Well the support group was much bigger than I had anticipated. Most of the members were older than me, but it was nice to see a few people closer to my age. I didn't get a change to talk with them, but hopefully I can next time. I'm curious as to if people closer to my age had issues with excess skin or if it 'bounced back'.
The meeting started with the two surgeons answering any questions group members had. Some of them were questions in helping them decide between surgeries, others were questions regarding post surgery.
Later, we split into groups based on what surgery we had/are looking into getting. The newcomers (including me) were taken into a separate room, where the surgeons went into more detail regarding the different surgery options, why we have to 'jump through hoops' before surgery, what to avoid after surgery, etc. This was about half of the original group (which was maybe 100 or so people). Questions asked this time were more personal, such as if it would cure someone's specific disease, etc. There were some interesting facts I made notes of to talk to my dad about, but I threw it away after talking to him about it! I didn't even think to keep it to inform you guys/gals on my blog. I'm so sorry about that.
A few days later, I had my nutrition classes. Most of it was information I had already learned either from nutrition classes in school, or just doing my own research. The first class discussed general nutrition, the second was more specific to the surgery we were getting (bypassers and sleevers were together). There will be another nutrition class after surgery. They gave me about 75 pages of notes to add to my binder. I'll review over them with you:
Nutrition 101 (The first course) - discusses the important of structured eating; learning to eat until satisfied vs eating until full; how to build your plate; starchy vegetables vs nonstarchy vegetables; healthy food ideas and sample menus; label reading; sample grocery list
Nutrition 200B (dont ask me why it's not 201 or 102... but it is the next one in the series) - importance of vitamins, water, and protein pre and especially post surgery; pre and post surgery sample meal plans (week by week); clear liquid diet ideas; what to expect while in the hospital recovering from surgery; soft proteins; protein bars and trans fat; protein drink samples*
*Rather than purchase a $25-50 gallon of protein mix, you can purchase the samples online to decide if you like the flavor or not (nothing worse than buying a ton of something you end up hating). The websites to check are: injury.com and mybariatricpantry.com.
It is important to check with your bariatric team about your vitamins post surgery. Your body will digest these vitamins differently, so you'll need vitamins specially made for people who have had bariatric surgery. This is something you will have to take the rest of your life. With the gastric sleeve, this may not be neccessary, but since there is little history on this surgery, my surgeon requires us to take the supplements as a precaution until there is more literature.
I also have a note written in the margin regarding the liquid diet. The nutritionist recommended purchasing 'Torani' sugar free syrups to mix up the flavor. She said patients had even made this into slushies and ice cream somehow! Pretty cool idea. I just watched my dad suffer for a day of liquid dieting before his colonoscopy, and us surgery people will be doing it for a few weeks, so we better have options!
Until Next Time,
XOXO Miss Fat Girl
Monday, September 10, 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
PreOp Bariatric Appointments (Part Two)
My first appointment with a nutritionist began by weighing her me and noting my body fat percentage and BMI. She asked a few questions regarding my visit with the social worker, my eating habits, and the surgery I am looking into. I dont remember too many details... my memory isn't the greatest and this appointment was last week. In the end, she made her suggestions, which she wrote down for me:
The first, is to schedule my meals and workouts. This is also what my social worker has asked of me. We decided to 'schedule' it right then and there. She pulled out a paper and we decided when I go to bed at night and when I get up in the morning. I was really worried about this, since I have insomnia (prescription sleeping pills dont always work and I'm often awake until dawn!). I usually am up til the sun comes up... or close to... and usually sleep in until the early afternoon! Once in a blue moon, I'd get my schedule back to something more normal, but sooner than later, it'd eventually reverse again (up late, to sleep late). Luckily, this hasn't been an issue since our appointment. I set my alarm for 10 am, as we scheduled, and have actually been falling asleep within the scheduled 'go to bed' time, or around it. Only a couple of times have I slept in an extra hour. I'm not even groggy or tired throughout the day!
Scheduling meals is done so your body knows when to expect food. I've heard of 'starvation mode' before, but had read that it doesn't begin storing fat until after a few weeks or months of regularly letting your body get extremely hungry before eating it. However, she suggested that it can go into a starvation mode if you dont regularly eat at scheduled times. Your body wants to know when it's going to eat next (by eating at a normal, scheduled time). She also said a little bit of a hunger pain isn't a big deal because it tells you you've got a metabolism. You just want to avoid getting to the point where you're extremely hungry and then end up overeating. My social worker suggested eating every three hours. The nutritionist said every 3-5 and not to go more than 5 hours without a snack. We scheduled meals accordingly: 10 am (when I wake up), lunch at 2, a snack at 5, and dinner at 8 (our family has always had dinner around 8 pm). I'm used to having more snacks each day, so I may allow myself a second snack if I do get HUNGRY, but will otherwise stick to her schedule.
The other scheduled item is a workout. She scheduled me for one 30 minute workout every 3-4 days. I tried to tell her to schedule me for an hour every day, because I feel that's what I should be doing. She pointed out I tend to want to go from '0 to 200' (which I know is true) and usually results in me getting burnt out and failing, then starting all over again! She told me if I decide to work out for an hour, than that's fine, but to only commit myself to 30 minutes, so that way I dont disappoint myself if I don't do an hour... the same reason with only doing it 3-4 days out of the week. We scheduled this for 1 o'clock, since that's when the sun is in a perfect spot for my swimming pool. However, I haven't been able to swim at all since our weather is being all screwy lately! That's no excuse for my not having worked out at all though. Yes, I admit it. I saw my nutritionist on August 28th... it is now September 2 in the evening and I still haven't worked out! However, I AM working out this evening. I was going to earlier, but I wanted to wear my Exerspy armband to see how many calories I'll burn during my workout. The battery was dead so I have it charging now.
