NOTHIN' BUT FLUIDS!

While blogging, I'm also having my "dinner". Tonight that is one cup of strained low fat cream of chicken soup. (Strained to get the chunks of chicken out!) My diet is extremely limited right now, which of course is to be expected. People are shocked when I tell them, but my tiny little stomach pocket just isn't up for too much yet! And since my understanding is that if I over do it the results will be quite uncomfortable for me, I'm not pushing it! (-:

The great news is that I am not feeling terribly hungry, and when I do feel slightly hungry, it is typically because it's time to eat something.

Here's the overall eating schedule that Dr. Macik requires:

2 weeks prior to surgery -- extreme low carbs -- max 20 carbs a day

day before surgery -- clear fluids only, plus Powerade with Miralax (bariatric colon cleanse)

day of surgery -- absolutely no fluids by mouth, later in the day got ice chips (was on IVs)

1st 2 days after surgery -- clear liquids only (broth, crystal light, sugar free popsicles, SF jello) -- in the hospital, they'd give me crystal light in medicine cups .... Here's one ounce of liquid, take 15 entire minutes to drink it.

Days 3-6 (where I am right now)-- Full Liquids (1% milk, low carb protein shakes, SF low fat yogurt, cream of chicken soup, plus all the things in clear liquids -- including SF jello, and SF popsicles) **now, the surprising thing here is the quantities... I should take a full hour to sip 8 ounces of whatever I eat/drink, yet I am to strive to consume at least 48-64 ounces of liquids over the the course of the day. Half should be clear liquids and half should be the full liquids, being sure to get protein in there.

Days 7-10 (begins Wednesday - woo, hoo!) -- Pureed/Soft Diet --- this is where my new magic bullet will be quite handy. See, my tiny new pouch isn't grown up enough to work as your stomach does.... using its muscles to break up and grind up the food we eat. So, for now, I gotta do that work before I eat something. Now, at this stage, I shall only eat 4-6 Tablespoons of food each "meal" and I should have 5-6 meals a day. I can add mashed potatoes, custard, and pudding, but I must be VERY careful to keep it really low sugar and really low fat. Otherwise, my tiny pouch will rebel and make me regret it. Other things, provided they are well cooked and blenderized, will be vegetables, scrambled eggs, LF cottage cheese, poultry, soups, applesauce, and stage 1 & 2 baby foods (but watch the sugar in those!). I must also be sure to remove all skins, visible fat, connective tissues, rinds, shells, seeds, etc.

Then, Days 11-30 (almost 3 weeks) -- Soft Diet -- Pretty much as above, but adding a few starches like cereal, crackers, and adding soft fruits (have to remove citrus membranes) and low fat cheeses. The instructions say "small distinct pieces of food that is tender and easily chewed. Begin with ground or flaked meats and chopped or mashed foods".

Then, Days 31-45 (two weeks) -- we continue as above, but get to graduate to 6-8 tablespoons per meal, 5 meals per day. Also can add some things like brown rice and whole grain pasta.

Then, Six weeks after surgery -- Healthy, Lifelong Meal Plan -- add a few tablespoons of food per meal, then after another month, a little more. Ultimately, the plan for post bariatric surgery patients, is to eat 3/4 - 1 cup per meal, and eat 4 small meals per day. Dr. Macik disagrees with the snacking throughout the day theory. Essentially, we'll need to add more fiber here, but be intentional about high protein, low fat, and lower carbs. We are told to stay away from everything High Sugar. My understanding is that high sugar will result in dumping syndrome, and that I will not like that one bit. (-; A few people have said, "yep, you'll only do that ONCE".

A few other things for post bariatric surgery patients, that are a little odd, are that we can no longer drink from straws or have carbonated beverages. Those put too much air in our pouches, and make us feel full when we aren't. Also don't want those bubbles to increase the size of the pouch, that would be dumb after having surgery, no!?

