Bariatric Foodie: The Bariatric Foodie Season of Giving - Week TWO!

Bariatric Foodie: The Bariatric Foodie Season of Giving - Week TWO!: Firstly, congrats to the winners of week one! They are: Lori Follett Laura Sampieri Shepherd Annemarie Wilt I've sent you emails ...

Demanded by my STS.... an Update from beyond the Sleeve.

Bullets... I guess.

• I have been taking this long recovery one day at a time.... I try not to worry about the weight loss or lack off, but it is difficult to go through all of this and not hope for a silver lining.
• I am making an appt to see a Pulmonary specialist since my lung is not back to normal, It feels like it's bruised when I take a big breath, and I get short of breath even gasping for air.
• I have lost around 73 pounds since my surgery, which is a great start... but I know I could do better. 
• I love how much time I get to spend with my George.... We see a lot of movie screenings, and concerts, and are planning a cruise for our next anniversary.
• I love Jen... My Sleeve Twin Sister. She has been incredibly supportive during this tough time, and so inspirational.
• My brother is mad at me and is keeping my little angels from me, I am starting to get mad at him too.
• My Mom got remarried on October 17th to a man she meet around 50 years ago, before she met and married my Dad. I am happy for her, when we lost my Dad 10 years ago.... She was damaged, and it felt like 1/2 of her died with him, but now with Charlie who has spent the last 5 decades loving her and filled with regret... She is content and loved. She has a companion and some pretty great sex... I should have warned you, she's a over sharer....lol. It is kinda cool that He was the first person she had sex with and may end up the last person she has sex with...lol
• My eating as been good but not great... I could do better... Since I am not really able to workout except for swimming, which is difficult to force in this cold, even if it is indoors. But I am working on it.
• I am still on the blood thinners and I am finally therapeutic... which means I only need blood tests once a month instead of once a week... Yippee!
• I feel pretty good about myself these days... I take a lot of extra vitamins to help strengthen my immunity since the missing spleen weakens it...like Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, Vitamin A... but the Vitamin A seems to make me break out like a teenager, which I didn't even do when I was a teenager...lol

Bullets... from the lost Blogger.

Well, I fell off the Earth.... or at least my blogging did.

1. I am still on the Blood Thinners... But so far, I haven't been at a therapeutic level since I left the hospital the last time. In order for the blood thinners to work, I have to be between 2-3 on my weekly blood tests, but I stay around 1.3
2. I still struggle with my breathing when I exert myself... and it is different from the normal Morbidly Obese I'm out of breath breathing, It feels like my lung is still not working right. 
3. I don't know how much weight I have lost recently... but I feel like my clothes fit better and I love my sleeve. 
4. I am going to DisneyWorld this month with my brother and his family.... My sweet angels first trip to Disney. I am over the moon excited! 
5. Since I am on the blood thinners, I am not allowed to eat most green vegetables and anything else high in Vitamin K. It truly sucks... no salad, no broccoli and no soybeans, which are several of my staples.
6. I love the Quest protein bars... They are amazing! 
7. I have been going to the movies... with my quest bar, and it has been great. I loved alot of the summer movies. Most of them even. 
8. I found white bean chips that I loved.... and now can't find them anywhere. I crave salty snacks these days. I also love the Dannon Oikos Dips. Delicious! I eat them with raw carrots and celery or snap pea crisps....I can't wait to try the Lentil crisps.
9. I am amazed at how little I eat before being satisfied, but I get hungry after 2-3 hours.
10. I am very excited about Disney!!! Seeing it through the eyes of my niece and nephews.

Frustration.... and acceptance.

