Casweetie
Liquid Diet - Day 8!
Apr 20, 2007
I do suggest that you try a few different broths though to find one that is to your liking, I found that I THOUGHT the standard broths would work and I ended up not liking them so I had to do some trial and error during the liquid phase and you really don't want to have to go out searching for something that will work. Same for the protein... have a choice or two that you can handle with just water.... don't depend on milk or a bananna or something to make it tolerable. You may not always have that option to add one.
Now that I'm not eating any solids, it seems that every commercial I see on tv is for FOOD! Mmmm Quizno's sandwich, Olive Garden, Jack in the Box, etc. It causes me to rethink what I'm doing and if I'm really ready for this and what was I thinking!? That lasts 15min and then I remind myself of a couple things, 1) this is the hunger talking, 2) this is my brain telling me it wants all those yummy foods NOW and I can control my brain and tell it to just hang in there..... Yummy food is still in my future.... just a better quality, less fatty version!
I already have several food things that I know I want to try out once I'm able to have some food again.... tuna & crackers, some chicken baked in cream of chicken soup! mmmm, BBQ salmon with lemon juice, pepper & some light butter..... I just keep telling myself there are MANY foods out there that are healthy choices that are still VERY yummy and I will be able to have some in just about 10 days.... I CAN do that!!! It will also be a tad easier when my belly isn't screaming and yelling at me that it wants some food. Instead it will be small and think it is very full! Ahhhh things are moving along and still in a very positive direction.
I am almost completely ready for Monday .... mentally I am ready.... but there are some last minute things to take care of at home and working all weekend doesn't help! I did however get rid of a few food temptations from my freezer.... some really yummy looking meatballs and some ground beef that I won't be ready to have for awhile... with those cleared out, I can make room for better choices of fish, chicken, etc. I am also very excited about finding recipes for things and begin cooking healthier choices, not just for me but for my 3 small children also. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to show them how to make healthy food choices and lead a healthy life from the start so they will grow up into healthy young men and hopefully never know what their mommy had to go through to get to that point!
Stay strong, it IS worth it, 10 days before surgery and 7 days after, is a minimal amount of time to go through the crabby, hungry, bitchy and unpleasant stage of things to find yourself started a new way of life that will end up with so many more benefits down the road. I can easily give up food for 17 days for an opportunity at a healthier and longer life! Maybe it is as the saying goes.... quality vs quantity.... or is that just based on my interpretation!?
Good luck to all of you on the same road, whether a few steps ahead or a short distance behind.
Pre Op Appt complete & Liquid diet well underway
Apr 18, 2007
After alot of searching for a protein that was to my taste buds liking, I finally struck gold. I went to a local nutrition store in Chico and told them what I was looking for, something that tasted good with just water and that I would be able to drink a few times a day without any gagging! I found that Pro5 is awesome... several flavors, strawberry is great and tastes very much like a milkshake. Even better, it has 32g of protein per scoop and you can mix 1 - 2 scoops with 8-12 oz of water.... very easy to get in your protein needs with such a high protein content!
Well, I think that I am all ready for everything and for things to continue moving forward as planned. Monday is the day!!
Good luck to all of you who are considering WLS or who are just a few steps behind! This is feasible and if you want it badly enough, you too will succeed.
Surgery date
Mar 16, 2007
I am sooo nervous now that I have a date and my wants and desires are finally becoming a reality for me. Everything has gone SO well with this entire process that I'm just so overwhelmed and almost ready for a glitch to set me back and keep me from starting my new life that I am so ready for.
Anyways - I'll keep ya posted!!
Consult with the doctor
Mar 10, 2007
Had my consult with Dr. Ludwig on the 7th and all went well. It was actually more informative than I let myself think it would be. It was just a small group of 4 so it made it quite relaxed. Dr. Ludwig and the staff are both everything you will find them to be in other member posts.... very pleasant, approachable and non judgemental.
My only disappointment at my visit had nothing to do with their staff but rather with the practice who did my psych eval in that the recommendation still hadn't been sent to Dr. Ludwig's office even though I'd had my psych on the 27th. I was hoping to be able to have all my ducks in a row and be able to submit to the insurance that same week.... now I'm having to play followup with the psych consult. Oh well, if this is the only setback then let's have it!! I am so anxious to begin this start to a new me and a new life, a better life!
I am so worried that there will be a glitch with the insurance although I think it's just me being a worry wart! It is just now that I've officially decided this is what I want, I don't want the insurance to tell me no.
So, now the goal is to not gain any more weight and to actually try and drop a few pounds.... per the doctor's request so as to shrink the liver and make the surgery that much smoother. I also have to keep a little food journal to make sure that I'm getting between 55-80grams of protein a day.... what a pain to keep a journal!!
Okay - I have my group meeting on the 22nd of this month and hopefully by then I will be able to have a status on insurance too!!
Psych Eval conquered
Feb 27, 2007
Pretty standard stuff.... a short questionare to fill out and then they just go over it with you here and there and make their own little additional comments or questions... all in all a painless experience and one step closer to having surgery.
Consult is next week on the 7th.... woohoo.
Oh yeah... just for reflections sake (as much as I hate to post it):
Weight/ 259
BMI/ 45.9
