know I am still doing good. I still have problems with the 64 oz of water daily thing. My staples are still sore. I haven't had any vomiting or dumping so far. I think I am progressing particularly well. I take my vitamins everyday and the only pain I really have is with the gas or if I walk too much. I weighed this morning it said 272. starting weight was 283 so that is 11 pounds in 7 days. Not bad. Hubby fusses at me all the time heheh (cuz i am sick of drinking protein shakes) lol Take Care!
JULY 5TH 2003,
Hello there, I still have problems with my water. I try to drink as much as I can, but it is nowhere near 64 oz a day, more like 20 if I am lucky. *sigh* The scales said 270 this morning so that makes 13 pounds in 10 days. My staples still hurt like alot (specially the ones below my boobs). Not having as much gas as before (thank goodness). I just tire easily. Yesterday we rode up to the inlaws (2 hour drive) . I was wiped when we got there and was ready to come home in like 3 hours. Right now I am doing good with my CIB (carnation instant breakfast) and my Atkins protein powder. Those 2 are my staples even though they are supposed to be snacks. They are what give me my protein. I had 3 bites of potatoe salad yesterday, which I chewed really good before swallowing and that stayed down good so I was glad for that. I still have not vomited or dumped yet, so I am doing good. I tried some creamed potatoes twice this week (about 4 small bites each time) and that stayed down good too. I just had a 1/4 cup applesauce and I will have 1/4 cup of sugar free pudding with it, that will be breakfast, and in a little while I will have 1/2 cup CIB for a snack (or 1/2 cup Atkins). I am trying harder to get the water in but it is so hard. My friends say they can tell the weight loss in my face already but I dont see it. Ok I will update soon!
UPDATE JULY 8TH 2003.
Hi again, well I went this morning to see Dr. Harris. I had my staples removed. I found out that my new tummy is about 30 cc's in size. Also that I was transected, not just stapled. (my tummy is now actually 2 pieces.) My surgery was the proximal one, not distal. Proximal is about 75 and distal is 150. He said if I wanted to check out my xrays I could all I had to do was go to the hospital and look at them. He said my weight loss was doing good. I have to stay on full liquids another week. I weighted on his scale at 276, but that was with all my clothes on and shoes so I figure it is still right about 270. My orginal weight back in March was 290. I think I lost down to 283 right before surgery. I have lost about 13 pounds. I thought it was more, but not according to his scale. He told me to stop comparing myself to other people, because eventually my weight loss will be in steps and it will come off in time. So I am going to try hard to just do what he says and stop comparing myself. Blessed Be!
MONDAY JULY 14TH 2003
Hi again. I wieghted myself on my scale last night.. It read 261 pounds. I think I have started to dump on certain foods. I have been have some bouts with diareea (no fun at all) I am still having trouble with getting in the 64 oz liquids. I stopped drinking so much crystal lite and switched to lipton decaff tea sweetened with splenda... that seems to help me get more liquid in. I know I am not getting enough protein.. I am going to have to go to gnc and buy something. I cant eat eggs without making me sick.. the chicken I ate made me diareea.. tuna gave me diareea.. cheese has been ok so far (just minute amounts..).. so I am sticking with my milk (lactose free and fat free) pudding, applesause, etc/.. I am just not ready for more yet. Blessed Be! 283-262=21 pounds in 19 days
JULY 18TH 2003. Hi friends, hope this finds you well. Well I guess you guys are getting tired of me whining about having to drink all that water. I am still struggling hard with it. My friends in the chat room tell me it will get easier with time..so I am just sipping and sipping as much as I can. I just don't want to get dehydrated. Yesterday I had about 10 teaspoons of campbells oyster stew (yummy) and I had about 5 teaspoons of creamed potatoes mixed with sweet peas for supper. I still drink crystal lite and caffine free sugarfree tea. I heard that sugarfree popsicles and watermelon also count toward your water intake, heheh. I am still 261 pounds. Its funny its like the scale wont move in 4 days and then on the 5th day it will move like 5 pounds LOL argg! I need to buy a better scale! lol This morning I fixed me some carnation instant breakfast (about 1/2 cup) I just didn't want yogurt or applesauce this morning at all. I wanted to tell you guys that you know I went and bought some of that sugar free hershey candy and sugar free oreos before surgery and stuff is still in my pantry. I dont know what is wrong with me I used to live for really sweet stuff now when I think of it it almost makes me sick. And what they say about how your taste changes after surgery, well it is very true! Things that you loved before (and put the weight on you) now you just don't care for it, or at least you don't obsess about it like you once did. Another thing is you don't realise how much your daily life (before surgery) revolved around food. It is truely an eye opener for alot of people including me. I am noticing that I am losing weight all over except in my belly. Now this is no surprise to me because even before surgery when I lost weight me belly was always the last thing to go... thats alright I am giving myself plenty of time to loose weight. Dr Harris told me not to compare myself with other peoples weight loss so I am not going to do it. I am just going to be blessed with what ever God lets me loose today and blessed for another day to live a little bit healthier than before. Take Care * huggs *
