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Veggie Mary Update

Made the Veggie Mary this morning with the Bariatric Eating "Pure" unflavored protein product and added a little garlic and pepper - very good. Even tasted the powder by itself - NO FLAVOR! Will order some today - my quest is over!:thumbup:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

2
 

Loathing

How awful is it to absolutely loath a fellow bandster? I really enjoy reading everyone's comments and get a lot of useful info, but there's one community member whose self-satisified, Holier-than-Thou, preachy lectures make me want to scream. That vague school-marmish tone directed at fellow bandsters who've slipped on dietary rules. That "maybe you should question why you have the band" finger wag. What -because you slipped you should get your butt to the doctor and have him take it out because you're just not committed enough?! Everytime I read this bandster's comments I cringe - esp for the person who originally put the question out there looking for positive support and not a smarmy lecture. Even my husband read few of this bandster's posts and had to laugh - his comment is apt - "Get Over Yourself!"!:thumbup:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

2
 

The Apple Don't Fall Far From the Tree?

*Warning - A totally non-WLS rant posted because it's my blog and I'll post what I want to:tt2:   My s-i-l hates to drive at night, so I'll be trucking down to the city to pick up my college age niece. Apparently she has a medical issue which she could've had taken care of at her university health center, but when her mother(my s-i-l) suggested this, my niece had a meltdown and demanded Momma make her an appt at home and fly her in. What a surprise! Momma does what baby wants. She may be 19, but emotionally more like 15...like her group of college friends who hang out together living a "high school but away from home" type of lifestyle. 20-some years ago when I was in college, we were a lot more mature and aware of key world issues. The effect of helicopter parents?! It's scary when my niece tells me she doesn't like kids but wants to teach 'cause she'll get lots of time off. Wow - just who I want educating the future!   Back to the "Apple" topic - my niece is now upset because her mother told the doctor about the problem when she made the appt. Apparently, my niece wanted her to just say that it's for a "check up" (& no - this is not a woman issue)! My s-i-l (rightly so) told her that the doctor needs to know the real reason so as not to waste time. S-i-l wonders what her baby is thinking?!!   RU kidding? Here's where it "falls from the tree"...my s-i-l is a DM2 who tries to deny it. It took 3 years of warnings of pre-diabetes and then 6 mos after diagnosis to get her on oral meds. She's still not testing and tries to "trick" her labs by fasting for several days prior or eating "healthy" the week before. Of course, the numbers are still bad because she's non-compliant and hasn't educated herself. She calls me post doctor visit to report that the doctor wants her on more "meds" because her "numbers are bad" and she feels he's probably getting paid by the pharmacutical companies to give her more "stuff". So I say - "Could be - what new meds does he want? what were your labs?". She says..wait for it.... "I dunno - I wasn't paying attention!". Excuse me? What is more personal than a visit to your doctor - how can you not pay attention when it's your health?? This then leads to a conversation we've had before of how her health plan works and me telling her again to print me a copy and I'll review it...which she forgets - as usual. I guess I'm not too surprised as this is some one who wishes she were back in high school, doesn't read the paper or watch the news, and threw a fit when her boss told her she was going to have to take some tech classes - started crying and shouting that she "didn't want to learn anything new!" I'm actually fond of my s-i-l as apart from the tendency to gossip she is a very kind and non-judgmental person(wish I could be more like that) - but I often feel like I'm dealing with a child.   Not surprising - her mother (my m-i-l) is the same way. No, she doesn't want to go back to high school - instead she's fiercely independent...sort of. She's moderately more aware of what's going on in the world, but so flightly she only grasps half the story. When she doesn't get her own way - or doesn't get buy-in from the "fam" she just goes off and does whatever she wants then let's the rest of us pick up the pieces, the tab...whatever. When it comes to medical issues - see above. She takes whatever scripts the doctor writes but doesn't know why..."I'm not going to take this Liptor anymore - I don't feel any different...". She's still seeing this ancient doc-in-box who treated her mother. She nixed her prior doc because the doctor did an Alzheimer's test on her and was concerned enough to contact my s-i-l. Par for course, my m-i-l wanted my s-i-l to keep it a secret - Right! Her driving skills have always been sub-par and now they're even worse. Sunday night was a classic - when after two glasses of wine she was red-eyed, staggering and slurring but refused to give up her keys or let someone else drive her home and my s-i-l tells me, "She's not drunk - I'd know!"(sorta like, "She doesn't have memory issues - I'd know!") I'm torn between making a confidential call to the DMV before she hurts someone or herself or just stepping back and letting her kids take responsibility. Sigh - good to vent and hope it gives my readers a laugh; I'm sure plenty of you are in the boat.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

