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Blog of Change

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Two More Days Until The Big Day!

After two weeks of midterms at school, spring break is finally here! No Cancun vacation for me though. One full week off without worrying about anything but my surgery on Thursday. During midterms, my mind was completely off the idea of my surgery; so now I have been spending the first few days of spring break buying my protein and liquids.   I had to read through and initial the consent form that thoroughly explained all the possible complications and risk of my surgery which left me feeling worried and anxious. My mom's worries about the surgery didn't help my anxiety. But after speaking with one of the members of my support group and reading through tons of success stories on here I am finally calm about my surgery. Obviously nervousness is normal before a major surgery, but I am finally back to that excited state I was in before that consent form.   Tomorrow I start my liquid diet for 24 hrs before my surgery. I'm going to try to keep myself busy so I don't think about food. I've been enjoying the really warm weather with my dog, Lily, by taking her to the dog park Monday and the dog-friendly beaches in Connecticut today. I think we'll head upstate to walk by the Hudson River. I really love spending my days off with her because I don't get this chance so much while in school.   Pre-Op photos and measurements to come!
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

2
 

Week #4 + Easter

Easter At the last minute, I decided to go to Easter dinner with my family. I brought soup and Diet Snapple for me to enjoy while my family ate a lavish meal that looked delicious! It really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be to watch them all eat. I just passed on the appetizers and pasta, but took a little ham and mashed broccoli casserole. I couldn’t resist having a taste of my brother piece of cheesecake, but I think that’s what did me in at the end and I got sick. Worth it. haha It was nice to pass up on all the desserts for once because those are usually my favorite part of the meal. In the end, I’m happy I went to spend time with my family who I hadn’t seen in awhile.   Week 4 It’s hard for me to want to eat breakfast in the morning. I really force myself to have a protein shake because it’s the easiest to just grab and go. It’s so weird to not have an appetite, sometimes I just think about food and I feel nauseous.   Exercise Goal for the week: 45 mins of anything a day + the number of steps I take on campus everyday.   Weigh in:
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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The Day Before

Liquid diet is here! It isn't too bad, but I could not honestly imagine doing this for more than 24 hours. Props to those who have to!   Tomorrow is my big day! It feels like these past few months have flown by. It's been a mix of emotions, but right now I am pretty calm. Hopefully this feeling will last through the time I have to report to the hospital at 10:15am for my 1:00pm surgery.   I hope God's hands will be guiding my surgeon and his nurses as they work on me tomorrow. I'm so fortunate to have a great support system in place to help me through this. I can't wait to update as soon as I'm able.
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

2
 

Family Goals

This leads me to family goals. I’m inadvertently very close to my immediate family, (mom and 2 brothers), mainly because we all still live together under the same roof. We often drive each other crazy, but have come to an agreement to change our bad eating habits and start being active. As a family, we’d like to take part in a race (walk or run) for a cause. It’s an idea that will not only help us meet our physical goals but also raise money and awareness for an organization. We’re thinking the Avon Walk for breast cancer in October for my grandma and aunt who are survivors. I’d like to do one for heart disease, which has affected my family greatly. Another family goal is to celebrate big occasions, holidays, and birthdays in other ways than just a sit down dinner with a tremendous amount of food. This Easter I would like for my entire family to help out a local soup kitchen. We are so blessed in our lives and should share our good fortune with others. Another idea is do some sort of activity, like walk over the Brooklyn Bridge or visit the Natural History Museum. Yes, we have to eat, but we don’t need to be stationary the whole day. Also, healthier choices can be put on the menu during family meals when dinner is inevitable. Sugar plum fairies will no longer be invited to our Christmas festivities.   Change is a process, and family traditions will probably be the hardest to evolve into healthier forms of celebration. I know it’ll be worth the effort!
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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The Big Day!

