VSG Update - Almost Two Years Out from Surgery and Links

I thought that it was high time I write about my VSG surgery again! I am including links to all of my previous blog posts at the end of this post in case anyone would like to read them. I've been contacted several times over the past two years to talk about my story or to chat with friends who are considering having weight loss surgery so I feel like my previous blog posts were actually helpful to some people! Yay! That was my goal and if I can help even ONE person with any aspect of examining the pros and cons of weight loss journey and/or surgery, I'm happy I can do that! 

                               

Here's a picture of me today! Happy, more healthy, and while I feel like I could lose some more weight......and I might do that.....I am waaaaaaaay more satisfied than I have EVER been in my whole life with how I'm maintaining. I do have some frustrations and here are a few of them:

FRUSTRATIONS
- I still have to watch my weight. I knew that I would and the surgery is a tool to help you and a LIFE CHANGE. I knew that too. Sometimes though, I get mad that I still have to watch the scale, but overall, I watch it fewer times and I eat healthier so I did change my lifestyle. 
- Somehow, my eyes are STILL bigger (now much bigger) than my stomach. I still catch myself eating rapidly and sometimes eating too much. I've not thrown up, not even once, from eating, since my surgery. Most people throw up often, at least I think they might, if they overeat. When I know I've eaten too much, I hiccup a bit, feel tight in my esophagus, and feel kind of bad. Bad enough to not eat any more, but I do not feel nauseous. Well, I take that back. Twice in two years, I did feel nauseous from eating one bite too many, but I didn't push it and within minutes that went away.
- I have rediscovered "slider foods" such as chips, cake, and crackers. This is not awful, but isn't too good either because they go down TOO EASY and I can eat a lot more than I originally intended if I'm not careful.
- Drinking while eating: I still can't do this well and technically, most folks are told that you are not supposed to. If I go out after rehearsal and want to have a drink, I drink most of it BEFORE eating some of my meal and I just have to resolve to take home most of my meal.

GOOD THINGS
- I'm a size 14 which is what I was at the end of high school. I have  feeling I could be a 10 or 12, and maybe I'll want to be a 12 at some point, BUT I'M HAPPY so whatever.
- clothes are cooler and more fun to wear
- This is both good and bad......I've noticed that some of my acquaintances / friends, speak to me more, and listen more attentively to me. New people I meet, as long as they don't have the southern "Good ole' boy" syndrome, tend to look me in the eye and actually treat me like I'm present. In the past, I had many MANY incidents of (mostly men) being introduced to me and then immediately carrying on conversation with the person next to me as if I was not there. Damn shame, idiots.
- I CAN have any foods I want and so I do :-) Many folks are not able to eat certain foods.
- My hair has been able to hold curl since the surgery. It began to grow back from the hair loss I experienced so I still have many lengths overall, but it's a lot curlier!
- I don't think about my surgery or weight loss very much. I'm me and have settled into my new way of eating and I like it!

Here are PAST BLOG POSTS on my VSG SURGERY. I hope that some of these will help people. If anyone has any questions, feel free to contact me. It can be a pretty lonely place when you're researching WLS and aren't sure of many things!

1. Background, http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/03/my-weight-loss-surgery-journey-part-i.html

2. VSG Journey Part II - Insurance and Going for it! http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/03/wls-journey-part-ii-going-for-itand.html

3. VSG Journey Part III - Types of Bariatric Surgery - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/03/wls-journey-part-iii-types-of-bariatric.html

4. Part IV, Surgery Scheduled http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/03/wls-journey-iv-surgery-scheduled.html

5. My Choice for VSG Surgery: Endobariatric - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-choice-for-vsg-surgery-endobariatric.html

6. A Day and a Half - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-day-and-half.html

7. My Journey to Endobariatric - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-vsg-journey-to-endobariatric.html

8. Discharge Day! - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-vsg-journey-discharge-day.html

9. Three weeks out from surgery - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/06/vsg-journey-update-3-weeks-out-from.html

10. Experimental Eating - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/07/vsg-experimental-eating-and-eating.html

11. 10-12 weeks out - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/07/staying-on-track-life-10-11-weeks-after.html

12. 5-month update - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2013/10/vsg-5-month-update.html

13. One year later - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2014/05/vsg-one-year-after-surgery.html

14. Hair Loss - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2014/03/vsg-hair-loss-yikes.html

15. VSG - What A, I Eating - http://thewhiskeypalian.blogspot.com/2014/03/vsg-what-am-i-eating.html 

VSG - ONE YEAR AFTER SURGERY

SOOOOOOOOOOO..... it has been a WHOLE YEAR since I had VSG (Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy) surgery! WOW! I really cannot believe it. I suppose I must incorporate the "word" 
SURGIVERSARY into my vocabulary now, heh :-)
I thought that I would write this post to give some updates on my weight loss, daily living / eating, and to basically share what's in my head with regards to the whole process. At the end of the post, I'll close with some links to my previous blog posts in case you might want to read some, but don't want to search for them.  I don't really have great before and after pics, but here is a collage of some. I will try to take a good current picture soon and re-post.

A collage from the past year of pictures I like. You can see some differences!

