kimgreenrn
HOW IT ALL STARTED:
5'1" 345 lbs; SOB w/any bit of exertion; infertility problems w/PCO & blocked fallopian tubes; suspected sleep apnea (haven't been tested yet but have the referral); United HMO insurance; back pain upon standing for more than a few minutes; no tollerence to any sort of activity or exercise; knee pain/cracking... I think I should qualify for the surgery. Already seeing a shrink for depression... Tried every diet known to man - the beverly hills diet, herbalife (under a doctor's care in early 1990's), phen-fen (under a doctor's care in 1997-1998ish), weight watchers, tops, richard simmons, the zone... goodness gracious me!
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UPDATE: 6/1/09 -- it's been a long time! 8 years post-op... lost 150#, gained 30# back
Well, as you can see it has been a long time since my last update. I have gained som eof the weight back, I am at 223# now, and have realized that if I keep up with my bad habits (eating things with lots of sugar and fat) I will continue to gain weight. My hubbie & I have joined the YMCA and plan to slim back down (he also gained back a lot of the weight he lost initially) and try to set a more healthy example for our almost 5 yr old daughter. I turn 40 in 2 weeks and really want to be back down under 200# by 41. I have gotten much better about drinking pop at work - I don't!! I still work for Hospice of Cincinnati, but now work in the Admissions department, during daylight hours. I had to make the move to full time when the housing market started tanking since my hubbie is a real estate agent and business was going bust. Also, dear Ella would not let me sleep during the day after I had worked all night and I was having sleep deprevation problems. I LOVE the job I have now, have been doing it since Feb '08. Now I drink diet Arizona green tea or water all day. I might have a "real" Coke once a week, but I mostly drink diet tea and water. My hubbie started weight watchers and I am thinking about it. I hate keeping track of what I eat - it is such a pain, and with my job I tend to eat lunch out a lot because I don't have an office or a desk, my car is my office. PB&J gets old if you eat it more than twice a week. LOL Anyway, I am committed to really putting forth an effort to exercise and go back to my better eating habits so that I can get back under 200# again. You see, this is a constant struggle - the whole wieght loss thing - having the surgery may seem like a "quick fix" to some, but it truely is a life-long committment and you CAN gain the weight back if you slip back into old habits - I am living proof. I have to constantly remind myself why i had the surgery in the first palce. I carry with me in my purse every day a picture of me before I had the surgery as a reminder of where I was and where I can end back up if I don't stay on top of it. Don't let this be discouraging to you - I am so much more healthy that I was 8 years ago, and I would have surgery again in a heartbeat. It is life changing and we just have to remember to keep up the good work we started by having the surgery. I hope everyone has a great summer!!
UPDATE: 9/4/06 -- 3.5 since my last update & 5+ years post-op...
Here I am in a new life than before surgery. I got married in May 2003 to a wonderful man that I should have married 14 years ago when we first dated. I have a 2 year old daughter. "They" (the doctors) said I would NEVER get pregnant without infertility treatment because both my fallopian tubes were blocked...well they were wrong. I stopped birth control pills in July '03 to prepare for infertility treatment to start in Jan '04... but by the begining of Nov '03 I was pregnant... the natural way!! Wahoo!!
My family and I have moved to my hubbie's hometown in Ohio and I have a wonderful life. Before getting pregnant I was down to my lowest weight since college -- 195#. I gained some with the pregnancy and have not lost all the "baby weight" -- I an sitting at 212# now for the past year. My family doc said "what can we do to get you down to 190#?" I replied "you mean I have to stop eating cookies and cake and bread with lots of butter and stop drinking 2 cokes every night that I work?" Doc laughed, but it helped me realize that I have gotten back into some poor eating habits and I was lucky to stay the same weight over the past year. I guess chasing Ella around the house kept me from gaining any more weight. I need to remember to eat smaller portions, start with protein, drink more water, and cut out all the sweet stuff that got me up to 345# in the first place.
I must say that I am still exastic that I had my gastric bypass. I would probably be dead or at least wheelchair bound and on disability right now had I not had the surgery. I can do so much more and my life is so much fuller that it was 6 years ago. I am in a wonderful marriage to an incredible guy that I didn't just "settle" for because I was desperate-- I love my Tommy with all my heart and I know he feels the same way. I have a beautiful daughter that is the joy of my life. The only way my life could get better is if I were to win a million dollar jackpot... LOL!!
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UPDATE: 1/5/2001
I went to my primary care doc last night. I couldn't believe how easy it went. I had brought my hubbie in with me to help convince the doc that I really needed to do this. Dr. Dungan was very supportative and I already got a call from his office this AM that my referral for the consultation is set. Hot damn!!
I have an appointment at BTC NEXT WEEK!!! 1/10/2001 with Dr. Schlesinger. I was on the phone with Donna for quite a while and she is fabulous. The only sad thing is that I don't know if I will be able to convince my insurance co. to approve BTC since they are out of network.
I also have an appointment with Dr. Salvino with the American Surgical Obesity Institute. The earliest appointment that they were able to give me was Feb 1!! Arg. That is so disappointing. Then, I am told I will have goals I must reach from the nutritionist and the exercise physiologist before they will do the surgery. Double arg!! They make you wait 4-6 weeks from your time of consultation before they schedule your surgery. Tripple arg!! But, hell, I suppose that since I have lived 20+ years in this condition that 2 or 3 months shouldn't be so devastating. It's just that I want to do this NOW!!
