OK, OK - So It's a Monthly Publication...

A little over a month since my last post. I had my last check-in with Dr. Dallal on July 13, and I had lost 16 pounds since my last weigh-in, bringing my weight to 284.4, and my total weightloss to 49.6 pounds. I am posting a "current" pic here - I don't see a difference, but my clothes are DEFINITELY getting toooooo big! My next appointment is August 17. I promise, if I don't post before that, I will definitely post then!

I'M THE WORST BLOGGER IN THE WORLD!!!

I get caught up in every day life and forget to post... SO SORRY!  My second fill was last week, on June 8.  I have 5 cc's of saline in my band thus far.  My total weight loss is 32.8 pounds, even, and I weigh 300.4 pounds.  I came SO CLOSE to breaking the 300 pound barrier!  I was disappointed and excited all at the same time.  Ah, well, I am working hard to be under that 300 mark by my next appointment on July 13.

I haven't had problems eating, thus far, and I am really not feeling any blockage or pain from any foods, with the exception of bread, which I have mostly been avoiding.  I've been walking for exercise, and this weekend, I played kickball, Monkey in the Middle, and modified volleyball at the park with Abby.  I'm trying to add in more and more exercise, so I am hopeful that it will increase my weight loss totals as I go along. 

Until next time,
May God Bless and Keep You all,
Love,
Amy

Update - Long Overdue

Hello, everyone.  I apologize for the amount of time between updates.  It's been a busy week, and a sad one for us.  A dear friend lost a close family member suddenly, and we've been dedicating our time, energy, love, and prayers to them all week.

Right to the update.  I have moved into the Phase III diet, and I am VERY excited about mashed potatoes and ground up meat.  Never thought I'd say THAT!

Here's what I can eat for the next two weeks:

Puree/Baby Food Consistency - Weeks 3 and 4

Continue with the fluids from the previous two weeks, and add the following:

Scrambled eggs, pureed tuna, poultry, fish, veal, beef, and mashed tofu (ICK)

Light/nonfat yogurt, non-fat cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1% milk

Any vegetable, cooked until soft and pureed

Unsweetened apple sauce, mashed bananas, pureed fruits sans peels

Oatmeal, cream of wheat, grits, mashed potatoes

Soups blended and strained, sugar free pudding, custard, or frozen yogurt

SO yummy!!!  I've lost two pounds since last week's weigh-in, bringing my grand total to 28 from my pre-op diet and 30 altogether.  YAY, ME!

I'd like to take this moment to wish you all a happy Easter, and to remember what was sacrificed for us when Jesus died on the cross and rose again.  Be good to one another!

Until next time, God bless and keep you all.

Love,
Amy

One Week Post-Op

HEY!!! I'm back, lol. Today was my one-week checkup post-op.  Dr. Dalall said I am a bit dehydrated, and suggested drinking even more water.  He also took all of the dressings off of my incisions and told me that they look great.  I scheduled an appointment in 3 weeks for my first fill.

I also got clearance to begin my Phase II diet.  That diet includes the following items:

Nonfat Milk

Plain or Blended Yogurt

Blended Soup/Cream Soup

Sugar Free pudding

Fat Free Cottage Cheese

Oatmeal

Grits (KISS MY!)

Rice Cereal

2-3 Protein Shakes per day

Never in my life was I so excited to see a container of Chobani!  It was delicious!  

The doctor also told me that I should wait to travel by airplane.  This is really disappointing to me because one of my best friends is getting married in May.  I had planned to be there, but my six-weeks post-op fly date doesn't make the cut.  I considered flying anyway, but I know that it would be stupid to do so.  I am doing this for my health, so endangering my health first thing is kind of counter-productive.

Oh, the best part of today's trip to the doctor???  The weigh-in!  I weighed in at 305.6 pounds!!!  My first reaction was to ask if the scale was right.  I weighed myself at home just before we went, and I was 310.2.  The doctor told me that "this scale cost a lot of money and is calibrated every day.  Your scale is wrong."  YAY!  My scale is wrong!

