21 Days, 26 pounds

Yes!   I am seeing a number on the scale that I have not seen in a very long time.   I have lost 26 pounds since my WLS.   Very exciting!

Lots of events in the last couple of weeks:

• I started Stage 2 of my diet over the weekend of March 1, and started getting my energy back and feeling a lot better.  But it was still taking me an hour and a half to get ready to go out.  We put a chair in the bathroom so I could sit down more.
• I returned to work on March 3 full time, with some of that work from home, thanks to a very understanding manager.  
• Thankfully due to weather, my night school classes were cancelled for Monday

 Two weeks post op:

• Returned to my evening classes on March 6.
• First day actually in my corporate office was March 6.

This week:

I am getting stronger, have more energy each day.   Struggling with sleeping well at night, and finding that I need a nap in the afternoon.   When I can get an hour nap in, I am refreshed and ready to go the rest of the day.   Took a nap today after work and before class.   And I am now still going at 11:15 at night.

Last night, I decided it was time to begin introducing the Stage 3 foods.    (whenever you introduce a new food, you want to be at home in case you do not "tolerate" it, which is code for "throwing up".)  So, I cooked up two scrambled two eggs with a little garlic salt.   Following the rules, I had small bites, chewed 22 times, and ate very slowly.   After 40 minutes, I was full, and had consumed just 1 of the 2 eggs.   Our dog was the beneficiary of the other egg. 

HeroFish, who I am going to rename Drill Instructor, is making sure that I am getting my exercise in every day.  I am supposed to be working up to 45 minutes 3-4x a week.   He views that as a minimum.   Every day I am not in class, he drags me out for a walk for an hour, or gets after me to ride our stationary bike.  But I have to say, the pounds are coming off quicker when I am getting exercise in.  So I cannot be too mad at him - he is pushing me b/c he knows it is 

Part of my struggle with getting in the exercise is that most days I am just exhausted after working all day.   And by 8:00 I am really ready to go to bed.  I have not been studying like I should.   

Still working on drinking enough water, getting better sleep, and exercising.   

Big plans tomorrow:  Tuna for dinner!  Woo-hoo!

Thanks for following my progress.    

 

I hate protein powder...

Good news- I am 6 days post surgery, and just by purely not eating anything, I have lost 12 pounds.  

So I am on the first "Stage" of my diet, which is water, clear liquids, and protein.  The protein powder, not kidding, is the grossest thing I have ever had to choke down.   There are lovely inviting names, like Fuzzy Navel, Vanilla Torte, and Strawberry Kiwi.   But they are really really nasty.    And I have to stay on this stage 1 diet until NEXT THURSDAY.    I am going to try and convince the doctor tomorrow to let me advance to stage 2 maybe this weekend.   I think I can make a case that I am an overachiever.  And gifted.

Stage two is where I can add regular protein shakes, like Myoplex.  Real protein drinks that do NOT make me want to choke.  

The nurses were VERY CLEAR about making sure that I stay hydrated, b/c getting dehydrated can really be a setback.  I would end up back in the hospital for a longer stay, and it would just not be good.

Big day tomorrow with a visit to the doctor.   And a return to work - my manager is allowing me to work from home.   More later!

Thank you all for the calls, visits, and cards!   They have been very meaningful to me.   

How to leave SkinnyFish a note

Hello all, this is SkinnyFish!   Thank you to HeroFish for keeping the updates going.  

I've received a few questions on how to leave me a note on the site.  Here's what you want to do: 

1. At the bottom of any of my posts, there is a hyperlink that says "no comments" or "2 comments" (depending on the number of comments)
2. Click on the link.  This opens a blank box where you can leave me a note, a message, a word of encouragement.
3. There is a field called "Comment As".  You will be asked how you want to identify your self.   From the drop down, you can choose anonymous, or your google account, or other account.
4. If you choose anonymous, do me a favor and leave at least your first name.  
5. Click Publish, and you are all done!

Sunday, day 4 post

Good afternoon all. This is HeroFish speaking. We had a good day yesterday. Doctor came by and everything looked good so we got to start our diet. The food tray came and the anticipation was great. Nothing like ice water, cup of lemonade (sugar free), sugar free jello, chicken broth and a packet of protein for the water to brighten up any Fish. Same thing came for dinner and breakfast this morning. SkinnyFish had most of the chicken broth and drank the lemonade. That was it. She had less for dinner(more on this later).


Everything else was good. She had her first shower and loved it. We have been up and down the hall so many times now it looks like Daytona Speedway, ok maybe not Daytona but we did have good walks yesterday. The day perked up with a visit from CosmoFish and DocFish. SkinnyFish really enjoyed CosmoFish and DocFish and I went out on the town. GoldFish joined us for something to eat and then came back to the room to visit SkinnyFish. Good night sleep was had and now today.


I got up and went to participate in Fish Choir. When I returned, around lunch, the doctor had just left and we were granted another night at the I said more later). Skinnyfish needs to have more protein and more to eat and needs to be able to keep it down before being released. She has been taken off the oxygen and the happy juice. This is not a bad thing and we will just have another fun afternoon and evening here. May try out a different hallway on our walks today. Skinnyfish is eating and drinking what she needs to get discharged tomorrow.


