Ten Things Thursday

I haven't done one of these in a while so let's see how this goes!

1. I am on vacation in Alabama right now.  Meeting the family of my fiancé for the first time. It's been great.  Everyone has been really nice and welcoming so far.  I think they actually like me!

2. I am 17 days post-op and I haven't seen a scale since Sunday.  I have no idea what I weigh at this point.   It's making me crazy. I might sneak off to the scale section at Walmart to day for a sneak. 

3. Being on purées while on vacation is extremely difficult. I don't recommend it.  If you can wait a week and get to soft foods before taking a vacation, do it.

4. All of the clothes I have with me here on vacation are too big. I look pretty silly. That Walmart run is sounding better and better. 

5. I'm not looking forward to the long drive back to NYC this weekend. 15 hours in the drivers seat is no joke. 

6. My shoes don't fit again.  This happened when I got my band too.  All my shoes were too big.  Here I am again in need of shoes!

7. 12 days left of my hiatus from work.  I took off four weeks to recover. This is the longest I have ever taken from work in 20 years.  I am not looking forward to going back yet.

8. 6 days until classes start again.  I'm looking forward to getting back to class.  I'm not looking forward to homework. I guess some things never change not matter how you get.

9. School supplies!! Another excuse to go to Walmart and visit the scales!

10. I'm still sick of protein shakes.

I made it to 10!  More updates when I get home from vacation. See ya on the weekend!

Another... Protein... Shake.

I am so over protein shakes right now.  I cringe at the thought of them. I was on a 3-shake a day pre-op diet for almost 4 weeks before surgery and since surgery I spent the first week having 2 shakes daily and this week is one a day. So lets do the math. 3 a day x 7 days = 21. 

21 a week x 4 weeks = 84. 2 a day x 7 days post op= 14. 1 a day for a week = 7. 84+14+7=105 protein shakes since my pre-op diet started. I want to gag.  I have switched it up here and there. Added some banana or switched brands, etc.  I think today I just hit that wall that I would really like some normal food soon. This whole protein shake madness is going to make me crazy soon.  I just know it. Time to visit my favorite bariatric food blogger Shelly for some shake ideas.  In case you've been living under a rock, here is a link to an amazing resource as a bariatric patient.  Shelly is a gastric bypass patient but so many of her recipes and ideas are terrific for any type of wls patient. Be sure to check out her blog.  www.theworldaccordingtoeggface.com

10 Days Out

That's right kids!  It's been 10 whole days since surgery.  Time is flying!  It's sad to think that I'm already 1/2 through my time off work... SOOO we'll stick to the positive things!  Lets look at some stats for instance.

6/18/13 248 lbs -Dr. visit to start the process to seek insurance approval again for revision
7/11/13 240 lbs -Began pre-op diet (it's usually only for 2 weeks but my nutritionist decided she wanted to torture me I guess
8/5/13 228 lbs -Surgery Day! (Seeing that the torture paid off)
8/14/13 218 lbs -First follow up appointment with Dr/Nutritionist

So there you have it folks...  I am officially down 30 lbs from 6/18/13.  And if we want to look wayyyy back to before I got my band starting my pre-op diet in 2011, I was 287 lbs.  (I was even more before that!).  So basically in all from band to post-revision I am down about 70 lbs.  I feel accomplished.  

5 Days Post-Revision

I'm home still recovering from my surgery which was Monday August 5. It's now Saturday and I'm feeling much better. Unfortunately my time of the month has landed in today and its making me sleepy just when I finally feel well enough to get back to some activity. So some progress notes.  The hospital stay was great. The bed is so high tech. Some people might get annoyed by the beds shifting mechanically (built in mechanism to prevent bed sores) but I was thankful for it. I got some of the best sleep there. Since I've been home sleep hasn't been quite as restful. Taking pain meds isn't just a push of a button anymore either. I have to actually get up and take something if I need it. Mostly I don't, but I find myself tossing and turning a bit if I don't. I'd probably be more cozy on the couch, but my man isn't there so automatically the bed is much cozier by default of him and his snuggles.

Eating, or drinking rather has been pretty uneventful.  I have my recommended 2 protein shakes a day.  Sometimes I finish the whole thing, sometimes I don't.  Like yesterday I was feeling a little meh, I added a 1/3 of a banana to my shake for some added sugar to maybe give me some energy (not realizing I was just feeling PMS sleepiness). I could only,ake it through 1/2 of my shake before I was F U L L. Another thing to mention, just because you just have surgery, when the time of the month comes, the cravings are still right there like the annoyingly faithful friend, asking you for salt, sugar, fried carby goodness. I was able to knock this out with some puréed tomato soup topped ever so slightly with Parmesan cheese. All those PMS cravings got their kick in the pants and I felt much better. 3 oz of soup was all I had and it was plenty. I haven't had much to eat outside of that. 