2
 

Family Gathering Miracle

Went shopping with the s-i-l on Saturday and no comments about my weight etc. Victory! Except for a question about whether or not I can eat asparagus as I was invited to a "cook out" at her house on Sunday...   What a surprise to arrive at my s-i-l's on Sunday to find a variable crowd of people there including my hardly ever seen b-i-l and his wife. Gee - on Saturday is was just me, s-i-l, and my three nieces. Kinda felt like I was being paraded out like a trick pony! Even more interesting - not a word from anyone re; the surgery/weight loss - but you should've heard the tongues wagging whenever I left the room and seen them checking out my plate! I managed a well-chewed half of a burger, a teaspoon each of beans and pasta salad and two asparagus spears. Hey - whatever as long as the endless comments stop. I have no doubt the phone lines are burning up today and it was par for the course to hear my b-i-l comment as they were leaving, "Jill looks like the same fat-ass as ever!" Sweet - good times!:thumbup:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

3
 

Good Recipe Idea...or not?

Thought of a great way to get my veggies and breakfast out of the way: * 1 cup Low Sodium V8 * 1 pkt Veggie Powder * 2 scoops of Vitamin World Non-Soy Veggie Protein Powder * Horseradish/Worchestershire Sauce to taste   Ta Da! "Veggie Mary"!   Great idea until I added the Vitamin World product...turned gritty with an awful flavor. I've tried this stuff in various hot and cold applications - supposed to be flavorless - WRONG - it is awful regardless. I'm going to try this again tomorrow using Bariatric Eating's "Pure" and see if it's any better.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

4
 

Baby Talk?

This is a big "yuck" for me and I'm noticing it more and more - women who are either obese or have had WLS and are in the losing process or at their optimal weight - who insist on using infantile behavior, verbalizations or facial gestures. My latest support group meeting had a fine representation of this...and I'm spelling this as it sounded so my readers can get the vibe: - "I ate too much yesterday and I'm a aufwade my widdle pouch got stretched!" - "I've sooo much weight my pants are too big!" (Lower lip stuck out and shoulder shrug - not unlike my 5-yr-old niece) - "You people just don't understand - foot stomp - I can't resist ice cream and my husband ate it in front of me so I told him "I hate you!" and I ran to the bathroom in tears!"   I've also noticed it on TV too - Ruby - God bless her for her courage but really - do you have to hang all over your guy friends whining and trying to get them to focus only on you? Are you that insecure?   I don't see big guys doing this so I wonder - is it a coping mechanism? Sort of like - "Yeah - I'm severely over weight so to make you either like me or feel sorry for me, I'm going to act like a cutesy little girl!" It's not cute when Pamela Anderson pulls that crap on Dancing with the Stars - in fact it's not cute when any woman over the age of 17 plays this angle!:thumbup:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Good Info & Good Eats

As anyone who reads my blog can guess, I love to read. Working my way through Before & After by Susan Maria Leach. When you get past some of her waxing poetic about her wonderful life and how magic everything is now that she's lost weight, there's some substantially good info - like how to figure out your protein needs. There are also some great recipes. Someone in my local support group recommended BariatricEating.com which is Ms. Leach's company. I got the book when I ordered some product samples. Here's a shameless plug - the IsoPure Grape Frost is great as is the Believe Italian Cappuccino!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