To follow my meals and exercise each day (if you want suggests for yourself), you can check out my SparkPeople.com profile. My username is LysMyMiss53. I've been off and on that website since winter of last year, but I'm back on it now to keep track of my meals for the bariatric team. I like that the site not only monitors calories, fat, carbs, etc, it also gives you a feedback report at the end of the day... pie charts and everything!
I may post my meal plans and workout details (what I'm doing, for how long, etc) on here at the end of each month.
The other suggestion was to plan my meals... not just the time, but also what I'll eat. This was also suggested by the social worker (so I'm getting my 'homework assignments' from both bariatric team members done at the same time). I asked my social worker what my calorie limit would be, however, she told me she was not ready to assign a calorie limit for me yet. She just wanted me to get in the habit of eating at regular times, and recording what I eat/planning meals (or 'menus'). I'll still be watching my calories based off of what SparkPeople.com suggests for me. However, even though I want to dive right in and do everything perfectly, it is nice that the nutritionist is taking it a step at a time. As she said before... I tend to go from '0 to 200', and I know where that gets me!
My next meeting is on September 4th. It will be my first support group meeting, and I will also be meeting with the surgeon one-on-one. I'm so excited for these support group meetings and I wish they were held more than just once a month. I'm only required to attend one, but I plan to attend every month!
My other appointments scheduled are:
September 6th - I will be taking the required "Nutrition 101" and "Nutrition 200" classes. My binder (given to me by the bariatric teams) says that '101' covers 'structured eating/balanced plate/label reading'. '200' is divided into sections based on which surgery you are getting... so I will be attending the one specific to the gastric sleeve (which is also with gastric bypass patients.... the lapband patients are in a separate section). You can take these two classes on different days, however, I was able to schedule them both back to back. They are scheduled to last three hours total... an hour and a half each. I will have a 30 minute break in between the two.
September 13 - I also was able to schedule two separate appointments back to back. The first one will be with the physical therapist (my first appointment with her) and the next will be my second appointment with the nutritionist. Those should be approx. 1 hour each. The physical therapist appointment section in the book says to wear tennis shoes and comfortable close, so I'll prob be doing a workout. I'm nervous about the workout though... I'm afraid she'll have me do more than my body is able to handle at this time/weight. I do expect to be 'pushed', but I hope she doesn't have me collapsing before my appointment with the nutritionist!
I'm also supposed to have a follow up with the social worker. The book says the follow up is only 'if recommended', but it IS recommended. It has not been scheduled yet though. I will schedule that when I'm there on the 13th, or maybe the 6th.
Welp, that is the update for now. I see this blog is getting many views, but no comments yet. :( I encourage you guys/gals to ask questions or give me feedback. As I've said before.... I'm so antsy that my life is pretty much revolving around forums, vlogs/blogs, websites, journal articles, etc when I'm not doing my schoolwork!
Til Next Time,
Miss Fat Girl
The first, is to schedule my meals and workouts. This is also what my social worker has asked of me. We decided to 'schedule' it right then and there. She pulled out a paper and we decided when I go to bed at night and when I get up in the morning. I was really worried about this, since I have insomnia (prescription sleeping pills dont always work and I'm often awake until dawn!). I usually am up til the sun comes up... or close to... and usually sleep in until the early afternoon! Once in a blue moon, I'd get my schedule back to something more normal, but sooner than later, it'd eventually reverse again (up late, to sleep late). Luckily, this hasn't been an issue since our appointment. I set my alarm for 10 am, as we scheduled, and have actually been falling asleep within the scheduled 'go to bed' time, or around it. Only a couple of times have I slept in an extra hour. I'm not even groggy or tired throughout the day!
Scheduling meals is done so your body knows when to expect food. I've heard of 'starvation mode' before, but had read that it doesn't begin storing fat until after a few weeks or months of regularly letting your body get extremely hungry before eating it. However, she suggested that it can go into a starvation mode if you dont regularly eat at scheduled times. Your body wants to know when it's going to eat next (by eating at a normal, scheduled time). She also said a little bit of a hunger pain isn't a big deal because it tells you you've got a metabolism. You just want to avoid getting to the point where you're extremely hungry and then end up overeating. My social worker suggested eating every three hours. The nutritionist said every 3-5 and not to go more than 5 hours without a snack. We scheduled meals accordingly: 10 am (when I wake up), lunch at 2, a snack at 5, and dinner at 8 (our family has always had dinner around 8 pm). I'm used to having more snacks each day, so I may allow myself a second snack if I do get HUNGRY, but will otherwise stick to her schedule.