Another quirk is that we are NOT to drink while eating a meal. Yes, we must drink 48-64 ounces daily, but we must stop drinking 30 minutes before a meal, and not drink fluids again until 30 minutes after a meal. Our little pouches (can you tell I've grown attached to my little pouch already? (-: ) will tell us we've had enough to eat and we would not have. Or, the food will slide right through with the liquids, and we won't get the nutrition we need. Either way, that's bad. SOOOO, no drinking at meals!!!

Oh, and NO MORE NSAIDS. I know, what's that, right? No more aspirin or anti-inflammatory medicines like Aleve, Ibuprofen. EVER. They're bad for our little pouches. They can cause bleeding and ulcers, and bad stuff like that. Oh, except the chewable baby aspirin we take for the first month after surgery to prevent blood clots....

We must also take vitamins for ever and ever amen. Chewable Multivitamins with Iron and chewable Calcium with Vitamin D. And B-12. Can be shots or sublingual... I'll find out a bit more about that when I return to the doctor next Wednesday.

So, will I ever be able to go out to a restaurant again? Sure. Just bear with me while I adjust the menu so it'll work for me, and expect me to split my meal with someone plus bring a bunch home. (-: Ben and I figure we're going to be spending way less money on food! (-:

Early Morning Reflections

Well, I'm up and awake at 3:45 AM. Hospital time, I guess. Had to get up for a walk, came downstairs for something, and the walk was invigorating. Oops! My pain meds should kick in soon, though, and I'll get back to sleep! In the meantime, I thought I'd do a little blogging!

My recovery has been going extremely well! This photo was taken Thursday morning, after I got to take a shower! (These milestones are a big deal, people!) This is in my room, and includes the white board the nurses use to communicate with the patients. Northside is big on that, and they did a wonderful job! It included the names and phone extensions of my nurse and her tech, when my next pain medication is due, when I needed to walk next, and anything else important! I really enjoyed my stay at Northside Hospital, as much as one can enjoy being in the Hospital. I'd never stayed over night in a hospital before, but the staff on 4C did an awesome job of keeping me comfortable and encouraging me to get up and move! So grateful for the fabulous nursing staff!

With my recovery, my only set back was that, after the surgery, I was unable to urinate. You'd think that wouldn't be a big deal since I also was not allowed to drink even a little swallow of anything, but they were pumping me full of IV fluids! It gets pretty uncomfortable. They did a scan of my bladder around noon on Wednesday, and figured I had just under 300 cc's in my bladder. They gave me more time to pee on my own (tried running the shower, sitting there forever, thinking about waterfalls...), but to no avail. So, around 3PM, they gave me a "straight" catheter. That's a one time catheter as opposed to a long term one. BOY, was I grateful! They got out 600 cc's of fluid, and man, did that feel better! Similar scenario kept me up in the middle of the night Wednesday, as I still couldn't go on my own yet, so another catheter around 4 AM gave me 700 cc's of relief.... and then, I could get comfortable and happily went back to sleep.

It's weird. How does one forget how to pee? I mean, with 37 years of practice, you'd think no problem, right? Apparently, it's pretty common after surgeries and after having a baby. Well, for Thursday, on my communication white board, one of my patient priorities was listed as "go to the bathroom" (apparently the nurse didn't want to write "I want to pee!" on there as I suggested), and, eventually I did. Ahhh, relief!

Well, my pain meds are kicking in now, so off to dream land I shall go. More later about my recovery and hospital experience!

OUR (embarrassing, but real) BEFORE PICTURES

I just uploaded our before pictures to facebook... click here to see the full album!

LESS THAN 12 HOURS....

AND, TO CELEBRATE, HERE'S MY DINNER TONIGHT .....

I worked 10 hours today and got a lot done. Of course, in a perfect world, I had another day's worth of work I'd have loved to accomplish, but alas, it was not meant to be. It'll all be there waiting for my return in two weeks!

Just need to pack my bag and finish some laundry, then I guess I'll get to bed pretty early. Have to be at the Hospital at 5AM.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayers, and support!

WOW! 36 hours away!

36 hours until surgery time. WOW!

So, this morning I had my pre-op visits with my surgeon and at the Hospital. They gave me all sorts of booklets and handouts about things to do before the surgery and things not to do after.

