I was going to call this Break On Through To The Other Side (thank you Doors). But I figured I'd get sick of it after a while. I'm going to use this space to keep track on the 2 week march toward surgery and then to keep track of the recovery and progress. That way I can keep it all together and if I just do one thread, it's all in one place without clogging up the Blog Area. I'm sure it's gonna be excruciatingly boring to everyone--me included! I'm a list and minutia kinda gal. I like tracking and counting--although I can be equally lax about crap. So I stop just short of OCD town (not that there's anything wrong with that).

My official 2 week liquid diet starts tomorrow. I decided to jump on it today because Sunday feels like a great place to start and because it's hard to do better than yesterday as my last food day before surgery. I'm a Texan, born and raised, and yesterday we had a fairwell to my ass and thighs via a Texas BBQ tour through Houston and Tomball. I ate so much brisket, sausage and ribs, I can honestly claim to be over it. Growing up in a BBQ family, slow smoked meats is almost in my blood. So it was only natural that I would choose that as the last rights.

I'm having RNY on February 20th and as I understand it, moist (fatty) brisket might not be my friend post surgery. Supposedly high fat foods (which moist brisket is) might cause a sort of "dumping" in the poop department. So I figure my future, once healed, might only include lean cuts of brisket and smoked meats. It's a choice I will readily make to lose weight and get my health back.

So the morning Day 1 hasn't been very difficult--a little hunger and growly tummy, but nothing that makes me feel anxiety. Protein drinks on board and this afternoon will shop for SF popsicles, SF jello and bone broth. I think I'll stick to packaged bone broth so I can get the actual nutritional information from a certified source. There's no real way for me to tell how many calories and carbs are in the bone broth I make here at home.

My Pre-Op Plan includes: 80-100g of protein; low fat; 60g carbs and somewhere around 1000cals per day.

4-5 Protein Drinks containing a minimum of 15g of protein per serving. They must be low fat and low sugar and can't contain over 4g of sugar per serving. I can have clear low sodium broths, sugar free drinks, sugar free jello and sugar free clear popsicles (no fudgsicles or ice cream based pops).

I will do this from now until February 20th.

I'm pretty sure I will be doing plenty of the following:

Edited February 4, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Day 11 Done BAYYYYYYBEEEE! Am I yellin? Cuz I think I am!

Gosh, it's crazy to think that I only have 4 days before my surgery day. I've waited, worked, and refined my life so much since March of 2017 in preparation for this day. And I can't tell you how much more easy it is to get through your liquid diet prep with the endzone in sight. Psychologically, it's night and day.

Today is my last pre-op appointment with my surgeon. I've lost 6lbs since our last visit in January. This morning was down to 223.4lbs. Big yippie for virgin territory!

Got an email from RD yesterday. She said it's ok to have that extra protein drink if I need it. To also try adding 1oz of blueberries and 1oz of frozen spinach into a couple of them to get the calories up and to aim for 50-60g of carbs if I can. She told me to bring up the swelling with the doc, which I will. But at this point, I doubt I will ask her to change it. I honestly think it's related to the Isopure products which really bites.

I did PP shakes again yesterday and did have some tightness in my legs and arm at the end of the day, but not like that one day. So yep. There it is.

Rushing around trying to get all my stuff done and to stay on track! Oh and I think I'm the hero of yesterday cuz despite being liquid only on Valentine's, I made Mr. F. a grilled ribeye, chopped salad with blue cheese dressing, and loaded broccoli for his celebration dinner. Instead of candy, I gave him a nice bottle of red wine and he gave me a 23andMe ancestry kit and 2 beautiful German heart ornaments. I think I'll keep him!

