Almost 2 Weeks with a Banana Belly!

Time flies when you have a small belly (inside that is.... the outside part looks mostly not smallish...).
I have not had any solid food since January 8th.  I really am not hungry, but just bored.  Broth, carnation sugar-free shake with skim milk, water, jello.  Blahhhhh.

I have watched more movies, on TV and going to the theater in the past 3 weeks than I have in 3 years! Great escape though.

See my surgeon on Wednesday at 10:30AM!  Gonna see my sleeve buddies R and D too!  Think we might even go and have our first mushy meal together like a team!  I am thinking scrambled eggs.  I actually dream about scrambled eggs.  Then I am off on a business trip that will include 2 customer meetings. I am not looking forward to that but have planned out some choices.  Vegetable soup (just the broth part) mild broiled fish.   I can move things around on the plate to look like I ate and I am a yapper so if I talk a lot, maybe they won't notice.

• Energy pretty good. 
• Incisions itch like the devil.
• Water bottle by my side all day long and still I struggle to get my 64oz in.

Weight holding steady at 180.  Expected a stall.  Going to ask Rob to hide the scale for the week.  I saw a cool saying on one of the OH Forums that said, "Weigh and measure your food, not yourself." Like it!

Post Surgery - YAHOO!!

I had all these great plans to blog all the way into the operating room.....  I really got caught up in the nesting and preparing for my new sleeved life and went on blog-hiatus.  I have been so consumed with everything about my pending VSG that I think I actually got sick of thinking about it at the end.

So I started my post-op eating on January 1 - 8, which was to track every morsel that went into my body on MyFitnessPal application and keep a low calorie - 500-600 Calorie, high protein - 60-80G, low carb/low suger - <25G and lots and lots of water +64 oz.   That was very good in hind sight!  I detoxed from carbs fairly well because it wasn't cold turkey, but no starchy, processed carbs, just ones from veggies and such.  Then by the 5 day pre-op of protein shakes and clear liquids, I was ready.  I lost 14.5 pounds from January 1, to surgery day weight!

When I had to have the band removed last February, I weighed 145 pounds.  I had maintained this weight for some time (down from a pre-band high of 235) so when I was told by insurance that my BMI was too low for the revision to the VSG, even after multiple appeals, I gave in and gained 60 pounds!  205 was never, ever to have been a number that I wanted to see on any scale unless I was picking up my cousin's 7 year old son!  So I did the post-op diet and by surgery day, I weighed 191.5

I think that some people on the blogs or on the forums who see my surgery weight don't feel that they connect with me at all because I actually am smaller than some, or fail to recognize that, I spent the majority of my adult life well over 230 pounds.  I am not blogging to make myself out as better than anyone.  If you were successful at finally accomplishing a goal weight and maintaining and then lost your "tool" unexpectedly, you couldn't imagine the stress that I was presented with.  The WLS doesn't "cure" your obesity, it is the tool that let's you focus on doing the hard work with some assistance, lots of assistance.  Being told to gain weight wasn't anything that I ever wanted to hear, but it was bound to happen whether I wanted it to or not.  It was pure torture trying to keep the weight off without the band for 2 months.  Then, after giving in, not only did I gain weight, but lost my confidence again, retreated, back was the high blood pressure, sleep apnea, depression, no nice clothes, misery.....

I went into the hospital on January 14, 2014 at 8:00AM and had all the basic prep, IV, met with the anesthesiologist, saw Dr. D (who had just finished up my friend Diane for her sleeve and assured me she was fine) went into the operating room at 9:55AM and then..... Boom!  I had no more port (left in when Dr. G had to take out my band when Dr. D was on vacation last February).  I had a repaired hiatal hernia, and a brand new sleek "tiny tummy".

Recovery was good, all the routine stuff like the IV, foley, and site drain were a bit of a pain to get around, but all in all, I felt good.  Walked the first night, lots of gas and pressure, but every time I got up to walk, the gas pain lessened. My friends Diane and Rita were both up there (we met at the hospital at the pre-op clinical session in December) and they were doing well too!  I went home on Friday morning.  I guess my body is used to this type of surgery now (and I have a number of well used incisions to prove that....). I didn't really need any pain medicine after they took me off the pump.  In fact, 6 days out and I have only used liquid Tylenol 1 time for pain since coming home.