The No-Progress Zone

Lost 10 pounds the first week after surgery; lost 31 in the three months prior. Have gained four pounds; then dropped two. My husband asked me what the point of the surgery was, since it was my own efforts that made the most significant change? Good Question. I have no restriction, and can eat normal foods, although the oddest things make me queasy - today it was two pretzels I ate as a precurser to my Oracea. The first fill is next week...I haven't been doing as well as I should with my protein shakes, so I actually had to force myself to work in a few extras yesterday which helped on the scale. A lot of the time I'm not hungry, so I find myself going too long between meals and then being ravenous.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Easter Dinner

My turn to host the Easter dinner - after I had to convince the "fam" that no, the gastric band procedure did not remove my abilities in the kitchen! Par for the course - despite the fact that I had a whole dinner arranged, my m-i-l had to bring not only the scratch rolls(which I asked her to make - but not enough to feed 20 people), but also a pie and two dozen sweet rolls - for six people?! My s-i-l brought a salad(which I asked her to) but also a pasta salad and a fruit salad in heavy, sugary sauce - again, we're talking 5 adults and a toddler. Of course my s-i-l has DMII but doesn't "believe" she's a diabetic and doesn't like to eat the "healthy stuff" I make. That's defined as veggies you can recognize, not hidden in over sauced cassoroles. So she has to bring her own "contributions" which load up most of her plate.   Upon arriving my m-i-l says, "How's your little diet going?!" (still clueless no matter how many times I've explained the procedure) and my s-i-l; aka the MegaPhone Mouth from the Motor City starts the questions - "How much have you lost?", "Are you going to eat?", "Can you eat this?", "Can you eat that?" I just about lost it!   So, when everyone arrived and was hanging out before chow time I said something to the effect of, "This is it - get your questions in now, because I'm not going through this at every family get together nor am I going to give you material to gossip to any and everyone about me, my procedure, why I had it, what I eat, don't eat, wear/no longer wear etc! It's getting boring for everyone and since some of you can't respect my privacy, I simply am not going to put it out there." No sooner than I left the room, my s-i-l is grilling my husband! God love him - I could hear him tell her, "You heard with Jill said - let it go!" Later my nephew caught me in the kitchen and thanked me for having the "balls" to stand up to the "gossip girls"!:thumbup:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

5
 

A Trip to the Tailor

I'm blessed with a really great tailor - Chris. Her s-i-l had lapband so she gets it. She's also straight up about what she can and can't do. I really hate shopping - I've said it before - even when I was a size 8/10 I hated it. So I naively thought that I'd just had everything taken in - they do it with wedding gowns don't they? Well, Chris had me try on what I brought including a couple of brand new size 24 Charter Club "Allison" pants..which were too small when I bought them in January. She was honest - they were too big to take in and the inseam(crotch) was so low it just wasn't flattering. So I guess it's time to face facts and go through my closets - Consignment stores here I come! Oh - my shoes are now loose too. Better not let my husband see the shopping bags!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Some Real Nutritional Info - From a Reliable Source

Met with my NUT practice today(not the one affliated w/my surgeon). I explained that I was confused about what to eat and how much(don't know about everyone else, but I've gotten so many conflicting tidbits that I've got pages of notes). So the ladies get out the ADA Pocket Guide to Bariatric Surgery - Appendix C - LAGB Stages and Postadjustment Diet Instructions. Right there on the front it says, "Note: There is no evidence supporting a specific diet transition. Expert opinion suggests (a) a staged approach; ( diet advanced as tolerated. Some other notes of interest: Stage III (whole grain crackers may be added to eat with protein) StageIV (your calorie needs are based on height, weight , age and activity - so much for the "1,000 calorie" pat answer)   Another great help was the ADA's EatRight - Bariatric Surgery Blended and Pureed Nutrition Therapy which provided a Sample Menu by Hour with amounts to consume - you are literally eating or drinking every hour from 8am to 10pm! I had no clue - so this will help as I go through the stages again following my fills.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Ashamed to Admit It