Well that is the news of the day. Thanks everyone for your concern and support.

Tour Day 2

Good morning all. HeroFish again. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a decent night sleep actually. I believe I was too tired not to sleep.


So I wake up sometime during the night and I see SkinnyFish sitting on the edge of the bed. I ask if she needs help and she informs me she has gone to the bathroom on her own for the first time and is getting back into bed. She did it again during the night (I did not wake up for that one) and again this morning. I believe she is starting to feel a little more "normal" which means she will probably be a little more uncomfortable. We are waiting for the Cruise Director (doctor) to come by this morning. Today should be a good moving day to hopefully leave tomorrow.


I will speak back with you later when we know more. Thanks to everyone.

Surgery Day

Hello all, this is HeroFish. We are working out technical problems so until such time I will log in under her. I know that is hard to believe since we all know what the tech savvy Fish I am.


Let me run thru the past 25 hours. We arrived here at 5:30 am, I was excited because I would be able to get a good parking space since no one else in the city was up at 5:00 am. (side note, I did not need a good space that bad) "Ms Priscilla" took over once we arrived to get SkinnyFish ready. I have never been called Precious so many times ever. Precious do this and Precious do that. "Ms Priscilla" rules her world.


Our first tour guide of the day was "Rachel". Now that I look back she had it easy. SkinnyFish could not have water, ice chips, nothing the first day. Just these little sponge popsicles to suck on. "Rachel " was great. Then on to our next tour guide, "Katlyn". She was going to have fun. :)  Did you know that when there is a tornado warning in the area that all patients and visitors have to be evacuated into the halls. I tried to stay hidden just like in the college dorm days but we were found. As I may have text last night we got to meet our neighbors and friends. It was like a big campfire, all sitting around in the hall with various forms of monitors and other devices in tow. SkinnyFish did not like all the moving around so she got some medication for her stomach that also made her extra drowsy. (when you give someone, on drugs, that is already in and out of sleep, something that makes them more drowsy it knocks them out, in the chair, in the hallway)


Well we made it back to bed very slowly and "Katlyn" was great. The night went pretty much peacefully except for all the beeping from the monitors and visits from the tour guides (by now I hope no one actually thinks we are on a tour. I am referring to the nurses as tour guides, might call them something else tomorrow). Today she gets to start having clear liquids. Some of our new friends across the hall recommended the auju sauce from Outback. We may try that. Talk to ya'll later, I want to be first in line for breakfast in the café.

T-minus 1 day

At work today I have been keeping it pretty normal. I am between big projects and deliverables, and half the people I work with are attending a conference next week.  They won't really notice that I have been out that long.

Got a pedicure this afternoon, because what proper southern belle heads to the operating room without her paws and claws looking fabulous?  Right?   Got my highlights done on Saturday, so I am really going to look good there on the operating table.  And that is so important.

So today,  I am driving from one office to another today, and in front of me is one of my all-time favorite food trucks.  Locally famous for making incredible gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.  Mocking me.   It will be a very long time before I can even think about having a bite of one of those sandwiches.   Damn.

This pre-op liquid diet is really the pits. But this protein stuff is awesome.  I only consumed about 350 calories yesterday, and less than that today.  

Drinking my lunch is quite the ordeal.  I am too prideful to actually be seen at work with my free shaker because it is emblazoned with the "Center for Obesity" on the side.   I pack  a box of chicken broth, my protein powder to mix in, one container to mix (shake) the broth and protein power and warm it up, and another container to drink it out of.

Sugar Free Jello is my new friend, right next to Sugar Free Popsicles.  

Part of my pre-op instructions were to drink a bottle of Magnesium Citrate.   I had to call my nurse friend and ask what this was for, although I could guess.    I was supposed to drink it at 4:00 PM, but I did not see this on the instructions until almost 8:00 PM.   Tastes like a really really tart sprite.   Not bad, and it is cleaning me out, if you know what I mean.  

I am packed, reviewed living will with HeroFish, taking a copy with us to the hospital tomorrow.

Ok - so HeroFish just ordered me to bed.   We have a 5:30 AM report time to the hospital.   I will be back posting here in a few days.   Gonna let the meds wear off first.  

Thanks for traveling this road with me...

Pre-Op

Pre-Op
Began last week informing close friends and family.  I am amazed by the support.  My dad has challenged me to fit back in my wedding dress.   Challenge accepted.   

There are a lot of rules in Pre-Op.  Start taking this supplement before surgery, stop taking those prescription meds day of surgery, clear liquids for two days before surgery.  And no caffeine.  Yikes.   

I am treating it like another class, making notes, diagramming, making schedules for everything.  And a giant NO list that I am posting on the fridge. 

According to "the manual", I am supposed to stop taking Advil because it has some nasty thing in it called NSAID.  Apparently bad for WLS patients. Cannot take Aleve either, same nasty ingredient.  Up until last Thursday, 7 days pre-op, I was taking 1200 mg a day to relieve foot pain.    I have self-diagnosed plantar fasciitis.  Actually I have no idea what is wrong with my feet - except that I can barely walk when I get up in the morning, and sometimes I feel like someone is driving a nail through the bone in my heel.