Here is my most recent picture - 1 week post-op:

Total weight lost:  24.6 pounds from the start of my pre-op diet.  I am very happy with all of the progress, and I hope to continue on this path until I meet my goals.  More later!

May God bless and keep you,

Love,
Amy

Five Days Post-Op

Hello, all.  It's five days post-op and I'm doing allright.  I'm still pretty tired, and being awake for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time is hard.  I nap during the day, so it helps that I can do that.

Abby has had to adjust to handling mommy with care, and that's been hard for her.  Even harder is that I have to refrain from picking her up, pulling her onto my lap, etc.  I find myself reaching for her and have to stop myself.  By the time I get used to it, I'll be able to pick her up again!

So I'm feeling pretty nauseous a lot of the time.  It's hard to live on liquids only but with a queasy stomach, it's not as hard as it could be.  I hate feeling this way and hope it passes soon.  I'm trying to drink more so that I don't become dehydrated, and hopefully after my appointment tomorrow I'll be able to add some more foods to my diet.  We will see what Dr. Dalall says tomorrow.

I have lost a total of 16.8 pounds and now weigh 313.4 pounds.  That's pretty exciting, but not really surprising, considering that I am only ingesting fluids.  Hopefully I continue to lose once I start eating real food in 3 weeks (!!) 

More tomorrow after my follow-up appointment.  Until then...

May God Bless and Keep you all,

Love,

Amy

Day Two Post-Op

Day two has passed rather quietly. I enjoyed my chicken broth for breakfast wit some beef broth for lunch and dinner. I very much enjoyed my lunch with my husband and especially the cup of tea afterward. I'm very sore, and my throat hurts because of the intubation, but overall, I'm not doing badly. My Abby has been by my side most of the time when she's home, taking care of mama. Sweetest girl in the world!

I am making sure I do my breathing exercises and walking around to prevent blood clots, so I am working on following my doctor's orders and doing what I should. I am off for now. We are going to enjoy some tv and relaxation. Have I mentioned how fantastic my husband is? If not, consider it mentioned!

God Bless and Keep you all,
Love,
Amy

That was Just the Beginning

Well, I am home from the hospital. Surgery went well, and I am just hanging out with my pain meds. Just wanted to check in for now. More tomorrow.

The Day Before

Hello, out there!  I just got off of the phone with the nurse, and have my surgery schedule information.  I will need to arrive at the hospital at 6:00 a.m.  I am both excited and dreading tomorrow.  I just wish that they could Genie it in, and I wouldn't have to have surgery. 

I know, I know.  I keep saying that. 

SO...  I have lost more weight.  My last weigh-in was 321, which is 9 lbs. lost altogether in the last two weeks.  Not bad.  I do know that I could NOT stay on a protein-shake veggie diet of 800 calories a day for much longer without going insane.  I know I have a week of liquid dieting ahead of me, and then a week of more liquid dieting after that, but I think I can handle it - let's face it, I have to handle it!

OK.  Once more, I ask you all for your prayers and support as I go into the surgery.  Thanks for stopping by.  My next post will probably be post-op, so wish me luck, and say a prayer!

God Bless and Keep you all,
Love,
Amy

OK - I've been remiss, I KNOW!

Hello, everyone...  I know, it's been a while.  I'm preparing for surgery in two days (GASP) and I have mixed feelings.  I am excited at the possibilities that surgery will afford me, and I am TERRIFIED of the actual surgery itself.  I am alternately crying and happy.  I just worry that something will happen during surgery and I won't be here for my Abby afterward.  It scares me a great deal.  Please, pray for me.  For courage, and for my doctor's success in surgery. 

