I'm not going to go over day 20 because it's been the same as the other days.
I got my results for the H. Pylori and thankfully it's negative but now I wonder where the gastritis and polyps are coming from. I don't know how long it'll take to get the results for that but I'm anxious to know it.
April 21'st was my second nutrition class and it was a lot of information to take in. It was about the day before surgery and the day after. I also got weighed and I'm on track for next weeks weigh-in!! That was pretty awesome.
Okay here's some information about what my bariatric program requires for surgery:
I'm keeping a food diary now but I'll continue to keep one after the surgery and bring it with me to all post-op appointments
Week 1: Full Liquid 1 Diet
Week 2-3: Full Liquid 2 Diet
Week 4: Pureed Diet
Week 5-6: Solid Food 1 Diet (soft solid food)
Week 7: Solid Food 2 Diet (regular solid food)
Wow! 7 weeks until I can have regular food! That seems like a long time. The dietitian said that I'll be craving salads so get them in now. Honestly, I think there will be other things that I'll be craving.
The day before surgery is:
- No Food and stop taking Optifast or any protein supplements
- Follow a clear liquid diet only
- Drink at least 100 ounces of fluids but it's things that I can drink now so I don't think it'll be that bad regarding what I can drink.
- Exercise Goal: At least 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity to prepare you for minimal exercise to come in the next few days.
The 100 ounces of fluid is going to be a bit hard, but I told my mother that I'll probably have a hard time sleeping so it won't matter if I'm up and down going to the restroom through the night.
I'm now able to walk 45 minutes but I can't do it moderate to vigorously because of my asthma. They'll just have to accept that. I think it's awesome that I can walk 45 minutes now!
Once again I'm doing two days together. Everything is still going good with the Optifast diet. I did have a weak moment on Saturday and ate a cookie. Back on track though and hopefully the scale will show it on Tuesday when I have my next nutrition class. I'll be having my pre-surgery group on Thursday and have to be there at 7:30 in the morning! Not looking forward to that.
Today marks 24 days until surgery! It really is passing so fast. I bought some of the vitamins at Walgreens that I'll be taking after my bariatric surgery because they were buy 1/get 1 and buy 1/get 1 50%. I got a multivitamin, calcium citrate and vitamin B12. I still need vitamin C and maybe iron. Awesome deal! Spent $50 but that will get me through 2 months and hopefully Walgreens will have the same sale during that time.
Today I tried something different for my protein, veggie, fruit and oil meal. I had grapes and greek yogurt with sugar free jello crystals for my protein and fruit which tasted so decadent! The yogurt was peach and the jello was strawberry and it was so yummy! Then I had broccoli with butter for my veggie and oil.
I've tried the strawberry shake and the chicken soup and love the strawberry but really don't care for the chicken soup. I'll finish up the box but from now on I'll stick with the tomato.
Today was really a do nothing day which was rather nice since my week has been packed with stuff to do.
Tomorrow is my EGD and I'm hoping everything turns out okay.
Sorry I've had to post the two days together. This is what happens when real life comes in to play. It was a struggle to get each meal in and also at the right time.
On Tuesday my niece and her two kids came over for a couple days so that kind of messed things up. Then I had my first nutrition class and that also messed things up.
On Wednesday I had my hair colored and highlighted. First time I've done that. I really wanted to go into this new chapter in my life with a new look. I got it cut up to a little below my chin line, got it colored the same color as my natural hair to get rid of grays and then got purple highlights. It looks awesome! My natural hair color is two shades up from black and the purple is a deep purple. When I post before and afters I show what it looks like. My hair is naturally curly but the hairdresser straightened it and it actually looks good either way. My family loves it which was a good sign.
I've lost 6 lbs. since Saturday. Yay me!! It honestly has been rather hard because I'm having to deal with head hunger. I've only gotten truly hungry a couple times. After my class, I got more optifast and decided to try the chicken soup and the strawberry shake since I didn't like the chocolate. I've also heard and read great reviews on the chicken soup. Well, I tried both and really like the tomato soup the best and love the strawberry!
Alright, on to my class. It was just going over things that I already know. It'll be nice when they get more in depth.
Today is an empty day but tomorrow I'll have my EGD. It's also 28 days until my surgery!!
I never thought I'd say this but I hate eating or should I say drinking, actually both. I have to set my alarm for each meal so I don't forget to eat and I also have to get up earlier than I want to so I can get started on eating.
I'm liking the extracts in the shakes but I used too much of the mint when I had a chocolate one today. So far my favorite is the banana.
If you get the tomato soup make sure you don't get it too hot because it'll give it a funny texture. Still tastes good but just a weird texture.
For lunch I had some of the chicken that I did in the crock pot yesterday and it was really good! Much better than cooking it in the microwave. I also had broiled asparagus which was really good and an apple for my fruit.
I'm down a total of 2.7 lbs. Yay me!! I can't complain about that. I have to lose about 4 lbs. a week before I have the surgery. My sister says it's doable because I'm only eating 1200 cal. a day but I'm so used to diets not working I am having a hard time believing that I'll be able to do it.
Today I walked 2 times today for a total of 40 minutes. The second time I forgot to use my inhaler before starting and ending up having an attack. I was walking with my mother and she ended up having to walk back to the house and then drive back with the inhaler. Lesson learned!! At least I hope so, lol.
Tomorrow is my first nutrition class and I'll also get weighed. I'm also getting my hair done on Wednesday and will be getting highlights for the first time. I'm very excited about that. I figured I needed a new look for the beginning of a new me.