July 21st 2003: Hi friend, I wanted to let you know I went back to see Alison (my nutritionist) today. She was concerned about me not getting in enough protein. She was also concerned about the foods I was eating did not have very much nutritional value. SO I wanted to share with you the new menu she gave me today ( I am still about 26 days since the surgery.) For Breakfast: 1/2 cup of nonfat Dannon lite n fit yogurt with 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce. Snack (10:00am) 1/2 cup sugarfree carnation instant breakfast mixed with 1/3 cup dry milk.. Lunch: 1/2 cup tuna in water with 3-4 crackers with 1/2 cup of fruit. Midafternoon snack (3:00) 1/2 cup protein shake. Supper 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken noodle soup with 3 egg whites. Bedtime snack 1/2 cup protein shake. We talked for a while about nutrition and whats good and whats not so good. for example you hear about sugar free jello and sugar free popsicals alot. Alison told me that these things have no nutritional value at all except to fill your pouch.. also things like the hershey sugar free candy and the sugar free oreos and the sugar free peanut butter cookies... same thing.. we should avoid them because they have no nutritional value at all and they fill the pouch when we could be filling our pouch with things that are good for us. When I went in today I talked to her about what I had been eating the last week. She figured it all up and it ranged around 350 calories a day and about 9 grams of protein. SO you can see why she was concerned. Did you know that you can be 100 pounds overweight and still be malnorished. She said my body was in starvation mode which is why it is holding on to me so hard. I really need to be getting in around 800 to 1000 calories a day. Plus I need to be getting in at least 40 grams of protein a day. SO hopefully this new menu will help me. She recommended 2 new books for me also.. the weight watchers recipe book and the butter busters recipe book. I am going to see if books a million has them. I have lost down to 269 pounds on Dr. Harris' scales. On July 8th I weighted in on Dr. Harris scales at 276. So in 13 days I lost 7 pounds. Now at home my scales are different... they say I started out at 283 and am now down to 260. so I dont know what to believe lol. My rings are getting looser and my tight clothes are fitting me more normal now. *smile I see small improvements but they are there so I am happy about that* Take Care and God Bless
JULY 26TH 2003: ALRIGHTY THE PLATEAU IS GETTING ON MY NERVES! I am still weighing in at 260. **sigh** that means the scales have not moved in 5 days *arrrrrrrrrrggg* well I am doing much better with the water. I am more active (walking) and therefore I am more thirsty...it seems the water is not hurting me as much as it was before. I do not want to eat at all. I was very hungery the other night because I had not eaten since early morning and I was able to eat 7 broiled shrimps (medium size) and about 1/3 of baked potatoe. That was yummy. but it took me almost an hour to eat it. It is normal for me not to want anything to eat all day until the evening time, which is why I haven't been eating enough calories. I simply have not wanted to eat. Alison asked me if I was scared of regaining my weight. I said of course I am, but I just have not had an appetite. Therefore she told me I will have to force myself to eat things throughout the day. I tried mixing up an atkins protien shake this morning just to see if I could deal with it... omg after 2 sips it went down the drain... it is so awful. I told you I bought some of the nitrotech shakes they are so sweet and thick they are awful too... yeesh. I have drank one of them and the other 3 are still in my refridgerator. I still like my applesause but it has hardly no nutritional value at all. I can't stand eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream of wheat, cream soups.. yeeeshhhhhh how do you all eat that stuff. Tune is ok but Alison wants me to eat it without the mayo.. (omg) that is gonna be nasty... is there anyone out there feeling like me? that you just don't want to eat the stuff that is on the menu at this stage?? any of you only lost like 25 pounds the first month out? do you feel discouraged like I do? I know I shouldn't whine but when I read that everyone else ( I know I shouldnt compare,,,,but...) is losing at least 35 pounds in thier first month... I am hardly eating enough to keep a bird alive and have only lost 25, and I am walking like crazy .. yesterday I know I walked at least 2 miles out in the heat. ( I got sunburn to prove it too)... anyway I am just kinda dissapointed with my wieght loss cause I think I am losing it too slow. **sigh** still going to go in there and see if I can force some pudding or something. Take Care~