I am starving. I am finding that a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of mush does nothing for me and I'm hungry 45 minutes later. I am finding I can eat things like chocolate(melts in your mouth), ice cream and oddly enough - Doritos(crunch down to nothing). So I've gained 3 pounds. I have no fill so the hungry doesn't surprise me but I am disappointed that after the sheer agony of the three month pre-surgical diet, I am cheating. Am I bored with my food choices(Hell Yes!) Is it a good excuse - No. Fill day can't come soon enough - maybe in the meantime my doctor could prescribe a good appetite suppressant!?!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

5
 

What it Cost!?

Since January, $41,683 has been billed to my insurance company for services related to my procedure. The entire surgical charge was $26,829 - excluding the anesthesia. The procedure itself was billed at $17,735 - for a 45 minute pop. What's funny is my carrier's Reasonable & Customary for the surgery alone is $3,130 - so that's what Ellis gets paid. My portion of the entire surgical day - $389. My entire portion of the surgical process plus lead up - $1,482.00 I couldn't pay what they billed my carrier - who could? I'd be curious to see what my charges would've been if I'd pay out-of-pocket cash. Ellis will of course, write of the difference between billed/paid and my coinsurance on their taxes. Is it any wonder real reform is needed?
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

The Nick of Time

(Making up for not blogging for a few days) I realize just how lucky I am to have had my procedure before health care reform really kicks in as who knows what might be "excluded" down the road. Plus, as a result of all the pre-surgical testing I've been checked from head to toe and found to be in excellent health despite my weight and Type II diabetes. I consider myself very lucky that if I am able to tackle the weight problem, I can likely avoid the heart disease, stroke and osteoarthritus history prevalent in my family, and perhaps a recurrence of my breast cancer. Three weeks post-surgery and my doc has reduced my Metformin to once a day and my testing reveals BG within normal(non-diabetic) values - Yea!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

2
 

New Drawers!

So - I'm down from a size 24/26 to around an 18/20 and my underwear was just too big, so I had to go buy some new big girl panties. The experience, though a positive (smaller size) was some what daunting. Why? Well, all the winter clearance sales are going on and there are some sweet deals but as I cruised the racks I realized that by this time next year I have no idea what size I might be. Will I have lost significant weight or just a couple of sizes? So I comfort myself by remembering that I've spent the past 10 years getting to be this big all while continuing my career so whew - I'm covered...I have clothes of all sizes! That is until I remember that a few years ago in a fit of "let's get real - you'll never be anything but a 3x " I donated all those clothes to Dress for Success. What's the problem? Even years ago when I was an 8/10 I HATED shopping and still do. Over the years I've built a wardrobe of quality classics - "investment pieces" so that at most I buy a new item or two with the emphasis on that which always fits - Shoes & Purses. Now I'm going to have to see just how much my tailor can alter what I've got and push myself into the dreaded - FITTING ROOM w/ MIRRORS:eek:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

The Cookie Jar

When I was a little girl, my grandmother had a "tattletale" cookie jar. It was what Grandmama called a "German Hausfrau" - the part that held the cookies was her full skirt of dotted swiss and the top was her head and torso. She was a plump lady(the cookie jar - not Gran) with a kerchief over her curly hair; rosy cheeks and her mouth was an open "O". One arm was raised and held a rolling pin the other hand was raised with one finger caught mid-wag as in "naughty - naughty". When you lifted her torso to get a cookie, a voice box in the torso would cry out "Mama! Mama!". That cookie jar came to mind the other day when reading some of the comments other bandsters post. If you're a doctor, nurse or other bariatric professional, please say so. If not, if you're just like me - banded and providing your anecdotal account of what you're going through, please - for the sake of your readers - drop the preachy, holier than thou, dogmatic, goody-2-toes, "I always do just what my doctor, nurse etc say to do delivery of your message. Reading it can be a real burn-out:w00t:!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Conflicting Info