The other scheduled item is a workout. She scheduled me for one 30 minute workout every 3-4 days. I tried to tell her to schedule me for an hour every day, because I feel that's what I should be doing. She pointed out I tend to want to go from '0 to 200' (which I know is true) and usually results in me getting burnt out and failing, then starting all over again! She told me if I decide to work out for an hour, than that's fine, but to only commit myself to 30 minutes, so that way I dont disappoint myself if I don't do an hour... the same reason with only doing it 3-4 days out of the week. We scheduled this for 1 o'clock, since that's when the sun is in a perfect spot for my swimming pool. However, I haven't been able to swim at all since our weather is being all screwy lately! That's no excuse for my not having worked out at all though. Yes, I admit it. I saw my nutritionist on August 28th... it is now September 2 in the evening and I still haven't worked out! However, I AM working out this evening. I was going to earlier, but I wanted to wear my Exerspy armband to see how many calories I'll burn during my workout. The battery was dead so I have it charging now.
To follow my meals and exercise each day (if you want suggests for yourself), you can check out my SparkPeople.com profile. My username is LysMyMiss53. I've been off and on that website since winter of last year, but I'm back on it now to keep track of my meals for the bariatric team. I like that the site not only monitors calories, fat, carbs, etc, it also gives you a feedback report at the end of the day... pie charts and everything!
I may post my meal plans and workout details (what I'm doing, for how long, etc) on here at the end of each month.
The other suggestion was to plan my meals... not just the time, but also what I'll eat. This was also suggested by the social worker (so I'm getting my 'homework assignments' from both bariatric team members done at the same time). I asked my social worker what my calorie limit would be, however, she told me she was not ready to assign a calorie limit for me yet. She just wanted me to get in the habit of eating at regular times, and recording what I eat/planning meals (or 'menus'). I'll still be watching my calories based off of what SparkPeople.com suggests for me. However, even though I want to dive right in and do everything perfectly, it is nice that the nutritionist is taking it a step at a time. As she said before... I tend to go from '0 to 200', and I know where that gets me!
My next meeting is on September 4th. It will be my first support group meeting, and I will also be meeting with the surgeon one-on-one. I'm so excited for these support group meetings and I wish they were held more than just once a month. I'm only required to attend one, but I plan to attend every month!
My other appointments scheduled are:
September 6th - I will be taking the required "Nutrition 101" and "Nutrition 200" classes. My binder (given to me by the bariatric teams) says that '101' covers 'structured eating/balanced plate/label reading'. '200' is divided into sections based on which surgery you are getting... so I will be attending the one specific to the gastric sleeve (which is also with gastric bypass patients.... the lapband patients are in a separate section). You can take these two classes on different days, however, I was able to schedule them both back to back. They are scheduled to last three hours total... an hour and a half each. I will have a 30 minute break in between the two.
September 13 - I also was able to schedule two separate appointments back to back. The first one will be with the physical therapist (my first appointment with her) and the next will be my second appointment with the nutritionist. Those should be approx. 1 hour each. The physical therapist appointment section in the book says to wear tennis shoes and comfortable close, so I'll prob be doing a workout. I'm nervous about the workout though... I'm afraid she'll have me do more than my body is able to handle at this time/weight. I do expect to be 'pushed', but I hope she doesn't have me collapsing before my appointment with the nutritionist!
I'm also supposed to have a follow up with the social worker. The book says the follow up is only 'if recommended', but it IS recommended. It has not been scheduled yet though. I will schedule that when I'm there on the 13th, or maybe the 6th.
Welp, that is the update for now. I see this blog is getting many views, but no comments yet. :( I encourage you guys/gals to ask questions or give me feedback. As I've said before.... I'm so antsy that my life is pretty much revolving around forums, vlogs/blogs, websites, journal articles, etc when I'm not doing my schoolwork!
Til Next Time,
Miss Fat Girl
Monday, August 27, 2012
Pre Op Bariatric Appointments (Part One)
This blog entry will cover what occurred during my first two appointments with the bariatric team, as well as meeting with my primary physician. While each hospital's bariatric group may be different, these beginning appointments seem like they'd be a pretty general thing, so this blog entry should give you an idea of what to expect.
Fortunately for me, my primary physician works at a walk-in clinic, so I didn't have to wait for an appointment with her. I just called the office to see when she was working next (which was like the next day), and then popped in to see her. She already knew I was trying to lose weight. I had seen her last summer when I came to her office after my ankles swelled up after a workout and stayed swollen for days. She told me then I was prediabetic. She also suggested I workout in the gym swimming pool, since I had complained of the lower back pain I was getting from all the weight I was carrying around in my stomach. Anywho, she asked me if I was still working out, but I admitted I had pretty much quit since I dont have access to the gym now (although I do have a small pool in my backyard, so I'm not entirely free of excuses). I had tried doing workouts like BeachBody's "Turbo Fire" and "Insanity" but could barely do more than a few minutes at a time before collapsing. I had told her about the research I had done on various weight loss surgery procedures (I literally researched all day and all night for a few days until I was convinced I wanted to find out more). She had asked if I was interested in any particular surgeon, which I wasn't - that was like the one thing I didn't research. Either way, I trust my primary physician to make good recommendations. She referred me to Dr. Hammer. She told me she would have her nurse schedule me an appointment with his nurse and would call me in a couple days with the appointment date.
Being especially eager to 'get the show on the road', I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I checked out the hospital website for Dr. Hammer and found there were online orientations I was required to complete. The orientations were a few videos, about 20-40 minutes a piece followed by short, multiple choice quizzes. The website also said to have my primary physician fax over my medical records, but that was also done with the referral. After playing phone tag for a few days, I finally got my appointment.
