120Cassy

Ugh! Food at this stage is so difficult. I know I will be still losing but I'm a bit confused on how many calories I should be eating. So now I'm waiting for my nutrition appointment. I keep dumping intermittently and I think at this point I might as just well eat one food at a time instead of putting a variety on small plate. I never know what causes it. So yeah...

So my PCP yesterday told me to not see the Bariatric nutritionist anymore because they tend to up-sell you stuff you don't need, and tell you to eat stuff that may cause you to regain the weight. He then proceeded to tell me to of course continue to see my surgeon, but  he will also be monitoring my vitamin levels. He also prescribed me multivitamins that are covered by my insurance called Tab-A-Vite. Has anyone heard of this vitamin? Is anyone using this? I told him i'm taking the Bariatric Advantage multivitamin Ea and he said sometimes those over the counter vitamins add things unnecessarily for filler that will offer you no benefit, but that the vitamins he is prescribing is an actual pharmaceutical grade multiple vitamin with everything including iron in it. He told me to continue taking the calcium though. He didn't tell me to stop taking the Bariatric Advantage multivitamin. He just said that Bariatric patients have to take vitamins for the rest of their lives, but everyone should. He also hinted at the ridiculous price tag for filler vitamins that may or may not work. I don't think there is any harm in trying my PCP prescribed vitamin. I say this, because when I went to him yesterday; I came with information regarding a change of vitamins promotion by the nutritionist in my Bariatric program. She seemed hesitant on offering it to me (maybe a bit guilty?) She was talking about a B12 nasal spray that if approved also sends me calcium tablets and multivitamin tablets along with this plan, but I need prior authorization from my insurance company. When I told my doctor he outright said "No". I asked him why and he gave me the explanation I started this status with. Hmm...I don't know but I feel some kind of way.

My PCP doctor is a very personable person, and he actually cares about me. I know this because I've had several past doctors, who just treated me like a number, but he actually sits and has conversations with me about life and how I can get a handle on my health; especially before I had the bariatric surgery. I don't know what the nutritionist in my surgeons office is getting at, but I knew I wasn't going to return after she said "Come back in a month so we can do your blood work, and then after that you have to pay to see me and we can get a handle on things" and I said to her "um...pay? I thought my insurance covers these visits" to that, she then replies " only the first 2 visits after you had the bariatric surgery". So i'm basically like "oh", and thinking to myself, she must be crazy because I will not see a nutritionist outside of my coverage to tell me things that I already know. Yeah, I'll stick to my PCP and health insurance covered nutritionist... thanks but no thanks.

Anyhoo, sorry to be rambling. The question of the day: Is anyone else taking Tab-A-Vite prescribed by their PCP? 

I am 20 days post op. Yay! I notice I lost weight (expected) however because I can not lift weights, my arms are sort of hangy. I also haven't had the energy to actually work out, but I've been restless. I guess that's my body saying you should work out Cassy...right? I'm a bit nervous due to occasional lightheadedness which is due to dehydration. However, I feel I need to start working out now. I've never had any form of surgery until this Gastric Bypass, and honestly it threw me for a loop regarding my recovery. I've never felt so weak or helpless. Everyday I get better and feel better, but I have to do better with my water intake. My body is not use to not drinking water. I crave it, I just can't get it all in the way I want. I'm still on the pureed stage, but I don't think I'm doing this right. One day at a time right? :-\

I'm feeling much better. I'm 16 days post op and I feel a lot better. I'm trying to work out my gauge. I can't tell the difference between fullness and if a food is just disagreeing with me. It all just feels like a stomach ache. I haven't been eating regular-regular foods, but I have at the same time. Technically I'm on phase 2 also known as the pureed food diet. I haven't been pureeing food. I've just been trying to chew really well. I prefer them to be wet, because dryer foods don't go down well. I did have some complications about 6 days post op. It was a small bowel obstruction caused by swelling. It did not feel good. I had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. To be safe I decided to stay with my sister for 2 weeks due to my lack of energy and light headedness. Just an update on what was going on after my surgery. Laters. 