Surgery Day   I registered at the hospital around 10:00am on March 15, 2012 with my brother. After a few minutes in the waiting room, I was taken to a room to be prepped. I changed into my gown, had IV put in my arm, and answered all the nurses’ prep questions. My mom arrived about 12pm and the rolled me into the OR at 1pm. It was freezing in there, but once my oxygen mask was on, the anesthesia kicked in and I passed out.   Recovery   I woke up really groggy and in excruciating pain. My face, neck, and chest had blown up because trapped the air used in the laparoscopic procedure. I had no idea until I saw myself in the mirror and the Nutty Professor was staring back. No one seemed really worried, except my mom who said I was unrecognizable. Once I was wheeled into my room on the pediatric floor, my doctor visited me for a brief moment and said that the trapped air was possible and should be released back into my system with a few weeks. Other than my freaky appearance, I couldn’t breathe normally because of the air around my lungs. I was constantly short of breath and it was just painful to breathe, especially in my right side when I breathed deeply. They gave me the ability to press a button whenever I wanted more pain meds pushed into my IV. When my doctor visited a second time he said I had gone a little overboard and they took me off it and put my on Tylenol. That was really no help managing the pain, but I withstood it without complaining too much. I later learned that I really should have complained more because I should have never been in so much pain while in the hospital. I survived and I know it could have been a lot worse. My nurses were wonderful, everyday. I could tell they really cared about my wellbeing during and after my hospital stay. Saturday morning, it took them a little long to get me on my way after my doctor discharged me in the morning.
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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Approved And Surgery Date!

Back tracking a bit—I was approved on February 10, 2012 which made it a one week wait to hear back from my insurance company. I have scheduled my surgery date for March 15, 2012! Equally excited and nervous. Now, I am preparing myself and my home for post-surgery.
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

2
 

Week #3

Week #3   It has definitely become difficult to not eat normally with people who don’t know my situation. I tend to just order soup, tea, and coffee or try to redirect plans to more active than just eating out. Easter is coming up, and I don’t think I will be able to sit and watch as my family eats wonderful foods and I’m stuck eating mush. I think I will try to do something instead.   My Thursday weigh-in   Only lost 1.5 lbs on my scale at home then gained it back once I went to the doctors to be weighed, so I think I am at a stall. After reading everyone’s reaction to their stalls, I think I was prepared for it and now need to figure out what I need to change (water/protein intake) to start losing weight again. I definitely need to start an exercise regime. I know I have been saying that for what seems like forever now, but I just got to set a goal and do it! After the doctors I met with my nutritionist, who I love! She so great! She’s went over everything Ive been doing these past few weeks and how I can progress into my next stage of foods. Now, everything must be thinly pureed, but I can have eggs, lean meat/fish, blended veggies! Very happy about my change in food. Today was also our monthly support group meeting, which I also love! Everyone is so supportive and friendly. I love catching up with everyone and seeing how their progress is continuing. Our nutritionist runs the meeting and the topics was carbs. Very helpful info!   Weigh in: 255.5 (lost 1.5 lbs)
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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Support

Family: During winter break, I spoke seriously with my mom about considering the option of surgery. It’s not that I needed her permission since I am an adult (even though I’ll always be her baby), but I will always want my mom’s approval on anything I do in life. Heck, I needed her to ok my bedroom paint color before I could decide! She’s never stood in my way with anything I really wanted if she felt it was sensible and appropriate. She was initially weary (still is) but has become my greatest supporter from the very beginning. She knows how badly I want/need this tool to live my life properly. I was a little worried about telling my brothers because they are big-mouths But I know they could be a great source of support. My oldest brother is thin and never had to struggle with his weight, whereas my middle brother had yo-yo’d a bit while he was in college and undergoing a lot of stress in his life. He is at a healthy weight now, but I know he would like to be more active. He has become very interested in my journey since the beginning and has pledge to be apart of the healthy eating in our house. I’m shocked to see how involved he has become in my progress, and I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t told my older brother because he hasn’t been home recently, but I plan to eventually. I truly hope that my weight loss journey will become a family-lifestyle change that will prolong our time together.   Friends: I love my friends like family, and we are motley crew of personalities. Yet, I never spoke to my friends about my weight, even with those who have struggled with their own weight. I just never felt compelled to go in depth about my issue, though we would sometimes workout together or share low-fat recipes. Maybe we will begin to share our war stories, but I don’t feel the need to explain to them my reasoning behind going through with the surgery.
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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About Me

