Newme17

Do I have the WORLD'S FASTEST APPROVAL or what? Paperwork was submitted yesterday, and I received my approval today before 11am.  You're saying WHAT!?
I go in for my pre-op paperwork on Monday, May 1st.  Surgery is May 15th.
Sooo excited!
 

4/22 - Just in 1 month, the following has changed: 
1) I get a FULL Nights SLEEP !!! (Omg, I have not had a full nights sleep since before college in 2009). 
2) I can walk further and my ankle not hurt or I need to sit down (today I took 17,248 steps). Amazing and YESSSSSSS!!!!
3) I have really started eating my food cold. When I get hungry, I like to make sure that I am, so I will wait an additional 10 - 15 minutes. I just want to make sure it is not head hunger. However, I when realize that I am and I sometimes do not even bother heating up my food lol. 
4) I finally broke down and purchased one of the Portion8 containers at the BariatricPal Store. They have some really interesting things there. 
5) My younger brother (I have two brothers on my moms side whom are younger than me.) We were shopping for "Baby's" (he is the one that steals food lol) 17th B-day and my brother High Five'd me and said, "We are going to have to find a new nickname because FINALLY, "Bigums" will no longer fit you lol". 

4/21 - When to the NUT today. She was soo proud of my progress. I told her I was concerned that I my loss was slowing down and she assured me that it would be normal. She said, "Slow and steady wins the race. She said my weight looked amazing and that I should be proud of even 4lbs because of how much 1lb of fat means to a healthier body. She gave me the go ahead to start adding in new foods with limitations: 
Stay away from red meat 
Stay away from pasta
Stay away from rice 
Stay away from from all kinds of ice cream and sugar free junk alternatives.
And the usual suspects (No cakes, cookies, ice cream and soda (any carbonated/sparkling drink)
She gave me the go ahead to start lightly at the gym. No more than a 30 minute light weight workout (walking on the treadmill and biking). She said no weight lifting just yet, or swimming , I will have to wait until my 6 week followup with my surgeon to see if it is okay. 
Since Pre-Op Diet (3/12/2017): 29lbs
Since Surgery (3/26/2017): 15lbs
Although 15lbs does not seem like a lot, it is when you break it down in weeks. That is 3.75lbs a week. That is more than I ever did without this tool. I am soo happy it's working. 

Been feeling "hefty" lately. Haven't worked out since pneumonia last October. Been thinking about going back. Trying to walk more, work out my arms, just in my daily routine. Even though I feel like jabba the hut, I guess I don't look it. Had someone who sees me once a week, say you're looking good, you've kept your weight off.  I'll take that as an NSV!!

As some of you know.... this weekend was a big one....  We (tim and i) flew to Ga for the Easter holiday.  I sent his mom some Easter flowers (which she loved) on Thursday.  Flight was great and no problems.  We landed and went to his parents (Joan & Benny) home.  Of course he was messing with me the whole time... hehe  So we pulled up and of course he introduced me and I'm a huger, and so are they.   We sat and talked for a bit then drove to eat a quick lunch.  We talked the whole time, the conversation was easy and flowed very well.  Back to their home where we set around and visited more.  Left to go check in to the hotel then back to J&B's to pick them up for dinner.  This time his brother Matt and SIL Sonja met us.  Again... things went great.  Dropped them off home and we went to the room.
Saturday, we woke and met J&B at the IHOP for breakfast.... then back to their home to set everything.  Put out the tables, chairs and set up the outside games.... Joan and i were setting up the Corn hole game and she said... lets you and i play a game... Wow.. sure, i'd love too.  And we did, played two games.  Then we went inside and played a game of dominoes (tim and i against J&B) and a couple games of Yahtzee (i won one and tim won one).  Tim and his dad left to go get the food and that's when Joan and i were left alone....  She and i sat that the Kitchen table and talked for 45 min... It could not have gone better.  But then the others started to arrive.... his other brothers and their wives and kids.
Of course i was out being my normal self... playing games and talking with everyone..... one of his SIL told him before they left.... She's a keeper...hmmmm.  Get this.... his brother Matt is married to a Sonya, brother Dan is married to a Christy, brother Phil... Also married to a Christy..... and im Christina.... hehehe.... Anyway, the day was great... i felt so welcomed by everyone.
Sunday, breakfast again with J&B then back to their house for a little bit till we had to head to the airport.
Yesterday, he said.... You definitely passed the mom and dad test..... now, off to West Palm Beach for the middle son test on the 5th.

