I realize it's been about two months. It's been a busy two months! My blogging clock has been slow, and I apologize.
Good times - waiting for the chest CT took about three weeks. After that, it was smooth sailing for my insurance approval! Insurance approved my sleeve gastrectomy on August 26. My surgery was scheduled and had on September 21.
The pre-op diet was hellish. I licked stuff. I had a few tortilla chips. We got the chips out of the house. I sat down to dinner with hubby and kiddo, and ate about an ounce of white chicken meat and a spoonful of mashed potatoes on day five. After that, it was smooth sailing.
I lost 20 pounds on the pre-op diet. 70g of protein per day. Three liters of water. Vitamins. Ketosis. I succeeded in shrinking my liver.
Surgery went well, or else I wouldn't be here. But the clock in my room at the hospital was a loud ticker. I kept the tv on to drown it out. Bad idea. I was discharged on September 23. The most painful things are the incision sites. And gas.
Now that I have my sleeve, it's possible to stop binge eating. It's possible to lose weight quickly.
Not being able to drink anything the first two days was horrible. Apparently, my gag reflex was killed by the ventilator tube. Good times ahead for the hubby, or so he'd like to think. After my doctor made fun of me for making the rookie mistake of swallowing air with my contrast for imaging... I realized that things do indeed taste different now.
Nothing is salty enough. Vegetable broth is by far better than chicken or beef. My too-sweet protein drinks are no longer too sweet -- they're almost right. And as the thickest substance I can eat so far, pudding is like Heaven on Earth!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Cats and Kids
Visited my PCP today and learned a few things:
My Upper GI was unremarkable. This is good.
I heard nothing about the ultrasound today, so I want to assume it was okay.
My HDL is a little low. This should improve with more exercise and weight loss.
I have become insulin resistant. They call this pre-diabetes, which I confided in my doctor is a load of crap because there is no such thing, and she sided with me on that. We agreed on calling it borderline. This will also improve with weight loss and activity.
My chest x-ray was inconclusive. I have a 1cm nodule on my right lung, which could be anything. It could even be different vessels and whatnot stacked on top of each other at the wrong angle. It could simply be scar tissue from pneumonia, or valley fever, if I've ever had either of those. Seeing as I get bronchitis every now and then, that's not far-fetched, but we still want to get a CT scan just in case and to give it a full 3-d image rather than a flat picture.
She says that none of these issues should preclude me from having weight loss surgery, and that she would be sending in her surgical clearance as low risk. This is the best that gets, because there is always a teeny tiny risk with any surgery. In fact, losing weight will help both the insulin resistance and the HDL cholesterol.
So now, I wait to find out when I can get a CT scan of my chest.
After the appointment, my kiddo kept asking me if we were getting a cat.
My Upper GI was unremarkable. This is good.
I heard nothing about the ultrasound today, so I want to assume it was okay.
My HDL is a little low. This should improve with more exercise and weight loss.
I have become insulin resistant. They call this pre-diabetes, which I confided in my doctor is a load of crap because there is no such thing, and she sided with me on that. We agreed on calling it borderline. This will also improve with weight loss and activity.
My chest x-ray was inconclusive. I have a 1cm nodule on my right lung, which could be anything. It could even be different vessels and whatnot stacked on top of each other at the wrong angle. It could simply be scar tissue from pneumonia, or valley fever, if I've ever had either of those. Seeing as I get bronchitis every now and then, that's not far-fetched, but we still want to get a CT scan just in case and to give it a full 3-d image rather than a flat picture.
She says that none of these issues should preclude me from having weight loss surgery, and that she would be sending in her surgical clearance as low risk. This is the best that gets, because there is always a teeny tiny risk with any surgery. In fact, losing weight will help both the insulin resistance and the HDL cholesterol.
So now, I wait to find out when I can get a CT scan of my chest.
After the appointment, my kiddo kept asking me if we were getting a cat.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Barium and Bananas
This morning I went for my imaging test dealies. I don't know how the ultrasound went, but I'm hoping it was all right. All I really know is that it really hurt to have the lady pushing so hard with the wand on my sides and right at the bottom of my ribs. So, basically, everywhere.
