08/26/2007 16:19
Two days To Surgery
i am still reading and re-reading what my surgeon and hospital gave me about my surgery. kind of nervous but not too bad. i'm sure tomorrow will shake my tree a little more. if i leave for surgery on Tuesday from my house i'll have to leave at 3 am for my 6 am surgery start (actual surgery at 7:30) "or" i can leave Monday evening w/ my family and get up and go to the hospital closer to the 6 am call. decisions, decisions.... i'll talk more w/ my husband when he gets home.. my big hang up is i wanna sleep in my own bed the night before surgery. other than that, that is all i have to report for today...=)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/25/2007 00:14
Three days 2 The Big Day!
today went great! everyone was so sweet and willing to answer my ever question. i heard rave reviews about my surgeon and his partner, not just what an awesome surgeon they are but what great people they are. i can't express how secure i feel w/ everything. i know there are risks but i also know what good hands i am in.
they gave me a 3 ring note book packed full w/ information, phone numbers, 24 hour contacts, and just about everything a person may experience when they've made the WLS decision before, during, and after and not just the physical but also the emotional.
its weird how it feels so close and yet so far away....=) well i just wanted to let everyone how things went. hope everyone had a great friday...=)
talk to you tomorrow!
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/23/2007 23:20
Four Days To Surgery Day!
i am soooooooo excited!!! just a bag of nerves but so ready to get to tuesday.... just 4 more days to go....=) tomorrow i have to head back down to south carolina for my pre-op. i should be back in north carolina around lunch time. so i'll post to what happened.
i'm gonna take before pictures and measurements. i really wanna keep track of it all. even my emotions and new relationship w/ food. i am so happy i've had no desire to binge and that fear of not being able to ever enjoy good comfort food is gone. this just proves even more to me how much i have grown and how much my relationship w/ food has changed which will help w/ my new upcoming life style...almost like being re-born and august 28 will be my second birthday. i am no longer an emotional eater like i once was. i have worked so hard on changing that. that endless pantry search for filling what ever whole was inside of me at the time.
but i still have another major problem... i need to get moving...exercise. i have to work hard on that. i'm hoping as the weight comes off the fatigue from so much extra weight will lessen too. only time will tell!!
well talk to you tomorrow!
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/20/2007 22:15
the count down starts tomorrow!!!
what a long day.... and drive to south carolina and back.... and thanks to a scheduling "glitch" i get to drive back again on friday. i got to see my surgeon which was a good visit and he answered a few questions i had. but i'll have to drive back on Friday for my pre-op w/ the anesthesiologist at the hospital but that's ok, i don't wanna rush any part of this procedure.
the doctor said he expects about an hour and a half surgery for me and that i really don't need to go on any special diet this week. he said of course it would be beneficial to lose weight before surgery but if it were that easy then he suspected i wouldn't be there asking for help. so just try not to give way to "the last supper" fear and over indulge and gain weight. he is a very nice, kind, understanding, and extremely smart surgeon and i feel i am in the best hands i could be in.
i'm getting really excited!!! i feel so good...=) he said my hospital stay will be about 24-48 hours if all goes as he feels it will. so i'll be able to write as soon as i get home...=)
my nephew is coming home tomorrow, hes scared b/c he doesn't remember every thing but the family in ny are reassuring him that everything will be ok and someone will always be w/ him as long as he wants them there. so please keep praying for us...we appreciate it!!! =)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/20/2007 00:56
pre-op today at the hospital
finally the jitters are gone (for now...lol) i feel so much better than i did last monday. the shock has taken its toll and the nerves are settling so i'm starting to feel more excited about my approaching surgery date.
i think a lot of my big fears were the ones i had about eating right after surgery (the clear liquid stage) and getting enough protein and then forever eating "regular" food. it really stressed me out but the best thing i could have done was focus that in my online research (which for 3 yrs now i've researched the surgery itself but to my horror not every tiny detail like the stages of eating after) and the books. one about life after surgery and a cook book for life after surgery.
so i've found a 42 gram "protein bullet" which is a tube like plastic container that has a clear flavored liquid and a high amount of protein. so there won't be a lot to drink to get what i need meaning only 2 bullets a day along w/ my regular hydration.
and as far as the forever after eating. the cook book has showed me that i can eat what i have been just less and being conscience of "healthy" eating. 3 years ago when i started this inquest i felt i couldn't have done this surgery. i felt it just wasn't something i could do at that time and so i went on my 2 year diet to lose only 32 pounds and gain alomost everything back "once again". but along the way i re-learned how to eat and how to be health thanks to weight watchers. so w/ 3 years of research and all the diet and healthy facts i now know i am committed 100% to my decision i have made.
by no means have i jumped into this decision. i thank God i have the support of my family and friends who have watched me struggle over the years along w/ each year my health decline for such a young age.
today i go to the hospital for my pre-op and then a last visit to my surgeon and then the big day will happen on august 28th. my arrival time is 7:30 am. i will know more detail later today.
hope everyone is doing great!