I hadn't realized that tomorrow, the day before, my diet is to be clear liquids only. Broth, water, apple juice, no sugar popsicles, etc. And, then, even worse, is the "bowel prep". HUH?!? I guess it's good I wasn't aware of it until today... take 2 dulcolax tablets, then mix in 255 gm Miralax with 64 oz of gatorade and drink that over 2 hours, then take 2 more dulcolax tablets! WHAT?!? Compulsory Bulimia? Ok, ok.... I know. I want my stomach and intestines cleaned out before surgery -- especially the parts that'll be cut off and stay in there. But golly geepers!

And, guess what? NEVER AGAIN will I be allowed to take anti-inflammatories like Advil/Motrin etc. My lil' ol' pouch will be too delicate for the way that stuff handles your stomach. They suggested getting medic alert jewelry. Um, no thanks.

And, just so we're clear, I have all sort of weird diet things the first 5 weeks after surgery. So send flowers, not chocolates! LOL! Check out the five stages: clear liquids, full liquids, pureed/soft, soft food, then, after 5 weeks if I'm tolerating food well, ending up with the Healthy Plan (normal consistency but high protein, lower sugar).

Expanding our "Self Help" Library

So, with any big change, we all know the best thing to do is to buy books, right? Research is key to any adjustment.... With that in mind, we've got 3 knew books on their way from Amazon....

I mean, we're not dumb. We don't need weight loss surgery due to our problems with undereating, right? These were all rated highly, so hopefully they'll be helpful. The "Why Weight" one is by the author recently on Oprah for Food, Women, and God. Since these are for Ben, too, I opted for the gender neutral choice. (-:

I'm Hungry

I'm hungry. The Quarter Pounder with cheese without the bun only does so much, especially when not accompanied by fries or a sundae. Guess I'll drink a protein shake before bed. That's my new routine, apparently! I'm surviving no carbs, and I've lost several pounds which gets me excited about what's to come, but I really miss my sugar and pasta and fruit and bread and ....

I'm looking forward to not being hungry. It's so difficult to imagine needing to remind myself to eat, but I believe that is one result I can expect from the surgery.

We got lots of XS Energy Shots in the mail (boxes of them!) yesterday. They have lots of B12 and some other healthy vitamins in them. We're going to share our story and be the poster children for the product and how it can be useful after bariatric surgery. Ben's friend from Wheaton, Dave Vanderveen, is the founder of XS and Dave asked if we were interested. Free stuff? Shots that taste way better than the vitamins we'll need either way? SURE! More to come on that, but I had my first "shot" this morning and it really helped me get a move on at work!

I'm fighting a head cold. I was seriously concerned this morning, because in my hospital pre-surgery interview a week and a half ago, the nurse advised me to stop taking all supplements, vitamins, and pain relievers other than Tylenol. WHAT?! How can I possibly survive a cold or treat it so it will be almost gone by Wednesday with no drugs or supplements? But, alas, when I called the doc's office they gave me the go ahead... just no anti-inflammatories. SO, I'm armed and ready to fight .... Contact Cold Medicine (in day and night capsules), Cold Eze, Vitamin Water Zero with Zinc and Vitamin C. Cold, cold go away.... and if you try to stay, I WILL defeat you.

The nurse also said I really don't need to take much to the hospital with me. She suggested I wear in what I'd like to wear out. No nice jewelry. And just the essentials for grooming - tooth brush, hair brush, skin cremes. OH, and I must take my CPAP machine (the nurse, the pulmonologist and my sleep doctor all advised me of this!) But, I was thinking. Won't I want some deodorant and a few pairs of clean underwear, too? Just sayin'.

ONE WEEK TO GO

WOW. One week from now I'll be getting into bed thinking about how super early I'll have to be at the Hospital the next day! Am I nervous or excited? I pretty much go back and forth between the two.

Thanks to my friend Elizabeth offering to join me, I walked for an hour today in my new tennis shoes. It felt great walking, but then I was too tired to bother with dinner. I used our new magic bullet to whip up a yummy high protein smoothie and called that dinner! (Dinner is weird when you're on a special diet and your hubby isn't home, you know!??)