My first appointment was with Dr. Hammer's nurse. She asked me what I knew about the various procedures and filled me in on any important information I was missing. We discusses my best option, and she agreed with my original decision of the gastric sleeve (vertical sleeve gastrectomy). She double checked my medical history (health conditions that run in the family, my health conditions, my medications) and weighed me. She also felt around my stomach to make sure she didn't feel any hernias. I didn't keep track of how long the appointment lasted, but if I were to guess, I would say it was around half an hour. Oh, she also sent me off with a list of lab work to get done. This I was able to get done with my primary physician. I just started a new insurance plan on June 1st, so I was worried about the labs not being covered due to my weight being a 'preexisting condition' (I didn't gain all this weight overnight). Luckily, she said my labs were needed and there was some sorta way around it and my labs were done on the spot (without an appointment... although I would bet most doctors would require an appointment for this list of labs). Several tubes of blood were taken, a urine sample, a chest xray, and an EKG.
My next appointment was about a few days to a week later (I don't remember exactly... my memory is that bad and I didn't write down the appointment dates. I just had my social worker appointment a couple days ago, however) with a social worker. The social worker evaluated me to see if she thought I needed any sort of therapy to work on deeper, underlying issues. I 'passed', so I do not need to see a psychologist. We talked about my history of depression (it is well controlled), what I believe contributed to my weight gain, my home environment and support system (I dont have a very good support system at home, however, she still 'passed' me, but encouraged me to try and talk with my family about being more supportive), what motivates me, etc. This appointment took an hour and fifteen minutes. It took this long because I was having to explain my entire history of depression (26 years in the making), and all the details she was looking for were not easily explained (I don't remember how many therapy visits I had as a child). She gave me a couple 'homework' assignments and a 3-ring binder specifically for patients preparing for bariatric surgery. My assignments include trying to better my family support system (I continue to attempt this, but family members habits are easily changed), make out a consistent schedule (exercise, meals, as well as regular daily things such as homework or work. The point is to think of everything like you would a doctor appointment, and not miss things like workouts), and record what I eat (my next appointment, which is actually tomorrow, is with a registered dietician. I think this is mostly to prepare for my visits with her). I'm not a caffiene drinker, alcohol consumer, or smoker, so I don't have to worry about trying to cut those out of my diet. However, I do have some expensive bottles of diet pills that I dont want to waste. They contain caffiene and once I have surgery, caffiene isn't allowed. I don't want to just have thrown away money, so I'm finishing off these bottles of pills - Lipo 6 Hers Black; Orovo Detox) while I have the chance.
All of my college classes are online (since walking through the parking lot to my classes was too difficult on my lower back) and I don't work, my schedule is very open. That makes it easier to schedule these appointments close together. This will give people an idea of how quickly it is POSSIBLE to get through these appointments to surgery (depending on if you are going through insurance and requirements of the hospital). At the path I'm on, I'm guessing I'll have surgery in October (the 3-ring binder they gave me maps out the appointments and stuff done before surgery is scheduled, as well as the approximate time it takes for insurance approval). They will NOT contact my insurance for surgery approval until the entire bariatric team (not just the surgeon) approves me for it. I looked over the weight loss surgery insurance plan for my insurance provider, and as of February this year, my insurance does NOT require me to have a particular diet set up by the team. However, the hospital I am getting this through may require a diet... it will vary depending on the person. Hopefully I will find out at my appointment tomorrow if I will need to take one. The reason why these diets are usually required is to (1) make sure you are likely to be compliant with your required diet AFTER surgery and (2) to help shrink your liver so they have easier access to your stomach during surgery (part of your liver lies over your stomach).
To help with my 'antsy'ness.... I've been watching a lot of personal journey's on YouTube (be it lap band, the sleeve, or gastric bypass) and getting an idea of what to expect pre and post op through others). I've also watched tv shows that have been uploaded to YouTube (such as 'My 600-lb life'). There are SEVERAL obesity related shows on YouTube... most seem to be british, so you'd need to look up the conversion of lbs to 'stones' if you really want to follow along). Another influential show is "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition" with personal trainer Chris Powell. This can be found on Xfinity On Demand and on Hulu.com. My advice is to keep watching these motivational and informative shows and keep looking up information. You may get to the point where you think you've learned it all, but eventually you'll find something new (ex: If you experience nausea after surgery, try putting peppermint extract on ice chips and eating them! Neat-o tip!). Also join a forum so you can continue to learn about other's experiences and ask questions. I downloaded the "VST" app to my phone and read through several of the postings and heard about patient's "stalling" (not something I had heard about on other websites or YouTube vlogs). Knowledge is your friend and will help speed up the process and prepare you better!!!