PS. my nephew is going home tuesday!!!!!! still a long road a head of him but he has already been dubbed "the miracle child" by the doctors and nurses from the ICU. thank you who have been praying for us...!!!! thank you!!!!!! thank you!!!!! and please continue b/c the power of pray sure is showing its self !!!!!!! =)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/16/2007 13:06
must have book if ur considering WLS
my stomach has been so upset since sunday. it feels a little better today but still....icky.
i found a great book, "Before & After" by susan maria leach. its about living and eating well after weight loss surgery w/ 135 low-carb, high-protein recipes for a healthier, happier, and slimmer you. it also has has her memoirs of her own surgery. i also got a weight loss surgery cookbook.
if any one is considering weight loss surgery i highly recommend the before & after book.
i am having difficulty finding a protein supplement that doesn't taste bad but i'll find something, i have too.
hope everyone is doing great!!
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/14/2007 13:22
Just taking it all in
WOW!!
now that i am settling down my mind is still racing. my thoughts are full w/ the choice i have made. but its not to be confused w/ doubt. i am not doubting my decision just worrying about the unknown and that can't be helped.
in trying to work up a plan for eating (anyone who knows me by now knows a written plan is my security blanket) i have come across a few more questions for the on the 20th and the biggest being water intake. i can't believe i didn't notice it sooner. what i read was that "12 ounces" on a constant basis everyday was needed to maintain hydration. is that a type-o. how can you go from the 8-8 ounces = 64 ounces a day to only 12 ounces a day, that can't be right. i'll also need 80 grams of protein a day.
but what concerns me most is "Life after Surgery" over that following 5 weeks there will be different stages i will be allowed to eat as i heal.
Weeks 1-2: Clear Liquid Diet. which is low/no sugar clear liquids.
Weeks 3-4: Full Liquid Diet. which is low/no sugar full liquids such are things like cream soups.
Week 5: Puree Diet, if tolerated. which is regular food and a time of exploration of do's and don't's of toleration.
sooooo.... if anyone can give me some ideas of help me through the beginning, especially the first 2 weeks to give me a little verity in my bland diet i would greatly appreciate it....=)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/13/2007 15:07
I GOT MY SURGERY DATE!!!!!!!!
" I GOT MY SURGERY DATE" !!!!!!!!
my date will be, August 28 !!!!!!! =)
now i'm really excited and shaking in my boots!....lol
(be back later to write more)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/12/2007 17:05
MY LIFE IS GONNA CHANGE!!
"GOOD NEWS" "EXCITING NEWS" "SCARY NEWS"
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
when i wrote my last blog i went to the mail box afterward and there i found a letter from the insurance company!!!!! and it said!!! "YES"....that they were reversing their previous decision and will now allow gastric bypass surgery b/c i now meet their requirements (the 12 weeks of a medically supervised diet was the only thing missing).
this news comes w/ mixed emotions. happiness, excitement, and also scared. the scared feeling comes from the "unknown" but i am ready. i have already started working on my 5 week diet plan post surgery. i want to make sure i have a verity of opinions even in the clear liquid form (the first and probably the hardest stage). from there i plan on continuing to work out my meal plan options focusing on protein, fluids, and vitamins & minerals.
i said it before and i'll say it again. i understand this is NOT a quick fix and that i still need to continue to focus on my health and meeting my body's new needs. i also plan on updating my blog to help anyone else out there who may be in the process of exploring this option w/ as much information as i can. i think that's the best thing anyone of us can do...keep educating our selves about our health, diet, and exercise.
my nephew continues to heal and has gotten his laugh back i hear so i am planning on a trip up to ny to visit w/ him which i am looking forward too.
hope everyone one is having a great weekend!!! =)
Posted By: Emma Bella
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08/11/2007 13:19
time marches on
update on the surgery.....................
i received a letter from the insurance informing me that the appeals process may take as little as 15 days and no longer than 30. so i'm i' still waiting and praying. i really hope i get an approval. i am so ready to move forward w/ this major change in my life. i can say...having to wait as long as i have has allowed me to add to the already two and half years of thinking, researching, and discussing the pro's and con's confirming a solid decision. if i get denied i wonder what the next step will be or if there is even one w/ the insurance. i guess i will cross that bridge if i have to go down that road and i am trying to not waste any time on things i may not have to deal w/ but mostly trying not to worry about it.
my nephew continues to improve!!!! =)
have a great weekend!
Posted By: Emma Bella
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