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UPDATE: 1/10/2001
Well, boy have things changed. I have canceled my appt with BTC, as they are out-of-network. I have canceled my appointments with Dr. Salvino & Dr. Vitillo with American Surgical Obesity Institute. I read too many negative things about them. I have decided to go with DR. KANE with WEIGHT FOR LIFE. I have heard wonderful things about him and his program. I have e-mailed & "talked" to 2 of his patients. I can't hear enough good things about him. My consultation appointment is 1/17/2001 at 4:30pm.
Also, I saw Dr. Desai at the Suburban Pulmonology and Sleep Apnea Association this morning. They weighed me - I was close... I am actually 330, not 325. He feels that I have a severe case of sleep apnea and wants my testing done ASAP. So, instead of having to wait the normal 2-3 weeks for an appointment for the test I am having mine done 1/16/2001. Perfect timing!! I will know a little bit more for Dr. Kane then - which will support my need to have the surgery done all the more!! Dr. Desai gave me 5 new prescriptions today. Ugh. 2 new inhalers (Serovent & Flovent), a nasal spray (Nasonex) & 2 new pills (Pepcid and Claritin). Dr. Desai was very supportative of my decision for bariatric surgery and impressed in the amount of research I have already done. I see surgery in my near future.
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UPDATE: 1/17/2001
Well, my appointment for today was rescheduled. Apparently the MD had to cancel all his appointments for this afternoon. So, I go next Wed. Boo hoo!!
I did have my sleep study last night. I now have another reason for the insurance company to approve my surgery. By 2 hours into the sleep study the RT came in to fit me with a CPAP mask. He didn't want to make me wait another hour just to get more data to continue to prove how serious a case of sleep apnea I have. Of course, we have to wait for the MD to read the data, but there is no doubt that I have it. The CPAP wasn't all that difficult to get used to as long as I breathed through my nose.
Well, that's it for now. Hope to have more good news next week.
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UPDATE 1/25/2001
I had my appointment with Dr. Kane's office on Wed. It went very well :-) I am, of course, a "good candidate" for RNY. I will need to have open RNY, as my BMI is too high for a lap. I know this sounds weird, but I'd rather have it open, so that there is no chance of a mixup when putting me all back together. LOL
I met not with Dr. Kane but with Dr. Rantis. When I asked if he knew who would actually do my surgery he said he prefers to operate on the pts he meets with -- I didn't know how to tell him that I really want Dr. Kane to do my surgery. He did say that there are always 2 surgeons in the OR when performing the RNY & I would think that the chances of one of the other surgeons being Dr. Kane Sr or Jr are highly in my favor.
Dr. Rantis was very nice, took lots of time to explain the procedure to my husband, who accompanied me to the office. My dh was more interested in the staple gun than anything -- he wanted to know what it looked like, how it worked, etc & asked about 20 questions about it. LOL Dr. Rantis said if he had one in the office he would show it to him, but he didn't. I was ready to crack up, but refrained from laughing so as not to embarrass dh. He also asked some good questions about how small the pouch will be & if anyone could "survive" on such a small stomach. Again, I can't say how patient and helpful Dr. Rantis was in explaining the surgery and the phisiology of how food gets digested & where nutrients are absorbed in such a simplified way so my dh could understand.
I am really lucky in that I already see a shrink for depression and have already seen a pulmonologist. Dr. Rantis said my pre-op requirements will be streamlined -- I don't have to take that 1500000 question test to see if I am psychologically fit for the operation. All I need is a letter from Dr. Lawton that he thinks I am ok to have the surgery. I see him tomorrow to get that :-)
I probably don't have to meet with their pulmonologist -- just need the ok from Dr. Desai (who already gave it to me verbally). He will want Dr. Desai to consult with Dr. Hart since I do have sleep apnea. Only if Dr. Hart thinks it is necessary will I have to see him pre-op. The thing that kinda scares me is that Dr. Rantis seems to think that I may have to spend my first night in ICU. He says that my highest risk of potential post-op complications will be pulmonary in nature & Dr. Hart may want me where I can be monitored more closely. But, hey, if that is where I need to be then so be it.
He said I should expect to hear from Ginny at Weight for Life soon. I can't wait to get the ball rolling!!! YIPPEE YAHOO!!
One more step taken, just a few more hurdles to jump (as if I can really jump anything remotely close to a hurdle in my current shape -- LOL)
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UPDATE 2/9/01
Been a while since I have been here. Since my last update I have gone to see my psychiatrist. He agreed to clear me psychologically for the surgery & wrote a letter to Weight for Life's specifications for their file. This means I do not have to take the lovely test most of you all take. YEAH!!
I have finally gotten the C-PAP machine to treat the sleep apnea. It is set at 11 - which I am told is right in the middle of the middle. It has been a little difficult to get used to, but I have noticed an improvement in how tired I am when I wake up. It took about a week, but my sleeping is getting better. I still have a hard time sleeping on my side, though, without the mask leaking air. LOL I go on Valentine's Day for pulmonary function testing and to see Dr. Desai for follow up on my sleep study.
The reviewer at my insurance company stated they needed a letter of medical necessity to review before they will approve my surgery. So, Ginny is composing my letter and will be getting it out to Ms. Weaver at United Healthcare after getting the results of my PFT's next week. Ginny tells me that with my BMI and sleep apnea there should be no problem getting it approved and that United is usually quick to send their approval. Yeah!!
Well, that is all I can think of right now. Still have not told any of my family about the prospect of me having this surgery. I want to wait until it is approved by the insurance & scheduled before saying anything.