JULY 29, 2003.: Hi again, hope this finds you well. I weighed this morning and I am glad the scales finally decided to start moving again. I was ready to throw them out the window. I am now at 256 pounds. SO that makes 27 pounds in 34 days. I find myself still having head hunger alot, but I know I can't have certain things. Everytime I pass by a Burger King I think about that double whopper with cheese or Pizza Huts meat lovers pizza. Then I think, I cannot even eat 2 oz of creamed potatoes yet. LOL. I DO NOT want to go thru another vomiting episode like I did with the pork. omg. I am still trying to learn to "like" yogurt, and I even broke down and bought some fat free cottage cheese. I don't know how I will do with it. I had 1/2 english muffin the other day, that stayed down good, but I chewed it into nothing before I swallowed. I am still eating sugar free pudding and applesause. Nothing seems to taste good anymore. Not like it did before surgery. Like the other day we went to Cracker Barrel and I thought that the chicken pot pie would be yummy, right? wrong! It tasted nothing like it used to before surgery. It tasted bland, it needed salt and pepper, and the "gravy" was so runny and even the crust wasn't good. I ended up eating about 4 or 5 teaspoons of it and the rest my hubby ate. I still won't eat grits. Too scared to eat grits cause the first time I ate them I must have ate too much or something and man I was sooo miserable for about 2 hours. I can eat 1/2 a banana if I eat it real slow. They are yummy. I still love my watermelon. I bought some of those sugar free chocolate pudding pops. omg they are nasty. I had one last night, I know the hubby will be finishing them off. I still haven't found a good protein shake that I can tolerate. The hubby actually likes the nitrotech shakes.. I told him he could have them. yeesh. I have found that I can tolerate broiled shrimp. This is good because they are a good source of protein and low fat, no sugar. I think my future holds alot of fish fillets in it. LOL I can eat campbells noodle soup pretty good. I tried some hot and sour soup at the chinese restaurant. I had never had that before but Alison said to try it and I did, and it was pretty good. I was also able to eat a deviled crab. It is funny how your tastes change after surgery. I seem to stay thirsty all the time now, so I am not having as much trouble getting in those 64 oz a day, like I used to. I found Lipton decaffinated instant tea with splenda is alot easier to drink than the crystal lite. Its just not as sweet and tangy like crystal lite. I have also found that Dasani drinking water seems to tastes better than aqua fina water.. don't ask me how , it just seems that way. I still won't eat eggs either because I dumped on them one time before too. It is hard to find courage to eat things that made you sick early on because you don't want to go thru it again! I have found I can eat more of the foods like yogurt and applesause but if I eat mashed potatoes or something in like consistancy then I can only eat a few bites and I am full. I am probably now getting in around 500 to 600 calories a day because I am force feeding myself. I do not want to eat but I was told I have to eat at least 6 times a day. SO that is hard to do but I am trying. (plus get my water in between those 6 meals and 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after). Well I hope this is helping someone out there, I have read alot of profiles and not many people write down what foods they were able to eat after surgery with rny so I thought I would and hopefully that is helping someone out there. Take Care !!~~~~~
JULY 30TH 2003: I weighed this morning. 256 pounds. No Change.. blahhhhh (still not getting in enough calories or protein).
I wanted to put in a short weight loss for this month:
June 24th, Dr. Harris scales: 290
June 24th, my scales: 283
July 2nd, my scales: 272
July 8th, Dr. Harris' scales: 276
July 14th, my scales: 261
July 18th, my scales: 261
July 21st, Dr. Harris' scales: 269
July 26th, my scales: 260
July 30th, my scales: 255
August 11th Dr. Harris scales: 260
August 11th my scales: 250.
August 16th my scales: 244.
September 02, 2003: 240 (only 4 pounds in 17 days!!)
August 11, 2003. Hi There! I thought I would let ya know I went to see Dr. Harris today. His scales read 260 pounds. Last time I wieghed on his scale it was 269. So that means I have lost 9 pounds since July 21st. 9 pounds in 20 days. I know alot of people are losing it faster, but my Dr. says I am doing really great so far. I am still on babyfood type consistancy foods. I have vomiting with tough solids except steamed shrimp. So I am going to wait another week or so before I try solids again. I have found Isopure fruit punch which is much better than the thick, hard to drink shakes. I have also found Gerber Graduates (very low fat and only 3 grams sugar. they need more salt but they aren't bad. I still have my sugar free pudding and my yogurt. Wal mart superstore carries the blue bird brand and it is sweetend with splenda.. its pretty decent. Also Nitro- tech has a fruit punch type protien drink as well and it has 40 grams of protein. I love my sugar free popsicles. I just have to make sure that what ever foods I eat, that they are soft consistancy, and I chew very well, and I wait about 45 seconds after each bite before I will take another bite. That seems to help alot. I think it is true what people say about losing inches whenever your not losing pounds. I went shopping this weekend and I bought two tee shirts, both size xl. In May, I was wearing a 3x. I bought a pair of shorts, size 1x, while in May I was wearing a 3x shorts. At Wal-mart I bought two shirts that were size 18-20 and they fit good. In May I wore a size 24 shirt. So thats not too bad for only losing 30 pounds. I am going to have to buy new underwear too because my bras and briefs are falling off me. LOL I am taking my vitamins everyday, as well as my actigal. I am doing well with my water too. Dr. Harris told me I didn't have to see him again for 3 months as long as I don't have any problems. I told him hopefully I will have lost 45 more pounds by then. We will see. Take Care God Bless~~~
