Wednesday, January 7
Tuesday, January 6
Cats on Tuesday: Bathing Beauty
Tuesday's going to be a very hectic day for us so I'm using a feature Blogger has of arranging to post this at midnight.
Here's our Amber giving herself a good wash. I don't know if you can tell or not but she's almost bald across her tummy! She's started losing the hair from her tail and back legs too and I'm quite worried about her. She still has a good appetite and plays and eats like her normal self. Our social security comes in next Wednesday so I'll be taking Amber to the vet then. Praying it's nothing serious!
Want more cat blogging?
Be sure to check out Gattina's blog. Today is also Tuxie Tuesday and then there's Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!
Monday, January 5
Custody Hearing
Today was the hearing to determine which parent would have residential custody of our Little T and it went really well! Kennan and Linda were able to come to an agreement outside of court, which was really good because otherwise Linda would have ended up looking really bad in the courtroom.
Kennan gets residential custody and Linda gets visitation: every Wednesday from 4-7 and every other weekend.
Our only concern about that is whether or not she'll be able to feed him. At the family party she told me if it wasn't for the food pantries in the area, she would have starved.
Hopefully things will work out smoothly. This is in Tomas's best interest.
The picture above was taken on Christmas Day. Little T enjoyed playing with the bubbles most of all! I think my son Bill enjoyed playing with the bubbles as much as T did! :) More pictures to follow.
Whew, what a relief!
Sunday, January 4
A decision to make
This picture was taken last March, when we were outdoors with Tomas blowing bubbles. This is the heaviest I've ever been in my life and I was horrified and embarrassed when I saw the picture. I didn't think I'd ever post it online but it sure makes a great before picture, doesn't it?
TB took these pictures this past Friday. Between March and now, I've lost about 27 pounds, the last 10 of which I've lost and regained too many times to count. It's very frustrating.
On Friday, I had my appointment with a bariatric surgeon to discuss my options and begin the process of fulfilling presurgical requirements. I went into the meeting determined that I wanted a lap band and would not consider anything else. Now I'm not so sure.
I told the doctor I was afraid of an invasive procedure, meaning that I didn't want my insides rearranged. The doctor took a different meaning to it.
Based on my BMI, he explained, I qualify for two surgeries: the lapband and a laproscopic gastric bypass. The procedure Ted had is "too aggressive" for someone with my BMI.
The risks associated with the lapband and the gastric bypass are about the same, although the death rate for the lapband is 1 in 1000 whereas it's 1 in 500 for the bypass. I would have rejected the bypass altogether except for two things: my duodenum would be bypassed and that could mean my diabetes would be cured, almost certainly would go into remission. The other is that the part of my stomach that makes grellin (the hormone that makes you hungry all the time) would be bypassed. Ted says he eats because he knows he's supposed to but doesn't have the ravenous hunger he always had before.
I also gotta admit I've been pretty impressed with how quickly TB's been losing weight.
The doctor said I'd have to work really hard with an exercise program to make the lapband more successful. Some people have lapbands and don't lose much weight at all. He said the first year I would probably lose about 45 percent of my weight, at the rate of a pound a week. The second year, I would lose another 10% and after that it's hard to predict. There's only so small you can make the pouch and it's easy to cheat. If I lost 50 pounds, the doctor wasn't sure I'd get rid of the diabetes.
Hmm. But I've read so many stories where people have lost 100 pounds and more. How do they do it? Why do the others fail?
The thought of getting rid of my diabetes is very appealling. The doctor made it sound like the bypass is practically no big deal these days. He said I would need vitamins and supplements but that he hadn't heard of any problems with protein insufficiency--not like with the duodenal switch (the procedure TB had). The doctor said expected weight loss the first year is about 67% with another 20% or so afterwards. That's pretty appealling.
I've read that people who had the bypass can gain and have gained all the weight back. How does that happen?
I have a lot of research to do and a lot more questions to ask.
The doctor said, you don't have to decide now. He wants me to see a pulmonologist, a psychologist, and a nutritionist...I guess to make sure I could withstand the surgery, am psychologically ready to make a permanent life style change, and to find out what kinds of things I'd need to be eating after the operation.
I have a lot of thinking and praying to do.
TB took these pictures this past Friday. Between March and now, I've lost about 27 pounds, the last 10 of which I've lost and regained too many times to count. It's very frustrating.
On Friday, I had my appointment with a bariatric surgeon to discuss my options and begin the process of fulfilling presurgical requirements. I went into the meeting determined that I wanted a lap band and would not consider anything else. Now I'm not so sure.
I told the doctor I was afraid of an invasive procedure, meaning that I didn't want my insides rearranged. The doctor took a different meaning to it.
Based on my BMI, he explained, I qualify for two surgeries: the lapband and a laproscopic gastric bypass. The procedure Ted had is "too aggressive" for someone with my BMI.
The risks associated with the lapband and the gastric bypass are about the same, although the death rate for the lapband is 1 in 1000 whereas it's 1 in 500 for the bypass. I would have rejected the bypass altogether except for two things: my duodenum would be bypassed and that could mean my diabetes would be cured, almost certainly would go into remission. The other is that the part of my stomach that makes grellin (the hormone that makes you hungry all the time) would be bypassed. Ted says he eats because he knows he's supposed to but doesn't have the ravenous hunger he always had before.
I also gotta admit I've been pretty impressed with how quickly TB's been losing weight.