So I have replaced my Advil regimin with Tylenol for the last three days, and have some pain relief but not as much as Advil.  Made a note to speak to the Doc about that tomorrow in Pre-Op class.

My husband, HeroFish, went protein powder shopping with me last Sunday.  Man that stuff is expensive, but there's no solid food in my foreseeable future, so I am thinking the grocery budget should work itself out. 

Pasta, red meat, and pork are now on the naughty list.  So this weekend, HeroFish treated me to Italian take-out on Valentines Day, steak dinner at our favorite restaurant on Saturday, and tonight we had BBQ with my parents.   My version of a hat trick.  Or the last supper.

Post - Op day tomorrow.   Upper GI, pre-admission paperwork at the hospital, and a meeting with the dietitian at the WLS center. I've asked HeroFish to come with me.  More on that later this week. 

FAQ

Allow me to introduce you to my family and friends: 

Family

HeroFish - tricked this wonderful, handsome, saint of a man into marrying me 18 years ago.  We just celebrated our 19th Valentines Day together.  He is my supporter, cheering section, best friend, and sweetheart.   "God bless the broken road...that led me straight to you."

AngelFish - Older of two sons, my firstborn, he is immensely talented, artistic, and healthy.  He will finish graduate school in May. The whole family is very proud of him.  He will be job hunting - seeking a collegiate faculty position. I love hanging out with him.  Definitely has his crap together.   

GoldFish - Younger brother to AngelFish by 7 years.  It is funny how different these two brothers are, yet so much alike.   Hard to explain.  GoldFish is athletic, but also musical like his brother.  He is a teenager, and like most boys his age, is pretty much driving us crazy.   He knows everything.  Just ask him.

An older, wiser parent once said to me that God makes teenagers that way on purpose, so that when they leave the nest, it doesn't hurt so much.   Truer words were never spoken.

Friends

Remember that scene in Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, when a car full of supportive, concerned friends are heading over to see another girlfriend who is having a personal crisis?  "Ah hope this isn't a REAL emergency...Ah only brought ONE bottle of vodka."   CosmoFish and FabFish are the ones in the convertible supporting me. Only they are going to need to bring a bottle of WATER.   Love you gals!

CosmoFish - Named for her signature beverage, and for her amazing style.   I think she is especially excited about my WLS, because we might be able to share clothes one day.  THAT will be a very good day, my friend.

FabFish -Because she is fabulous.   Started to call her MarthaFish, because the girl can sling an event together in her sleep, with perfect table settings, perfect decorations, perfect food.   Very Type A,  so in a way, we really balance each other out.  A great mom, and true friend.   Amazing what FabFish can do with her 24 hrs in a day.  

There are many, many more amazing women in my life, and I love you all.    

Sharing my WLS Journey

February 2014
It is four days before WLS (Weight Loss Surgery),  and I am in the middle of my second term of evening "part time" law school (if 12 hours is part time), post-wrestling season for GoldFish, and before AngelFish has his graduate recital in two weeks.  I will be there come hell or high water.  

Why this blog, why now? For two, maybe three reasons: 

First, my friends and family, God love them, are going to want to know how I am doing and to hear about my progress.   That is a lot of email, facebook posts, and calls to make.  I get my Facebook fix once every week or two, and I am terrible at returning calls, not much better at email, and I might as well not have voice mail.  No telling how many voice mail messages I have - I never check them.  Most everyone who knows me should already know this.

Second, this blog is for me.  Not to sound selfish, but post-WLS life will require a lot of discipline and focus.  I figure that blogging 1-2 times a week will keep me faithful.  I want to be reminded how far I have come.  My journey actually began almost a year ago, March 2013, when I attended a seminar at a local doctor's office that specializes in WLS.  

I want to remember everything about the months and weeks before my WLS (Weight Loss Surgery).  This is a change to my lifestyle, a permanent change.  Did I mention that I LOVE FOOD!?!?

Third, some of what I have gleaned about this new life I will have, has come from candid conversations with real people I know who have had WLS.  Three very inspiring women shared their story with me, and encouraged me to make a very bold decision. 

Are you yawning yet?  

Let me start by saying that I have never blogged before.   I will not be identifying myself or my family by name, because I want to make this blog public. 

Comment Policy:
    I welcome your posts and comments. Please do not identify me, my family, my physician, my hospital, or my employer by name in your comments.   Respect our privacy.   And you really do not want to mess with a post-menopausal, food deprived, somewhat sleep deprived woman.   Trust me.


Let me pause here to say that I was just interrupted by GoldFish, who we are treating OTC for a cold/sinus/allergy thingy.   He has huge red whelps across his back, shoulders, and arms.   Being a good mom, after making sure he did not think his throat was swelling shut, told him to drink water and sent him to bed.   I will check on him in the morning...


This blog will be my story...my life...my journey.   Take a walk with me.