Let me introduce myself..   Hi there! You have stumbled upon my blog about my experience with vertical sleeve surgery. If you stick with me, I promise to have frequent status updates, funny anecdotes, and pure honesty about my journey from thick to thin, flabby to fit, hot mess to hot stuff!   I'm a 22 year old New Yorker with a lot to lose! I’m a senior in a college in the Bronx with only three more months until graduation: super excited (even without a job lined up for afterwards). I know I shouldn't rush it, but I can't wait to get out into the real world. I've been blessed to go to a great school, travel/study abroad each year, and work hard to earn everything I have.   I want to keep this blog as journal to remember the steps I’ve taken to change my unhealthy life and be able to look back on how far I’ve come. I want to share my story with others who may be thinking about starting their own journey to a healthy and happy life. What will be included: my weekly happenings, weight loss goals, healthy diet change- ups, fun exercise ideas, family love, one furry dog, and tons of funs!
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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My Motivations

My age and stage-in-life is one of my biggest motivations for me to start living a healthy lifestyle. I hope my bad habits, like overeating and laziness, will be easier to break if I start now, rather than wait. I want to really start enjoying my 20s and stop being held back by my weight. At my heaviest, I was 298 about 2 yrs ago and have yo-yo’d from that to my lowest at 255 (when I was abroad). Now I am around 281.   Health: Another motivation is my health and the health of my family. As of now I have no co-morbidties, but with a BMI of 44 they are bound to creep up on me. My family history consists of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer: unfortunately, the lives of my loved ones were taken too soon because of weight issues. My dad passed away from a heart attack when I was 7 yrs old. He is a big motivator looking down from heaven. He is a great reason why I want my family to change our eating habits and activity level. Since I still live at home with my mom and one of my brothers, it means so much that they are ready to support me by changing and living healthier too. We have already made family goals, like run/walk a race for a charity next fall together and instead of celebrating birthdays with food, we will do something instead. At dinner, we’ve cut out ice tea (filled with sugar) and traded it to diet tea and water. We’ve stopped eating white bread and never bring whole milk into the house. I think these are great steps to prepare our kitchen for life after surgery.   Energy: I have been chubby since birth, but my mom made sure I was active: I did swim team, dance, gymnastics, T-ball, basketball, and lacrosse. It didn’t help my weight problem, but it kept me actively running around. Since high school, I have stopped any form of activity other than some gym memberships, here and there. Now, I get winded walking around campus and feel like I’m going to die trekking up flights of stairs to get to class. I’m ready to be active and finally have energy.
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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My Medical Team And Program

Seminar: I first heard about WLS (specifically vertical sleeve) in October 2011 from my mom's co-worker who had it done over the summer and having wonderful success with weight loss. In December, I attended a seminar at the same program he attended where I learned about the different types of options and met the medical team of the program. began researching through the internet for more medical info, personal blogs and vlogs on Youtube, and anything I could find about WLS.   Consultation: My consultation with the doctor was a bit abrupt because he was distracted with his little son in the office. (I just hope he’s not distracted when he’s operating!!) He apologized for the craziness that was this appointment and spoke with me and my mom briefly about how the surgery would enable me to take full advantage of the opportunities in life. I was already set on having the procedure, but my mom needed a little more convincing. So she searched for as much medical information on the surgeon as possible. She was very impressed with his credentials and how long he had been working in bariatrics.   Nutritionist: I had a meeting with my nutritionist over the phone for about an hour. We went over my current diet, how to make smarter food choices, the specific diet I will be on after the surgery, and the list of vitamins I will be taking. She was fantastic and speaking to her assured me I was doing the right think within the right program!   Insurance: It took me about 2 weeks to get together all information I needed to send to my insurance to get approval for the surgery. I collected: a letter from my past nutritionist with the dates I attended and daily food logs; Weight Watchers receipts and points logs; past gym memberships; and weight charts since I was in grade school.   Psychologist: My psych evaluation was quick and painless. He had me fill out a questionnaire about different emotions I was feeling at that time. For the most part, I answered very positive because that’s just how I felt in general. I told him that if I had taken this assessment back when I was a senior in high school and had initially thought of WLS, the answers might have been different and a little more negative. At that point in my life, I wanted it for all the superficial reasons because I was very worried I wouldn’t be accepted or make any friends in college. Now, after looking back, I have matured greatly and know that I want to go through the surgery for the chance of a brighter future. I couldn’t be happier with my experience in college and am totally more optimistic about where I’m headed in life. Now, I just want my lifestyle to reflect that. He said I was psychologically sound for the surgery.     As of now, I wait to hear back from my insurance company. Finger crossed!
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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Week #1