We did join the Dunwoody Baptist Church Fitness Center. I haven't been swimming yet, but may get motivated to do that tomorrow night! The pool is a saline pool which I think I'll truly prefer!

I'm a grumpy Jen

I really am not enjoying the low carb mandate. At least it's temporary (10 days left), and I did actually lose a few pounds in just my first 3 days of it, so I'm no longer afraid the doctor (who has a strict "you may not gain weight before the surgery" policy) will change his mind!

Low carbs is great for some people, but I am just not into it. I really prefer eating carbs, y'all. A sandwich is not a sandwich if there is no bread. Coffee is better with sugar, though I am adjusting to Splenda and even less sweetness. Is it SO horrible to want popcorn from time to time? Plus I've been having minor headaches. Not sure if it's from the Splenda I've replaced sugar in my coffee with or the shock to my system, but life would be better without headaches.

Also, in addition to no popcorn, there's no date night tonight which means no movie. Ben's Census job is in the evenings, so, well, no Friday Date Night! Again, that's a temporary scenario --- and we realized last night that me being off work for 2 weeks to recover means we'll get to see each other more!) We do get to use our date night tomorrow night to help out a couple we know. Their twin boys are 7 months old, so we're going to go babysit so they can have their date night! I love helping others and I love babies! So I'm thrilled about the adventure it will be!

I did have a productive day at work today, so that is great. It's pretty stressful knowing I'll be out two weeks. I've not only got to be caught up with my overpayment workloads, I've got to be 2 weeks ahead of schedule. God will help, and I'll do my best, and I'll be where I should be. Grateful for being able to go in for 4 hours of OT in the morning. Saturdays are always so productive because they're quiet and without interruptions (i.e. claimants).

I'm headed to turn in our enrollment fees to the gym. Haven't swam yet, but hopefully I'll get my butt over there on Monday. And I think when I get back, I'll put on my new tennis shoes and do a REAL walk. (I've been walking Zippy, our nephew dog, but since he's almost 15 years old, that doesn't require much exercise on my part!)

ANTICIPATING INCREASED ACTIVITY

So, today I had my pre-surgery Cardiologist appointment. He said my heart was in excellent shape and I was at a very low risk for cardiology complications during surgery. So, there you go. I have a healthy heart! Hooray for that!

Ben and I talked in passing yesterday about joining a gym. Part of post surgery recovery is to walk at least 30 minutes EVERY day, but I also would like to get back into the habit of swimming, which I really enjoy. I have also done a *little* yoga before, and loved how much more flexible, stretchable, and relaxed it made me feel. I had previously (unbeknownst to Ben) checked out our local YMCA and figured it wasn't really an option because it's pretty expensive.... the monthly cost is $76 for 2 adults/$81 for a family but there is a $175 joining fee. Well, the Dunwoody Baptist Fitness center is much easier for us to get to, is a lot less busy, has smaller workout rooms, has a saline pool, has an indoor walking track and all the equipment we'll ever need, and right now has no joining fee with the first month for $18, and will be $69 month. There is no obligation or contracts at either, so that's good. SO, I do believe we'll become members at the Dunwoody Baptist Fitness Center. I'm especially excited because, with Ben being gone in the evenings (working at the Census), I think I'll really enjoy a nice walk or swim after work .... starting tomorrow!!! (-:

I have been mulling over the prospect of walking again. In my mind, at least, since I have decided to take the major step of surgery, I have committed to walk forever and ever. Plus, one of my personal goals is to walk a 5K sooner rather than later. Well, I have one pair of walking shoes, and I don't love them. They aren't anything special, just a basic $50 pair. I think they're 4 years old and they make my arches hurt. So, in ANTICIPATION of the many walks ahead, I decided to shop for some new shoes today. And I got some Nike Air Pegasus shoes. I like them a lot, and, yes, there is definitely guilt on spending $100 on a pair of shoes when my hubby is not currently in a career. But in light of our portion of the cost of the surgery (20% up to a certain family max), what's another $100!?!? Right? (-: And beginning in a few days, I'll be spending way less per week because I'll no longer be eating out for lunch everyday. Yes, I know. I am completely trying to rationalize a non-rational purchase. Who cares?!? Did you hear that? Jen is excited about walking and being active. Woot!