Here's my Day 11 Food Log:

Edited February 15, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Okay Fluffy did you lick,the ribeye juice off your fingers or merely sniff hard? I am so proud of you for staying the course. A lesser woman might have given up by now. I'm having an arthritis flare today. Years ago I sustained an avulsion fracture of my left tib-fib, they should have gone into the ankle and stabilized it but they didn't, many reasons but the bottom line, I fell between the cracks of a hospital system. By the time department#1 found out department#2 hadn't done anything the best surgical window had closed. Now I reap the detriments of it all, I'm bone on bone and worse, even if I drug myself to an orthopedic worth his salt they would have to rebreak it or saw it apart to try fixing it. And you and i know the only surgery I truly desire, don't we? So I'll brace up and try to limp around, and yes this is the same limb with lymphedema. Some people think I lack commitment, shoot,it takes commitment just to get up,out of my flippin' bed. I've got to pay a bill today, TK and I argueing about it, we're getting short on money, he says let it ride, this is one if I try will loose a whole can of nasty worms. Before the end of the month I may resort to selling something, like an extra TV. Ain't life just fun? Good luck with Ms Surgeon, every day and in every way you're closer to THE DAY. You can make it baby[emoji7] hugs to you.

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Thanks so much for your encouragement! I'm so sorry that things are so tough for you and your son! And that you also struggle so with pain. It's no coincidence that you have lymphedema in that limb. You probably whacked up your lymph system. Once it's injured in one place, it's much more probable it will appear either in that same place or a referred area. . Hope God multiplies your blessings and you "find" the money somewhere! Keep getting out of bed!!!

I will Mommy Chix I will. Promise!

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Day 12 Done! Boom! (Countdown begins: T minus 4 days and counting...)

My days have been reduced to a certain mind-numbing, boring certainty. Thank you god of ketosis for taking away my hunger (and to the sweet Baby Jesus of the golden fleece diapers with the tiny hands and feet). Eating has settled into a very set routine with time frames. I know what I will eat at every point during the day and it magically restores me and holds me until the next window. For some that might feel terrible, but it's actually something I look forward to each day. Because, now, I know with certainty that I will make it through this day without too much discomfort, whining, or angst. It's as if the up and down swings are very even. Maybe Mr. F. is secretly dosing my smoothies with thorazine? Of course, that could be the explanation.

My food logs are also laughably predictable. I can be a creature of habit. LOL. As I type I'm sitting her sipping a hot cup of vanilla protein decaff latte. YUMMY! I told the surgeon yesterday that I'm only getting in around 488cals per day and 60-80g protein and 20g of carbs and she just nodded and smiled--didn't look at all concerned. So I take that as approval. She said she was very pleased with my progress, showed me a chart of my loss with her and was very encouraging. I lost (including the pre-op liquid phase to date) 11.1% of my body weight. Insurance only required a 5% loss and she required a 10% loss. She also said if I can't have the RNY for any reason, she will do a sleeve, but one way or another, I will be leaving there with new anatomy. Still too superstitious to count the chix!

Ok, for those living the liquid pre-op diet hell, know and have faith that anywhere from 4-7 days out, it will get MUCH easier!

Day 12 Food Log:

Edited February 16, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Day 13 Done! Take that world! (T minus 3 and counting! Woot!)

Wow, yesterday was killer busy and today I'm paying the price with high pain levels. But hells, no time to stop! Gotta push through! I was hungrier yesterday and it felt like I was constantly eating/drinking. But the reality was I still came in at under 500 cals for the day. Let me repeat. I'm not intentionally trying to keep my calories low. My RD would prefer me to get in about 1000cals, and 50-60g of carb along with 80-100g of protein. But my body doesn't like that much protein from protein drinks (causes leg and lymphedema arm swelling), and the only way for me to add carbs cals at this point is to add skim milk. But it gives me asthma.

So if you're reading this (all 2 of you--and you know who you are ), don't spaz out thinking you gotta go as low as me. You most certainly don't! This is just where it falls with me getting in about 70-80g of protein and about 20g of carbs and super low fat. About 2 1/2 Premier Protein drinks a day, plus a couple cups of broth, a popsicle and some jello.

I was maybe hungrier, cuz I split my protein shakes up into 2 drinks each. I had either Banana Joe Iced Protein Coffee or Choco Banoffee Iced Protein Coffee all day yesterday. LOL. By last night, I was "sweetened" out and had to go for protein broth for dinner. It made a nice, if bland/boring break from the sweet.

