Some Saturdays it's difficult waiting for Kristin's ASL class to end. Those are the Saturdays when she has a doctor's appointment 90 minutes after the class ends. It's difficult because on those days, I don't shop as much and have a longer period of time to wait. I don't shop as much because I don't get the perishables. I don't get perishables because I won't get home until around 3 and I don't want them sitting in the car up to 4 hours. I can't take them home and come back because it's a 45 minute trip one way. It would help if the library or lounge were open but they're both locked up tight on Saturdays! This is one of those instances where reliable and convenient public transportation would be a big help!
I brought a couple of books, this notebook I'm writing in, and a Shoprite flyer to help me pass the time. I can get some non-perishables and that will take a half hour. Writing is a great way to use time if only I could think of something to write about! ;)
One thing I've noticed this year is how my body's response has changed to temperatures. When I was heavy, my internal temperature was 10-20 degrees warmer than your average person. In winter, I would go around in a light jacket. I shunned sweaters. We kept our bedroom thermostat set to 55. I was always miserable in the summer because I always felt too hot.
When I lost all that weight two and a half years ago, my inner thermometer was still on the warm side. I remember last fall, when the temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 60s, I was comfortable wearing a tee shirt, jeans and a hoodie.
It's all different this year! Lately, we've had some truly gorgeous weather. The temperatures have been in the 60s. Now, though, I find I need to wear my heavier jacket--the one lined with thick quilting. My kids all stroll around in hoodies, like I used to.
Previously, TB set our heat between 55-62. Now we freeze at those settings. We've gone a little higher and bundle up. On an evening when it's in the 50s outdoors, you'll find me in my winter robe. TB's struggled with the change in his body temperature well over a year. He used to be like me, an internal furnace. Now he dresses like Nanook of the North: long johns, layers of shirts, hoodie (with the hood pulled up over his head) and winter robe. I should take a picture of us! I wonder what we'll look like when it really gets cold? :D
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Saturday, November 5
Saturday, November 28
Fun At Ft. Medford
TB and I haven't seen much of Little T recently. Over the last few weeks, someone's been sick with something or other and so we've missed him very much. He was off from school this week and we had a lot of doctor appointments--but we did have "Black Friday" totally free! There was no way we were going anywhere near a store yesterday and would much prefer to spend more time with our grandson! We wanted to go someplace we hadn't been before and it had to be free.
Close to our home, there used to be a really cool playground called Imagination Kingdom. It was the best I'd ever seen--a child's delight all right with buildings to climb up and into, bridges to cross, and what have you. All of that had to be torn down, though, because someone discovered arsenic in the pressure treated wood. It had even leaked into the ground. How awful and sad for all the kids who used to go there--including our T. We loved taking him there and there's been nothing like it since...until TB discovered Ft. Medford.
Here's what that playground looks like--isn't it cool?
And here is a slideshow of all the fun we had. I have to say I was sore last evening and so was TB but we had SO much fun climbing around and playing with Little T. The coolest part of all was that we were able to fit everywhere! We were able to do just about everything, although some of the activities I was really leery about trying (like the spider web rope climb from the ground to one of the high platforms). I did a lot of goofy things but that was definitely not going to be a chance I'd take!
In spite of being sore, it really was so much fun to be able to get around and play with Tomas. I know he loved having us up there with him, going down the slides, crossing the bridges and so on. When we used to go to Imagination Kingdom, I always had to have Kristin or Heidi along because I couldn't get up on the equipment with him. What fun we had yesterday! It was very therapeutic in more ways than one!
Close to our home, there used to be a really cool playground called Imagination Kingdom. It was the best I'd ever seen--a child's delight all right with buildings to climb up and into, bridges to cross, and what have you. All of that had to be torn down, though, because someone discovered arsenic in the pressure treated wood. It had even leaked into the ground. How awful and sad for all the kids who used to go there--including our T. We loved taking him there and there's been nothing like it since...until TB discovered Ft. Medford.