August 16th, 2003. Wanted to post that my scales read 244 pounds today. on August 11th it was 250 so that makes 6 more pounds gone forever. *smile
August 19th, 2003: I attended Dr. Harris' first support group meeting tonight. It was nice. Dr. Harris was there and answered alot of peoples questions, along with Alison the nutritionist. It was cool that they were both there for the meeting. They had a lot of good recommendations for books, as well as some good protein resources. Next month everyone is supposed to bring in thier favorite protein drinks, and bars and to comparison tastes. As far as me myself, I have found it very hard to eat at work. I usually just have like 1/4 cup yogurt and 1/4 cup babyfood at work and just drink water or my nitrotech fruit punch all day. I know I am not getting in enough calories but with a job that is mostly production, you can't just stop for 45 minutes to eat. I am lucky if I get 5 -10 minutes to woof down my babyfood. I am still trying to drink CIB for snack but omg that stuff is so nasty. 2 to 3 sips of that stuff and down the drain it goes. Trying some new fruit, like banana and grapes, doing good with them. I can eat a soft taco from taco bell but it takes 45 minutes to eat it. I can eat a ham and cheese sandwich without the edges on the bread, which also takes 45 minutes to eat it too. (makes sure you chew the bread to nothing by the time you swallow) I can eat 3 chicken mcnuggets. I will take a bite out of something, wait 2-3 minutes before I take another bite. That helps alot. If I am eating pudding or yogurt I can eat that faster. I cannot eat more than about one and a half ounce of something that is real solid. If it is something like watermelon, then I can eat about 2 cups LOL. When I look in the mirror I see the beginnings of a collar bone? LOL
September 02, 2003 : I just want to say that I am losing this weight slow as molasses here lately. It is getting on my nerves. I have only lost 4 pounds since August 16th.. I hate
plateaus.
September 7th, 2003: hi again, I wanted to tell you that the scales finally moved again. I weighed early this morning and my scales read 230 pounds. But yesterday I went to the doctor and his scales read 240 pounds. So I figure there is a 10 pound difference between my scales and his. actually there is probably a 5 pound difference because I weigh myself naked at home and I am fully clothed at the doctors office. Anyway I am happy the scales are moving again. I have been measuring inches also, I will post them soon. I think I have lost something like 33 inches all over so far. and total weight loss in pounds so far is around 60 pounds in 10 weeks, 4 days. I still cannot eat beef or pork, but do good with chicken. I can tolerate eggs now but I have to eat real slow. I still have not eaten any sugar at all. except the kind in watermelon. I think I have lived off of watermelon this summer. I still eat yogurt and applesauce whenever my pouch feels queasy. I try to eat mostly protein at my meals. But I know my pouch is not much bigger than an ounce and a half, so just a few bites of protein is all I can get in at a serving. I am now where I do not like the fruit flavored protein drinks, they seem too sweet to me now as well. So I am just trying to get in enough thru regular food although I know I am not getting enough grams right now. My nutritionist says a minimum of 40 grams a day but I know I am not getting that much. Dr. Harris says listen to your pouch so I stop whenever I get that satisfied feeling, which comes only after a few bites, I do not try to push it anymore than that. He said it was important that I learn to stop when I feel satisfied, not over full., and it would help me alot in the long run. I find myself drinking alot of water these days, and craving salt alot. During the week when I am working I find myself being able to work up an appetite, so I can eat a little bit at least three times a day. I should try to eat snack in between but it is hard, and I do not want to over fill myself. I stay thirsty alot and wish I could just gulp like I used to but I cannot, and if you try to you will learn very quickly that it hurts like the dickens, and you will probably throw up if you gulp water real fast. I also find that my pouch is nauseaus in the mornings, I usually wait till around 10 am to eat a little something, I dont know why but it seems my pouch is not a morning person either LOL> Of course I still do better with soft foods, even with those I eat slowly and chew chew. I am still scared of eating solid meats and such. a few bites of egg for breakfast, a few bites of chicken for lunch, and a few bites of chicken for supper, and that is about all I will eat in a day unless there is some seedless watermelon here LOL. I also like the sugarless instant lipton tea that I add splenda to, that is a nice change from water. I got sick of crystal lite a few weeks ago. I got real sick of cib a few weeks ago too. I still have 2 boxes of it in the pantry that will probably never be consumed. For treats I still love my sugar free popsicals, and sometimes sugar free white chocolate pudding. I take riding lessons now and that is helping to burn alot of calories up in the evenings and it is something I enjoy. even though I jumped off friday night and got bruised real good in a few places, because the horse got spooked, and she hit me with her hooves a couple of times, but no fractures so I am very lucky I did not get hurt worse. I am real sore though and got some nice purple bruises on my arm, leg, back and neck. (thank goodness I had my helmet on) ...... I can tolerate just about any soft food, as long as I eat it slow, and wait 2 to 3 minutes in between bites. I do not drink with my meals as much, so that is some improvement in that area, LOL/ I guess I am doing pretty good, I take my vitamins every day, and (this part is only for the girls) I had aunt ruby visit last week and she was very heavy for the whole 7 days.. I was like whoa .. very unusual for me to be that heavy the whole 7 days but I felt better you know what I mean. Mabey it was trying to catch up LOL... anyway if there is anything you would like to ask me about just send me an email I will be glad to answer any questions, take care .. cassandra_nc_is_here@yahoo.com