The only other thing is something called "Buddy Fruit". It's all natural fruit blend that comes in those squeeze pouches that they make for kids. I bought these as an alternative to apple sauce, as I could recap it if I couldn't finish it.  They come in small portions, at 3-4.5 oz each. 

These guys are all fruit, natural, and inexpensive. I got them for about $0.69 a piece at Walmart.  They weigh in at about 50-60 calories. It's fruit so yes the sugar content is there so I probably won't continue these once on solids, but for now they're good and help break the monotony (and I can add some to my Prilosec capsule that I need to open and mix with something to take!). 

Finally, my weightloss progress. When I first visited the doctor on June 17, I knew this was the visit where we'd be gathering up my info to submit to insurance for approval. I hadn't been trying terribly difficult to lose weight as I mentioned in previous posts. I am happy to say I am back on track. On June 18 I was 247 pounds. This morning in all my menstrual glory, I was 223 pounds. In 7 1/2 weeks I have dropped 24 pounds. The day of surgery I was 228. 5 days later I'm 5 pounds lighter. Progress I think. I can't wait to see what the next few months holds for me. I'm officially back on track. 

Oh hey, did I mention I had revision surgery?

Because I did! I had surgery yesterday morning. I'm currently in my hospital bed and they just gave me my first tray of food... Or liquids rather. There is an assortment of apple juice, broth, jello and Gatorade. All to be dyed blue and consumed slowly.  Yesterday was a blur. I hesitate to say that it was rough, but it was definitely a blur.  I slept a whole lot. It wasn't until about 9-10am today that I began to feel remotely like myself again.  The catheter has come out. Most of my monitors are now unhooked and I've even managed to take a lap around the floor. I know it all sounds so quick and noble but don't get the wrong idea.  It has been slow going. Being that I work in the hospital where I had my surgery, I've been fortunate to have a couple friendly faces come to visit.  Just waiting on my man to come see me and bring me my phone.  It's been quite the day.  I'll update again later.

OMG 4 DAYS TIL SURGERY!!!!

I'm getting a little anxious as the workweek is winding down.  I plan to be off work for 4 weeks.  I doubt I need this much time off, but screw it, I'm taking it!  I have not taken a full week off work in about 3 years and this is a good excuse to take that break and get refreshed.  I have prepped my job to handle life without me for a few weeks.  Hopefully the place doesn't fall apart in my absence.  You know, I think the whole "prep time" for surgery doesn't get the acknowledgement it deserves.  I have been prepping for weeks to be ready.  Between making sure my work situation is stable for me to leave, there are tons of factors that I needed to address.  Being that I live in NYC and own a car for one!  In NYC you have to alternate side park, which means moving your car daily so you don't get towed or get tickets.  Now I know this sounds like a pain in the ass, but I park in a garage for work, so typically this isn't an issue for me.  But planning to be off work for 4 weeks... that is a whole different story.  So I've made arrangements for my friend to babysit my car.  I've suspended parking at my job for the 4 weeks I'll be out so I don't get charged the typical $48/week to park.  This process is a project in and of itself.  I need to get my butt to the hospital the day of surgery, so for the first time in ages, my spoiled ass will be riding the subway.  Imagine that, riding the subway to get surgery.  Kind of funny to think about.

Aside from the car business, there is shopping to do for supplies post-surgery, there is laundry to be sure I'm not trying to lift crazy heavy items and so I have clean undies.  There is house cleaning to do, nothing like a dirty shower to contaminate my freshly operated on belly!  There is the time out with human resources to arrange.  All this stuff takes time and energy.  Now I'm not complaining, but I AM a full time worker and also going to school.  That's right, add on to the list, make arrangements with my professors to get some leeway with deadlines the week of surgery.  The list never seems to end!  

Needless to say, this can all be pretty stressful.  There are anxieties from the fact that surgery is 4 days away.  There are anxieties about being out of my office for 4 weeks.  There are general anxieties about the whole surgery and this entire process!!  And my coping mechanism for stress is off limits!  Food for comfort is off the table, so I'm left to my own devices to deal with all of this.  Now I'm not whining or anything of the like, but I can say that this post is definitely feeling pretty cathartic right now.  I'm looking at all that I've done so far, and all that I have yet to do to accomplish this goal.  I am committed to this change.  I am ready for the next step of this journey.  4 more days.  That's all I have to get through.  4 more days.