4/13 - Was not able to really eat anything. All I wanted was water. I was no hungry and had to force myself to drink some protein shakes. I was not stomaching my pureed chicken and beans. Eggs was not staying down neither. Overall, it was not a good day. My vitamins were making me sick, just chewing them. I would spit them out. I ended up only being able to drink 1 protein shake (30G) and drinking almost 70 oz of water. It was like all my body wanted was water. I started drinking it at 8am and did not stop until 11:30pm. 
4/14 - It got better. Was not able to stomach soft or pureed foods. However, I was able to drink 3 protein shakes (90g). I got in 64 oz of water on the mark. 
4/15 - Tried to eat some grilled chicken from Chipotle, just the chicken and black beans that I smashed up (It was my Granny's B-Day and she always wanted to go). I chewed just a little and ran to the bathroom and dumped. It was immediate. I was really confused because I thought grilled chicken was okay to eat. 
4/16 - I had some some egg whites with low fat cheese, just tuna and a protein shake. I was able to get in 56 oz of protein. I was really nervous, trying to eat. I still feel the restriction and when I reach my limit, I start burping which is my sign to stop eating. I have not tried any other foods yet. I am waiting until my NUT Appt to see what foods I can add. 
 

Today I saw a lot of people I haven't seen since before I lost weight. Guess what not one person asked me how I lost weight. They all just said I looked beautiful and a few commented they didn't recognize me at first. Which reinforces my idea that all the people around here that think people ask a ton of questions about your weight loss are either surrounded by fat people or people with zero home training, because polite well educated people don't ask rude personal questions. People that genuinely love and care about you are just happy for you.
Happy Easter and Passover.

I know my surgeon said to wait a long while before buying clothes, but my pants are already falling down, and my bra is so big in the band, I'm not sure it's actually doing anything. 😅

Last appt is next Wed.  The center won't schedule surgery until approval comes from insurance.  Booo!  Says it may take up to 10-15 business days.  Guess I'll be calling my insurance so often to make sure someone is doing his/her job.  Once received they schedule pretty fast...but if I have to have a pre-op of two weeks then it looks as if I have another two weeks after approval.  I'm guessimating mid May for my surgery; which would be just about 4 months from start.

Hello everyone,
I'm new here at bariatricpal and am excited to learn from everyone here. I'm on day five of my liquid diet, so far so good; I'm determined to not have any issues on the day of my surgery so, I'm following my doctor's orders.  I'm a little nervous but, so ready to get my VSG surgery done on April 17, 2017! Hope everyone has a blessed day!
Abby

Sorry for the delay. So many updates: 
4/8 - I had a nervous break down. Got into it with my little brother over Popeyes lol. I know I can't have any but it did not stop me from grabbing him up and saying, "give me some damn chicken, give me some beans, give me some mash potatoes and give me a biscuit" lol my mom had to break it up lol.
Then I gave her the ASPCA sad look and start singing, "In the eyes of an angel, give me Popeyes". I then went into the kitchen and started pulling snacks from the cabinets, screaming and crying "If I cant have this, no one can have it."  My mom endedup calling her friend (she had gotten the sleeve last year) and asked her what was going on. She told my mom that I was having moment and just needed to get the frustration out. Once I was done, my mom told me I was grounded lol. I told her I was grown and she said, "With that behavior, I do not think so." Needless to say, I have not been able to hang out with my friends lol 
4/9 - Started eating more protein was able to get in 30 oz of chicken and 55 oz of water. Still cannot go outside to play.
4/10 - Still cannot go outside to play. Drank 64 oz of water, only able to get down 28 oz of protein
4/11 - Went to Applebees and accidentally took a sip out of a straw. No issues except I could not eat. I ended up getting a kids turkey burger with nothing. The waitress had the cook chopped the burger into small pieces. I ended eating less than 1/4 a turkey burger. Damn I was sad. 
4/12 - Took all my vitamins on time. Yayy me!!! I am able to eat 2 (7oz) chickens over the course of 6 meals. I also added 2 steamed small pieces of broccoli. Now I am focusing on getting in my water. So far I have gotten in 30 oz. 

A more amazing and beautiful  me is about to break out. I want to inspire others with my story. 

I got home late last night from an exhausting nine-day work trip to Tampa.  Even with all the disruption to my normal routines, I still lost a little over 1 pound (and I had red wine every day of trip).  My partner was able to go with me, thank goodness.  My weight loss journey and transformation was a central focus and topic of conversation the entire time as I have known many of these colleagues for 10 years or more.  As has always been the case during my journey, I answered questions honestly and spoke of my pre-op, surgery, and post-op experiences.  I got nothing but support, congratulations, and best wishes from anyone.  And one person even confided in me that my success has given her the confidence to schedule an appointment with her PCP to talk about WLS.  This is why I have been transparent.  That decision may not be for everyone, but I will certainly never regret it.  Now, I move onward (thankful that I am back home and I can settle into my normal food and drink routine!).

5 days post op own 15 lbs!!!

NSV! Four inches off my waist since pre-op! I HAVE a waist again! 

Hi everyone! Newbie over here in Austin, TX. My surgery is next Tuesday and I'm soooo excited and totally ready to drop some weight before the hell fire of a summer gets here. Excited to interact with all of you and soak up your knowledge and support!