XOXO,
Miss Fat Girl
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Fortunately for me, my primary physician works at a walk-in clinic, so I didn't have to wait for an appointment with her. I just called the office to see when she was working next (which was like the next day), and then popped in to see her. She already knew I was trying to lose weight. I had seen her last summer when I came to her office after my ankles swelled up after a workout and stayed swollen for days. She told me then I was prediabetic. She also suggested I workout in the gym swimming pool, since I had complained of the lower back pain I was getting from all the weight I was carrying around in my stomach. Anywho, she asked me if I was still working out, but I admitted I had pretty much quit since I dont have access to the gym now (although I do have a small pool in my backyard, so I'm not entirely free of excuses). I had tried doing workouts like BeachBody's "Turbo Fire" and "Insanity" but could barely do more than a few minutes at a time before collapsing. I had told her about the research I had done on various weight loss surgery procedures (I literally researched all day and all night for a few days until I was convinced I wanted to find out more). She had asked if I was interested in any particular surgeon, which I wasn't - that was like the one thing I didn't research. Either way, I trust my primary physician to make good recommendations. She referred me to Dr. Hammer. She told me she would have her nurse schedule me an appointment with his nurse and would call me in a couple days with the appointment date.
Being especially eager to 'get the show on the road', I wanted to be as prepared as possible. I checked out the hospital website for Dr. Hammer and found there were online orientations I was required to complete. The orientations were a few videos, about 20-40 minutes a piece followed by short, multiple choice quizzes. The website also said to have my primary physician fax over my medical records, but that was also done with the referral. After playing phone tag for a few days, I finally got my appointment.
My first appointment was with Dr. Hammer's nurse. She asked me what I knew about the various procedures and filled me in on any important information I was missing. We discusses my best option, and she agreed with my original decision of the gastric sleeve (vertical sleeve gastrectomy). She double checked my medical history (health conditions that run in the family, my health conditions, my medications) and weighed me. She also felt around my stomach to make sure she didn't feel any hernias. I didn't keep track of how long the appointment lasted, but if I were to guess, I would say it was around half an hour. Oh, she also sent me off with a list of lab work to get done. This I was able to get done with my primary physician. I just started a new insurance plan on June 1st, so I was worried about the labs not being covered due to my weight being a 'preexisting condition' (I didn't gain all this weight overnight). Luckily, she said my labs were needed and there was some sorta way around it and my labs were done on the spot (without an appointment... although I would bet most doctors would require an appointment for this list of labs). Several tubes of blood were taken, a urine sample, a chest xray, and an EKG.
My next appointment was about a few days to a week later (I don't remember exactly... my memory is that bad and I didn't write down the appointment dates. I just had my social worker appointment a couple days ago, however) with a social worker. The social worker evaluated me to see if she thought I needed any sort of therapy to work on deeper, underlying issues. I 'passed', so I do not need to see a psychologist. We talked about my history of depression (it is well controlled), what I believe contributed to my weight gain, my home environment and support system (I dont have a very good support system at home, however, she still 'passed' me, but encouraged me to try and talk with my family about being more supportive), what motivates me, etc. This appointment took an hour and fifteen minutes. It took this long because I was having to explain my entire history of depression (26 years in the making), and all the details she was looking for were not easily explained (I don't remember how many therapy visits I had as a child). She gave me a couple 'homework' assignments and a 3-ring binder specifically for patients preparing for bariatric surgery. My assignments include trying to better my family support system (I continue to attempt this, but family members habits are easily changed), make out a consistent schedule (exercise, meals, as well as regular daily things such as homework or work. The point is to think of everything like you would a doctor appointment, and not miss things like workouts), and record what I eat (my next appointment, which is actually tomorrow, is with a registered dietician. I think this is mostly to prepare for my visits with her). I'm not a caffiene drinker, alcohol consumer, or smoker, so I don't have to worry about trying to cut those out of my diet. However, I do have some expensive bottles of diet pills that I dont want to waste. They contain caffiene and once I have surgery, caffiene isn't allowed. I don't want to just have thrown away money, so I'm finishing off these bottles of pills - Lipo 6 Hers Black; Orovo Detox) while I have the chance.
All of my college classes are online (since walking through the parking lot to my classes was too difficult on my lower back) and I don't work, my schedule is very open. That makes it easier to schedule these appointments close together. This will give people an idea of how quickly it is POSSIBLE to get through these appointments to surgery (depending on if you are going through insurance and requirements of the hospital). At the path I'm on, I'm guessing I'll have surgery in October (the 3-ring binder they gave me maps out the appointments and stuff done before surgery is scheduled, as well as the approximate time it takes for insurance approval). They will NOT contact my insurance for surgery approval until the entire bariatric team (not just the surgeon) approves me for it. I looked over the weight loss surgery insurance plan for my insurance provider, and as of February this year, my insurance does NOT require me to have a particular diet set up by the team. However, the hospital I am getting this through may require a diet... it will vary depending on the person. Hopefully I will find out at my appointment tomorrow if I will need to take one. The reason why these diets are usually required is to (1) make sure you are likely to be compliant with your required diet AFTER surgery and (2) to help shrink your liver so they have easier access to your stomach during surgery (part of your liver lies over your stomach).
To help with my 'antsy'ness.... I've been watching a lot of personal journey's on YouTube (be it lap band, the sleeve, or gastric bypass) and getting an idea of what to expect pre and post op through others). I've also watched tv shows that have been uploaded to YouTube (such as 'My 600-lb life'). There are SEVERAL obesity related shows on YouTube... most seem to be british, so you'd need to look up the conversion of lbs to 'stones' if you really want to follow along). Another influential show is "Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition" with personal trainer Chris Powell. This can be found on Xfinity On Demand and on Hulu.com. My advice is to keep watching these motivational and informative shows and keep looking up information. You may get to the point where you think you've learned it all, but eventually you'll find something new (ex: If you experience nausea after surgery, try putting peppermint extract on ice chips and eating them! Neat-o tip!). Also join a forum so you can continue to learn about other's experiences and ask questions. I downloaded the "VST" app to my phone and read through several of the postings and heard about patient's "stalling" (not something I had heard about on other websites or YouTube vlogs). Knowledge is your friend and will help speed up the process and prepare you better!!!