My First Week   Staying home from school and work for a second week after Spring Break was amazing; although I wasn’t feeling so amazing. I had a really hard time breathing, my lung capacity was being blocked by the trapped air. Granted, I still looked like an Air Head. My surgeon still said it was normal that the gas was there and it would leave eventually. I went to my primary doctor on Monday for my follow up appointment and she was worried, tried to get in contact with my surgeon and ordered me to the ER. Kind of a waste of time because the doctor there said he would have to just speak with my surgeon again and monitor my vitals. I guess it is better to be safe, than sorry. I was released after about 2 hours with the same explanation my surgeon gave me over the phone. Major waste of $300 L But he was going to visit me ad run a CT scan to check, but I was already gone. So Monday and Tuesday were rough.   My other pain came from my shoulders. Many people on this forum said this was pain from gas. It really was bothersome whenever I’d go to walk my dog, but be fine once I sat back down on the couch. In addition I had a pain in my right side whenever I would try to breathe in deep.   By Wednesday (my mom’s birthday), I was finally feeling relief in my lungs and able to breathe better. Therefore, the pain was lessening with everyday. By Thursday I was finally feeling like myself which was great! As the days passed, I would feel better and better. Saturday, my mom and I took my dog, Lily to the beach in Connecticut! It turned out to be a beautiful, but cold day and we really enjoyed it.   In order to sleep, I formed a reclining pillow pile on my bed to finally find a comfortable position. Forget about sleeping on my side! As for my diet, I was allowed water, protein shakes, SF pops, SF jello, broth, Gatorade, and greek yogurt/Dannon Light N Fit. I’m stuck in this stage for 3 full weeks. Killer, but manageable.   While home, I had no distractions other than walking and TV so it was very difficult for me to fit off “head hunger.” Watching the Food Network was no help either! I couldn’t tell when I was hungry or full, so I emailed my nutritionist (who is awesome!) and she told me to realize to up my protein and water intake. WHAT A WEEK!     Weigh-in: 262 (lost 19 lbs)
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

0
 

Week #2

Week #2   Back to classes and work! I was definitely ready, physically and tried to prepare my self mentally for how to schedule my ‘mini meals’ around my normal schedule. I find packing my lunch, which consists of 4 oz of any approved foods for my first 3 weeks, the night before made my morning less hectic. Normally, I’ll have 4oz of Atkins RTD protein shake for breakfast (in a tumbler to take on the run!). I pack a mixed Greek yogurt (favorite: Fage at the moment) with a little Dannon Light N Fit (favorite: Peach or Coconut) together, a protein-filled jello each in a 4 oz Glad tuberware, and baby spoon with an ice pack. In the looks for a not-so-nerdy lunch box. Also I take a 28oz bottle of water, but I can barely get through half. I used to drink 2 a day! Really need to focus of my water intake. I don’t want to end up in the hospital for dehydration. I’ve heard so many stories of this happening to patients. Not worth the medical bill!!   Itchy incision scars!! Sooooo itchy sometimes. I would put some moisturizing lotions on my stomach and it seemed to help. This was good because it means that the incisions were healing. They don’t look too bad even at only 2 weeks out. I had to clean my belly button out daily because it is hidden under my stomach flap. Kinda can’t wait to actually see it! Also, I need to up my walking. I walk all day from class to class to work, but I barely hit 5000 steps a day.   Weigh in: 257 (lost 5 lbs)
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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Goal Weight

Goal weight @ 5’7’’ = 160lbs   I chose this number because to have a healthy BMI I would need to be around 150lbs. I read somewhere that in order to not feel like a failure if I don’t hit that number, I should raise it a little so as to not set myself up to fail. Therefore, if I go pass 160lbs then I’ll be thrilled! But I honestly want to keep some of my curves. I’ve kind of become accustomed to them—just not so much of them!
fitbottomedgirl

fitbottomedgirl

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