Well, these unending complications are frustrating...I am still on the blood thinners(Warfarin) and should be for the next 6 months. I have to get blood tests done once a week and I just got a list from my PCP that should have come from the Surgeon's office when he prescribed the blood thinners.... The list is all types of food high in Vitamin K that I need to stay away from eating since they cause the blood thinners to not work as well.... Maybe this is why she can't get me therapeutic( INR between 2-3) and I am still so at risk for more blood clots. It is hard not to get FED UP. But I love the feeling that the sleeve gives me, I feel Normal, for lack of a better word. I feel like I am not a food addict, but I can eat what I want... just small amounts. I don't carve sugar anymore... which is way weird for me to get used to. I hope it continues... and I hope I keep losing weight and feeling healthier... each day. Fingers Crossed!

New Product... that I love.

Well, as I mentioned before I am not loving sweet anymore...so I don't really want my greek yogurts as much. I found and tried these Greek yogurt dips and I love them. I eat them with carrots or celery, or with Special K Cracker chips as a treat. The protein level is high and the calories are low. Most of the protein products are sweet, my shakes, my Greek yogurts, etc. It is nice to find something savory for a change. The dip is available in French Onion, Vegetable and Herb, Cucumber Dill, and Roasted Red Pepper. 

50 pound loss reward!

This is my 50 pound loss reward....it's a sterling silver charm bracelet with photos of my nieces and nephews to remind me of why I'm working to get healthy and active.

Yay! Almost 2 months post-op... and Almost 50 pounds gone!

I've lost 49.5 pounds so far(Surgery was April 1st)... with no exercise and very little "Dieting" I am thrilled with my sleeve... I am hoping to be able to exercise soon after my long recovery from my complications. but I will stick to the pool for a while. I felt so different from when I had my lapband...I don't like sweets as much for some amazing reason. It is easier to know when to stop eating. i can eat anything, only in small amounts. I think this really seems like a lifestyle change, not a diet!

Things I love still... after Sleeve.

I love....

• Pickles, especially Mt. Olive Bread and Butter No Sugar Added
• Fish, Thank God, I still love my Tilapia.... It's my favorite.
• Salad, I sort of crave it sometimes. I love the Olive Garden Lite dressing that I got at Walmart... Tastes just like the original with alot less calories. 
• Chicken, A staple in my diet... so I am glad I still love it. 
• Ground turkey, I am thrilled to still enjoy it, And it is way versatile. 

I have been craving only savory... which means I am not really wanting my greek yogurts or protein shakes... This is actually quite weird since I have always been a sweet tooth... I am a sugar addict. I am working on figuring out a new routine that will work for my new needs. 

Update....

Here I am.... still recovering but feeling much better. I spent another 8 days in the hospital since we last spoke.... with Bloodclots. I am still weak and sore but I feel better each day. 


As for weight loss.... I am down 37.5 pounds since pre-op. The doctor says it should be more but I am retaining alot of water in my right leg. I was happy with the weight loss, considering everything that has happened since my surgery. 

Complications.... What doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

                  I am just dropping a line... It's been a while since I've updated. Mainly because this month I have spend 15 days in the hospital. I got my sleeve on April 1st... I was in the hospital for 5 days and when I came home I took it easy for a few days, and when I got back to my old life, I thought I felt better. Well, I went to my PCP on Wednesday, April 10th, just for a a followup and I wanted her to check my lungs. I was struggling to breathe slightly. She listened to my lungs and said they sounded clear. I was thrilled and relieved. But I kept feeling worse and worse.                                                                                                                                                                                    On Saturday, April 13th... Breathing hurt so much and I couldn't sleep or get comfortable. I sat on the edge of my bed for hours. On Sunday, I realized I couldn't wait anymore and I called my surgeon's on-call... They told me to rush to the ER. I went to the ER at the hospital I had my surgeries. Within a short time, a chest Xray and a CT Scan were done... and they found that my spleen cavity was filled with fluid and my left lung was surrounded inside and out with fluid... making it almost collapse completely. The pain I was feeling was because of a severe infection and being forced to breathe with only one lung. I was admitted and put on IV anti-biotics every 6 hours. I was on painkillers around the clock too. On Monday,  I got a chest tube inserted through my ribs into my chest and over 2 liters of fluid drained immediately in the Procedure room which was so painful they had to shoot my full on Fentenal.(not sure of spelling)...just so I could move back onto the stretcher. It was awful! On Tuesday, I got a tube put through my ribs into my spleen cavity(The place where my spleen used to live) They removed a ton of puss since that was where the infection started. 

