These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

A very windy day in 1987

My surgery is a week away, and I am soooo ready!

Some people think that weight loss surgery is “the easy way out,” but believe me, it isn’t.  I know that this will be a difficult year (or two), but I’m up for it. 

The main reason I chose to have weight loss surgery was to live a long and healthy life.  I want to be one of those spry old folks that enjoy old age to the fullest.  However, there are a host of smaller pleasures that I’m looking forward to, so I’ve listed a few below:

• Taking long walks with DH
• Having more energy
• Wearing cute clothes
• Shopping for these cute clothes (Abigail – I’m hoping you’ll take me to your favorite shops)
• Wearing cute shoes   
• Working out with weights
• Crossing my legs
• Taking vacations that include sight seeing
• Having more energy (it’s worth saying twice)
• Spending hours at the Gem & Jewelry show
• Playing with my great niece and nephew

Thank you to my friends and family for being so supportive! 

Hugs,

Sandra

I'm Pretty Healthy for a Fat Broad

Today I went through my pre-op testing, and wow, were they thorough! 

Me at 25 at a model rocket meet

The hospital staff did an ultrasound of my gall bladder, liver, and kidney; took two vials of blood; X-rayed my chest; measured my blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and amount of oxygen in my blood; and ran an EKG to check my heart.  I was weighed (I’m down 14 pounds!), asked numerous health related questions, and made to breathe through a spirometer to check my lung capacity.

The results are that I am very healthy.  We already knew that my blood pressure and cholesterol were elevated, but other than that, they found nothing wrong.  Woo-hoo!  The doctor who met with me told me that I am at a very low risk for any kind of complications from the surgery.  That makes me feel great!

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In an earlier post I mentioned that I was trying to shrink my liver and said that I would explain later.  In order to perform this surgery, the surgeon has to basically lift the liver up onto a little platform so that it is out of the way.  If one has been eating high fat, high sugar/carb foods, then the liver will be swollen, greasy, and very sloppy.  This makes it a lot harder for the surgeon to manage.  One nurse told us that she’s watched surgeons practically wrestle with the liver throughout the whole surgery because it is so loose and sloppy it won’t stay out of the way. 

Yuck.  Naturally, I would prefer that my surgeon concentrate on performing the surgery to the best of his ability without having to constantly worry about my liver being in the way.  To help make that happen, I have been eating high protein, low carb, and very low fat and simple sugar foods for the last few weeks.  I plan to be even stricter with my diet during this last week.  This type of diet is good for the liver and will help it to become firm and normal-sized.

On the way to the hospital today, I asked DH if he knew where the gall bladder is in the body (I kept meaning to look that up, but forgot).

D:  I think it sits behind your big greasy liver.

Me:  NOOOOOOOOO!  My liver is NOT big and greasy, it is petite and lean!

D:  My mistake.  You’re right.  Your liver is like the ballerina of internal organs.  

         ************************************************************************

I whiled away the time waiting for the ultrasound technician to arrive by reading all of the buttons on her amazing Star Trek control panel.  I was most intrigued by the one marked “Space Time.”  I told her that I thought it was very cool that she could control Space Time and that it was a shame Einstein hadn’t had access to this kind of technology.

She gave me a blank stare and said, “uh.”

My humor may not be for everyone; however I do crack me up.

Eleven days until surgery! 

Hugs,

Sandra

Lilliputian Dishes for Post Surgery

Those close to me know that I love beautiful and unusual dishes.  So when I learned that it would be a good idea to buy a baby spoon to use after surgery, I decided to do this right.  (The baby spoon is to help me learn to take very tiny bites and eat slowly.)

My post surgery dishes

I found these nice demitasse spoons and appetizer forks from Libbey Glass Company.  Along with the flatware, I purchased a set of tiny appetizer plates and dessert bowls.   I just love them!  Not only will they help me with my portion control, they are so pretty and nice that they will be a joy to use.  

1/4 Cup (or a full meal)

I also picked up a couple of small measuring cups.  The one pictured here measures one quarter cup at the top line, where the arrow is.  That will be the size of my meals for several weeks after surgery.  Pretty small, huh?

I can't believe that my surgery is only two weeks from today!

Sandra

What Will I Eat?