XOXO,
Miss Fat Girl
.jpg)
Sunday, August 26, 2012
What is a supportive family?
I've had two appointments so far with the bariatric team. The first with a nurse and the second with a social worker. They both asked about my home support system. I told them my family was all for me losing the weight. The social worker wanted more detail. She asked what they do to show their support. I thought about it. Well, my dad is willing to pay for the surgery (what insurance doesn't cover) and he'll make comments about foods I eat or need to eat... (ex: If I'm eating a pizza, he'll get on me for eating it. Or if there are several apples in the basket that need to be eaten, he'll remind me about them). My dad can also relate to dieting because lately he's been trying different tweaks in his diet... such as cutting out diary and gluten for a few weeks and seeing what changes that made for him. Then she asked about my mom.... I didn't want to talk much about my passed with my mom because it's not something I really dwell on as much as I used to. I did tell her my mom and I were both told last summer we were pre-diabetic. I got out of that prediabetic area immediately, but my mom literally told me she doesn't care. Now, a year later, she's been diagnosed with diabetes. She continues to pop open cans of soda and fruit nectar (loaded with sugar), bake cakes and pies, eat ice cream, etc. While I may not have the same sugary habits as her, when I see someone eating that junk, it makes me crave more of whatever it is I am eating. Instead of one serving of turkey burger, I may end up having three, for example. The social worker told me I needed to talk to my mom about being more supportive in what she brings into the house, not just with words. I talked to my mom about this, cautiously. All she did was pat my hand while I opened up to her about how hard it is to eat right when you're surrounded by temptation.
A couple hours later, my old sister shows up with a bag of McDonalds. She is 5'2" and pretty petite, however, she does have some chunk on her. She's nearly 30, but just got into the dating scene about a year ago. Like most girls just starting to date, she and her boyfriend are going out to restaurants and fast food chains every day. She has a stash of junk foods in her room as well as bottles of soda lined up along her dresser. Sooner or later, her bad food choices will start showing on her body. And with her age, her metabolism is going to begin slowing down. She has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and I'm worried that when she does suddenly start gaining weight, she's going to obsess over losing it and develop an eating disorder. Just last November, she dated this guy with a horrible record (we couldn't convince her not to seem him though) and he drove one night, drunk, flipped the car (which was actually mine) and the accident took off the top of her scalp and left her in a body brace for several months. She obsessed over her weight then, and she was skinny! She almost entirely quit eating and weighed herself several times a day. When I remind my parents of this, they don't seem to listen enough to say anything to her about the choices she's making now and how she should stop before she ends up like me.
The next day, my mom came home from the grocery store with loads of food, as always, including cake batter. The following day (today), I see a cake sitting out in the kitchen. So what did I do? I baked myself a pizza and some Romen noodles. Now that's a bigger binge than normal, but it was still trigger buy constantly seeing that cake and the other junk. I open the freezer and it's stocked with Butterfinger ice cream. The pantry is filled with Oreos and Cheez Its. I really ought to take a photo of all the food in supply. It's hard enough when you're watching tv and a fast food commercial comes on and put it in your head. Speaking of which, I think there should be no fast food commercials, especially with Americans already in an obesity epidemic.
Anyways, I know I can't change they're eating habits, and they aren't forcing food down my throat. But I do now desire the real support my social worker was talking about. I wish I could live alone and not worry about other people's temptations, but then again, that didn't work out for me so well last time (however, I was going through major depression then. I will talk about the 100 lb damage I did to myself living alone in another blog). I have my sleep study tonight. At first, I was wanting to cancel it because I dont think I can fall asleep in a different place, and with wires hooked up to me. Now, I can't wait til I can finally get there. I did get some teasing from a family member already today about there not being any midnight snacks there.
XOXO,
Miss Fat Girl
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Considering Weight Loss Surgery
I used to feel weight loss surgery was the 'easy way out', 'cheating', and 'shameful'. I wouldn't even consider it. However, that all changed just a couple days ago. I decided to weigh in early, eager to see the results of my '10 day' pledge. I wasn't sure if I had lost weight, I wasn't even hopeful of it. I thought I would have just maintained, maybe lost a pound, but nothing big enough to get excited about. I also thought that if I would have lost more than a pound, it would be the result of the 'runs' many of the real foods have given me in this detox, and that it wouldn't count as weight lost being no fat was burned. So, I weighed in and I had gained weight. Since my scale also measures body fat, I compared that as well to my pre-pledge recordings and found it had increased. I have to admit, I cried. I became really tearful for the first time in awhile. I've grown a thicker skin (literally and figuratively), but this was a disappointment. I know it shouldn't have been such a big deal given I wasn't expecting miracles, but I'm sure many of you will understand where I'm coming from.