                Over the new week, I tried to recover... I had daily blood tests to check my white blood cell count, daily chest xrays( which they came to my room to do, Nice!), I got a blood clot in my left leg and they ultrasounded that right in my room too... I started feeling stronger everyday. But the Infectious Disease dept came to see me after testing cultures from my infection. They said that the infection was a rare strep bacteria which was resistant to the IV Anti-biotics. So they spoke to the CDC and started me on another Anti-biotic regiment which I am still on. They still may call me if these anti-biotics don't work on the cultures in the lab.

               It can take 4-6 weeks for my left lung to complete bounce back and re-inflate.... so I am taking it easy and doing breathing exercises every hour. I do love my sleeve so far though! No Regrets!

Overdoing it....

I ended the day yesterday crying hysterically, nauseous, in extreme pain.... It was awful. It was my first day driving... It was TOO SOON. I didn't take my pain killers since I can't drive with them and the tylenol wasn't cutting it by the end of the day. These staples really hurt me... I want them out. I am tired of liquids... and feel weak and nauseous sometimes. I feel like my stomach is ready for soft foods. I did go to my PCP's office yesterday and she listened to my lungs, looked at my incisions, and said everything looks and sounds great. I have lost 22.5 pounds since they weighed me on March 27th. I am hoping to be down more when I see my surgeon next Wednesday. I can't really exercise yet but I do try to walk around as much as possible. I am pleased with how I feel about food though. I went to the movies for the first time the other day... Popcorn is tough for me, I really love it. So much that I used to chew it and spit it out... So There were people eating popcorn behind me, in front of me and beside me... and I didn't want any... That's never happened before to me. I drank my Protein Shot... Which as you know tastes like dirty feet, and I got the 3.8 ounces down... but the taste was still in my mouth. My husband gave me 1 hershey's kiss.... I sucked on it and the deliciousness filled my mouth. I didn't desire another one. I was content. Weird, right?

What a difference a Poop makes!

I feel Great... today... much much better. I finally pooped for the first time in a week and it was awesome! I think i take being regular for granted and these pain killers and not eating Eff my shit up... literally! I am Offically On The Mend!

Over the River... but not through the woods... yet!

Well, I got through the surgery,,,, I am now a Sleeve Sister. There were very little complications but the Surgeon did Knick my Spleen.... so since it wouldn't stop bleeding, It had to be removed. I am now the Spleenless jellyfish, everyone was expecting. Since my surgery was done open, I didn't expect the horrendous gas pains... and I still have them. They're Awful! I feel relieved to be through the surgery but I haven't really eaten all week. I am not hungry and can only take tiny sips of water so far. Today when I got home.... I tried my first 11 ounce protein shake and it took me like 4 hours to drink it all. I am hoping it will get easier but I will take each day as it comes. Thanx so much for all your prayers and happy healing thoughts.

Today....

Well, the day has finally come for my revision surgery, I will be a Sleeved Sister by the afternoon. I appreciate any extra prayers you have laying around because the Surgery will be open not laparoscopic so I will have an epidural on top of all the regular Anesthesia... Yikes! I am excited to get to the other side but a little nervous about the journey to get there!

4 days until my new life begins...