With my trainer in 1989

What will I eat?

Well, not much, to be honest.

I will have nothing but clear liquids (broth, unsweetened juice) for the first few days after surgery.

This will be followed by two-three weeks of “thick liquids”: protein shakes, pureed food, yogurt, etc.

Then I will spend a few weeks eating soft foods:  well-cooked vegetables, ground meat, and soft fruit.  During this time, I should eat six ¼ cup meals a day (although our Nutritionist told us that most people can’t eat this much).

After this, I will be able to start adding solid foods back to my diet, bit by bit.  At this point, my meals should consist of ½ cup of food, four times a day.  At each meal I am to eat my protein first, then eat my vegetables, and only then eat other carbs.

• I will need to take a multivitamin every day for the rest of my life.
• Lean protein will be my most important nutrient (egg white, fish, soy, and chicken).
• No more than 6 grams of sugar (in all forms) per meal.
• Only 100% whole grain breads are allowed.
• No more than one serving of starchy vegetables each day (peas, potatoes, corn, and lima beans).
• I should have some non-fat or very low-fat dairy every day.
• No more than 6 grams of fat per meal and NO saturated fat, trans fat, or hydrogenated oils.
• I am to drink 64 oz. of water each day.  (Remember, my stomach will now only hold 1-2 ounces at a time!)

Our nutritionist gave us some great tips for eating healthy – even if you haven’t had surgery:

• Plan full menus, including sides, for the week; check your kitchen to see what you need to prepare these dishes; then buy only what you need and cook what you planned. 
• Eat only 100% whole grain bread that has 4-5 grams of fiber per serving.  (She recommends whole grain sandwich rounds.)
• Eat only whole grain breakfast cereal – it must have more fiber than sugar.
• Eat only white meat on chicken and remove any skin or fat before cooking.
• Pistachios are the lowest fat nuts available.
• Our nutritionist recommended Bolthouse Farms salad dressings, which are sold in the refrigerated section.  These are low calorie dressings with very good flavor.

I’ll leave you with some words of wisdom from our nutritionist: 

“You are trading these foods in exchange for your life.”

Sandra 

I'm On My Way!

^{Me with Cory Everson, 6-time Ms Olympia.}

^{The picture at the left is of me with Cory Everson in 1989.  This was taken when I attended the week long Muscle & Fitness Magazine 's Bodybuilding & Fitness Training Camp for women.}


  





Very exciting news: the surgeon’s office called on Thursday with my surgery date!  It is scheduled for 8:00AM on Monday, March 4^th – only two weeks away!   

I have been fortunate in having everything move quickly and without any problems.  I’ve read about some people who run into so many roadblocks that more than a year passes between their first introductory seminar and their surgery. 

I was very curious about how long the pre-op process took for others, so I’ll share my schedule here.  Please be aware that everything moved very quickly for me; do not take this as a typical time frame.  Some insurance companies require several more medical tests and many require that prospective WLS patients spend 3 or 6 months on a doctor supervised diet prior to being approved.

• 10/24/12:  Initial introduction to weight loss surgery seminar
• 12/04/12:  Personal meeting/appointment with my surgeon
• 01/29/13*:  Fulfilled the last of my insurance requirements 
• psych evaluation, appointment with nutritionist, and group nutritional seminar
• 02/04/13:  Pre-authorization claim paperwork sent to insurance
• 02/07/13:  Surgery pre-authorized by insurance company
• 02/14/13:  Received surgery date of 03/04/13

*01/29/13 was my 20^th wedding anniversary.  DH and I spent it together at the two-hour group nutritional seminar.  That’s true love.

I have a lot to do in the next two weeks!

• Attend a half day of pre-op testing and prep that includes another nutrition class.
• Attend a final pre-op appointment with my surgeon.
• Wrap up tasks at work to prepare for my leave of absence.
• Get my shop ready to put in vacation mode.
• Buy items that I need/want for my hospital stay and after (more on those later).
• Rearrange the furniture so that I can relax in a recliner where the animals can’t get to me.  (I really don’t want to have a 40 pound dog jumping on my stomach while I’m healing!!)
• Shrink my liver by consuming as little fat and sugar as possible (more on that later, too⁾

<sup>These next two weeks are going to fly.

Sandra</sup>