Rant:  I'm currently 4 days post op. I am thankful that my surgery is successful, because the amount of pain I woke up in I can't imagine going through that  **ish** again to get something fixed. Thank you Jehovah! I woke up nauseous and vomiting foam and thought I'd end up drowning in my vomit. terrible! Daily it gets better. But if anyone wants honesty on what the incision pain feels like, my honest description is: The stomach virus. It does not feel sore or like a burning sensation. It feels as if I had the stomach virus and all I wanted to do was hunch over, and vomit till it felt better. For almost a whole day I couldn't get why it felt that way, then I lifted up my hospital gown and low and behold...the incision scar. I was stabbed in the same spot where I feel stomach virus pain. Ugh. Miserable, just thinking of it. Although the pain diminished some from that first day waking up afterwards. It is still there and I can not wait till it stops aching.  I'm on Percocet, so that helps. At first I was going to deal with it and not use my prescribed pain med, but I don't want to deal with this gnawing gut feeling. Its bothersome and uncomfortable. Ok...end of rant.

Today is The first day of my all clear liquid diet. I have 2 more days till surgery. I'm not nervous...at least not right now. I am weak. I have low to no energy. I'm on only clear liquids, such as jello (not red), seltzer water, diet clear soda's, crystal light, broths without cloudiness. No protein shakes, or any protein that causes cloudiness in your beverage. So that means the only protein I have an abundance of is a no go. I refuse to go out and buy protein water for 1 more day. I can do this without. I'll just sleep a lot. 

It's 1am on Sunday September 3rd. Today will be my last day on the pre-op diet with a meal, and tomorrow I start my full liquid diet. I hope I lost a substantial amount of weight. Enough to have a safe surgery at least. I missed my pre-op class the day before I started my 12 day Pre-op diet, due to work. So when I went to my rescheduled pre-op class the next week, I already had "cheated" technically, although I wasn't fully aware.  Here's hoping my 1 meal and 2 small snacks were within reason. I'm heavy handed but I measured everything. My home scale batteries need replacing so I can weigh myself to see about success. Oh boy, I'm having pre-surgery anxiety. I'm going to bed now so I can stop being this worry wart. Toodles!

Why do I feel someone needs to moderate these forums. Most times I come across a question asked 5 years ago. Hello? Is there anyone new getting surgery? This sucks...and I'm probably just venting because no one is reading this anyway because everyone abandoned this sight and I'm Hangry! Yes...Hungry and Angry... I have 10 more days of this starvation...can I eat peanut butter?

It is day two of my pre-op diet. I feel like crap, and I'm tired. Worse of all, I'm hungry! Although I'm sure I'm following the pre-op diet rules properly, I still feel like I'm doing something wrong. If I was doing something wrong, would I be this hungry? If I was doing it right, would I still be hungry? I was told 2 snacks a day (on the list), 2 protein shakes replacing meals (premier protein- check), and a sensible meal with up to 6oz of lean protein (meat like chicken or fish and NO carbs). I'm so friggin hungry!!! Maybe I'm not drinking enough water? I honestly didn't think this was going to be hard. I definitely overestimated myself. I think I've been humbled by this experience. ugh! soooo.....hungry.... :-(

I'm so frustrated by my doctor's office. Faxing paperwork for insurance approval shouldn't be a complicated task, but apparently it is. I'm just so deflated and over this right now. 

YASSSSS! Finally! I went to see my bariatric Counselor and she told me she faxed my evaluation letter. Paperwork is almost done. I'm so close :-)

Ok... seriously?! My LCSW is taking forever to write and send my Psych evaluation. All my other paperwork is done, we're just waiting on her. I was told it takes one day, so why is it she's taking several sessions? UGH!

Yes! I'm in my 6th month of my 6th month insurance requirement process....it's getting closer and closer. I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. I've never had surgery of any kind before, so this is new.