WEIGHT LOSS SO FAR: 
- I have lost 92 lbs - THAT is AMAZING! It's also pretty much - a person. I have had MUCH longer plateaus this spring and I have been eating some salty foods at times so I think it has slowed my loss a little. 
- My goal is to lose 100 lbs and I'm pretty darn close!
HOW I FEEL: 
- Lighter, but the same.
- As friends put it.....they certainly didn't take out my sense of humor.
- Grateful that I had the surgery.
- I wonder what life would have been like if I had done this earlier.
- Men still don't seem to be able to take a chance - even with the smaller me. I think my sense and sense of adventure still scares them. It's depressing really, but that's another post.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT ALL: 
- Myself
- Being able to fit better into clothes and of course SMALLER SIZES! Woohoo!
- I feel more "feminine" and pretty whereas I used to feel lumpy
- Not looking so puffed up / heavy
- Being able to enjoy food more freely in some ways....I suppose I'm not afraid to eat various things now that I previously would have avoided or berated myself for eating
- Crossing my legs with ease, scrunching up on the couch with ease
- Not feeling hunger in the same way as I used to feel it. I can easily ignore being hungry and sometimes I do not feel hunger at all
- Grazing. I am a grazer and for me personally, I can now eat on and off throughout the day without the fear as I had before
- Takeout lasts me a few meals, that's cool! $aving $ome $$$
- I like it when people smile at me. I always have liked that, but they do it more now.
- I always took the heat ok, but now, I handle it even better.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE TOO MUCH: 
- I still assume I can eat more than I actually can and I can't sample too much of what I'm cooking or I'll fill up! Boo!
- Some evenings I eat a little too much for dinner and then have reflux, but I suppose that happens to lots of people
- Sometimes I want to gulp down a cold drink, but I can't do that. I take several tiny swallows super fast and it seems to work well enough
- Some people that I work with and even some friends treat me differently now that I am smaller. I imagine that they do not even realize that they smile at me more, talk to me or listen to me more, or actually treat me like I am "worthy" of their time or that there is a difference between now and before. This statement is in this category of what I don't like too much because I think that MANY people treat overweight people in ways that are less than nice / appropriate and often, they DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.  In the past, I have experienced my ideas or my conversational participation being ignored because of simply being a women and/or because of being overweight. Think what you like - it was not my imagination. Ok, rant over. 
- I don't really like the fact that I still hate more than one or two flights of stairs.
WHAT I CANNOT STAND: 
- When people make assumptions. In general, I dislike this, but we all do it sometimes. People seem to automatically assume that I have more energy b/c I lost weight or that I must certainly "feel better" or even that I was unhealthy (other than the weight). I feel exactly the SAME except that the mental angst and self-loathing I carried around with me my whole life is seriously diminished and often completely gone. I've always had an extremely high level of energy and have always been very active (when I'm not intentionally being a couch potato).
- I won't call it extra skin just yet, but my shape is not too.....shapely. At least I now have a waist and the girls are still where they're supposed to be, HA!
I'VE BEEN VERY LUCKY THAT:
- I was able to do this. I chose Endobariatric in Mexico for several reasons. One is the amazing Dr. Alvarez! He was also there for me afterwards for ANYTHING and ANY questions or worries that I had or still may have. People laugh at Twitter, but for me, it was a life-saver. Another reason for going to Mexico was that my health insurance did not cover the procedure. Yet another reason was that Endobariatric kept me for a couple of days whereas certain area programs here would have released me either the same day or the following morning.
- I have a support system! My dear friend Meg (who went with me) and my dear friend Chuck have been there every step of the way and numerous friends and colleagues have been supportive and excited about my efforts and my results. My choirs, my students, and my family and friends have all been so awesome! I even found out last year after I had returned from Mexico that the cathedral had put me on its prayer list as had a few folks at St. Paul's. That means the world to me! THANK YOU!!!!  I also count YOU as my support system. If you're reading this, you are interested or you CARE and I appreciate it! :-)
- I have not thrown up even once since surgery. I almost did when I was five months out and took that ONE extra bite of steak after I'd eaten enough. I didn't get sick, but I remember feeling very ill momentarily.
- I can eat anything that I want to - rice, cereals, Jones Cream soda, broccoli, nuts & seeds, etc. Nothing gives me texture or digestion issues. Sometimes, people have either something they cannot eat or a food texture issue that bothers them. I may be slightly lactose intolerant at times and sometimes I just have a day where stuff goes through me too rapidly, but that's always been the case. I feel safe in saying that most people have those days.
- I have been able to eat my favorite salad which includes: spinach, broccoli, sunflower seeds, sometimes pine nuts, with cheddar cheese and a dot of Ranch or Caesar dressing. WHEW! This is what I eat a LOT so it makes me happy that I can still enjoy it so much!
NEW ADDICTIONS:
- Some people worry about replacing one "addiction" with another. Firstly, I do not feel that food was a true "addiction" of mine, but I could be wrong...maybe it was in some ways. It was certainly something that I fought with. I'd say that drastic and yo-yo DIETING was more of an addiction. Anyway, my new food eating addictions would be..................
HIBACHI, Doritos, & Starbucks mocha frappuccinos & I can justify all of them if you ask me :-)

THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO:
- Getting to goal eventually
- Getting some more new clothes. I've been rather slack about it because I haven't been at the same weight long enough for to justify tooooo many new clothes.
- Mission trip to India this summer!
ADVICE TO THOSE THINKING ABOUT SURGERY:
- Do your homework (I did) on the best type of surgery for you (meet with your doc) and research the heck out of the place to which you are entrusting your life and to whom you are paying your money
- Ask yourself if this is the last resort for you. You cannot undo a VSG and you will need to be sure this life choice is what you want. 
- Do NOT let people's wide-eyed stares or snarky comments hinder you from considering surgery (if you feel it's a viable option for you) or surgery at a place such as Endobariatric. This is your life we're talking about, not theirs.
- Have a support system whether it's a formal group of WLS / VSGers, family, or friends
- Do NOT think that VSG or any WLS is an "easy way out". It is not an easy way out. I mostly eat right, I exercise (not a ton, but I do what I can), and I take vitamins, but I will have to be careful to maintain and take care of myself. For me, my inability to lose weight was a severe problem - SINCE I WAS 11.  I decided that since I had lived 31 years of my life on diets and being too concerned about it, I was NOT going to live the rest of my days with the same thing. 
- Do not be afraid of seeking counseling as you prepare for WLS. Your particular program may or may not require it. I followed one local program and did some counseling, but in the end, was extremely put off by my five-min. meeting with the surgeon so after the nutrition classes and counseling, I started all over. 

HERE ARE THOSE BLOG LINKS I PROMISED:
There are lots of posts. I hope they will be helpful to someone out there!

- My Weight Loss Journey Part I - A Little Background
- 
- WLS Journey Part II - Going for it and Insurance
-
- WLS Journey Part III - Types of Weight Loss Surgery
- 
- WLS Journey Part IV- Surgery Scheduled
-
- My Choice for VSG Surgery: Endobariatric
-
- I ALMOST ATE MY DESK
-
- A Day and a Half...
-
- My Journey to Endobariatric
-
- My VSG Journey: Discharge Day
-
-VSG Journey Update: Three Weeks Out from Surgery
-
- VSG Experimental Eating and Eating Abroad
-
- Staying on Track: Life 10-11 Weeks Out from VSG
-
- VSG 5-Month Update
-
- VSG - Hair Loss, Yikes!
-
- VSG - What Am I Eating?

Here endeth the blog post! 

Me on the right - with my UNO Choirs after our Spring 2014 concert!

VSG Experimental Eating and Eating While Abroad

Hello Everybody! :-)
I am writing from Innsbruck, Austria where I've just had a nice weekend after having finished teaching one week in the University of New Orleans Innsbruck program! I'll be here another five weeks!
I will write more about Innsbruck soon and add lots of pictures, but I wanted to give an update concerning my living with VSG while abroad! I must say here that I've been on solid foods now for a little over three weeks. I consider myself one of the VERY LUCKY VSGers because I really have not had any huge problems with any foods! I have also NOT thrown up anything!

The foods that have been the hardest include:
- Chicken (nuggets were fine...I assume because they're processed and softer?)
- Salad with sunflower seeds and chicken and broccoli. That's a lot of hard stuff to digest.

What?! Only two items?
Yep. That's about it.......so far!

I'm feeling pretty awesome about that because having read that some people could not ever have rice, pasta, or beef again or that it was a hard experience for them made me a little worried. I admit, I have been somewhat conservative about amounts that I am eating and also I chew it until I can chew no more. I'm sure that helps some.

Experiments

Ok, I admit this too.....while driving 10 hours to Columbia, SC one week and while driving 12 to Charleston the next week, I decided that I wanted to experiment with some foods just to see what would happen and what they would taste like.......

So, my first week on solid foods, I tried the following:

- a BK burger with bacon, no bun
- a soft serve ice cream cone
- bread with butter
- orange juice
- spinach
- baked fish with rice and broccoli
- grilled chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-A

Conclusions: The burger was AWFUL. I could only eat half of it anyway. I'd found the amounts of protein online. The initial taste of the bacony burger goodness was all but destroyed by my having to chew it so dang much. I had a wonderful realization that I DIDN'T WANT IT anymore, woohoo! That was accompanied by the "what the hell do we put in our mouths?!" gasp. I tried one spoon full of rice, no issues. Same for everything else. I THINK the ice cream might have given me an upset stomach and I couldn't finish the cone anyway.

The following week, I tried:

- pizza from Andonlini's (*hey, no judging....it's the BEST)
- grits
- yoghurt with actual fruit pieces in it
- whoppers
- iced tea
- a Taco Bell taco

Now, I can hear some of you saying "OH, I get it, THIS is how she got fat in the first place....by eating crap like this" and you would be WRONG-O (that's more than just wrong).
Think what you like....as I said, these were experiments. I was going through a phase that included the following feelings, however jumbled up:

- YAY!  I can eat again! (+ I want everything)
- Oh gosh, will I ever be able to eat __________ again?
- Can I still have some things that are "bad" for me in moderation?

So, the pizza was AWESOME and I ate exactly half a slice, mostly toppings, before I was stuffed. Grits were fine and I ate about four spoonfuls. The whoppers were cool and I had five of them. Iced tea - I'm from the south so OF COURSE THAT WAS GOOD.
The taco was THE most wonderful thing I had tried so far. Why? Well, I pulled off a tiny bit of the shell and pulled out a couple of lettuce pieces, but other than that - I ATE THE WHOLE THING and that alone made me feel awesome. The rest was that it was super terrific to CRUNCH and the shell was good for that :-)

DRINKS

Ok, here is where some of us differ - not only in opinion, but in attitude. These drinks listed here are not always on VSGers' lists after surgery and for good reason: calories! Part of me just wanted to test it out to see what would happen because you read and hear so much about what people go through.