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UPDATE 2/14/2001
Happy Valentine's Day! I had the PFT's done today. I am boarderline normal -- so I guess that means there won't be any problem with surgery in that respect. I was sure to get copies of both my sleep apnea study and the PFT results so that I can fax them to Ginny at Weight For Life first thing tomorrow morning. Then she will have all the info she needs for my letter, I hope. I have seen here that United usually only takes a couple of days and almost always less than a week to give approval. I am so psyched!!
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UPDATE 2/26/2001
Yippee! I talked to Ginny today. She sent my letter to the insurance company today & thinks we will get approval by the end of the week. I am really excited. :-)
I also need to report that I have finally told my parents & sister. We were all out to eat for dh's & my 6th wedding anniversary. I kept asking hubbie if I should tell them. He would reply it was up to me. I broke down & just blurted out that I will be having some surgery.
They told me how worried they have been about me lately and how they know it must be hard to do everyday things... you're telling me!! I was surprised that after asking lots of questions -- like is it dangerous, is it reversible, is it just a "fad" surgery or has it been researched & proven to work -- that they will support me 100%. My parents even asked if they could come to the hospital to be with me the day of surgery, but if I didn't want them there it was ok. LOL Those sillies! Of course I'd be greatful to have all the support I can get the day of surgery. My mom is even gonna take some time off work once I get home to help me out for 2-3 days. WOW! My sis might do that too. I am really lucky.
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UPDATE 2/28/2001
I AM APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It took 48hours for the insurance company to come to a decision! I can hardly believe it!! My surgery is scheduled for 4/10/2001. 40 days away!!
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UPDATE 3/17/2001
Happy St Patty's Day everyone! I have so many doctor appointments in the next 3 weeks that I have to take 2.5 days off work. LOL Dr. Hart does want to see me to go over some things pre-op to get prepared for my immediate recovery & stay in the ICU, I guess. So I have a consultation with him the 2nd of April. My GYNE wants an ovarian biopsy done while I am under anesthesia, but he doesn't have rights to the hospital I will be in. So, that means I have to have a consult with GYNE out of Alexian Brothers -- that is scheduled for March 30. I see the Nutritionist on March 31 - I will be able to order the protein-jello & protein-broth then. Yumm Yumm. LMAO
I went to my first after-care support group today. It was great -- to see that I am not the only FAT person around & that others have survived and thrived after surgery! I am truely looking forward to this life-altering procedure!!
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UPDATE: 3/24/2001
OMG! 17 more days to go!!!! I am so psyched :-) I am not nervous at all. I am looking forward to having the surgery. Maybe after I go to all the MD appointments I have left and go to the preop testing in 10 days I will start feeling a little nervous.
I have started to buy things I will need post-op. I have toilet-tongs, an abdominal binder & a hand-held blender. I have gotten 2 cans of fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth, 3 samples of pro55 protein powder, 2 samples of another protein powder (forgot the name) & 3 boxes of sugar-free jello. I will get some protein-inhanced jello and broth from a friend at our next support meeting. I have some bryers 99% fat-free yogurt here that I am sampling before surgery to see if I like it.
I also have as maid service coming the day before surgery to get the house in tip-top shape!! LMAO!! That was one of the most important arrangements I have made!
I am lining up people to come visit me at the hospital & spend the day with me. I am so hyped!!! Can you tell??
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UPDATE: 3/31/2001
I saw the dietician today. That was cool -- but I found out that I don't necessarily need all the special vitamins I ordered yesterday. LOL Guess I will be sending them back once I get them.
She wants me taking a sugar-free bugs bunny vitamin a day, 4-5 tums spread out with my meals (so the calcium can be absorbed) and the MD will prescribe this RX iron for me to take when my tummy can tolerate it.
She weighed me and all by myself without even trying I have lost 1.5# in the past month. Yippee!!!!!!!!
Now for the BAD news..... I have an awful chest cold. My right lung hurts when I cough. I am NOT bringing anything up and have not been running a fever. But my nose is running like a faucet. We have this nasty flu-like virus running around up here in Chicago & I thought that I wasn't gonna get it. Well, DAMN!! I did get it. Thanks to my hubbie who used my toothbrush when he had it! That BUM!
I see the pulmonologist on Monday for my clearance for surgery. My biggest fear is that he will cancel my surgery. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be so upset and cry and get so very depressed. I just pray that my lungs are clear and he gives me his approval.
I know part of this is stress.... surgery & hubbie's mother in the hospital & me moving to a different location with my job -- toooo much at once! God give me the stregnth to get over this FAST!!
I will let you all know how Monday goes as soon as I get in. Wish me well!!
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UPDATE: 4/2/2001
Well...... I survived Dr. Hart. He wasn't nearly as bad as I thought he would be. I will spend at least the first night in ICU. I need to get a mirage mask for my CPAP. He is boosting me with 3 days of prednisone before surgery and solumedrol in my IV on the day of surgery.
I went for my pre-op testing this morning. I pray that my chest X-ray was clear!!! My surgery is set for 11:00am. Wow! It is almost here. One week to go. By this time next week I will be post-op.... maybe up in a chair dozing, pushing on that PCA button for morphine!! LOL
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UPDATE: 4/9/2001
OMG!! Tomorrow is the BIG day! My re-birthday!! I am lucky to have a great angel Norma Clara Profile =C984032490. Thanks, Norma!!
But I must say, this phospho-soda stuff is the worst!! I have been crapping all afternoon... I cough, I poop. I sneeze, I poop. I laugh, I poop. LOL No! no LOL!! No more poop :-)
Well, my surgery has been moved up from 11am to 10:30am. Cool!! See you on the other side!