The doctor said I'd have to work really hard with an exercise program to make the lapband more successful. Some people have lapbands and don't lose much weight at all. He said the first year I would probably lose about 45 percent of my weight, at the rate of a pound a week. The second year, I would lose another 10% and after that it's hard to predict. There's only so small you can make the pouch and it's easy to cheat. If I lost 50 pounds, the doctor wasn't sure I'd get rid of the diabetes.
Hmm. But I've read so many stories where people have lost 100 pounds and more. How do they do it? Why do the others fail?
The thought of getting rid of my diabetes is very appealling. The doctor made it sound like the bypass is practically no big deal these days. He said I would need vitamins and supplements but that he hadn't heard of any problems with protein insufficiency--not like with the duodenal switch (the procedure TB had). The doctor said expected weight loss the first year is about 67% with another 20% or so afterwards. That's pretty appealling.
I've read that people who had the bypass can gain and have gained all the weight back. How does that happen?
I have a lot of research to do and a lot more questions to ask.
The doctor said, you don't have to decide now. He wants me to see a pulmonologist, a psychologist, and a nutritionist...I guess to make sure I could withstand the surgery, am psychologically ready to make a permanent life style change, and to find out what kinds of things I'd need to be eating after the operation.
I have a lot of thinking and praying to do.
Saturday, January 3
Friday, January 2
Remembering Sox: He Liked Sour Cream Potato Chips!
Sox had many lovable qualities and one of them was his love of sharing our snacks with us!
He totally surprised TB and I one night when he wanted to eat TB's fiery Doritos!
He enjoyed a variety of other snacks, too, including these potato chips, pop corn, cheddar cheese, and pretzels.
He'd sit on one of the empty chairs at our dinner table, wondering where his plate was. He not only liked meat, he also liked to try potatoes, rice and vegetables.
He had a very eclectic taste in foods all right! :)
Thursday, January 1
Catching Up: TB and Weight Loss Surgery
It's been a little over 7 weeks since TB had duodenal switch surgery and he's lost 96 pounds already! I took the pictures above when he'd lost 50 pounds. I took the pictures below about 4 days ago, when he was 96 pounds down.
He looks and feels better generally but it hasn't all been smooth sailing.
Sometimes he vomits after he eats certain solid foods. It might be that he wanted to try them too early although the doctor did say to see what he could tolerate. So far, it hasn't been meat. He can eat cottage cheese, yogurt, some fruits and vegetables that have been well chewed but is basically sticking to the protein shakes because when he gets overfull, he feels so uncomfortable.
Do they tell any one that gas is going to be a problem after surgery? Maybe it's in the fine print.
In spite of all that, TB feels so much better and is glad he made the decision to have the surgery. He's looking forward to suffering less pain with less weight pressing down on his back.
Tomorrow we go back to see the doctor. I am sure the doctor will be impressed with TB's loss.
I'm seeing a doctor at the same practice to discuss having a lapband put around my stomach. I've been struggling with the same 10 pounds for years it seems and can't seem to keep off very much weight. I'll lose 30 pounds, get stuck and then gradually regain it all back. I did a lot of reading about the lapband and although it will mean major changes in my lifestyle and eating habits too, I think I can deal with it. My weight loss won't be as fast as TB's but that's okay with me.
Goals for the New Year
Happy New Year, everyone, hope 2009 is a much better, brighter and happier one than 2008!
I wanted to thank everyone for their messages of sympathy and support for our loss of Sox. Gosh, I miss him so much it hurts to think about him.
My posting has been so sporadic and my mood so low that I decided over the last day or two I have to make a conscious effort to do something about it.
I don't like to make New Year's resolutions because they always seem to get broken but I thought I would make some goals.
What happened to The Thursday Thirteen? That seemed an ideal way to make my goals but the website seems to have disappeared. Oh well. Here's my list of goals for the New Year:
1. Post at least every other day
2. Start cat blogging again
3. Pray more often, and especially when I feel sad or discouraged
4. Recognize daily how God is working in my life and how He is taking care of me and my family
5. Cherish my husband, kids and granchildren
6. Get on the treadmill and walk at least 3 times a week
7. Cut down my portion sizes, eat more frequent smaller meals and lose at least 50 lbs by this time next year
8. Get a lapband to help me lose weight
9. Stop worrying so much about everything: let go and let God deal with it, especially those things I can't control
10. Read at least a half hour a day, preferably a book
11. Exercise my mind by doing a puzzle every day
12. Email my friends more frequently
13. Visit other blogs and comment more frequently
You have to be a friend to have friends...
I wanted to thank everyone for their messages of sympathy and support for our loss of Sox. Gosh, I miss him so much it hurts to think about him.
My posting has been so sporadic and my mood so low that I decided over the last day or two I have to make a conscious effort to do something about it.
I don't like to make New Year's resolutions because they always seem to get broken but I thought I would make some goals.
What happened to The Thursday Thirteen? That seemed an ideal way to make my goals but the website seems to have disappeared. Oh well. Here's my list of goals for the New Year:
1. Post at least every other day
2. Start cat blogging again
3. Pray more often, and especially when I feel sad or discouraged
4. Recognize daily how God is working in my life and how He is taking care of me and my family
5. Cherish my husband, kids and granchildren
6. Get on the treadmill and walk at least 3 times a week
7. Cut down my portion sizes, eat more frequent smaller meals and lose at least 50 lbs by this time next year
8. Get a lapband to help me lose weight
9. Stop worrying so much about everything: let go and let God deal with it, especially those things I can't control
10. Read at least a half hour a day, preferably a book
11. Exercise my mind by doing a puzzle every day
12. Email my friends more frequently
13. Visit other blogs and comment more frequently
You have to be a friend to have friends...
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