I'll also be having my EGD on Thursday. Kind of nervous about that but it's a simple procedure and shouldn't have any problems. A busy week! and tomorrow will be 30 days until my surgery.
Today is day 2 of my optifast diet. I messed up and drank a shake for my noon meal instead of a real meal but I made up for it at my 3:00 meal. I'll have the optifast tomato soup at 6:00 and then the rest will be shakes.
For my real meal I had tuna with low fat mayo, green beans and a small apple. I also put some marinated chicken breasts in the crock-pot so I can do something different than the tuna. It's really hard doing the protein, veggie, fruit and a fat all at the same meal because I would love to have an apple for a snack.
I went to walmart today and got some more SF jello and some pickles for when I need something for cravings. I also got some Watkins flavor extracts to put in the shakes because I really don't like the chocolate one! I got mint, banana, caramel and lemon.
Honestly, it's hard fighting the head hunger! I'm so glad that I can have the sugar free jello and popsicles and pickles.
I woke up with a stabbing headache that I know is coming from my body detoxing. Hopefully, my system will be clean in a couple days. Good news is I lost 1.4 lbs. I also walked for 20 minutes this morning and hopefully will walk it again this evening. I made sure to use my inhaler before walking which made it so much easier.
Can't say I'm looking forward to tomorrow but at least it'll be one more day closer to surgery.
The day has finally come!! I had my packet meeting on Friday and bought my Optifast foods. I started the diet today and it's been okay. I got the shakes and soups plan and got vanilla and chocolate shakes and tomato soup. They really aren't bad at all, it's just going to be hard to be around tempting food until my body gets used to the diet. I have to use the Optifast products for 5 meals and can have a meal of a protein, veggie, fruit and a fat. It's very strict on what I can and can't have. They also have to be eaten as a meal, not added to the Optifast food. That part I don't like. To get everything in, I've ended up eating every 3 hours which is a lot for me. I have to do this for 4 weeks! I keep telling myself that it'll pass fast.
Nothing really new to tell. I'm anxiously waiting for April 10th when I start my Optifast diet. I belong to a facebook gastric bypass group and from what I've read it's not a real bad diet. I was thinking the hardest part is going to be the 4 weeks but then I realized that's so stupid to say because I'll still be eating that way after the surgery and actually for a while. I know I can do it!
I waited a few days after getting the IVC filter placed to see if I would get the call, but never received it, so I decided I would email my coordinator and see what else needed to be done. Monday afternoon I got a call from my surgeon's nurse and now I have a date!!! May 14th!! A couple months away but that's okay. I've been doing this since Sept 2014, what's a couple more months right?
I'll go for my packet meeting on April 10. That's when I meet the nutritionist, start my optifast diet, get the EDG and some blood work and I think meet with the surgeon again. Then May 11 will be preop and finally May 14th!!! It's scary and exciting. It's hard to imagine how my eating is going to change but I'm trying to make some now.
My niece came over today and helped me go through my closet to get out all my winter clothing that I won't be wearing again. That's another thing that is hard to imagine. I feel so scared to get rid of them because it really hasn't hit me that I won't be this size again. It actually made me cry a bit because it was hard to get rid of some of the clothes. I really liked them! I think it was more about realizing how much my life is going to change. It's for the better though. It'll also be fun getting new clothes in smaller sizes.
I got an email from Shae today telling me that they do have my insurance approval but nothing from my cardiac dr. yet. So I'm thinking that I'll call him tomorrow and see if I can get the ball rolling and hopefully get scheduled for my packet appointment. That's a meeting with the dietician to get my starting weight, find out how much I have to lose for liver shrinkage which is 8% of my excess body weight and start the Optifast diet. I'm not sure if my surgeon will be there or not.
I have also started a beginner workout challenge and a squat challenge so that I can get used to exercising again. I just did it this evening and it's pretty hard even though it's supposed to start out easy. Just shows how out of shape I am. I got started and of course started having breathing problems so I used my inhaler and things got better. Here's the Beginner Challenge if you want to try it.
Tomorrow will be my last group meeting. Hopefully, I will then be scheduled to see the dietician, start my 4 week Optifast diet and weekly nutrition groups. I will also have to have an EDG and IVC filter placed before having the surgery. I think that covers it all :).
Some are lucky with what they have to do, but I'm with Humana Medicare and I've had quite a few things to get done before having the surgery. First, I had to attend an information seminar at Bariatric Solutions. I had already decided that I was going to do the program so after the seminar I signed up and paid the $100 fee. Right away I had to start attending group meetings. They require us to attend 2 meetings a month and there are 5 that are required. Surgery 101, a surgeon led, psychiatry led, dietician led and RN led. They have been pretty easy to get done although this month I've had to be careful because of bad weather.
Once I completed the 5 required groups I was able to see the psychologist for clearance but because I'm bipolar they had to get my records from my therapist. That took about a week and then I was cleared. Next I had my appointment with my surgeon who is fantastic. She went over a lot, helped me decide on what surgery I want and answered my many questions. Then I saw my pre-surgery coordinator to go over everything that I've done and what still needed to be done. They then filed with Humana and I got approved in 2 days!! I still needed to get cleared by cardiac and vascular though. I needed vascular because I had a PE in April, 2014. They decided that I will have to take Lovenox and get an IVC filter put in. Then I needed to do cardiac because of my age (48). I had to do a nuclear stress test which showed abnormalities and because of that had to have a cardiac cath. It showed no blockages so I'm now cleared to have the surgery! I'm hoping I'll have good news this week.