The chest x-ray looked normal according to the doctor there, and the upper GI with "follow through" went well. Kind of.
That barium crap is EN A ESS TEE WHY. I couldn't help from burping up some of the pop rocks (which you're not supposed to do) but kept most every one of them down after the initial one that crept up on me. I chugged my first cup of heavy barium. I got my pictures taken.
I made jokes while they laid the table back. "Wow, this is almost as good as a ride at the fair!" Then I got to roll around on that skinny little table to "coat" my stomach. All that looked good, then I got to drink another "smoothie" while lying on my tummy. That pose, I called the Playboy Tease. One leg bent and to the side, rocked onto the opposite hip... yeah, I bet SOMEONE would pay money to see a large woman wearing two hospital gowns (one to cover my butt) in that pose! Anyway, that was to get a look at my esophogus. Fun, fun!
THEN I got to drink two more cups full of barium. The tech told me they would taste like a banana smoothie. I took a first gulp and went, "Bananas my ass! UGH!" The other tech pointed out, if they DID taste like bananas, it would ruin bananas forever. Point taken.
Anyway, from the point of drinking those two cups and having a picture taken, I was informed they would be checking me every 15 minutes for the first hour while they waited for the gunk to work its way to my ascending colon (that's the first part of the large intestine on the right side of the body for those who don't know). She tells me that it typically takes anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours for this to happen. I inform her I hope it only takes that long, because sometimes it takes me a day or two to pass the corn, if you catch my drift. She tells me of a woman who spent almost 8 hours and then decided to leave because it was taking too long!
So, freaked out that this is goig to take forever, I have her give me the book I need to read for class, and I lie on my right side (which apparently helps dump stomach contents into your small itestine) and wait. 15 minutes go by, and she takes my x-ray, and lo and behold, the barium garbage is already in my transverse colon (that's the large intestine that goes from right to left just befor turning at the liver). Fastest "follow through" she's EVER seen. Yay.
And now... we wait.
The chest x-ray looked normal according to the doctor there, and the upper GI with "follow through" went well. Kind of.
That barium crap is EN A ESS TEE WHY. I couldn't help from burping up some of the pop rocks (which you're not supposed to do) but kept most every one of them down after the initial one that crept up on me. I chugged my first cup of heavy barium. I got my pictures taken.
I made jokes while they laid the table back. "Wow, this is almost as good as a ride at the fair!" Then I got to roll around on that skinny little table to "coat" my stomach. All that looked good, then I got to drink another "smoothie" while lying on my tummy. That pose, I called the Playboy Tease. One leg bent and to the side, rocked onto the opposite hip... yeah, I bet SOMEONE would pay money to see a large woman wearing two hospital gowns (one to cover my butt) in that pose! Anyway, that was to get a look at my esophogus. Fun, fun!
THEN I got to drink two more cups full of barium. The tech told me they would taste like a banana smoothie. I took a first gulp and went, "Bananas my ass! UGH!" The other tech pointed out, if they DID taste like bananas, it would ruin bananas forever. Point taken.
Anyway, from the point of drinking those two cups and having a picture taken, I was informed they would be checking me every 15 minutes for the first hour while they waited for the gunk to work its way to my ascending colon (that's the first part of the large intestine on the right side of the body for those who don't know). She tells me that it typically takes anywhere between 30 minutes to two hours for this to happen. I inform her I hope it only takes that long, because sometimes it takes me a day or two to pass the corn, if you catch my drift. She tells me of a woman who spent almost 8 hours and then decided to leave because it was taking too long!
So, freaked out that this is goig to take forever, I have her give me the book I need to read for class, and I lie on my right side (which apparently helps dump stomach contents into your small itestine) and wait. 15 minutes go by, and she takes my x-ray, and lo and behold, the barium garbage is already in my transverse colon (that's the large intestine that goes from right to left just befor turning at the liver). Fastest "follow through" she's EVER seen. Yay.