Sept, 10, 2003: Hi again, well today made officially 11 weeks post op. My hubby was picking at me the other day about how Dr. Harris ask him when I am not around how am I "really doing" and what am I "really eating" LOL Well I thought I would comment on that a little more since he is sitting here now LOL I found that I can tolerate nabisco swiss cheese baked snack crackers.. (yummyy) I can also eat funyuns (you know those lil rings in the yellow bag). I can eat the toppings off a very small slice of pizza... I can eat about one ounce of spegetti (home made kind). I know these are not great protein sources but heck I am lucky if I am eating 400 calories a day.. so any food at all that I am eating is good LOL I can eat one half a thin slice of danish ham... very slowly! I can eat half a slice of cheese... I can eat about 3 cubes of the chicken out of a chicken pot pie...hmm what else? I can eat 3 saulteed shrimps... I can eat about one half ounce of solid chicken breast, again reallly slowwly. I don't know if I have lost any more weight since last time, I only weigh myself on sunday mornings. I still stay thirsty all the time ( prolly a good sign of dehydration) and I still cant stand protein supplements. well now that I have indulged and told on myself about the snacking heheh at least hubby cant say I didnt tell you LOL take care! cassandra_nc_is_here@yahoo.com
Sept. 25th, 2003:
Hi again, I am back to complain yet once again. My scales are now reading 224. I have only lost like 6 pounds since the 7th of this month! argggggggggggggggg . I know it is my fault because I am sooooo trying not to go in there and ride my exercise bike everyday like I should and I know that is my fault. AND I still haven't went to gnc to get my whey protein so I know I am not getting enough protein. and that is my fault too, so I should not be complaining! I threw up yesterday, because I ate some chicken way too fast, I hurt and hurt for like 2 hours and finally I just threw up and immediately felt better. So it basically just comes down to me not exercising enough and not getting enough protein. (which are both my fault). somebody kick my butt LOL... take care..
October 6, 2003: Hey again, just wanted to stop in and update real quick. I am now 220. Yeah I know that is only 4 pounds since Sept, 25th. But hey its something. That is like 70 pounds in 3 months, not too bad. I wanted to say I did real good considering my birthday was on Sept. 28th, and I didnt have a birthday cake, and I really didnt miss it either., thats kinda weird because I always had one before, and this year I simply didnt think of it too much. I mean, I know I can't have the sugar anyways, so whats the big deal right. I did found out however that I can tolerate orange juice. Now that one is pretty scary cause 8 oz of jiuce has like 22 grams of sugar in it. I have often wondered why some people seem to tolerate it better, and it makes others dump real bad. Anyway, it kinda makes me wonder about me and sugar... I know one time I have like 3 bites of strawberry ice cream and mannnnnnn I dumped so hard I was soooooo sick it wasnt even funny. Anyhow, I guess I kinda don't want to find out whether I could tolerate it or not, I read about some people having like the small hershey minitures and stuff for cravings. now I don't know about all that because chocolate was one of my downfalls. anyways, I am rambling. I still do not like eating solid meats. My favorites are still soups and chili. I still dont do rice or pasta or bread. I have a few crackers now and then. I like mashed potatoes. I can eat a little bit of salad if I eat it real slow. I was able to eat about a quarter cup of grits/egg/sausage mixed together for breakfast the other morning..that was the first grits I had had since right after surgery. Thats another thing, right when you think your pouch is about to hold more, you go and eat something really filling like grits, and you will find out real fast how small that pouch is LOL. Because I was about to eat about 1/2 a wendys chili the other day and was like oh ok my pouch is getting bigger.. and then went to have those grits and eggs for breakfast and just after a few bites I was like omg I cant eat anymore...so anyhow... just goes to show you that just when you think you know something about your new tummy... whammo it shows you different. I know alot of people do really well on meats by the time they are like 3 months out, but this has just not been the case for me. My general rule of thumb that was given to me by my surgeon, Dr. Harris, is: go by what your tummy tells you. SOoo my tummy tells me it is not ready for meats yet. I am doing well with not drinking with my meals now, so that is progress. I still drink alot of water, but I am still being lazy about exercise. well thats all for now.. will update soon.. take care!