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UPDATE: 4/16/2001
Well, here I am. A bit bruised and sore, but still alive. LOL
I flew through the surgery. I was still intubated when I was awake in recovery & that sucked big time!! I was in ICU for the first night & even got up in a chair for 6 hours the day after surgery. I went to a regular room on Wed evening. I was up walking around, sitting in the chair, playing cards with visitors... Doing fairly well. I guess "too well." They sent me home on Fri after my "leak test" which came out fine. It was just a wee bit too early. Three days after surgery -- arg.
I dehydrated and dry-heaved all Fri night and into Sat. morning. Carl called the DR & they had me go to the ER. I was readmitted for dehydration, and came home today. The swallow test on Fri, along with stopping the IVF & the PCA(patient controlled analgesia) pump, starting the clear liquid diet and liquid lortab was just tooooooo much for my poor body to do in one day.
Every time I would burp, dry-heave or cough I would have nasty runny shit and I got me & the bed all yucky multiple times. Green apple farts as I call them. I still have them, but have much more control now. Just what you always wanted to know, eh?
They took out my jackson-pratt drain before I left the hospital today. Yikes --that didn't feel too good. But, here I am, up at the computer going through my 162 emails. LOL
Getting tired.... will read through the past week's worth of posts later. Thanks to all who sent me well wishes and positive thoughts and prayers. I definately needed them!!
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UPDATE: 4/24/2001
Well, had my first post-op visit yesterday. Got the rest of my staples removed. New steri-strips placed. I sprung a leak yesterday as I was getting ready to go to the DR's. It seems that some bloody fluid had collected about 5 inches down my incision and was oozing out of the incision line. Dr Rantis cut it open (only 1 inch long) and cleaned it out & said it was "normal" for this to happen at times. I was kinda freaked out, but if he says it's "ok" then I wont worry. No fever so it is not infected. I just have to be careful now not to let it get infected!!
The good news is that I have lost 21 pounds in 13 days!! Do you freakin' believe it!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
I feel good. I have a hard time eating 6 times a day, and that is probably part of the reason for the fast loss. I am lucky to get in 4 little 4oz meals a day, and the dietician suggested 6- 4oz meals a day. I am really working hard at it, especially now since I am starting to feel hungry sometimes. I have progressed up to cream soups and cooked cereal and all other milk products. Yesterday I had yougert for lunch. Yummy. Never thought it could taste so good :-)
I have not needed the pain medicine since I came home. Dr Rantis even gave me the go-ahead to start driving short distances. :-) I go back to see him in a week.
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UPDATE: 4/29/2001
Well, I think my little open area may be infected. So, first thing in the AM I will call for an appointment to see Dr Rantis tomorrow. Arg. What a pain in the keaster.
Otherwise I am learning what foods my tummy will tolerate and what ones it will not. Tummy likes yogurt and string cheese. Tummy dislikes grits and gerber baby cereal.
I have driven to the store twice now. We shall see how the drive to the doctor's office goes tomorrow. Then maybe I will try to get to visit some friends later in the week :-)
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UPDATE: 5/2/2001
Well, I saw Dr Rantis on Mon. I just love that man. I called the office and he called me back within 15 min & told me to just come on in & he would check it out. I get there and I know his office hours are really over for the morning, but he looks me over anyway. I had brought him the bandage with the icky greenish drainage on it for him to see -- seeing is better than any description I can give him. He looked at it and then looked at my incision. He took off the steri-strips and said I didn't need them anymore. There was another teeny-tiny area that was extra-red and he had me lay down to take a better look at it.
Dr Rantis is a very gentle guy and has such a great bedside manor. He told me everything he was doing before he did it -- betadine swab, then he did get a scapel out and did a little stab to the top area and said it looked good. Then he did have to cut the area that he opened up last time (it had started to heal closed). That is where the ick seems to be, but it isn't infected. Just a "normal" seroma. He "wicked" it again and I will have to change it daily and keep an eye on it. Still no fever, so all is well.
I spent the day at my parents house today. My sister had the day off, so we watched movies and stuff -- Ms Congeniality, Shaft, the MSNBC special on WLS, then Dawson's Creek and Felicity. My goodness. I walked home from their house (it is just next door) and now I am pooped.
I am planning on going to see some people at my old job tomorrow. It is a long ride in traffic, but I won't go during rush hour. I hope they are glad to see me. LOL
I have two days left of nourishing liquids, but I am eating pureed baked beans for dinner today. I just couldn't stand another serving of soup, string cheese, milk or yogurt.
I am still sleeping alot, but I have to keep reminding myself that I had major surgery and my body needs the sleep to heal. But, I feel great!!
My sister asked me if, after all I have been through, I would do it again. I told her I would, in a heartbeat!!
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UPDATE: 5/6/2001
OMG!!! I tried on a pair of pants today in desperation. I really didn't have anything decent to wear to the show. I didn't expect them to fit. They are a size 22/24. THEY FIT!!!! And when I am standing they are loose in the thigh! HOLY SHIT!! I can't believe it. I am so amazed. I have done the math and figured out that I have lost a total of 17.75 inches so far along with the 25# (or more, since I haven't weighed in 6 days). I couldn't believe it. I am having a groovy happy day :-)
I am feeling really good these past few days, with one exception. Friday night hubbie and I and a few friends went to see the new Mummy movie. It was very good. I fit a little better in the seat than before surgery. The ticket taker didn't stop me from bringing my water in, thank goodness. I tried to eat a nacho -- BAD IDEA!! I had to WILL myself not to puke. I knew I was in trouble the minute the chip got stuck. I had it saturated with cheese - or so I thought. Not. So, what could I do, sitting next to the wall in a sold out, jam packed theater? I sat up, closed my eyes, folded my hands together and willed myself not to puke, using deep breathing to help. Finally, about 10 min later it went down and I burped a few times and I was much better. Thankfully this all happened before the previews even started. I ate nothing the rest of the show and just drank my water in peace. I greived popcorn ladden with butter topping. It was so hard to not have it yet. But, that will change in a few months. Yippee!!