I didn't have a site drain with the Lap-Band, so that was a little strange feeling coming out, not painful at all, just strange....  Oh, and I have to thank myself for being diligent in not having them use the CloraPrep on my stomach as an antiseptic since I had a terrible reaction with my previous 2 surgeries. Used good old Betadine and it was all good.

This weekend has been good.  Laid pretty low. Did go out for 2 hours to watch football with some friends and enjoy 2 pints of water! Love naps, so did some of that too.  I told Rob I needed supervised naps and he was happy to join me.  I really don't feel hungry.  I am going to see Dr. D on January 29, and then we should be on to "mushies".  Feeling very happy and grateful.

Flat Tire

I asked my mother when she was in the hospital, just before she died, what she was going to do to me to let me know that she was thinking of me.  She didn't even pause and said, "Flatten your tires."

So, I am one of the crazy people who actually is over the moon when I get a flat tire.  I am actually happy when I see the dash indicate a low tire pressure.  I equate it with her thinking of me or my family.

Rob came in and said, "Your mom is thinking of us!" (note, he has include himself as a recipient of the remembrance, and cheerfully accepts the thought and goes out to fill it up and off to the tire store).  We are all trained in this house to welcome the inconvenience of a flat tire on any type of device that uses tires, cars, bikes, lawnmowers, scooters, wheelbarrows....

I miss my mom.  She has been gone this year, longer than I had her in my life.  I know that she is proud and happy for me for everything that I do.  I know too that she is happy that I am taking charge of keeping myself healthy and happy and putting myself first in this situation.  I am doing it for me, but really for all of us, Rob, the kids, me, my Dad.

One week away!

At this time next week I will be sleeved.  One week!  I have been so waiting for this day to come ever since my band was removed.  I have prepared myself beyond prepared!  This time, I understand some things more clearly.  Not that I wasn't properly educated before with the band, just probably was lucky that the weight came off quickly, I didn't need a lot of adjustments, I loved to exercise and was basically successful.   So the sad truth was that in hindsight, I probably was not careful about some things that could set me up for trouble in the long run with the sleeve.

I did not pay special attention to nutrition.  That doesn't mean I ate too much, the band made sure that I knew when to stop.  I mean I didn't eat balanced.  I wasn't mindful of Carbs/Sugar/Protein/Fat at all.  I didn't know that dense protein was the keystone of every meal. I ate carbs that were not nourishing my body (processed grains etc. vs. carbs in veggies and fruit).  I also didn't understand that Carbs and Sugar were not mutually exclusive.  I think that some of the problems with hunger that I had with the band, were due to a diet filled with non-satiating foods.  I also never associated "over-loading" my pouch and potentially doing damage to my banded belly.  The PB's and "stuck food" and subsequent vomiting probably didn't have to occur.  It was seldom, but probably avoidable if I had steared clear of certain foods or amounts of food....  Makes me wonder.

This time, with the sleeve, I feel confident that I know now the importance of selection and quantities of food.  I set off the year with eating like a post-op sleever in the losing phase.  Low calorie, high protein, low carb/sugar and lots of water.  Seriously, when I think about it, I don't remember drinking more than a couple cups of water a day in the past year....  I have had more water this past week than I did in all of 2013!  I also NEVER adhered to the rule of no drinking 30 min before or after a meal.  I never actually knew why that was what you were supposed to do.  It makes total sense that if you drink with your meal that you will push it out of your stomach and into your intestine and then you don't know if you are full.  I remember my grandfather used to not let us drink with our meals at his house.  Poppi knew that secret! He was also the one who fed me saltine cracker and butter snacks after school and buckets full of buttered popcorn.  Thanks Poppi...

I have a new appreciation for this "second chance".  I want to be more involved with others like myself who need a little help.  I want to be part of a support group. I want to help others enjoy getting past the weight and enjoy life, be good to themselves, live a joyful life.