Here's what that playground looks like--isn't it cool?
And here is a slideshow of all the fun we had. I have to say I was sore last evening and so was TB but we had SO much fun climbing around and playing with Little T. The coolest part of all was that we were able to fit everywhere! We were able to do just about everything, although some of the activities I was really leery about trying (like the spider web rope climb from the ground to one of the high platforms). I did a lot of goofy things but that was definitely not going to be a chance I'd take!
In spite of being sore, it really was so much fun to be able to get around and play with Tomas. I know he loved having us up there with him, going down the slides, crossing the bridges and so on. When we used to go to Imagination Kingdom, I always had to have Kristin or Heidi along because I couldn't get up on the equipment with him. What fun we had yesterday! It was very therapeutic in more ways than one!
Sunday, July 26
Munchie & Me
These pictures were taken about a week ago, before I became totally bedridden.
Munchie's really made herself to home! She loves our bed.
Here is me...I weighed about 5 lbs more when that picture was taken. You can't really tell the difference with a measly five pounds--but I *am* smiling! :D
Munchie's really made herself to home! She loves our bed.
Here is me...I weighed about 5 lbs more when that picture was taken. You can't really tell the difference with a measly five pounds--but I *am* smiling! :D
Saturday, July 25
The last 10 days...
...have been really tough. I have piriformis syndrome, probably a result of the slipping disk problem I have in my lower back. It'd been getting worse over the last couple of weeks so I got the doctor to prescribe physical therapy for me, which should have started helping. Instead, I was in more pain the day after the session. I tried the stretching exercises anyway and then the pain & spasms were so bad that I couldn't stand up or walk. That was a day after I last posted.
I called the doctor back. I had an appt to see him July 27 but this couldn't wait. Unfortunately, he seemed to be totally booked up and I couldn't get squeezed in until the 24th, for crying out loud. Meanwhile, the doctor told me to take vicodin every 4 hours, use heat and rest. Because it was so painful to get up or walk, I just stayed in bed. I had my protein shakes, read books, watched a little TV, and played scrabble with Bill and didn't get up.
After nearly a week of this, a neighbor came over to visit. It turns out she's a massage therapist and knows about piriformis syndrome so she pressed down on the inflamed muscle/tendon and applied a lot of pressure. I got such relief from that--it was a real blessing! TB and Bill also applied the same kinds of pressure so I could get a little relief every day.
So I went to see the doctor on Friday and he prescribed valium to help relax the spasm. I'd wanted him to give me a shot to calm the area down but he couldn't. He needs some kind of -scope machine to guide him so he doesn't hit the sciatic nerve. Also, I seem to need some kind of pre-certification approval, grrr. As soon as I get that, I can get an appointment to get the shot I need.
The back is everything. If your back goes, you can't do anything and that's the truth!
The pain from this has been worse than childbirth and that is no lie or exaggeration.
On the up side:
I'm spending a lot of good quality time with family members, especially my son. TB and I usually do a lot of talking but not Bill and me. So we've been spending much more time together than we usually do and I like that a lot.
The cats have been attentive, climbing all over me which has really been kind of neat. Munchie is so sweet and has taken possession of TB and me. She's not thrilled with sharing us with the rest of the gang, LOL, but they are insistent on sharing the bed with us during the day.
I even lost more weight! Who'd'a thunk it???
I called the doctor back. I had an appt to see him July 27 but this couldn't wait. Unfortunately, he seemed to be totally booked up and I couldn't get squeezed in until the 24th, for crying out loud. Meanwhile, the doctor told me to take vicodin every 4 hours, use heat and rest. Because it was so painful to get up or walk, I just stayed in bed. I had my protein shakes, read books, watched a little TV, and played scrabble with Bill and didn't get up.
After nearly a week of this, a neighbor came over to visit. It turns out she's a massage therapist and knows about piriformis syndrome so she pressed down on the inflamed muscle/tendon and applied a lot of pressure. I got such relief from that--it was a real blessing! TB and Bill also applied the same kinds of pressure so I could get a little relief every day.