So, today, Sun, hubbie & I went to see Hidden Dragon, Crouching Tiger. I fit even better into the seats in this theater. Wahoo!! I brought some mashed potatoes (no gravy) from KFC with me to eat, so I wouldn't feel so deprived. LOL
I have graduated to pureed foods and have never been so happy!! You would think that this is gross, but I find that I am able to mush a lot of stuff up with a fork to make it baby-food consistancy. I have had scrambled eggs - what a wonderful taste!! I love scrambled eggs & hubbie makes them with a splash of soy sauce mixed in -- you should try it! It is a taste sensation that you won't want to live without!! I have done refried beans with cheese melted over them and some no-fat sour cream. Also baked beans, easy-mac (mac & cheese -- to which I added 2 tbsp of powdered milk -- without the powdered milk it had 8gm of protein!! after adding the milk it is even more), ragu-quik noodles and sauce (this has 7gm of protein per serving!), and my faithfuls: yogurt, string cheese & pudding.
I know I am not getting enough protein in still, so I have ordered 15 protein samples from Vitalady.com. I think I got different flavors from 9 different brands of protein. I pray I find one that I like/tolerate. Some brands have really cool flavors like banana & vanilla praline. I'm thinking I can start my day off with a protein shake and get an automatic 30gm of protein & then only have to struggle to get 30 more gm in the course of the day. I should be able to do that I would hope!
I still have not been able to get 6 meals in in the course of any single day. the most I have gotten is 5. So far today it's only been three & it is almost midnight. I am going to have some BumbleBee Chicken Salad. 10gm of protein in 3.5oz of food. Gotta love it!! And yummy too :-)
Well, off I go. Gonna do some reading before going to sleep.
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UPDATE: 5/13/2001
Happy Mother's Day!
My protein samples arrived. I have tried 3 so far & none are "the chosen one." LOL I have 12 more to try. Tomorrow I will try a strawberry ice cream flavored one. Sounds yummy. I think I'll throw a couple of real frozen strawberries in there too.
I have started to keep a protein journal. I just have not been getting in enough protein no matter what I do. Thus the reason for the search for the perfect protein shake.
Today I did get in 54gm of protein, but 22 of that was from my shake this morning. Otherwise it would have only been 32gm. Not good! No wonder I haven't lost squat since 3 weeks post-op. Well, maybe 1 or 2 lb, but that is nothing compared to 21# in 2 weeks.
I have been so upset that I haven't been losing weight. Like I am the one person that this is gonna fail. I'm not eating that much - only 4 or 5 times a day. My calorie intake can't be more than 800-1000 daily. So what the hell is the problem? Not enough protein. Not enough water. Sipping is so hard for me! I try to take big swallows like I used to & my poor pouch can't handle it. Then I get all burpy and don't want to drink anymore. I am very frustrated.
Well, that is about the nuts and bolts of how I feel today. Not a very happy day. It can only get better, right??
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UPDATE: 5/25/01
Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. I am still on pureed food, but am not very dilligent in the pureed part. I have eaten soy nuts and chicken from chinese food (chicken subgum). Mostly my diet consists of yogurt, scrambled eggs, tuna w/light mayo, soy nuts, string cheese, cottage cheese with light canned fruit, chili w/beans and cheese and nofat sour cream. I have gone out to eat on two occasions and had chicken salad. I am finding that when I try to eat carbohydrates - ie bread - that it is very heavy on my tummy and makes it feel distended after just one bite. I am doing a protein shake daily. The one I have found to be the most palatable is SciFit strawberry ice cream flavor with 3 frozen strawberries all blended together.
Drs Kane, Rantis & Guske have changed the nutrition program a little bit. For those of you that are further out post-op here are the guidelines: (1) When you drink, only drink pure unadulterated water. Stay away from sipping on anything with artificial sweetener - ie crystal light, diet soda and the like. They say that water is good to increase the elasticity of your skin, flushes the fat out and decreases your risk of getting kidney stones. (2) Eat only when you are hungry. No more of the focus on trying to get in 6 meals/snacks a day. If you are not hungry, then don't eat. Listen to your body. It will tell you when it is hungry and needs more fuel. If you are just a little hungry and don't think you want a "full" meal, then have a protein snack - ie soy nuts or string cheese. (3) Eat protein first. At least half of your 4 oz should be protein. This is a big change from what the nutritionists suggest - no more of the focus on balance between protein, veggies, fruits & carbs. The preferred way now is to eat mostly protein & then have some veggies or fruit, leaving carbs for last. (4) When advancing foods after the soft diet if you try something and your tummy doesn't tolerate it, wait about a month before you try it again.
OK... so as for me, I have lost a total of 33# so far. I am at 309# now. I had a 6# drop after my little plateau from the last time I updated.