I have tried the following drinks and had NO PROBLEMS

- orange juice......If I drink too much of this, I burp the juice and that's when I know to STOP
- iced tea.....with and without sugar. I definitely like sugarfree better, as usual
- Coke on the transatlantic flight with lots of ice.....was ok, but I only took a few sips the size of which was the equivalent of sticking my tongue in (I was fearful it would go badly)
- apple juice......fine
- Wine
-Coke here in Innsbruck, no ice, just chilled. Absolutely fine

EATING WHILE IN AUSTRIA

This has been way more difficult that I previously thought so I am extra glad that I brought some items with me such as protein bars, Crystal Lite mixes, tea, Equal, granola bars, and some mini cans of soup. Yes, it made my suitcase heavy, but I am on a rather severe budget here at the moment and the food is rather expensive.
The Innsbruck program gives us a marvelous lunch every day and after the first faculty lunch together, I asked for a container to bring home leftovers and the restaurant was happy to oblige. I have since used that container several times! The first cafeteria lunch was Wiener schnitzel made of chicken (and breaded) plus French fries. So, I took a few chicken bites, tearing off the breading and then had two fries (that makes me laugh!) Since then, I've been getting goulash or spaghetti sauce over a minute amount of noodles and avoiding the other foods. They have fruits and I always get the watermelon! I also get a bottle of water with each meal.

What's the problem? Well, I know I'm not getting all my protein in and I've been too tired to think about it. I've also been too sleepy and almost running late every morning so I've been forgetting my vitamins. Ok, let me pause and actually take them NOW at 8:47 p.m. because I'm guilty again...

Ok. Whew!

So, I have only bought two meals out and I've been here nine days. That will change, but so far the food has either been free or I've been just finishing my leftovers :-)

That's about it! I will do some Innsbruck and travel posts pretty soon. Good luck to everyone out there and for those of you who have emailed, please continue to ask me questions! I'm here if you need me :-)

***** UPDATE***** I completely forgot to mention that I did not bring my scale to Austria and the Nurse's office for the Innsbruck Program does not have a scale. They recommended that I buy one, but I'm too cheap.......and so I have no idea whether or not I'm still losing, if I'm maintaining....or the unthinkable!

VSG Journey Update 3 Weeks Out from Surgery

My current status as of Wednesday, June 5th:  I am three weeks and a day out from surgery!

From discharge day (Thurs., May 16) I did one week clear liquids and two weeks full liquids. Clear liquids were pretty dang hard and I felt weak much of the time. I also failed miserably at getting all my water and all my protein in each day. Full liquids made me immediately feel better although I must admit that I grew SICK of protein shakes and also failed at getting my protein or all my water in each day. I did a lot better, but still had trouble. One evening after Jefferson Chorale, we all went to TGI Friday's afterwards. I sampled their dark French onion soup (without the toppings or eating any onions.....plus I hate onions) and their broccoli cheese soup. I had never in my life had broccoli cheese soup. The Fr. onion was ok and I was able to get in a couple of spoonfuls. Then....THEN....the BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP was from HEAVEN. Yes, it truly was. It made my stomach very grumbly, but it went and stayed down just fine. I took the rest home and had it for two more days. Later, I read somewhere that fibrous veggies like broccoli are to be avoided, but I feel like it was pretty ground up and avoided all chunks anyway :-)

Now, I am MORE THAN READY to begin soft foods. Some people call this stage "the mushies", but to me that just sounds gross. I can't do pureed foods unless it's something that is actually supposed to be pureed. Last Friday, I tried a tiny bit of lean, very thinly-sliced deli turkey and it went down and stayed down just fine. I was OVERJOYED! I had it with half a Babybel soft cheese. I've been doing that once a day since Saturday. I also tried scrambled eggs with cheese. Never in my life had I ever had eggs with cheese, but it tasted good. I ate about 1/3 of one egg and it felt like a brick in my stomach for several hours. I did not feel ill, just heavy. I decided to wait a bit before having more of that.

Tomorrow, I begin soft foods and I think I'm supposed to introduce one new food a day. If anything doesn't settle well, I am to go back to protein shakes or something mild that did work well. I'll continue the deli turkey & Babybel cheese. The first new things I will try will be soft, baked fish, refried beans & grated cheddar, chili, and maybe scrambled eggs again. I'd love grits, but am not sure yet about them. I might make some more egg custard. I actually went and bought ramekins, learned how to make egg custard and made it, sugarfree. I didn't like it so much, but it was ok. I can use the little bowls though...

I really would like to try the "meats pressure cooked to tenderize", but in my head, those are more solid so I am a bit shy of that just yet.

Even though I will not have to be on a strict vitamin regimen, I am taking Biotin, Thiamine, a multi (gummy), Omega 3 (gummy), B-12 & D + Calcium (sublingual tabs).

I'm feeling pretty back to normal most of the time although I get easily tired out. I am used to having an extremely high level of energy so that kind of stinks, but I know it will get back up there. Everyone seemed so surprised that I was back at church, back in the singing groups, going to work, etc. I was not on pain meds for more than a day and a half at the hospital and once I stopped the IV, the pain was manageable. The nausea went away after two-three days and I have not thrown up at all. Many MANY people have. I hate throwing up so I am trying to be super cautious about when to STOP eating. My little stomach is now exactly 4 (FOUR) ounces. Anything I've eaten was only one or two and then I feel full. It's still healing. I'll prob have to eat little small meals several times a day eventually. Today, I had my protein shakes and vitamins first and then took an applesauce, a pudding, a cheese stick, and some turkey with me for the rest of the day until I can have some veggie soup tonight after choir. Before you judge, we are SUPPOSED to be having snacks and those (applesauce, cheese, pudding) are on the list!