So, I thought back to surgery and other 'desperate attempts'. Sure, I could try just not eating, but a range of problems can come from that, including hair loss and infertility. The same with bulimia. I've thrown up meals before, but I wouldn't consider myself bulimic as it wasn't something I obsessed over. I knew in my mind what I was doing and I would only do it to get my ex to shut up for eating the entire footlong from Subway, etc. After previously being in a Dental Hygiene Program through college, I became a bit more worried about oral health, other than just breath and white teeth. In the program, we did talk about bulimia and the effects it has on the mouth, as well as the rest of the body. Honestly (and I'm sure I'll get ridicule for this), I felt like it wasn't a bad deal if you wanted to lose 10 or 20 lbs. But being I weigh over 300, I would be several 'stomach acid baths' in my mouth, and I nixed it. And no, by no means do I recommend throwing up food. I am just explaining the thought process I've gone through over my weight.
Anywho, I checked out the lap band. I liked that it was less invasive than gastric bypass, but I didn't like the constant bad reports of extreme nausea, the band basically 'going bad' inside the body and insurance not paying to remove it, or even the thought of this huge piece of plastic inside my body. Sure staples are also a foreign substance, but at least its not some huge thing. I also had images in my head of the port somehow wrapping around organs and causing issues. I'm sure our medical technology is great, but the lap band just isn't for me.
Gastric bypass has had huge success. However, I don't like the idea of 'dumping syndrome' when I already have IBS. You're intestines are rerouting so food literally bypasses the stomach. That sounds like a world of trouble! Can't you become malnourished? The 'dumping syndrome' would also totally make sense, since food is just going straight to your bowels. Also, intestines are so long and the idea of moving them around seems way too risky, despite all the successes I've read about.
Then I found the Gastric Sleeve. At first, I thought some 'sleeve' or tube was inserted, and it'd be another big plastic thing like the lap bound. Actually, that's not the case. A majority of your stomach is removed but it's not 'shortened', bringing the bottom of it (where stomach acid sits) closer to your esophagus, making me worry about acid reflux. Instead, the stomach keeps its structure, but the excess of it is removed, making it more of a 'tube' shape than the somewhat kidney bean shape it has. Along with the removed portion of the stomach is a gland that lets out a hormone triggering your appetite. Being that weight has been a problem for most of my life, so I know it'll continue to be an issue in my future, I think cutting out this hormone is a great idea! Yes, you can stretch out your new stomach. But, when you overeat, you're also stretching out your stomach. So, it's like your getting a fresh start, and this time, don't stretch it out! With the Gastric Sleeve, there is not 'dumping syndrome' reported. The surgery is done laparoscopically and no nerves are severed. The more I read about it, the better I felt about it.
More information about weight loss surgery can be found by clicking here. I think this is a great source that keeps things in layman's terms.
So, I went to see my primary physician today about this. She made sure I did my research (which I had done all day and all night for a couple days straight.... thanks insomnia) and finally approved. She is having her assistant set up an appointment with a surgeon she recommends. She recommended that I also attend a seminar to make sure I get all the information about various procedures, without the biased opinions found online. Although, despite people's opinions, I'm still pretty set on the Gastric Sleeve. I will attend the seminar though. She also recommends I join a support group, which I had planned to do post-operatively, but she suggests I do it before hand as well. I wish there was a way to skip this '6 month diet' waiting period for insurance. I've BEEN dieting... what's going to be any different over the next 6 months? Sigh. Oh well, you do whatcha gotta do and it'll be worth it.
Excess Skin and Scaring. Yes, I am not a fan of scars and def a little worried about excess skin. However, I'd rather have to pay for skin removal surgery someday than continue to be FAT! Also, I have scars from my galbladder surgery. They were noticeable at first, but they've faded now and I'd imagine that's what the weight loss surgery scars would do as well. Again, losing weight matters more than a few scars. Also, with the excess skin, I'm hoping I'm young enough that my skin will 'bounce back', but I'll deal with it if it doesn't.
Many view weight loss surgery the way I used to. However, it is no magical surgery. It's not even lipo. It's going to help me a great deal, but I still have to put in the effort in the gym and with eating right. I will still have to make a lifestyle change, regardless. I respect everyone's opinions on this, but this is my choice and I do feel that at this stage, over 300 lbs, this is the right choice for me. Several friends of mine dont approve, so if not all my friends approve, than I dont expect the entire internet to either. However, I am about honesty and so you will only hear the truth from me, good or bad. If I am approved for the surgery, you will hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
XOXO,
Miss Fat Girl
So, I thought back to surgery and other 'desperate attempts'. Sure, I could try just not eating, but a range of problems can come from that, including hair loss and infertility. The same with bulimia. I've thrown up meals before, but I wouldn't consider myself bulimic as it wasn't something I obsessed over. I knew in my mind what I was doing and I would only do it to get my ex to shut up for eating the entire footlong from Subway, etc. After previously being in a Dental Hygiene Program through college, I became a bit more worried about oral health, other than just breath and white teeth. In the program, we did talk about bulimia and the effects it has on the mouth, as well as the rest of the body. Honestly (and I'm sure I'll get ridicule for this), I felt like it wasn't a bad deal if you wanted to lose 10 or 20 lbs. But being I weigh over 300, I would be several 'stomach acid baths' in my mouth, and I nixed it. And no, by no means do I recommend throwing up food. I am just explaining the thought process I've gone through over my weight.