October 15, 2003. I am now weighing 215. I am about a week shy of 4 months. I have lost 75 pounds. I need to up my protein and water very badly. and decrease carbs. I have been feeling very tired lately, and sleeping alot. Take Care!!
October 24,2003.: Hi again, just wanted to post I am now down to 210. I have lost 80 pounds in 4 months. I guess thats not too bad. I have decreased my carbs alot this week (I am not munching on chips as much LOL) and I have found that I can tolerate about 4 oz of ensure high protien shake at a sitting, because it has 21g of sugar in a can. So that is about 10 gr of sugar in a serving. (for 4 oz) I also cut it with water
sometimes. I can now wear a regular size 18 instead of a 18W. DOwn from a size 26 4 months ago. I am looking forward to dropping the next 20 pounds so I will be in the century club. I have some loose skin forming underarms and wrinkles in my belly now. My legs look pretty good though except the upper inner thigh is still real jiggly. I need to measure myself again, and post the numbers for you. I had about 8 or nine shrimps last night that was real good. It was a big meal for me because I usually cannot eat more than half a cup of something at a time unless I am really starved. I have been trying to drink more water and less tea/koolaid. I still hate taking that medicine for my gallbladder (actigal) because it is real hard to swallow. I am still suffering from being tired all the time though.. I don't know what the deal is really.. other than I just get so few calories. It is really the only thing I can think of. I drink lots of water, take my meds, and get lots of exersize. So I suppose its just I need more calories, even my boss said today that I simply did not eat enough. But I do eat breakfast lunch and supper, its only that each meal is only about half a cup,.or 4 0z protein shake. I still have a hard time with meat. I think I am going to be one of those people that cant eat meat until like their 6 month mark or something. I sleep good at night, its just I wish I could sleep 11 hours a night LOL. Take Care!!!
November 02, 2003: Greetings again, wanted to post and let you know I survived halloween without chocolate. Pretty amazing for a pre-choc-aholic. We went dancing instead and had a great time. I even wore fishnet stockings. (and they didn't cut off circulation to my toes.) I also wanted to say that I was wrong about the ensure. I actually had diarrea about 4 times out of the 6 cans that came in the box. SO I went to GNC and bought some of the designer whey protein in chocolate. I have not had any diarrea with it so far. I am one of those people that does dump on sugar. I even bought some of those sugar free ice creams from wal mart made by blue bunny and even with those I can only eat a little bit of it before it makes me want to throw the rest in the trash. I am still partial to my sugar free popsicals. Last night I slept 11 hours. I don't know whats the matter with me. I have tried to increase my calories some, but at night I feel sooo tired it is unreal. I have to make myself get up in the morning. I read about people saying they now have so much more energy than before, but it has not happened to me yet. By the way I am now weighing 207. So I only lost 3 pounds since Oct 24, but I am grateful to see those 3 pounds gone! This week at work for lunch I was about to have 1/3 cup of french onion soup, 1/2 grilled cheese sandwich, and 3 (small) fried mushrooms. That was so delicious too. Then another time I was able to eat a slice of a quesidilla with cheese and chicken in it with a little bit of sour cream. That was wonderful too. I know alot of people will not eat bread at all, but I seem to do good with it, I think because it is toasted and I only eat half. I bought some of those detour bars and I can only eat half of it at a meal because it is so rich. I don't know if it is the chocolate or what but after I eat half of it I just can't eat anymore of it. I can tell you that my appetite is getting better than before. I actually want to eat something now for breakfast, lunch, and supper, where before I didn't care whether I ate or not. I know I am not losing pounds as fast as I used to, but I can tell a big difference in my clothes. My underwear and shirts were falling off of me. I was glad to get back into my 18's. I have not wore them since 1997. They are even comfortable now and not tight. I still wear x-lg t-shirts but I feel I could wear some larges. I have gone from size 13 underwear to a size 9 or 8 depending on how they are made. I went from a size 44 D bra to a size 38 D. A size 26 pant to size 18 pant. I have lost from 290 to 207. 83 pounds lost in 4 months 8 days. I would still do this surgery again in a heartbeat. I never realized how big I was until I had the surgery. I know that sounds crazy, but when you losing and you see how far you have to go to get into those size 8's or 10's or 4's or whatever, and you used to be a size 26, it is really a big slap of reality in your face of how overweight you really were. I mean, I had to lose 83 pounds just to get back into my 18's. And I remember when I used to wear those 18's telling myself I would not allow myself to get any bigger. Can I get a witness out there? I am sure there are many out there who can remember wearing a certain size and saying to themselves. "ok, this is it, I will not buy/wear/let myself get bigger than this!" It really is mind-blowing. Anyway on a lighter note, I wanted to say that I am glad to be much more socialable than before. I feel I am a much more pleasant person, and love spending more time with my friends. I feel more attractive, don't have quite as much pain as before, and just overall feeling good about myself is a big change for me. I still have mental demons saying to me, oh you look so fat in that dress or you still have that huge roll around your belly that is so gross, and things like that. It is really hard to comprehend what I mean unless you were/are obese like I was. SO when those mental demons try to hurt my self esteem I tell myself that I am doing good, and I am still losing more every day, and someday I will get to my goal. (and I am a good person everyday). Take Care!!