Well, I am done my pre-op appt and blood work again... and I am starting to get excited about this being it... The Date. I have been doing well on my pre-op diet but it seems like I have only lost 5 pounds so far. Which is at least a step in the right direction... I don't know the time of my surgery yet but I am hoping it is fairly early in the day, since I know I won't be able to sleep the night before. Tomorrow is my Nephew Chase's 5th birthday, and I can't wait to celebrate it with him but I love cake so I will consider it a huge accomplishment if I refuse it but I am going to stick to protein shakes only just in case. His grandparents who are hosting eat very healthy so I know there will be great choices for me there. As for Sunday, Easter Sunday to be exact... I will have to be very serious and pack my own food... You see, Easter is held with my family and my family loves to feast... The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I am planning on eating a similar lean cuisine option and eating when they do... and staying clear of the dessert table. I don't care for Ham... So that's good!

Pre-op.... Again!

Here I am on Day 2 of my pre-op diet... 

1. I am fearful that my surgery will once again be cancelled and rescheduled.
2. I am still annoyed since I was supposed to be recovering in the hospital today...
3. I am struggling to get my head in the game. 
4. I am looking forward to getting into the recovery and rebuilding part of this journey...
5. I really want to be prepared for my new life.... so if any sleevers have any tips... I would love to hear them.
6. I plan on using the same routines... with some cuts here and there. Menu-wise.
7. I tried the new Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurts, they're not bad... I still like Dannon Oikos best but the Light and fit will help lower my calories here and there, since they're only 80 calories each. I love Greek Yogurt, I hope that doesn't change.
8. I love fish, and if that doesn't change I will add in some more fish to my diet too.
9. I am giving up red meat... except for rare occasions.
10. I bought a food scale and plan on using it...this time.
11. I plan on doing body measurements... I wish I had done them last time. but hindsight...
12. I have placed rewards for my weight loss, which I haven't done before.]
13. I will fix what I did wrong and hope to be more successful long term.

Bad Day?

Well, My car is in the shop and we don't have the extra $1000 laying around to fix it. I started feeling sick last night, I started taking Amoxicillin immediately... Since I am prone to Strep Throat and since my surgery is scheduled for next monday... Well, WAS scheduled for next Monday... They changed it again this morning, I am now switched to April 1st... I am tired of the waiting game, but I will get through it. So This April 1st, This Fool will have a brand new Tool!

One week from Tomorrow....

                              This week has been difficult but it is done... So one more, and my surgery is here. Next Monday is the first day of my new life. I will be glad when I am done with the surgery and I am recuperating since it will be in my hands again just like now. My life is in my hands now and it will be again, after it is in Doctor Williams hands one more time. So, I will begin again... taking one day at a time, learning to defeat this horrible disease of Obesity and the awful addiction of Food/Sugar.


                                 Sometimes, I feel like I don't want it enough... but I can't let those thought defeat me. I have to be stronger than the things that stalk me. I have to beat this before it beats me. 1000 calories a day doesn't leave room for alot of mistakes or binges... That's for sure. It will be easier for me with a 4 ounce stomach... if I can get through this pre-op, I will get to concentrate on getting well, and building my strength... and I will not be interested enough in eating at all to make mistakes in food choices.
            

Pre-Op Diet... Day 2 Done

I did fine yesterday until last night... Luckily, I was smart enough to save calories... Since I have Night Eating Syndrome. I tried a new greek yogurt, Dannon Light & Fit Raspberry, they are only 80 calories so I thought they would help me keep to the less than 1000 calories a day... I thought this pre-op diet would be easier than the all liquid one I had to do before I had my lapband installed, but having more choices and options, is not a food addict's friend.  By the way, I had my lapband installed on March 23rd, 2010 and my sleeve will be installed on March 18th, 2013... Just in time for what would have been my 3rd bandiversary. Coincidence? I think not. Anyway, I think the pre-op diet will get easier, once the sugar cravings are gone. Wish me luck! I think I should mention that luck was just spell corrected to lunch.... So wish me lunch! XOXO *M*

BTW... I have had my TOM since the beginning of this pre-op diet.... so I am thrilled that I haven't ended up in a vat of chocolate yet.... Fingers crossed!

Great Article.... Check it out!