Today we're going to watch my sweet great niece cheer at a basketball tourny! So excited to see her and our niece! It's gonna be a test for me. Cuz we're taking them to lunch. Everyone will eat except me. I'm planning on having iced tea. I think I can do it.

I can't believe it's been 13 days already. When this part began, I thought it was gonna take forevs and now in retrospect, the time feels like it's flown and it's hard to remember the pain of the first few days. I want to be sure to remember this phenomenon for surgery. I think the pain of surgery/recovery will be the same.

(Oh, btw? I think it's safe for me to claim that I have officially lost an elephant's penis. And I've no idea where it went, but I really don't miss it. (elephant penis=60lbs) )

Day 13 Food Log:

Edited February 17, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

Cruise....left moderate Illinois temps, to hot Miami on Feb 1st and boarded the ship on the 2nd with 60 square dancers and some odd 3300 other passengers for Labadee, Haiti, Curacuo, Bonaire, and Aruba. We danced every night on the ship, and any afternoon while at sea. And we dined together in the same section of the fancy dining hall.

Food, I hate to post on FluffyChix's sooo brave thread while on the bastard liquid diet - but I ate a lot of off plan things including desert and wine....but it was bites and not plates and Mr Sue finished what I didn't - he gained 4 pounds (not me), but already lost it....I ate lots of seafood/fish - lobster, snapper, sole, shrimp, scallops, swordfish , soups, I did have sourdough rolls, 3 bites of key lime pie, berry crumble, lemon tart, etc. BF was 3 bites of hubs omelet and some cantalope, lunch was cheese/meat, orchicken some veg. And then the cookies - ugh - coconut ranger cookies and oatmeal raisin...I was not still much, we were sightseeing, walking, dancing, bar hopping on the ship, more dancing, theater, ice show, on the go constantly. ( And lots of scrumping too)

Best vacation evah!!!

Edited February 17, 20188 yr by Sosewsue61

@FluffyChix I really can't believe that your two weeks are almost up -- seems like you just started!! How excited are you at this point?

I meant to tell you, I DID try banana+coffee, but with chocolate shake as base and espresso powder as coffee. And some spinach, just because. Its now my favorite shake!

Apple203 today you're the Apple of my eye and a funny person to meet, even if it's on line. We've been through Fluffy Chix's trials and tribulations haven't we? Care to join me on the sidelines Tuesday morning while we cheer her into the OR? I'll be the one with the pompoms guarding her stash of Premier Protein.

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I love you all. I'm so sorry, but will reply to each tomorrow. I'm so damn pooped. I either have to go take a 5pm nap, or throw myself on the floor like a 2 year old and fall out with a too tired tantrum! Love the piccys and all, will be back in the morning to talk! ((hugs))

Ever since I have been here, fluff, you have been an inspiration. Eyes on the goal, I have admired you, and I have thought “how the hell can she keep this up for so bloody long before they give her the surgical tools to help?”

And now, you are on the thresh hold. All of us who arrived later and you helped as we waltzed by and got The Tool before you - now you join us on the losers’ bench.

I am so stoked, you will be on my mind a lot over the next few days.

❤️ (Heart emoji)

11 hours ago, Biddynz said:

Ever since I have been here, fluff, you have been an inspiration. Eyes on the goal, I have admired you, and I have thought “how the hell can she keep this up for so bloody long before they give her the surgical tools to help?”

And now, you are on the thresh hold. All of us who arrived later and you helped as we waltzed by and got The Tool before you - now you join us on the losers’ bench.

I am so stoked, you will be on my mind a lot over the next few days.

❤️ (Heart emoji)

Oh my gosh. Tears. It's official. Heart grew 3 sizes just now.

Thank YOU so much for walking the road before me and letting me know that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train! And you've helped so much to let me know, that this "thing" looming is do-able. Hugs my friend. I appreciate your support more than you can possibly imagine!