Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Holy Crap, who am I?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Was that thunder??!!
14 days till Surgery!!!!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
WTF!?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
28 days till surgery!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
The even more dreaded BEFORE pictures
The dreaded Protein Shake
Seriously, I HATE Protein shakes. My dietitian put me on a special pre-op diet that makes me gag. I drink a shake for breakfast, one for lunch, and a dinner that is healthy. The first day or two was fine, but now I am so sick of protein shakes that the smell makes me nauseous! They taste terrible. They are too sweet and gritty. They taste thick and gross. I cannot find a single flavor that doesn't turn my stomach. I have to follow this diet until surgery! Then I have to do only protein shakes for 2 weeks after surgery! GAG!!!!! Honestly, I would rather not eat than drink another one of these. I'm trying to get creative on how to drink them now. This morning I had one mixed in with a sugar free Cappuchino. It was better than mixed with milk. I like this way much better. I am also going to try mixing it with yogurt tomorrow. I wish I could just take the junk in a pill. lol
About the Surgery I'm getting
Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
The laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy leads to weight loss by reducing the size of the stomach, making you feel full after eating only small portions. Approximately 75% of the stomach is removed, leaving behind a smaller, tube-shaped stomach (or “sleeve”). This limits the amount of food that is required to feel full. In addition, the portion of the stomach that makes the hormone Ghrelin, which is responsible for making us feel hungry, is removed.
This is the newest weight loss surgery procedure, and is performed laparoscopically by Dr. Roller. Advantages of the procedure include no implantation of an artificial device, no re-routing of the intestinal tract, and less frequent follow-up as compared to the lap band. The primary disadvantage of this procedure is that there are no long-term data available regarding weight loss, as it is the newest of the procedures, and the sleeve tube could dilate (or stretch) with time. Preliminary weight loss results are very promising and are very similar to those of the Gastric Bypass procedure.
Dr. Roller is a national teacher/preceptor for Covidien on the sleeve gastrectomy, teaching a course once per month to surgeons from across the country on how to perform the laparoscopic sleeve gastrecctomy. He has trained over 20 surgeons in the technique. He will teach a Masters Sleeve Gastrectomy course in Portland, Oregon in September, 2009.
Surgery is Scheduled!!!
I am excited and nervous. I feel like I have a second chance at life!!
My Decision to get Bariatric surgery
After careful consideration, I have decided to get the Lapriscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy surgery. My insurance doesn't cover it and I have to finance the surgery. I feel guilty sometimes over spending that much money on myself, but it will save my life. The Sleeve surgery will remove about 80% of my stomach creating a sleeve/tube like stomach that is left over. By removing that part of my stomach the portion of the stomach that creates the hunger hormone is removed. So, I will be restricted on how much I can eat and I will not be hungry. I was told that I should be close to my goal weight in one year or 18 months. That is so exciting to me. I wonder if anyone will even recognize me! I can't wait to see what this next year holds.