From the beginning, I've been getting a different story from the various members of my Bariatric team. Yesterday I had my first post-op visit. I thought it would be the surgeon, but instead it was a nurse. Now, two weeks after surgery they tell me not to twist at the waist as I might get a muscle spasm(yes, thanks - did that the other night in bed), that for the first week after surgery I was to eat 2 tbsp at each meal(Pre-surgery it was 1/4 -1/2 cup), that I should not drink while eating and for an hour after(Pre-surgery it was no liquid 30 min before and 45 min after), no fresh veggies or fruit for 4 months(Pre-sugery it was 5 weeks) I'm getting so mired in the rules that it's almost easier not to eat!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

3
 

Post Surgical Follow Up

Wow - it really blew me away - the sheer number of people in the waiting room for post-surgical follow up, but I guess if they're doing 5-6 a day, 6 days a week it makes sense.   Healing okay - first fill will be 4/14. Getting real tired of puree. Nurse was running an hour behind schedule so by the time I got out of there, I'd driven an hour down, been in the office for two and a half hours and face a rush hour drive home. I was starving! Went to McDonalds and got a small coffee, small fry and a snack wrap. Coffee and fries went down okay - snack wrap made a grand reappearance. Definitely a learning experience!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

The Neighbor from Hell

When we moved from VA six years ago, we found that most of our neighbors were really friendly - except for one couple. From the get-go these people would not say "Hello" or even acknowledge us. We live across the street and two doors down - within eye and ear shot. After witnessing a few incidents of some rough treatment by the parents to their kids and each other, we figured we were blessed NOT to have made their acquaintence.   So imagine my surprise last holiday season when I was up on a ladder helping the hubs hang lights. He was out of sight(on the roof) when I hear a loud voice(rocking a Sopranos accent) call out, "OMG Should someone that SIZE be on a ladder!?!" It was Mrs. Charming Neighbor. Neither my husband and I acknowledged the comment. I sure clarified for me why they didn't like me/us - my weight - what else could it be?   Several weeks later we attended a neighborhood Christmas party. I was floored when our next door neighbor extended her sympathies - apparently she'd heard from Mrs. Charming Neighbor that my husband and I were having problems?! Huh - apparently the fact that my husband was out-of-town for a week long business trip, followed by a trip back to VA to finalize the sale on the house equaled him "leaving me"!? A couple of weeks after that, we had our 6 and 8 year-old niece and nephew spend the weekend while mom & dad a some time off. We don't have kids of our own. Was I surprised to hear the rumor that we were only allowed visitation rights?! Ugh! Today was the icing on the cake. I'm out cleaning up the yard in prep for my spring planting, when I hear Mrs. Charming Neighbor bellow, " Looks like LardAss has finally lost some weight!" Ah, but this time Ms. Nice Girl didn't keep her mouth shut - I bellowed right back, "You're right and thanks for noticing! Too Bad Your Mouth Is As Fat As Ever!" My husband - who took the day off -was rolling with laughter in the garage!:mad:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

5
 

Going for Broke on the Laugh Track

My 25-year-old niece just called to see how I'm doing. She tells me she expects to see me in a bathing suit this summer. Laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Really - when you weight 283 at your highest, regardless of how much weight I lose, the end product is a saggy Sharpei in a swimsuit. I may be healthy at the end of this, but I ain't going to be a looker.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

3
 

Today's Laugh

S-i-l#1 called today on the pretext of asking me a legal question. "So how much have you lost?" Rather than give JabberJaws more fuel for her gossip machine I just said, "a bit". Hee Hee - it was fun to listen to her squirm: "...so how much did you weigh at the start?" * "Too much for my frame" "...how much do you plan to lose?" * "Enough to lower my BMI to a normal range." "Will you ever weigh what you did when I first met you?" * "Who knows - do you know what you weighed when I met you?"   God - One good BM and I turn into such a Bee-Atch!   Sidebar - Yes, I'd love to weigh what I did then (140) and it's definately a goal, but is it realistic that I could go from 283 to 140 - Not very likely!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Finally Regular?