This is a very valuable article to read.... Give it a look.                                                           http://jezebel.com/5984177/i-dont-care-if-you-dont-want-to-fuck-me

Finally.... My Revision.

I am so relieved to announce that my Sleeve Revision surgery is scheduled for March 18th! I am glad that the insurance approved it and we are on our way.

The Waiting Game....

I know it's been awhile.... but I am still playing the waiting game to get approved and scheduled for my sleeve surgery. I did go to my sleep specialist's office and she says my sleep apnea is still being helped completely by my cpap machine so that's great. I was worried that my weight gain would make my sleep apnea regress back to my previous level of severity. I am happy... about that.

Well, The Verdict is....

Gastric Sleeve... That is my next step. It seems with the damage from my lapband and my hernia repair makes the gastric bypass too risky so I decided that the sleeve will be a great compromise. I will have to have it done open instead of laparoscopically. Which will cause a longer recovery time and more scarring.... but since my stomach looks like a world map at this point so who cares about that part. So my insurance company started covering the sleeve a week ago so they are putting it through to be approved... and I should be scheduled for surgery next month. All in All... Very Good News! So thanx for all the support, prayers, and well wishes during this incredibly stressful, traumatic time. XOXO *M*

Nervous.... but Anticipating an Answer of some sort.

Well, Tomorrow is my follow up with my Surgeon... I am nervous, but glad that my Anxiety Disorder will have less fuel.... I am anxious to get some answers but scared that I won't like what I'll hear. Could all this be happening because of my food addiction? I mean it's still there under the surface, not far under the surface either... I need help, with WLS it was way more controllable, And I need more control, way more control! Please... Oh Please, Don't let him fire me. I don't want to start over... I want to get my old tired journey over, and start whatever may be my new one...

How I'm Feeling?....

Well, I went to the hospital to have my surgery today.... I was stuck with IVs and needles, including an Epidural in my back. I was cut with 2 incisions... and the Surgeon couldn't do the Gastric Bypass because I have too much Scar Tissue from my LapBand. My Insurance doesn't pay for the Gastric Sleeve yet, but hopefully soon.... So, 

1. I am Feeling.... Sore
2. I am Feeling... Helpless
3. I am Feeling... Depressed
4. I am Feeling... Traumatized
5. I am Feeling... Annoyed
6. I am Feeling... Hurt
7. I am Feeling... Beaten
8. I am Feeling.... Fat
9. I am Feeling... Sad
10. I am Feeling... Alone
11. I am Feeling... Hopeless
12. I am Feeling....Confused
13. I am Feeling... Incurable
14. I am Feeling...Vulnerable
15. I am Feeling...  Incomplete

But Most of all.... I am Feeling Sorry For Myself! Hopefully, After a good night's sleep... I will Awake with a Fresh Perspective. Until Then... Color me BLUE

Tomorrow... Is the Day!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya Tomorrow, You're only a Day away! I am nervous, but I am more excited.... I will start my new chapter of this journey tomorrow when I have my Gastric Bypass surgery, Those of you who have followed me since the beginning know that I went to my original surgeon for Gastric Bypass years ago, but he encouraged me to have the lap-band and the adjust-ability sounded nice. I should of stuck to my guns and I would probably be near or at goal by now... But I would never have gotten to meet alot of you amazing folks, if I wasn't a Bandster for those 2 1/2 years. And my new surgeon says he can't believe how successful I was with my band, so I think I have a great foundation for this to work long term. I am anxious... excited... relieved... and looking forward to being on the other side of this surgery, tomorrow night.... Wish Me Luck! I love you guys!

Update... and getting excited.

Well... I am still doing ok with my pre-op diet, but it looks like I will be doing it for one extra day... They moved my surgery to Tuesday instead of Monday.... I am looking forward to being on the other side of this hill, riding down the downhill part for a few weeks. Maybe not, downhill pain-wise, but definitely hunger-wise. Keep your fingers crossed....