4/6 - Well this was a bad day. I thought hey why not try something. My mom made spaghetti and meat sauce. So I took a small amount of meat sauce and pureed it. It was DELICIOUS. 5 minutes later, I was nauseous, light headed and hot with the chills. I ended up puking the meat sauce. I put it on my not ready to eat list lol. Was unable to stomach any thing other than water for the remainder of the day. 
4/7 - So the food I made for work, actually was turned into 6 meals because I could not eat more than 10 small bites. Had 10 bites of the egg whites and cheese for breakfast. Had 10 bikes of the tuna and cheese. I am going to finish the day off with a Premier Caramel Protein Shake for dinner. This will help me to get my protein up. I have been drinking zero calorie sugar free Vitamin Water (this is helping me with the B12 and electrolytes). 
 

So all you mommas, tell me if I'm wrong. I'm equating the preparation of WLS to first time pregnancy. 😂We read, educate ourselves, prepare, and plan. When it actually happens, seems as if reality is a bit different then all of our plans, but we "go with the flow" and all falls in to place anyway. All the preparation is not for nothing though, it gives us a better flow than to not been prepared at all. So, with that said, I know I'll  be just fine. 

I had my 1st appointment today. Had kind of decided I would get a bypass but after meeting with my surgeon she said the sleeve is the best for me. Did not even discuss the bypass. Which is ok with me I was not set on one or the other wanted to rely on the doctor expertise. However I had a real set back.  I have to get a surgeon for my diverticulitis which surprised me and enlightened me. I knew I was having episodes way more than I should but did not realize how dangerous it is. So I have to go to a colon rectal surgeon to see if surgery is called for in my case.  So when I left I called and made my appointment for Thursday. If surgery is needed then it will set my surgery back 2 to 3 months. I think it may be a blessing I went there just because I didn't not realize of serious the diverticulitis can be.  So if nothing else I am grateful for that. But my journey has begun and it is so exciting and scary. 

My 2-month surgiversary is today! Down over 50 pounds since I started the pre-op diet in January, down 2 clothing sizes and one shoe size (back to my normal size 8). Completely revamped my closets with "new" clothes from storage. Stalled at the moment but hoping to see the scale move soon!

4/1 - Was able to stomach a small amount of banana. I cannot eat that much though. I was actually able to get more walking in. I have created an alert on my phone to remind me to drink water every 15 minutes. When I wake up, I can stomach 8 sips. After that time, I can take 3 - 4 sips down each time. This allows me to get in 16 - 20 oz of water.
4/2 - Tried to drink Gatorade (was not paying attention that it was not sugar free and was my brothers regular Gatorade). I dumped immediately. It was quick and once the Gatorade was out, I felt so much better. I took 4 sips and immediately started feeling nauseous, sweating and my mouth filled with saliva. I learned my lesson to make sure I read the right labels. Slept majority of the day away. I just did not have the energy to do much of anything.
4/3 - Started my protein shakes again. They taste really sweet. It takes me slightly uncomfortable. I can take 4 sips. I am trying really hard to get down the protein but it is not easy. I just really want some chicken lol. I am so over protein shakes at this point anyway. Tomorrow is going to be my follow up appt. I just hope that I can progress to pureed/soft foods.

Hearing stories and seeing pics are motivating and inspiring. But actually seeing someone in the flesh a few months later really puts it in to perspective. I saw an acquaintance tonight at church. Didn't get to talk, but I had to do a double take because I honestly thought she was a different person. Wow! ...and she had a big beaming smile on. 😊 Love it!!!

2.5 weeks till my last prerequisite appointment! 

I GOT CLEARED FOR SURGERRRRRRYYYYYYYYY!!! MY INSURANCE APPROVED ME!!! I'M SOOOO HAPPY!!!! I'M READY!!!! So my insurance company called me by mistake thinking I was the doctors office and left the information for me being approved for surgery April 17th! I called them back and gave them my doctor's info. So I called my doctor's office and it's true but 4/17 might not be my surgery date. It might be sooner or later. The doctor's office just has to give the insurance company a date. So just in case this is the date of my surgery I will be starting my preop diet on 4/2!!!!

Hi Guys, 
More updates lol: 
3/30 - Went to the hospital to check for blood clots. I was getting massive cramps and pressure in my calves muscles. I do not have any blood clots, however I was moderately dehydrated and had to be filled with liquids before I left. The Doctor's also said I was potassium deficient. They reached out to my Surgeon and he suggested that I move on to the pureed stage and eat a 1/4 of a banana smashed up really good. As of now, my legs are not hurting. 
3/31 - Had to request an additional 4 days off of work due to the what happened yesterday. I have a follow up appt on 4/4. I am hoping that everything will be good and I can advance to full pureed foods.