Anyway, enough about that.  I also wanted to let you all know that my weight is now 322.4.  That is almost 8 pounds lost (7.8) in a bit under a week.  Tomorrow I am on fluids only, and cannot eat after midnight.  Following surgery, my diet looks like this:

Week 1

Diet Jell-O

Broth

Light juice

Diet drinks (no carbonation)

Water

Sugar-free Popsicles

Sugar-free Waterice

up to 48oz. of fluid/day

Vitamins

1 Chewable Multivitamin

1500 mg. of chewable calcium

50 mg. of Iron

Doesn't it sound YUMMY!?!?  :)  I'm psyching myself up for it now.  After I've suceeded at living on clear fluids for a week, I move on to...  MORE fluids!  I'll post my 2nd week post-op diet after surgery. 

Tomorrow I will learn what time surgery is scheduled.  I'll post more once that information is available to me.  Until then...

God bless and keep you all,

Love,
Amy

Check-in

Hello, all, and Happy Wednesday. This is a LONG, busy week, but I wanted to take a moment and let you know how things are going. We got a new scale at home, good up to 440 pounds, so I decided to weigh myself today.

Imagine my pleasant surprise to see that I have lost 5 lbs! I am at 325.2 lbs with one more week to go before surgery. I feel like I am starting to adjust to the calorie restrictions, although I'm not gonna lie and say that if someone told me that the cheeseburger I'm craving was only 150 calories that I wouldn't wolf it down! Of course, part of that is that I have my period, so I really crave red meat.

In other news, my mom was admitted to the hospital today because of chest pains. They performed a cardiac catheterization and discovered that there were no blocks, her previously placed stents are in good shape, and her heart muscle is unchanged from one year ago. This is all wonderful news, as it means she hasn't had an event in this past year. HOWEVER, it's also frightening, because it means that she had to go through a procedure, and that is just not something I wanted her to have to do.

So, I thought about today's events and wondered how I felt about it. At first I worried that this was a sign that I shouldn't have surgery next week, but upon more thought, I decided that maybe it was a sign that I SHOULD. I don't want to have to go down the very difficult road my mom's been down.

I am going to close for now.  I am sneezing and I think I'll relax for a bit before bed. 

God bless and keep you all,

Love,

Amy

When it Rains, it Floods...

HIYA!  So, today began yet another 800 calorie day for me.  This is something that I am not yet used to.  I am really OK during the day at work, but by the time I get home I feel like the Chris Farley Gap Girl character on SNL:  "I'm STAAAAAAARVING"!

I have discovered that 800 calories of liquid is almost impossible.  I need to chew.  I have supplemented my shakes with one small (I mean a cup of food) meal in the evening.  I am staying within my calorie restrictions, as promised, but I am also feeding that little person in me who so desperately wants to chew something.  OK, so that person is a big person, but I digress.  My surgeon told me at our pre-admission meeting that he didn't care WHAT I ate for the next two weeks, so long as I lose 5 to 10 pounds pre-surgery.  I think this is a valid change in diet, because, as I said, I am still well within my calorie restrictions, and I am not the mama bear I feel like without food.

In other news, today my monthly friend came to visit.  In some ways, I am thankful that it is now, and that I will not be menstruating during surgery, because let's face it - MORTIFIED would be a mild description of my feelings should I have some sort of overflow/spill incident on the table.  In other ways, this sucks, because when I have my period, my body physically craves/hungers for red meat, chocolate, and salt.  I mean, it's like an addict seeking a drug.  This is not going to be an easy 5 days.  Please, pray for me, and all of those around me.  They'll need it.

God bless and keep you all!
Love,
Amy

Unexpected...

So, this weekend was HARD.  We had a party to go to, and just being home with my husband and daughter made me want to eat what they were.  I did pretty well, though.  Actually, I would have done exceedingly well, but for one thing:  Low Blood Sugar (DUN DUN DUNNNNN!)

