Optifast Days 4 & 5, April 14-15 2015

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!!

`Optifast Day 3 April 13, 2015

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.

Finally A Date!!

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. 

Not Much To Tell

Well, there's not much to tell. I've emailed my Pre-Op Coordinator to see what's next. I'm sure she already knows, but I let her know that Humana had called me to let me know that they approved the surgery and that my cardiac dr. had cleared me. He told me that they would let her know but I just want to make sure that it happened. 

I'm actually looking forward to starting the pre-op diet because I've been doing horrible with my eating. Well, it's only sweets. It's crazy to say, but I'm looking forward to having dumping syndrome after I have the surgery. It'll be nice to have that accountability. I've read on my facebook group that some people don't have it happen to them but I hope it does for me. Here are the symptoms:

 

Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Symptoms of dumping syndrome are most common during a meal or within 15 to 30 minutes following a meal. They include:
Gastrointestinal

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhea
• Feeling of fullness

Cardiovascular

• Flushing
• Dizziness, lightheadedness
• Heart palpitations, rapid heart rate

Signs and symptoms also can develop later, usually one to three hours after eating. This is due to the dumping of large amount of sugars into the small intestine (hyperglycemia). In response, the body releases large amounts of insulin to absorb the sugars, leading to low levels of sugar in the body (hypoglycemia). Symptoms of late dumping can include

• Sweating
• Hunger
• Fatigue
• Dizziness, lightheadedness
• Confusion
• Heart palpitations, rapid heart rate
• Fainting

A study of more than 1,100 people who had their stomachs surgically removed found that about two-thirds experienced early symptoms and about a third experienced late symptoms of dumping syndrome. Some people experience both early and late signs and symptoms.
No matter when problems develop, however, they may be worse following a high-sugar meal, especially one that's rich in table sugar (sucrose) or fruit sugar (fructose).


Ok, yes, it's crazy for me to want that but I know that if I experience it one time that will stop me from doing it again.

Anyway, I hope I hear from her on Monday or Tuesday. It'd be great to start the diet this week. 

Last Group Meeting

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.

Progress So Far

My journey started September, 2014 when I decided to have the GBS after having a pulmonary embolism in April, 2014. Honestly, it scared the poop out of me. It's amazing that a person can have multiple clots passing through the heart to the lungs and not die! I had lots of small ones in both lungs and 1 big one in my right lung. Very scarey! 

After having tried numerous diets and only having temporary success, I decided that the surgery was the best option for me. Many people say that it's the easy way out but after much research I've found in no way is it easy. Sure the weight comes off quicker but that only lasts for about a year and that year isn't a walk in the park.

I went to the information group September 9, 2014 and I was so proud of myself! So many times I've let my fear of doing something without support from someone else ruin things. There were maybe 15 other people there and because we are all suffering from obesity it didn't intimidate me. I came away from it feeling excited and scared at the same time. I knew I didn't need to think about it for a while so I signed up and paid my $100. I've had to do 6 months of groups, weigh-ins, obtaining clearances, 4 week Optifast diet, etc. I'm about to go into the last month and hoping to have the surgery around the beginning of April.