Here is a before picture and then a picture from a week and a half a go. I cannot tell too much difference yet. My 3X clothes are now loose and I've lost 35 lbs so far. This weekend, I'll post some more pictures of before and after. I'll try to make a collage of sorts. The cool thing is that I am wearing a dress I haven't been able to wear in years and now I'm at the weight that I was when I moved to NOLA eight years ago! My starting weight was 270. I don't mind sharing that. My current weight is 235. Cool! No amount of exercise or fad or legit dieting was ever able to get me this kind of change.......and I've been trying off and on for 30 years. Some part of me says "wow, I could have just stayed on a liquid diet for a long time" and the other parts of me remind myself "I already did that and it ALL came back the minute that diet session stopped." This time, it is not a diet. It's a continuation of my mostly healthy lifestyle, PLUS the surgical help of restricted portions. Oh, and surgery is N O T the "easy way out". Think what you want, but if you say that to me, you might want to know I can throw a pretty solid punch. ;-)

Night bef surgery: 257                                             In this picture: 248







My VSG Journey - Discharge Day!

After two nignts in the hospital, it was time to leave Endobariatric and Piedras Negras and head back to San Antonio.

The morning of discharge, the nighttime doctor and Dr. Rosales and Dr. Alvarez came to see me as did the nurses.

I must say, they gave me everything I needed: paperwork for my doctor here, vitamin/mineral panel recommendations, pain meds, acid reflux meds, antibiotics, instructions, a copy of Dr. A's helpful VSG book, a backpack and folder in which to keep everything, and personal contacts in case there were any issues or questions.

Here's a picture of me with Dr. A right before I got on the van. I am so happy that I chose to come to Mexico for my surgery. Down with any naysayers and all the skeptics! I received better care here than most of the US medical experiences I have had in my whole life combined. In addition, the doctors are extremely skilled, very caring, and concerned with your well-being. They took the time out to talk to me, answer questions, make me comfortable, and explain procedures. I have also been able to ask Dr. Alvarez my questions (via Twitter as well) and he gave me quick answers and asked me how I was doing!



They signed my pillow :-) (the Endobariatric signature stomach pillow, LOL). The pillow made me laugh, but I sincerely needed the support for the two-hour return trip which was BUMPY BUMPY BUMPY!

After crossing the border, we dropped off the other patient at the Holiday Inn and then got on the road. halfway through, we stopped at a convenience store for some water. I was sipping, sipping, sipping. It seemed like I sipped constantly, but the level didn't go down that much. When we got to the La Quinta airport, we went down by the pool for some sun and rest and SIPPING WATER. Then, in the room, I took a nap. It was HOT. I checked my Weather Channel app and saw that it was 106 in Piedras Negras! Yikes! Later, in the early evening, I was feeling less nauseous so we went to the mall to walk around and I did some mini-shopping and had some apple juice!

The next morning, we had a SUPER EARLY set of flights back to NOLA, but that was ok b/c we were back by 10:30 a.m. and I was back in my apartment by around 11:30. Kudos to Meg for being such a trooper on this whole journey and for taking such great care of me. Her husband picked us up at the airport and then drove me to my car. I stopped by GNC on the way home to see what a protein bullet was and to buy an Isopure drink to try it out. Sasha kitty was so glad to see me and she was LIKE GLUE, stuck by my side for the next three days!

I slept most of Friday and tried to sip water. Tthe next day, I tried the protein bullets and they were WAAAY too sweet. I tried apple juice and that was much better, though also sweet. One week clear liquids, Ugh! I failed in attempts to get my water in and to finish the protein bullets every time I tried one. Blech! Sunday, I decided I needed to go to church....not just to be there for my job, but I really needed to be there. I also needed some fellowship and normalcy. Everyone was so nice! It helped a great deal and I was able to also attend the NOVA rehearsal that evening. That was a lot harder than church and I sat down for most of it, but I wanted to see how it was to sing! That was also hard, but I figured that it would help. In between these activities and naps, those first few days involved reading various ObesityHelp.com  forums and Sleevetalk forums, and watching several movies. I took myself to watch the new Star Trek Into Darkness movie, t'was great! "Khaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" My next post will be an update as to where I am along the path now. I leave you with another picture of my dear Sasha kitty :-) 

My VSG Journey to Endobariatric

Wow, I'm a pretty terrible blogger with such giant gaps between happenings, but....oh well and Le Sigh on that. Finally, here is the 411 on my trip to Endobariatric for my VSG surgery! :-) There are lots of pictures so it may be a lengthy post, but you can handle it. Oh maybe I might split it up....who knows.

April 30 - May 13  Two-week pre-op diet -  I did pretty well, lost 14 lbs and cheated twice. One was a tiny cheat and one was huge. I basically got too hungry and couldn't stand it anymore. I made sure the last four days before surgery were fluids only, not even any puddings etc.