Anywho, I checked out the lap band. I liked that it was less invasive than gastric bypass, but I didn't like the constant bad reports of extreme nausea, the band basically 'going bad' inside the body and insurance not paying to remove it, or even the thought of this huge piece of plastic inside my body. Sure staples are also a foreign substance, but at least its not some huge thing. I also had images in my head of the port somehow wrapping around organs and causing issues. I'm sure our medical technology is great, but the lap band just isn't for me.
Gastric bypass has had huge success. However, I don't like the idea of 'dumping syndrome' when I already have IBS. You're intestines are rerouting so food literally bypasses the stomach. That sounds like a world of trouble! Can't you become malnourished? The 'dumping syndrome' would also totally make sense, since food is just going straight to your bowels. Also, intestines are so long and the idea of moving them around seems way too risky, despite all the successes I've read about.
Then I found the Gastric Sleeve. At first, I thought some 'sleeve' or tube was inserted, and it'd be another big plastic thing like the lap bound. Actually, that's not the case. A majority of your stomach is removed but it's not 'shortened', bringing the bottom of it (where stomach acid sits) closer to your esophagus, making me worry about acid reflux. Instead, the stomach keeps its structure, but the excess of it is removed, making it more of a 'tube' shape than the somewhat kidney bean shape it has. Along with the removed portion of the stomach is a gland that lets out a hormone triggering your appetite. Being that weight has been a problem for most of my life, so I know it'll continue to be an issue in my future, I think cutting out this hormone is a great idea! Yes, you can stretch out your new stomach. But, when you overeat, you're also stretching out your stomach. So, it's like your getting a fresh start, and this time, don't stretch it out! With the Gastric Sleeve, there is not 'dumping syndrome' reported. The surgery is done laparoscopically and no nerves are severed. The more I read about it, the better I felt about it.
More information about weight loss surgery can be found by clicking here. I think this is a great source that keeps things in layman's terms.
So, I went to see my primary physician today about this. She made sure I did my research (which I had done all day and all night for a couple days straight.... thanks insomnia) and finally approved. She is having her assistant set up an appointment with a surgeon she recommends. She recommended that I also attend a seminar to make sure I get all the information about various procedures, without the biased opinions found online. Although, despite people's opinions, I'm still pretty set on the Gastric Sleeve. I will attend the seminar though. She also recommends I join a support group, which I had planned to do post-operatively, but she suggests I do it before hand as well. I wish there was a way to skip this '6 month diet' waiting period for insurance. I've BEEN dieting... what's going to be any different over the next 6 months? Sigh. Oh well, you do whatcha gotta do and it'll be worth it.
Excess Skin and Scaring. Yes, I am not a fan of scars and def a little worried about excess skin. However, I'd rather have to pay for skin removal surgery someday than continue to be FAT! Also, I have scars from my galbladder surgery. They were noticeable at first, but they've faded now and I'd imagine that's what the weight loss surgery scars would do as well. Again, losing weight matters more than a few scars. Also, with the excess skin, I'm hoping I'm young enough that my skin will 'bounce back', but I'll deal with it if it doesn't.
Many view weight loss surgery the way I used to. However, it is no magical surgery. It's not even lipo. It's going to help me a great deal, but I still have to put in the effort in the gym and with eating right. I will still have to make a lifestyle change, regardless. I respect everyone's opinions on this, but this is my choice and I do feel that at this stage, over 300 lbs, this is the right choice for me. Several friends of mine dont approve, so if not all my friends approve, than I dont expect the entire internet to either. However, I am about honesty and so you will only hear the truth from me, good or bad. If I am approved for the surgery, you will hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly.
XOXO,
Miss Fat Girl
Friday, August 3, 2012
100 Days of Real Food - Part 1 of 2
"100 Days of Real Food" is a pretty awesome blog. There's tons of information. I never knew artificial dyes were dangerous, or that wood pulp was in my bag of shredded cheese. This mother of two also posts several recipes for those willing to take a '10 day' or '100 day' pledge. Since I know if I try to go for 100 I would just end up binging on something bad, I opted for the 10 day pledge. However, I've been disappointed so far in most of her recipes I have tried. So, I'm still going with the real food plan, but using her recipes as inspiration. I'm also not frying things in butter, which I was stunned to see on a recipe of hers. I think cutting out processed foods is great, but you cant forget to monitor calories, carbs and fats. I know there are 'good carbs' and 'bad carbs', but too much of even the good stuff can be bad, I say. Too many fruits and you're going a lil crazy on sugar. Too much bread and you're going to be filling up the belly quickly. I guess I don't have any complaints for too many vegetables, except your... how to put this delicately... bodily waste... will prob turn green.
Anywho... I'm currently at the end of day two on the pledge. I dont anticipate to really lose any weight, but since her blog claimed people have lost weight on the pledge, I'm interested in seeing how my body reacts.
Update: Check out the video below to see how the first half of my pledge went.
Anywho... I'm currently at the end of day two on the pledge. I dont anticipate to really lose any weight, but since her blog claimed people have lost weight on the pledge, I'm interested in seeing how my body reacts.
Update: Check out the video below to see how the first half of my pledge went.
xoxo,
MissFatGirl
Sunday, July 29, 2012
What This Blog's About
 |
| when I was skinny |
The point of this blog is to share my journey to not only weight loss, but also a healthier lifestyle. To share what does work for me, and what doesnt.
xoxo,
Miss Fat Girl
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