Incision-wise things are a little depressing. Dr Rantis had to do a little procedure in the office to help it heal better. It was on the 14th of May. He numbed up the site and then cut down to the abdominal wall where it has been draining the ugly green stuff. He said it was a sinus cavity that was collecting serous fluid and the tissue was not healing because of it. For the first week I packed it daily with a damp-to-dry dressing. That seemed to cause more harm than good. I probably should have done it more than once a day. I think the damp environment encouraged the little green buggers to colonize and grow. I saw Dr Rantis again on the 21st and he changed the dresing to a dry packing three times a day. It is about 3 inches deep at the deepest part. It does still have a small amount of green gook when I pull it out, but not nearly as bad as earlier in the week. I'm waiting for Dr Rantis to give me a call to see what the next step should be.
I am back at work now. Have been since the 15th of May. That first week was exhausting. I was in bed by 8pm the first day back. By Friday I was relatively useless. I slept most of the weekend recouperating. This week has been much better.
Well, not much else to say -- what a surprise. LOL Catchya later!!
*****
UPDATE 6/1/2001
Happy June! The weather here is so icky. Rain rain go away, come back another day!!
I spoke with Dr Rantis last Friday & he changed the dressing to my tunneling opening to 1/4 strength Dakins solution. Dakins solution is a bleach solution for all practical purposes. He states it will kill whatever is growing in there. I am still changing it three times a day. I saw Dr Rantis yesterday. Most of the incision that he cut on 5/14/01 is healed, except for an area about 0.5" wide, but it is still about 2.5" deep. It still turns the gauze packed in there a lovely green color, but not nearly as much. Dr Rantis encouraged me to change the dressing as often as I could, but at least 3 times a day. He is really trying to avoid having to bring me back to the OR to debrid it (debriding is when they cut the infected tissue out).
I only lost 1" this week, but my body has been using lots of protein to heal this open wound, so I will stop worrying about it so much. I have noticed that my clothes are getting looser. Yippee :-) I am losing inches.
I still am not drinking enough water. Bah!! It irritates me so much! Also, I think I need to start walking -- do some sort of exercise a few times a week.
I am officially done with pureed foods today! Yippee!!! Now I can eat anything I want (within reason - lol) without feeling like I am cheating. I do have to continue to remind myself to chew chew chew!!
Toodles for now-- hope you are all progressing in your journey.
*****
UPDATE 7/20/2001
Wow! It's been over a month since I have updated my file here. I have much to tell you about :-) First off, I am very happy to report that the seroma is completely healed. I saw Dr Rantis 7/5/01 and my opening was almost closed. I couldn't get the cotton end of the swab in there anymore, and was packing it with the stick end. He had me stop packing it and just barely put the corner of the gauze in the opening to absorb any fluid, but to allow the tissue to close and heal. Well, by SAT 7/7/01 it was completely closed!! WHOOPIE!! So now I get a vacation from these frequent MD visits and don't see Dr Rantis again until October!
When I went to the dr's office on 7/5/01 I weighed in at 287#. That is a 55# loss in 13 weeks. I haven't weighed since then, so I have no clue what I weigh now. But needless to say I am pleased with my progress.
I have noticed that many of my clothes are fitting much looser now. They kind of hang a bit. I do have some smaller sizes in my closet and things that didn't fit 4 months ago are starting to fit. I have some nice dresses and even a pair of jeans that I am just waiting to fit into in size 22. I'm not quite there yet, but hopefully will be soon.
More exciting than the weight loss is the things I find I am able to do now. I don't get as short of breath as easily when walking. I can stand for more than 15min now without my back hurting. I can walk faster and almost keep up with my hubbie. My knee still hurts when I go up stairs, but I expect it always will. I can almost cross my legs -- not quite yet, though. I fit in most movie theater seats. I fit in most booths -- not at Outback Steakhouse yet, though.
What am I eating, you ask? Well, almost anything within reason. I cannot tolerate ground beef - except for at taco bell. But, I can't do hamburgers, spaghetti sauce with ground beef, lasagna with a meat sauce - nothing with ground beef. Makes me wonder if taco bell really uses hamburger!! I think part of the problem is the texture and part is the gristle that is in hamburger. Steak is my friend, though. Especially a nice juicy piece of prime rib. Yummy. I do fine with pork, chicken, tuna... I don't like fish or seafood, so I haven't tried any of those. I can't eat bread/bagels, either. They sit really heavy in my tiny tummy and feel like I swallowed a rock. I have found out recently that toast is ok, though. It is so strange the things my pouch accepts and the things it rejects.
I always have to remind myself to chew, chew, chew. Also to drink, drink drink my water!!
Exercise is still a dirty word, but I do need to start. Now that I don't have the intense back pain upon standing for a few minutes I will have to start taking a walk every day. Guess I have to set the alarm clock earlier in the morning! Ugh.
I go to get my blood drawn next week. Then I will know if I am getting in enough vitamins and whatnot. Such fun - not!!
Well - enjoy the rest of the summer!!
*****
UPDATE 8/9/2001
I have exercised three times since I wrote last. I am trying to make it more of a habit. I went for a walk with hubbie to the end of the block and back on Sat. By the time we got back up our driveway I was starting to get winded. But it is further than I could have walked even two months ago, so it is a little victory for me. Then Sunday when I was doing laundry I set the treadmill up in the basement. It had been folded and leaning against the wall. Now it is down and ready to be used. I had been wondering what I would do with the books-on-tape I had ordered now that I don't have an hour+ drive to work anymore. But now I have a good thing -- I can listen to them while I walk on the treadmill. It just needs a couple of batteries for the tape player and I do need to get a new set of headphones. The ones on it are shot. I guess I have a good reason to order more books on tape now. LOL
I am finding it very difficult to eat as much as I am supposed to. On a daily basis I have a protein shake for breakfast: 4oz of skim milk, 1 scoop of protein and approx 2 frozen strawberry (I buy fresh strawberries and cut them into halves or thirds, depending on how big they are - so 3-4 peices is about 2 strawberries).