May 13 - My dear friend Meg and I left NOLA and flew to San Antonio. Check it out. We had more "legroom"....(LOL at United Airlines, but it is actually a word). We took a fast & free shuttle from the airport to the La Quinta hotel and waited there until our driver Rosy (Rosantina) arrived. She had just come into the area so needed a break before heading back for another two-hour ride! She was so nice and has been driving the route for about eight years, meeting tons of hopeful WLS patients.

I was greatly relieved to see that the van no longer had a picture on its side of a woman holding up a giant pair of pants.

The ride was SO EXTREMELY BUMPY, OMG. I had to take two motion sickness pills and by the time I got to Eagle Pass, I was EXHAUSTED. There, we checked into the Holiday Inn and went out a little bit later for some dinner. I had egg drop soup at the nearby Chinese restaurant and it was DELICIOUS! Funny feeling like it was a last meal even though it obviously wasn't! Then, we went down the precaiously-placed sidewalk filled with gigantic scary ants until it ran out and picked up some gatorade etc. from the gas station store. It was quite a happening place. Eagle Pass, TX appeared vast, dry and largely empty. Whole new-looking apt complexes looked deserted even tough they weren't.

Amazingly, it was getting ready to rain. I got the feelling this doesn't happen that often. It helped in cooling the place down though and that was a nice benefit. Meg and I went out to the pool area where there was a great breeze and we played Scramble and other ipad/iphone games. This really helped me be less nervous. We also met up with Fabienne, a patient who was going to have her surgery the same day. We had met via email and been in communication a bit so it was super nice to get to know each other a little. This also helped me be less anxious for the next day!

THE MORNING OF SURGERY

Wow, it was really time. After months of waiting and years of thinking about it, here I am about to be picked up for the long-awaited VSG. I was both excited and nervous.

 
We drove through the rest of Eagle Pass
(larger than I expected) and across the border.
I had forgotten that we would actually cross the
Rio Grande in the process so that was cool.
The drive to Piedras Negras and the
Endobariatric clinic did not take very long and
before I realized it, we were there! It was very
early so the parking lot was empty. The clinic
is attached to a hospital, but I guess their
parking was around the other side because
they seemed to have more action going on.

Once inside Dr. Alvarez's office, Dr. Rosales, another surgeon came out to greet us and said we would meet Dr. A in a few minutes. Then, Fabienne and I decided to take a picture. Just as we were smiling, Dr. A came up behind us and got in the picture! :-) That was great!

While they met inside his office, I saw a sign that said "Let us know if you check in using Foursquare and receive a gift" heheh so I checked in, of course! When I met with Dr. A, I told him that and he gave me a very nice, fancy water bottle! Cool :-)


I weighed, met the anesthesiologist (very happy about that), and talked a bit about the procedure, how long it would take, recovery, bougie size used, etc. I was very impressed that Dr. A suggested on his own that they use a pediatric intubation tube because
I'm a singer! I was going to suggest it and Meg was there and had mentioned that I suggest it, but I was happy I didn't need to.

So, now we were excorted to take a pre-surgery photo for records and then taken to our room. We entered the hospital and it was shiny, clean and well-built. The room was in the clinic side of the hospital. Outside our doors was an area of tile that was under construction. This was kind fo sketchy, but not bothersome. The room itself was next two a nurses's room and two patient rooms. It was VERY NICE! Huge actually. It had its own shower, window, air conditioning unit, TV, sofa (large, folded down to make a full bed), a refridgerator, and a big sturdy leather chair on the opposite side of the room. The shower had an enclosed bathroom as well. Here is a panorama shot of the room.

Certainly better than some of the hospital rooms I have stayed in.
Within 15 minutes, nurses were coming in and one took me downstairs for blood tests and a chest X-ray. Then, I came back upstairs, started my IV and chilled out until they were ready for me to go into surgery. I hate that important IVs have always gone into my hand. IT HURTS. I also hate that IVs cannot be butterfly needles as that is the size I need. It was nice to talk with two sisters from Canada who were being discharged that same day and to find they had a good experience and were feeling good. Soon, they came and told me to slide from my hospital bed onto a gurney and said something about giving me "happy juice". I actually do not remember ANYTHING after that moment. So funny that I aparently started saying "I love you guys" to everyone! When I had my wisdom teeth out, I remember seeing the lights go dim. I remember when I had a cyst out, the IV infiltrated and I was awake in the OR as they were getting ready and the surgeon said "get her to sleep, use the other arm" and that was it, LOL.

ALL DONE
So, THAT WAS QUICK! I woke up with an Oxygen mask on and within a few minutes (it seemed) someone removed it and I remember being super groggy and somewhat nauseous after a while. No water was allowed that first day and I mostly stayed in bed.

I do vaquely remember them trying to make me walk laps down the hall and back and that after one lap, I had to sit down from being dizzy and nauseous. I thought I was going to throw up,but I didn't and they gave me a shot "where the sun don't shine" so I felt better. Here I am trying to walk.

I also recall that the night was full of nurse and doctor visits. I think the assisting surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and Dr. Alvarez came to see me that day and in the night, all the nurses, one or two doctors etc. came every hour. I just wanted to sleep.

Tthe second day was much better and I was fully alert, though still nauseous when I tried to do much walking. Today, I was allowed ice chips (YAY!) and walked a lot. I even went with Meg to the neighboring coffee shop, in my pajamas, and sat there to eat my ice chips for a while. In the room, we had just been reading and doing emails....maybe watching a little TV - the "Border channel" (view of the Rio Grande bridge border and traffic) because it had music. It felt great to be "out and about" and Meg was awesome in taking care of me. I'll end this post with a picture of the tweet I wrote about the day :-)

A Day & and Half.....