November 9, 2003 Hi again, hope you are well. I wanted to tell you that I tried the new Glucerna shakes that are made by Ensure. They are for people with Diabetes. There are 11 oz in a can, 290 calories, calories from fat 100, carbs 39 grams, sugars 10 grams, and protein 13 grams. Now I know this isnt the best in the world, but if you are on the run in the morning like me and you don't have time to mix up a shake, you can grab one of these and drink about 3 oz of it for breakfast. This is one of the very few that I have found that does not make me dump. I
But it is rich and if you drink more than 4 oz of it at a time, it could make you dump. I tried eating one scrambled egg this morning and one yesterday morning...they are still giving me diarrea, so I don't know if I will continue to try them. I ate about 3 0z of broiled sea trout and did good with that. I love my cheeses, swiss, cheddar, any kind really. I still will not eat red meat. It just hurts and hurts. I eat alot of soups even now, I guess you could say I eat about anything except whole milk, anything over 9 grams of sugar, anything real greasy, and red meat. I guess that's not too bad. I am now 204 pounds, so thats 86 pounds gone in 4 months, 14 days. I love sweet peas, legumes, green beans, sweet potatoe, cabbage, salad, mushrooms, squash, zucchini, bananas, granny smith apples, tangarines, and grapes. I still don't eat more than 2 to 3 oz in a serving though. Like I may have 4 grapes or 1/2 tangerine or half banana or a few small wedges of apple. The small portions are work good for me. I really wish more people would post what they are eating everyday, because it doesn't help people a whole lot if you only tell them how much you have lost and do not post what you are eating! I bring up profiles all the time hoping to see what other people are eating though out thier weight loss and I have found NO ONE that has posted thier daily menus. Take Care!
NOVEMBER 23, 2003: Greetings again, I hope this finds you well. I wanted to post that I am now officially under 200 pounds. I weighed in this morning at 198 pounds. WHOO HOO! I am getting oh so close to the century mark now... only 8 more pounds. I had surgery on June 25th, 2003 and today is November the 23rd; so almost 5 months to the day and I have lost 92 pounds. I had a friend tell me one time that she thought I would lose 100 pounds in 6 months, and I told her she was crazy, LOL Now I think I may actually do it! I went to see Dr. Harris on Wed. of this week. He had me go over to the medical mall to have blood drawn to see if I am low on anything. He said it would be 2 weeks before I would know. He said if he does not call then everything is fine, but if I get a call then something is wrong. I told him, oh great just leave me in suspence! LOL I talked to him about this burning, stabbing pain that I have been getting around my tummy the last 2 weeks, and he said that it was probably scar tissue, that I am pulling and tugging on whenever I am working., and he did not feel it was serious. I listened to him, but this burning pain almost doubles me over sometimes, and the only thing that helps to alleviate it is to lie down. Weird Huh? If you have any ideas please give me an email. I am scared it is an ulcer but Dr. Harris does not think so. Nothing much has changed in my diet, but I wanted to tell you that I had 1/2 cup of skim milk with that no added sugar nestle quik in it the other day, and oh man, I had diarrea so bad for 2 days! ( although it was probably good for a cleansing) LOL It seems I cannot tolerate sugary stuff at all, but I can drink 1/2 cup of orange juice and do fine. It is so wierd how our bodies tolerate something one day and cannot the next. You never know what your tummy is going to tolerate!! There is no guarantee with any food you eat, because it is all different from day to day. The only thing I can say for sure that I have not had any problems with on a consistant basis is sugar free popsicals. Which is great to keep you hydrated, but further along it really has no nutritional value at all. I still cannot stand drinking the protein shakes, but it is the only way I can remotely get close to getting enough protein grams in for the day. I am still drinking the glucerna and the atkins shakes, the are gross but at least I can gag them down. I personally think all the proteins are nasty, but we have to have them, so I try to gag them down. Well, take care and hope you are doing well.