Started on pureed foods yesterday - first veggies in how long? Had my first real BM in over two weeks - Whoo Hoo & gross - I know.
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
 

Low Level Panic Attack

Today while getting dressed, I bumped the area where I think the port is - won't actually know until Monday's post surgical follow up. Man did that ever hurt. I started thinking about this foreign body inside me and starting thinking weird thoughts like...what if I go nuts and yank this thing out?...what if I freak out and jump in my car and drive to the doctor's and beg to have it removed...I got all sweaty and had to get a drink of ice water and go outside to clear my head. Perhaps it's just a case of sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't!
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

2
 

No More Ms. Nice Girl or Just A Feel Good Rant?!

Sometimes my friends and family make me want to scream, but being a "Nice Girl" I force a polite smile on my face and role with it.   Today I'm just putting it out there because its better than screaming and scaring the you-know-what out of the dog!   Sister-in-law #1 aka "Jabber Jaws". I'd have thought that after my husband, her brother, Mr. Calm-Cool & Collected got pissed off when she spoiled the surprise of our moving into the area(hence de-railing the big party we'd planned) that she'd have learned her lesson? Apparently not as she had to tell simply everyone that I'd had a hysterctomy after I specifically asked her not to.   I guess telling her that this was a "personal journey" wasn't clear enough or perhaps it just didn't matter to her. Imagine my surprise when not half an hour after I'd confided in her, my mother-in-law called to offer her opinion i.e., "I just heard from Lisa...if you just tried a little harder...".   Since then, people she's blabbed to are coming out of the wood work. People who are merely acquaintences are calling for the details. Some friend of hers from downstate called and told my my s-i-l had been, "keeping her in the loop" re; my ongoing "saga". Are you kidding me?! Gee - how long until the local paper or news team arrives at the door? How weird is it that a friend of my husband heard about my surgery from his mother who heard it from the postman(no lie). :eek: The flip side of this is the pseudo concerned - Sister-in-law #2. We see this side of the family once or twice a year. They mostly hang with her people and tend to look down their noses at our side of the family as we aren't of the same political views. S-i-l #2 called yesterday: "I heard you had surgery!" (me) "Yes" "So you're doing okay? No one tells me anything!" (me)"I'm fine..." (don't even get to finish what I'm saying when S-i-l #2 cuts me off to, as usual, talk about herself and her family..."It's a shame it had to come to this. Oh well, we're having a great time down in VA...Bob is going to run a marathon, and Billy is at Lacrosse camp and all I do is shop and ...Okay - talk to you later - Bye". What the hell was the point of this call - so you can say you've done your duty? I've been married to my husband for over 15 years and I have yet to attend a family function where these people have ever let someone finish talking or expressed any real interest in what's going on in anyone else's life:eek:
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

5
 

Good Read (kinda like "Good Eats")

Just like the band is a tool, I have found another helpful "tool" which helps me slow down my eating habits - Reading! Now, I know you're not supposed to do anything else while eating - like watching TV, but frankly, just how slowly can you consume a protein shake? Sometimes I'm having one while I'm blogging but I've also found that reading an educational book works as well.   I'm currently reading, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl, by Lisa Delaney and Diabesity by Francine R. Kaufman, M.D..   I especially liked this quote from Secrets of a Former Fat Girl as it rang true for me:   "INO(Its Not An Option) was invaluable in helping me overcome my need to please and my talent for rationalizing that putting other people first - just about at all cost - was somehow the noble thing to do....It helped give me the courage to break out of the Fat Girl mold that other people expected me to conform to, and start living my own way."
RavenClaw779

RavenClaw779

1
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