Well......ONE DAY AND A HALF to go before VSG surgery!

Yikes! I'm super excited for all the lifestyle and healthy living changes ahead, but also have a case of pre-surgery jitters. I suppose that is understandable considering general anesthesia is involved. It was awesome to be able to communicate with the doctor about antibiotics (explain my bad reaction to Cipro after the Haiti trip last summer) and anesthesia. Made me feel more confident overall.

Everyone's been extremely supportive and I truly appreciate that. I also appreciate the kind words about my posts and the prayers. I received several notes after my FB post and I am greatly moved by them. We are all in this life together!

I've lost 14 lbs on my liquid diet  so far.....which makes me think....."hmmm. do I REALLY have to go through with actual surgery?......or can I simply do a longer liquid diet etc.?"

I know the answer and it is "yes" I need to go ahead with surgery. It's a longer lasting change than a fad diet and I would know because I have tried most of them and the weight came back on....plus a few lbs. Tired of yo-yos with the same pounds. So, all hail to the new stomach...er....sleeve that I will have. I hope it's not too picky and that it will tolerate most foods and I hope my capacity will not be impossible to deal with.

Here is my itinerary for the trip to Endobariatric in Piedras Negras, Mexico:

- Flights to San Antonio, shuttle to La Quinta hotel where Rosy, the driver will pick us up.
- Two-hour drive to Eagle Pass, TX where we'll send one night
- Tuesday: morning pickup, cross border, meet Dr. Alvarez, do tests, have SURGERY
- Be in recovery (we're hoping, LOL) and then will probably be walking and sleeping
- Wednesday: at the hospital, leak test, may graduate to ice chips, REST
- Thursday: discharge, Rosy drives us back to Eagle Pass, spend night
- Friday: Flights back to New Orleans and alternate between resting and walking
- Saturday: REST / WALK / sip on water
- Sunday: I am hoping to be back at the church on Sunday, but we shall see......

Wish me luck! :-)

I Almost Ate My Desk

I wanted to eat my desk.

Ravenous was exactly what I was yesterday. Being the first day of my two-week pre-op liquid diet, I did sort of expect this to happen. Talk about a reality call that surgery day is getting CLOSE! Tons of things going through my head: Excitement at FINALLY reaching this point, fear of the unknown and known lifestyle changes, relief, nervousness, etc.

It's not like I haven't done a liquid diet before. This time though, it comes after a year and a half of having given up on dieting - period. I have put forth many years of willpower in dieting and

When I go through a normal day, I hardly feel real hunger - even if I have eaten very little, but this was ridiculous and my inability to stop thinking about it was not helping. Also not helping was the fact that the one protein shake I drank....or tried to....was within four days of expiration. That was just plain sad as I know those boxes of shake bottles and cans sit on shelves for several years before expiration. To think that had been in my fridge for a year and a half....wow, just wow. 

Today is day # 2 and MUCH BETTER already. I attribute that to last night's Kmart run for protein shake powder, vitamin gummies, Crystal Light, and a new scale. I even found Omega-3 gummies and they do not taste fishy. When I got home, I made popsicles out of the Crystal Light and drank a real shake. I also turned my focus to reading my liquid options and found that my doctor allows broths and that some folks made soup and simply didn't eat the noodles. So, I had some soup as well and went to bed feeling full.

I FINALLY bought those little colorful popsicle thingies.

I admit, I had actually wanted them years ago, but YOWZA am I glad to have them now!

I tried Crystal Light, but I have a strong feeling that fruit juice is going to win this one for the taste and the texture.

Having communicated with my surgeon's office this morning about vitamins and more, I have  also been told I can add non-fat soups and have skim milk in my coffee so YAY! They even sent me some great recipes to try out for vegetable soup!

I plan to do a video blog in a few days. Yesterday, I also took some before and after pictures

Surgery in 14 days - wish me luck! :-)

WLS Journey IV - Surgery Scheduled!

TUESDAY, MAY 14th is the day! It's exciting to have this dream become a reality after such a long time. A week after scheduling the surgery, things got a lot more real - I paid my deposit!

I made sure to schedule the surgery for after the semester is over, but at a time when I know I'll have a great deal of work to do via computer. Grades are due that morning so I know that I will have something to help distract my mind get through the few days beforehand. I will be on a liquid diet for two weeks prior to the surgery date. This is to shrink my liver and ensure that the surgeon can reach the stomach easily. It will also add to the weight loss!

I will be teaching in Innsbruck, Austria this summer for seven weeks (more about that later)and want to have the surgery at least a month before I fly there. I will still be learning how to handle my new stomach size, but I will be surrounded by fresh markets and an easy / touristy way to increase the walking that I already do.

Some thoughts that recently occurred to me:
- I will be able to fit into those STUPID SMALL school desks better.
- I've spent 30 years fighting a battle against obesity....with whatever years I have left, at least I will have a tool to help me fight it better
- I WILL ride horses again. I used to train horses, racehorses actually (trained two for the Hialeah stakes in Fla.), but I've been avoiding riding for YEARS because of my weight.

50 days until surgery!

WLS Journey Part III - Types of Bariatric Surgery & What I'm Having

Types of Bariatric Surgery in a Nutshell

Check out each link for detailed images and info.