Lunch varies, but it is usually chicken salad, tuna salad or a lettuce salad with chicken in it. I love the chicken stir fry salad at Bakers Square. Also, the chicken pecan salad at Portillo's is pretty good. I don't measure my food, so if I am eating chicken salad or tuna salad at a restuarant I eat about 1/3 of the serving. When I get a lettuce salad with chicken in it I eat all the chicken pieces and then eat veggies afterwards. Sometimes I have leftovers from the night before. Today I had 1/4 of a baked potato w/some sour cream, about 2 oz of london broil (steak), a 1" chunk of cooked carrot, 1 broccoli florette and 1 tbsp of corn and peas. I'd say I am eating between 1/2 and 2/3 cup of food at lunch.
Dinner is whatever we make or order. Last week we had chicken strips I marinated in peanut ginger sauce and cooked over the stove. I had about 4 chunks of chicken, 1.5 tbsp of rice and 2 tbsp of veggies. The night before that I marinated steak in some sesame teryaki sauce. I cooked it over the stove and had the same side dishes. Sometimes I have pasta, but always with chicken or some sort of meat in it.
Very rarely I have a snack in the middle of the day. Usually no more than 3x/week. I snack on nuts - I found a great "trail mix" by planters -- raisins, almonds, filberts, peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews, hazel nuts & pecans. It is soooo yummy. Other things I snack on are string cheese & yogurt (but not lately). About 4 times I have had 1/4 cup of chex mix (I know -- BAD GIRL). That stops now. Twice I have had 1 scoop of the Eddy's no added sugar, fat free butter pecan ice cream. Twice I have a "kids cone" of Oberweis fat free-sugar free frozen yogurt.
Weekends I usually don't have a protein shake on Sunday. We have scrambled eggs made with milk and soy sauce. I have my 1.5 eggs and 1 piece of toast with butter.
So, I eat 3 times a day with 2-3 exceptions & then eat 4x/day. I am not hungry to eat more often. And usually I am "forcing" myself to eat dinner. I just don't understand it. I am so picky about what I eat, too. It has to look good and taste good and smell good or I won't touch it.
I am still struggling with the water bit. There are some days that I don't even consume 36oz of fluid (including my protein shake in the morning!). I just can't seem to drink enough water. What is my problem??
What else is there to tell you -- I did get my 3 month lab work done. It looks fantastic!! The only thing that was off kilter a bit was the HgbAlc -- the way my body metabolizes glucose -- it showed mild glucose intollerance. But everything else - calcium, iron, protein, cholesterol, liver functions, kidney functions, blood count, even my serum glucose was normal!
We've been going to the movies more lately -- hubbie & I have seen Tomb Raider, Final Fantasy, Kiss of the Dragon, Pearl Harbor& Knight's Tale. I loved Knight's Tale! It was so romantic and had the violence that hubbie craves. LOL I usually eat about 1/4 cup of popcorn at the theater and some nuts that I sneak in. That is at the very beginning. Then for the rest of the movie I sip on my water.
I have to see Dr Lawton (the shrink) next week. I complained that I was much more irritable last month when I saw him. He wanted to see me again in a month before making any medication changes. I think maybe it has passed, but I will have to ask hubbie his thoughts. I don't have to see Dr Dungan (PCP) until September and Dr Rantis (surgeon) until October.
I am able to move more freely, put my feet up on my desk without having to lift my legs with my hands, get out of the car without pushing up with my hands on the door. I even stood on Fri for about 45min without my back hurting!! These little things are so incredible. I took a bath on Sunday for the first time in about 6 months. Bubbles and everything. I am so happy I had this surgery!! Even if I am a slow looser. LOL
*****
UPDATE: Oct 7, 2001
Hi all!! Well.... on Tues the 10th of October I will officially be 6 months post-op. Gosh! What a ride it has been. As of Thurs at the DR's office I have lost a miraculous 85# and a whopping 60" off my body!! WHOOPEE!!
I can walk easier, dress easier, can keep up with others easier,
breathe easier, fit in clothes I haven't worn in 5 years, slide into booths with room to spare between me & the table..... the list goes on and on!!
I haven't started a formal exercise program, but as of my 6 month date Shari and I have decided that we are going to walk on Tue & Wed nights and then alternate Fri and Sat, depending on if we have support group on Sat or not. If we do, we walk on Sat beforehand. If not we walk Fri night. This is definately what I need -- a buddy to exercise with.
It has been quite a journey thus far for me.... that seroma of mine took 10 weeks to heal, but that is all a faded memory now. It has been so well worth the pain and trouble I had earlier.
For those of you really interested in my story -- check out my
journal on my web page. I will include the link here:
http://www.geocities.com/hullo_nursek/JournalLinkPage.html
the main page can be accessed here:
http://www.geocities.com/hullo_nursek/index.html
**I have gone from 345 before surgery to 260.
**I have gone from size 4x to a 2x in some things; size 32 to a 20 in some things. As Chandra (a fellow WLSer) so eloquently asked -- what size am I? There are still some size 26 dresses I don't fit in.... but a pair of size 20 pants and a 2 size 20 skirts that I do fit in.
**My BMI has gone from 65.5 to 49.1 I am still morbidly obese, but not as morbidly morbid as I was before.
Best wishes to all pre-ops, keep up the great work to all the
posties!!
*****
UPDATE: 4/10/02
HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY TO ME! HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY TO MEEEEEEEEEEEE! HAPPY RE-BIRTHDAY TO ME!!