And now... we wait.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Bariatric Beginnings
One of my New Year's resolutions, every single year, is to lose weight. This year, I *think* it was in February, I went to an information seminar about bariatric surgery and options.
After approximately 5 hours in total on the phone, I finally got my insurance information straightened out. My married name still hasn't been updated on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance I've had since I was 22 (from working for the government), but they accept things in my married name, so long as my maiden name is noted SOMEWHERE in the claims.
I had a consultation and a first weigh-in back in May. I was 307. We decided to go with a gastric sleeve. It's basically going to make my stomach about 15% of the size it is now, and they take out the stomach that gets cut off. It's restrictive, but not malabsorptive like the "bypass."
June came around, and that weight was 310. I need three months of physician supervised weigh-ins for the secondary insurance, so only one more to go!
I've already done my sleep test, and the psych eval. Monday I talked to my primary doctor. She's about a year and a half older than I am and not a Skinny Minny, so I really enjoy going to see her, more than I've actually been "okay" with seeing any of my other doctors. I got my EKG done.
Today, I went through Bariatric Basics "Bootcamp" if you will, and received a manual with all sorts of information. I sat through 3 hours of class -- with nothing to drink because I was bound and determined to do my labs today.
8 vials of blood and one pee cup later, I'm a step closer! I went upstairs to weigh-in, and was at 303 and some change today. But I was also fasting. Best time to take a weight, right?! There was no physician, so I still need to go in to my appointment next Wednesday.
I have my diagnostic imaging tests scheduled on Friday. I hope there's nothing wrong, because this means I'm like less than 30 days out from changing my life forever.
I've been trying with the smaller portions, but find myself snacking, or not stopping when I'm full. I had just about eliminated pop -- til we bought 4 12-packs. We're out of it now, though, so it'll be easier to adjust without it being in the house.
It's also time to pull out the Wii Fit again!
I'm excited and scared and almost every emotion I had when I was pregnant.
After approximately 5 hours in total on the phone, I finally got my insurance information straightened out. My married name still hasn't been updated on the Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance I've had since I was 22 (from working for the government), but they accept things in my married name, so long as my maiden name is noted SOMEWHERE in the claims.
I had a consultation and a first weigh-in back in May. I was 307. We decided to go with a gastric sleeve. It's basically going to make my stomach about 15% of the size it is now, and they take out the stomach that gets cut off. It's restrictive, but not malabsorptive like the "bypass."
June came around, and that weight was 310. I need three months of physician supervised weigh-ins for the secondary insurance, so only one more to go!
I've already done my sleep test, and the psych eval. Monday I talked to my primary doctor. She's about a year and a half older than I am and not a Skinny Minny, so I really enjoy going to see her, more than I've actually been "okay" with seeing any of my other doctors. I got my EKG done.
Today, I went through Bariatric Basics "Bootcamp" if you will, and received a manual with all sorts of information. I sat through 3 hours of class -- with nothing to drink because I was bound and determined to do my labs today.
8 vials of blood and one pee cup later, I'm a step closer! I went upstairs to weigh-in, and was at 303 and some change today. But I was also fasting. Best time to take a weight, right?! There was no physician, so I still need to go in to my appointment next Wednesday.
I have my diagnostic imaging tests scheduled on Friday. I hope there's nothing wrong, because this means I'm like less than 30 days out from changing my life forever.
I've been trying with the smaller portions, but find myself snacking, or not stopping when I'm full. I had just about eliminated pop -- til we bought 4 12-packs. We're out of it now, though, so it'll be easier to adjust without it being in the house.
It's also time to pull out the Wii Fit again!
I'm excited and scared and almost every emotion I had when I was pregnant.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Towels...
ALWAYS carry a towel with you. Don't panic. The answer to the Ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything... is 42.
Yeah, okay. I know. A blog. Whoopdee-doo. ;)
Please also see my Sim blog, http://livingsim.blogger.com/
I can now also be found on Twitter... gooberific1123
Yeah, okay. I know. A blog. Whoopdee-doo. ;)
Please also see my Sim blog, http://livingsim.blogger.com/
I can now also be found on Twitter... gooberific1123
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