Lap-Band / Gastric Band - This involves putting a band around the upper portion of the stomach to restrict the amount of food you can eat. The band is inflatable and those who have it must receive saline solution fill-ups periodically. It's considered a minimally invasive procedure and is both adjustable and reversible.

Gastric By-pass - This both reduces stomach size and re-routes a segment of stomach and small intestine. The segment containing digestive juices is attached to the food-bearing intestine closer to the large intestine. There are several different kinds of bypasses.
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_bypass_surgery

Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) - In this surgery, the size of the stomach is drastically reduced to a sleeve and the remaining portion is removed.
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeve_gastrectomy

Duoenal Switch (biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (BPD-DS) - This surgery both reduces stomach size and re-routes a substantial portion of the small intestine, creating two separate pathways and one common channel.
More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duodenal_switch

Info from the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.org/bariatric-surgery/types.html

 

 

I have chosen to have the VSG procedure. For me, I feel that VSG is the best choice. I know a few people that have had this same surgery. I know two people who have had lap-bands and three who have had gastric by-passes. Each of my friends is happy with his/her decision and has had amazingly successful results!

 

There are benefits and complications to each surgery. It will take a long time to get used to eating with the new stomach size and temperament, but I think that no longer having the portion of the stomach that produces the hunger hormone Grehlin will be useful. I also believe that if I were to get the Lap-band, I would be able to "cheat" a bit by not going in regularly enough for saline fills. I have read about that happening. I have also read many accounts of the malabsorption that can sometimes be associated with gastric bypasses. In addition, many people who have the bypass procedure, have experienced what is called "Dumping Syndrome"

 

There are TONS of helpful websites and blogs out there about bariatric surgeries. One I've come to enjoy reading is the VSG Talk forum.

 

I've also found tons of YouTube videos helpful in seeing real people discuss and share the problems and the triumphs of each of the surgery types. I'm often struck by how much has rapidly developed during my lifetime. From typing a paper on a computer for the first time during my Masters degree to finding anything at any time on personal devices practically anywhere - this amazes me!

 

I believe that I should have this surgery. I'm quite ready to not have to deal with the weight struggle which has tormented me most of my life. I'll have a new struggle and new results!

 

Cheers!

 

 

WLS Journey Part II - Going for It.....and Insurance Land

I decided in May 2011 that I really wanted to go for it.

I had decided this before, many years ago, but did not make any moves because it was prohibitively expensive. Now, in the middle of my career, I realized it might yet be a real possibility. So, I attended a Bariatric Seminar at a local hospital. They were very nice and it was informative. I was shocked at how many people were there. There were some for whom I realized this surgery would be a life-saving event. I kept the information, but did not follow up with them right away because of the high cost.

Summer came and went. I read Mindful Eating by Jan Bays. I tried new meals. I walked City Park like a fiend. I traveled to Brasil and walked holes into my shoes, literally. I had to throw them away. I hiked around Igacu Falls on both the Brazilian and Argentine borders. I read blog after blog. I drank a bazillion gallons of water! I read articles and websites. Then, in the fall, I started talking more about it with friends from far and near who have had various weight loss surgeries. I learned lots of practical things related to surgery and recovery that I hope to work through with the same sucess they have found.

Two of the blogs I like are:
The Incredible Shrinking Girl http://incredibleshrinkinggirl.com/ and
Living After Weight Loss Surgery http://livingafterwls.blogspot.com/
I have found HUNDREDS of blogs about people's personal journey with WLS. I thought to myself: "Why not?!"

In February 2012, after tossing it around forever.....I made the second part of the decision to have weight loss surgery (WLS). Want to know what that part is? It's commitment. When I say this, I mean commitment in the sense of a deep, abiding, personal dedication to the preparation, process, and life afterwards. It is a work in progress, but I know I can do it!

Some of my close friends who have had weight loss surgery have helped me - a LOT and I am eternally grateful to them. I will need their encouragement and that of my other friends through the coming months.

From December 2011 to February 2012, I exhausted my health insurance options, making tons of calls, filing petitions, and learning that no matter what, none of the insurances offered would cover bariatric surgery - even with medical letters of necessity and references. It was recommended to me by a very nice man at the national office of one of the agencies, that I try the Head's Up program with the state Office of Group Benefits. I filed the application online to be chosen by lottery for elective bariatric surgery which would be 100% covered. All of the people with whom I interacted (phone screening, random questions from me, letter-writers) have been SO NICE and VERY helpful, but it's been over a year and I haven't been chosen. The dates of the program and the numbers of surgeries have been changed and I wish the very best to those chosen, but I won't wait any longer than this May.

The next step for me was to attend bariatric surgery nutrition classes (again, as I have done so in the past) and choose a surgeon. I don't know why I thought I should do this because the surgery package was about $17,000 (which I didn't have and was unwilling to borrow). I ended up completing the courses, meeting with other prospective patients, choosing a surgeon, paying $350 out of pocket to speak with the surgeon one-to-one, and then walking away upset, terrified, and angry. Why? Well, the surgeon gave me nine (9) NINE minutes of his time and in fact, he was sifting a stack of papers and not making eye contact. I felt as if I was wasting his time and he did not volunteer much info, rather, he answered when I asked a question and after the nine minutes stopped.

Lucky for me, I was simultaneously doing research on another surgeon and reading blogs

In my next post, I will describe the type of WLS I'm having and how I found my surgeon!