Can you believe it has been an entire year since I had surgery! WOW!! It is amazing. I survived and have done quite well. I was hoping secretly in my head to get under 200# by my 1-year anniversary...but I didn't quite make it. I came close, though! If you would have told me a year ago that I would lose over 130# in just one year I would have told you you were dreaming. But it is a reality!! I have officially lost a grand total of 133.5 pounds and 100.5 inches since the day I was wheeled into that operating room.
I can do so many more things now that I couldn't do before surgery: walk up a flight of stairs without having to stop to catch my breath halfway up and again at the top; walk more than 50 feet without becoming short of breath; stand for more than 5 minutes at a time without having to sit down because my back hurts too much to continue standing; sit comfortably in any booth in any restaurant; cross my legs like a lady; get up on a bar stool without being fearful that it will tip over or collapse; walk into a crowded room and not be stared at because of my size; wear overalls; wear jeans; buy clothes at a regular store like Walmart, Sears or Target; fit in chairs that have arms without the fear that I will get stuck; come home after work and have energy to do household chores like cook dinner, load/unload the dishwasher, mop the floor or do a load of laundry -- these are just a few things that I can think of off the top of my head!
I feel so much more alive now -- so much more content with who I am and where I want my life to go. My existence isn't getting up, going to work, coming home, getting on the computer and then going to bed anymore. I have a fuller life. I can go out and go grocery shopping after work and not be exhausted! The things that so many "thin" people take for granted... it is so cool to have a LIFE again!!
I could not, would not be here if it were not for Dr Rantis. He is my HERO. So, THANK YOU Dr Rantis for taking me under your wing and operating on me. I love my life now - I have a life worth living and want to be here for many more years to come now thanks to you. I also have to thank all the other support people in my life -- my parents, my sister Joy, my best friend Tom, my awsome co-workers (especially Julia, Karen K & Karen W) who encourage me every time they see me and the other doctors that have been instrumental in this journey. I have wonderful support from other post-op patients both on-line through Yahoo groups and in person at the Weight for Life support group that meets every other week: Shari, Karen, Gayle, Gwenn, Bonnie -- you all are wonderful and awsome. Thanks for being there for me when I need you!!
Health-wise things have changed greatly since I had surgery. My asthma is not as severe - I don't even take my inhaler the way I am supposed to because I breathe so much easier. The sleep apnea has gotten better. I still use the C-pap machine every night, but the pressure setting has been decreased once already and hopefully will be decreased again soon. I can tell when I don't use it for a couple of nights, which lets me know that I really do still need it. But, it has gotten better and that is a step in the right direction. I am still on synthroid for my thyroid. I don't know if that is something that will go away with time or not. The gynecologist has me on birth control pills to regulate my periods, as I still have the polycystic ovarian syndrome. But that may get better once I get down to a more "normal" weight. I do want to have children eventually, so I hope that I will be able to without having to use invitro fertilization. The pain in my back and knees is greatly reduced. I hardly ever notice pain in my back, as a matter of fact. And the only time I notice it with my knees is when I am going up steps. But my knees have been in poor condition since high school, so that is no surprise. I haven't had any trouble with my hiatal hernia since Dr Rantis fixed it in surgery. Not one episode of heartburn!! Yippee.
Foodwise, now, at 1 year out, I can eat almost anything. I still have a difficult time with bread - it sits in my pouch like a lead ball. Rice is difficult to tolerate also. I can't eat fried foods of any kind - I immediately puke or have diarrhea. Unfortunately, I can eat sugar in moderation. I'm not too happy about that - but there isn't much I can do about it. I just have to stay away from those kinds of things. I can say that I eat MUCH healthier now than I did a year ago. I eat protein first - meat, beans, nuts, cheese... before veggies and fruits and then carbs. I don't think I am getting enough protein in daily - the magic number is 65 grams. I may have to start counting grams again for a week or so just to do a spot-check. In regards to water - I drink at least 1-20oz bottle a day, but I should be drinking 4 times that. I need to keep working at increasing my water intake.
A typical day for me starts with a Myloplex protein shake. This gives me 20gm of protein and only 2gm of carbs in 11oz with 110 calories. For lunch I eat whatever I have for leftovers or what we go out for at work. I can eat 1/2 a sandwich, 1/3 of an entree (say, 4-5 bites of salad, 1/2 of the meat and 4-5 bites of potato or other starch), 1 trip to the salad bar or 1/2 of a salad with a chicken breast. For dinner I eat a small portion of whatever my sister and I decide to make.
Relationship wise I am getting a long-awaited divorce!! Now I am just waiting for CRB to determine what his "demands" are - I know what I want and how I want to settle things, but we shall see how he and his lawyer see things. I made a very detailed list of each item in every one of the boxes that are packed in the garage. My lawyer is in contact with his lawyer and we'll see how it goes.
I have very exciting news! Tom (my best friend in Cincinnati) has finally gotten a surgery date!! WHOOPEE! He will go under the knife May 28, 2002. Dr Rantis is going to try to do the surgery laprascopically - too cool!
Well.... this has been the BEST year of my life! I can't wait to see how the next 12 months shakes out!!
*****
UPDATE: 3/5/03
I had panni surgery on 2/19/03. Dr Rantis removed 9.5# of hanging skin from my abdomen. I am still swollen, but feel great! It is amazing what a difference this whole experience has made in my life - I am a new person on the outside and have an entirely new outlook on life. I have so much more self esteem and self confidence. It has entirely changed me for the better!!
Look out world!!!
*****