It hit me on Saturday and suddenly I was a tidal wave of nastiness.  I couldn't understand why every single, solitary thing everyone did made me crazy with impatience and anger.  I snapped at my mom on the phone for no reason and she asked me if my blood sugar was low.  I thought about it, and responded that it could be.  I am hypoglycemic, but with a high fat high sugar diet, never bothered by it.  These drastic changes in my diet have got it acting up, though.  I had an orange, and at the party I ate some green beans and a salad.  I felt much better and my mood improved, as well.  I think at least one piece of fruit/day may be necessary, even though it is not strictly "on diet".  Without it, I am shaky, have a pounding headache, and quite nasty to be around. 

In other news, I've noticed that directly after drinking my shakes (I have tried two different kinds now) I feel slightly nauseous.  I guess that's good in that I am definitely NOT hungry, but bad in that I don't feel as well as I'd like to feel.  In any case, I am on Day 5 and counting.  It isn't easy, but it isn't impossible, either.

God bless and keep you all,
Love,
Amy

Day Three... Edamame May Save Me

Today is day three.  I had a pretty good day, although I know that I am probably not as pleasant as I normally am.  I have had a headache, and I think it's because my body isn't getting its normal dose of fat every day.  I'm hopeful that as time goes by I will become accustomed to my calorie restrictions. 

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...  OK, I KNOW I can.  It's just going to be hard. 

God bless and keep you all,
Love,
Amy

Day One - Shakes and Veggies, Shakes and Veggies, How can I live on Shakes and Veggies???

OK, I am halfway through Day One of the pre-Op diet.  The shakes (MyopLex Lite Chocolate Fudge) are not bad, and pretty filling.  I have supplemented them with sugar-free popsicles and edamame, and I'm not feeling hungry (at least not yet).  800 calories a day is not going to be easy - I won't even TRY to fool myself. 

I had my pre-admission testing yesterday, and met with my surgeon and my anesthesiologist.  My anesthesiologist did not instill a great deal of confidence in me.  He told me that there was always a risk with anesthesia, and he would do his best to keep me safe.  That's it.  Nothing more.  Just that.  I was a bit surprised by his shortness.  He didn't tell me what to expect or anything else.

I also met two people who will be having surgery on the same day as me.  One is having a gastric bypass, the other I didn't find out about.  They were both nice, and I felt like I would have someone going through this at the same time as me.  At least I know that there are two other people who are trying to stick to 800 calories too.  LOL - Misery truly LOVES company.

I will admit, I am a bit frightened.  I am not a big fan of general anesthesia - I've had it twice before.  It just scares me that I will be under that far.  I am afraid of the whole concept of surgery, and maybe that's normal - I hope so - but it's not something I'm looking forward to.  I am, however, looking forward to the results once this is all said and done.  That's where I'm focusing my thoughts.  UGH...  Please, pray for me.

I cannot BELIEVE I am going to tell a bunch of people I don't know this personal information, but I have decided that full disclosure is important.  My starting weight is 330.2 pounds.  I will let you know my pre-surgery weight, and I will TRY to update that info on a regular basis. 

God bless and keep you all!
Love,
Amy

My Journey Begins Soon - From a Fat Mommy to a Healthy Mommy

Hello, all.  I am going to use this space to talk about my journey through bariatric weightloss surgery.  My surgery has been scheduled for April 7, 2011 and I am having a gastric band placed.  This decision came after a lot of soul searching and prayer, discussions with family and friends, and physician input.  My mother has severe heart disease, and my father is diabetic.  I have already been diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri and live with quite a lot of pain on a regular basis.  I want to be the best mom I can, and I want to be here for my daughter for as long as possible.

Tomorrow is 3/23.  I go in for my pre-admission testing tomorrow morning and one final meeting with the doctor before surgery.  I start my two week liquid/vegetable diet on Thursday, 3/24.  The diet will shrink my liver, making it easier for the surgeon to place the band.  I would be lying if I said I was excited about eating only vegetables and protein shakes for the next two weeks, but I also know that I will be glad when I am healthier and better able to keep up with my beautiful, active six year old.

I am posting my picture here - this is my beginning picture - my before, so to speak.  I will update with pictures and thoughts as time goes by.

God Bless and Keep You All,

Love,
Amy