In related retail therapy news, I spent some additional non-budgeted money when I bought some sugar free Vanilla syrup for coffee this morning, complete with a cool pump. (Well, technically, I guess it was sort of included in the budget .... it was less than $10 and can come out of our grocery budget.) But, I have been contemplating: "how in the world will I survive my two carb free weeks without coffee? I WOULDN'T." So, there you have it. I have solved my biggest no-carb diet dilemma. I will have coffee, with cream, and with sugar free vanilla syrup and splenda. And it will be special, and I will like it and not feel like I'm being punished because I can't have my daily Dunkin Donuts Medium Coffee with Cream and Sugar....

And, while I'm on the subject of retail therapy confessions, I do have ONE more. So, my BIGGEST fear with the surgery is that I will suddenly look my real age. (Humor me, and please don't tell me that I look 37, ok!?!?). There was a recent winner on Biggest Loser who was around 40 I think, and when she lost all her weight and came back for the finale, her body looked awesome, but her face made her look 45. Maybe it was the cameras or a poor make-up job. But I think that the extra chubbiness around my face decreases the wrinkle effect. My fear is that I will loose lots of weight and then, one day, "POOF!" I'll look 45 instead of 35. Know what I'm sayin'? 'Cause that would suck. Seriously.

Oh, so what did I buy? Have you heard of the new Clinique magic potion? It is called "even better clinical dark spot corrector"... and I have these terrible age spots on my face from being a lifeguard in high school, and I don't like them because I think they make me look old. I purchased 1 oz of this magic potion, and it cost $49.50. (NOPE, that was NOT a typo.) I am resigned to start following my 3 step Clinique Skin Care (I've owned it for years, just don't consistently do it!) and finish up with the dark spot corrector. Wish me luck.... I know growing older is inevitable, but I don't want to sit around doing nothing to fight it, right?

So I leave you with a few pledges, and ask that you feel free to lovingly hold me accountable....

1. I will begin a skin care regimen, and stick to it.

2. I will enjoy my new shoes through walking regularly, even before my surgery.

3. I will not go to Dunkin Donuts for coffee. Instead, I will make it at home in a yummy, yet carb free manner.

4. I will join the Fitness Center, and I will swim there at least ...hmmm... four times before my surgery in two weeks.

And with that, I'll sign off for now, until next time...

Great Expectations

I had to request seatbelt extenders on my Delta flights this week. I'd never needed them on Airtran, but Ben has needed them as long as I've known him. Have you ever thought about how horrible it would feel to be that big person you don't want to sit next to? I am so embarrassed when I sit on a plane. I feel horrible for the person that has the misfortune of sitting next to me and my extremely wide hips, and I do my best to lean away from them and not crowd them the entire flight. Such guilt and shame. I don't typically experience those emotions, but for some reason the airplane ride brings them up.

I felt such relief that these two flights where I needed the extensions would be my ONLY two times they were needed!! So, that got me thinking. What other hopes, dreams, and expectations do I hold in my heart? I'll probably come back and add to this post now and then, but here's a list to start with...

• fitting comfortably in an airplane coach seat
• fitting comfortably in the movie theater and at church
• not having to squish to get into the booths at restaurants
• not having my wedding rings be so tight I have to work to take them off at night
• Needing to resize my wedding rings when they start to fall off!
• saving money on purchasing food- both a restaurants and the grocery store
• being able to shop for clothing in a "normal" store
• appearing as smart as I truly am with my first impression
• not getting winded when carrying laundry upstairs
• not feeling embarrassed to hug someone I barely know
• being able to get a good night's sleep next to Ben in a Queen size bed when on vacation
• not feeling embarrassed when getting up from sitting on the floor
• being able to paint my own toenails
• being able to run and play and climb on playground equipment with my kids
• Walking my first 5K since the Hunger Walk I did in High School

WOW! It's hard to grasp that any of this will be possible, let alone most of it! I can't wait!