I met two wonderful women in my pre-op class with the Nurse Clinician.  I am grateful that they reached out to me, maybe for support, but they may not know that they are helping me as much in return.  We all have issues, whether they are physically because of the weight or mentally because of the way we have grown to feel about ourselves.  Crazy that good people, grow to feel so unconfident, sad and poorly about themselves because of weight.  The truth is that those people that truly love us, love us unconditionally at any weight.  I am just creating a better, happier me for no one else, cuz they love me already.  We are all getting surgery next week.  Can't wait to see them, who knows maybe we will be room-mates at the hospital.

Fitbit and Tracking

So I must be on par with the activity of a clam or snail....  Went back to work after the holidays yesterday (I work at home so the bedroom to the office/dining room table was my rush hour...).  I happily strapped my Christmas present Fitbit on my wrist and went about my day.   At about 5, when the kids were trolling for food, I glanced at my Fitbit.  I know that 10,000 steps is the goal, but what I saw made me pause.  I had taken 548 steps since 8AM!   Hmmmm, that running and being active thing has totally and obviously lost it's appeal.  Can't wait to ramp up to 1000 steps!  Maybe it will be more attainable if I leave the house.

So today, up at 5:45AM to shovel. 150' of driveway with a shovel is hard.  I have more steps today.

I am tracking my food intake on this pre-op test of the post-op diet phase.  I am keeping special track of the Carb/Sugar as that is the goal to really detox off of those pesky carbs.  Shooting to keep under 40g and maybe only 10g of those carbs as Sugar.  So far so good. The protein is a challenge, shooting for 60g-80g there.  Fage 0% yogurt and egg beaters helping the cause.  My calorie count is super low, which is really good I guess, but the shoveling really wiped me out today with so few calories.  Getting the water in today was tough too.  I used hot tea and coffee a couple times since I started to feel cold.

Went to my PCP for the final approval and she looked over my pre-op labs and such.  She was so excited for me, first time in a long time that I have had a doctor who has been so supportive of me, glad I chose her back in 2009!

Did a little more nesting today.  Getting organized feels good, like a couple other things I am getting under control.

Pre-Op

Surgery is 12, 1 dozen, 2 more than 10, a week and 5 days away!!!  I decided to kick start the pre-op off a little early.  My doc only requires a 5 day pre-op, but I have a little "adjusting" to do in my head I believe.  I started the post-op shake and mushy, high protein, low carb + massive amounts of water. I got on the scale yesterday when I got up (1:00PM!! No, not from a hangover or foodover, just a start the year out slow and happy with my best friend Rob and our other furry family members).  The scale said: 204.5!  Yowwww...... it was a little stingy to see that number on the scale since my past 2 New Years I was ~140lbs. and may have not even cared to get on the scale.  All the better to see it, process it and move the hell on!

My new Brita was filled to the brim.  I had a 1/2 de-caff coffee with a splash of almond milk and my vitamins.  A full 160z of water then a Chike Strawberry shake with Almond Milk.  That was the kick start. More water, more water at the movies (Hobbit, love me some hobbits!) and for dinner, Chicken Broth and a Fage 0% with SF Raspberry jam. Night cap was more water.....  Only up 1X to pee!  A masterful day for me!

Plan going well for staying on track.  My daughter and I heading to the gym later this afternoon and I am going to plan on 45-60 min of some cardio.  My son, the weight training guy, is working up a plan for me, but won't be joining us today since he is being a naughty teenager (quite unusual actually) and will be grounded for some not to be mentioned indiscretion.

Rob is doing okay with my absence of a fellow food machine and has decided that he is good "foraging" for food at dinner for a while so that I don't need to spend so much time focused on food. I am in a "nesting" phase.  I can only equate it with the time before my Lap-Band surgery.  I have a pantry stocked with food staples: single pack tuna and chicken, FF Refried Beans, Chike Shakes, Chicken and Beef Broth, Frozen Salmon, Tilapia, SF Jello, etc.

2014 starting off good!!