December 7, 2003: ARRRG CAN THE WEIGHT LOSS BE ANY SLOWER? Hi again hope this finds you well. I am now 194 pounds. So I have lost 4 pounds in 12 days! Whats up with that! I know what it is... I totally do not do any aerobic exercise at home. I have to work very hard during the day and I am just too tired in the evening to get on that bike. I know I should not be complaining as I know I must do my part. It is just frustrating. I also had my monthly like 2 weeks ago and the scale did not move at all. I am doing alright with the water. I drink a lot of sugar free kool aid and decaff coffee and tea. I still like having a little bit of orange juice in the morning. I do know that I have lost inches though because my 18's are now getting loose on me. Also my new bras that I bought 2 months ago are now getting loose on me. My shoulder bones and collar bones are really showing now. and my tail bone hurts if I sit too long. My hands and feet are starting too look small. My hubby says my shoulder blades and back bone stick out now. I have figured out that I am carrying probably 60 to 70 percent of my excess wieght in my stomach. My butt, legs, arms, etc have all shrank real fast but my stomach is not that much different. That is why I am kinda teed off that even though I have lost 100 pounds I am still wearing a size 18. Others started at my weight and are now wearing like 14's. ARRRGGGGG! Anyhow I still do not eat a whole lot. I can actually eat about 3/4 cup of something semi solid and cup and half of something like soup. I still hate meat. I love chef salads, sweet potatoes, green beans, salteed mushrooms, oyster stew, sweet peas, chicken noodle soup, french onion soup, grilled cheese sandwich, 1/2 scrambled egg with sausage gravy on top, vegetable soup, 1/2 bean burrito, creamed potatoes, chef boyardee spegetti, and sometimes I will have a few potatoe chips or tortilla chips for a snack. I have to brag on my hubby for a moment and tell you about the wonderful sugar free pumpkin pie that he made me for Thanksgiving. He got it off the splenda.com site and omg it was delicious. He said he didn't want me to not have anything for dessert for Thanksgiving: awwww isn't he sweet? Anyways I had to go buy some of the benefiber stuff. I have really been hurting and straining with the BM's here lately. I think I even got a fissure... ouchies!. But warm baths and ointments are helping it a whole lot. I am just saying do not start using laxatives because your bowel will become dependant on them and you will be in trouble. Benefiber is made of vegatable fiber, it is natural. And I can't taste it in my kool aid (big plus). I am still wearing 18's and can wear a large top now. (all the weight is in the stomach). I tell you I will be so glad when I get under 190. Take Care!!
Dec, 13th, 2003: Nothing much has changed, down one pound since Dec 7. weight now 193. Kinda discouraged that the weight loss is so slow now.
Dec 16, 2003: went to support group meeting tonight. It was really good.. Dr. Harris was there and was able to answer a few tough questions for me.. ex: why does the pouch get bigger at about 5 months out, to where you can eat like 4 oz, because you know you (Harris) made our pouches only 30 cc's? His answer: after the swelling and inflamation and everything goes down, you can eat more, plus, it will stretch just a little, cautioning us that we still should not be eating over 3 to 4 ounces at any time. Also, he stressed the importance of lifestyle changes after the initial 6 months, he said if you go back to eating to way you used to, that you will gain all your weight back. Eating right, exercise, portion control, all those things must be implimented into our lives FOREVER. Our TOOL just makes it easier for us, it does NOT do it FOR US. He reminded us that we can stretch out the pouches, and if we do, he WILL NOT do revisions on us, because it would be OUR FAULTS for stretching them out after everything we had been through. He did say that 400 to 700 calories a day is not enough fuel for the body and it will resort to burning its muscles instead of its fat for energy. You will lose major muscle mass. I am getting in about 500 calories a day right now. My hair is falling out. I have lost about 1/4 of it so far. He told me basically I have to eat more meals in a day. If I can't get enough calories in 3 meals, then, eat more meals. (sounds reallll simple, huh?) It is a whole lot harder than you can imagine. I have lost a whole lot of weight in the last 5 and half months, but my arms and my inner thighs look terrible. Perhaps if I would have lost slower, the skin would look better than it does now. It would have had more time to shrink as I lost the weight. I guess I need to eat like 5 or 6 three ounce meals a day. Don't know how in the world I will be able to do it. I will try. Noone else in my support group is losing thier hair, only me. I try to eat my protein but I know I am not eating 60 grams a day of it. I know there are some areas that I need to work on. I am trying to do my best, sometimes it is just real hard to do everything just right. lol.. it was good to see my friends tonight, and hear there questions and thier progress, everyone seems to be doing real good. Some are having plateaus... like me, they are frustrated. It does not seem that a 3 week plateau is abnormal. Dr. Harris reminded us that it was not a race... what matters most is how we make our lifetime changes to take care of our pouches and our health. This surgery is useless if you really don't learn now and take this tool seriously, and it will show when you start gaining all your weight back. I never want to gain my weight back. It is good to be with the support group, everyone understands what your going thru.
Dec, 29, 2003: Well hello again, I made it thru Christmas. I have now lost 106 pounds. I am still wearing 18's eve