So I went to see the doctor on Friday and he prescribed valium to help relax the spasm. I'd wanted him to give me a shot to calm the area down but he couldn't. He needs some kind of -scope machine to guide him so he doesn't hit the sciatic nerve. Also, I seem to need some kind of pre-certification approval, grrr. As soon as I get that, I can get an appointment to get the shot I need.
The back is everything. If your back goes, you can't do anything and that's the truth!
The pain from this has been worse than childbirth and that is no lie or exaggeration.
On the up side:
I'm spending a lot of good quality time with family members, especially my son. TB and I usually do a lot of talking but not Bill and me. So we've been spending much more time together than we usually do and I like that a lot.
The cats have been attentive, climbing all over me which has really been kind of neat. Munchie is so sweet and has taken possession of TB and me. She's not thrilled with sharing us with the rest of the gang, LOL, but they are insistent on sharing the bed with us during the day.
I even lost more weight! Who'd'a thunk it???
Saturday, June 27
My how time flies!
TB had athroscopic shoulder surgery Tuesday morning and I haven't been online much since then. He's doing really well! The surgeon told me that they did quite a bit of repairs: there was a large tear and two smaller ones in or around his rotator cuff; removed bone spurs and free floating "matter" (ew, what was it? broken off pieces of arthritic bone spur?); and snipped part of his biceps. He came home looking like he was wearing half of a football player's gear! You can see a picture of TB and read his post here. He describes the gear really well! I am really happy this time around because he's in a lot less pain than he was after the first time he had shoulder surgery (on the other side). It bothers him but not nearly so much. He is still having pain in his back and neck so we have a ways to go before he's feeling a whole lot better.
Heidi moved back in on Wednesday. She wasn't happy living at Marianne's house. I kind of had a feeling that would happen. When I went to help drive back some of her stuff, Mari's mother came out to talk to me--like I didn't know my own daughter! She warned me to stay on top of Heidi about taking her "happy" pills. Ha! She also said Heidi wasn't getting along because she would get so angry and scream. I said, I told you about that. Duh. Then she tells me that Heidi hasn't saved any money for college and that she probably won't be able to afford to go because she'd get turned down for financial aid because of her poor grades the last semester she'd gone. Apparently she didn't know that Heidi filed an appeal to be reconsidered because of her circumstances at the time. :P She told me I had to stay on top of her to make sure she calls to follow up! Please!
That night, Kristin was up all night--not because she was yakking or anything but because she couldn't sleep. The next day, she was having mood swings, rapid cycling between being high and low. That was a little scary.
I totally missed cats in boxes day for Feline Friday. Oh well...
We had Little T with us on Friday and that was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of my two building engineers:
T and TB played with Lincoln logs in the afternoon when it grew too hot and we became too tired to go walking again
The Little T sideways look
TB the Builder
Surprise!
Tickle Tickle!
I'm really relieved that things went so well. We'd picked him up Monday afternoon and had to tote him around on some errands. He was terrific on the trips to the doctors' offices but then had a meltdown at the library that was pretty awful. :( It's a long story but we finally had to call Kennan to come get him because he'd planted his little heinie in front of the library sliding doors and we couldn't budge him! Reasoning didn't work, bribery didn't work, a swat on the butt didn't work and neither of us were strong enough to pick him up and carry him. We're concerned about being able to keep him safe as he gets bigger and stronger--it isn't all the time, but he's definitely got some oppositional defiant issues going on. :(
And...I weighed myself and found I'd lost another 2-1/2 lbs. Yay, me!
Heidi moved back in on Wednesday. She wasn't happy living at Marianne's house. I kind of had a feeling that would happen. When I went to help drive back some of her stuff, Mari's mother came out to talk to me--like I didn't know my own daughter! She warned me to stay on top of Heidi about taking her "happy" pills. Ha! She also said Heidi wasn't getting along because she would get so angry and scream. I said, I told you about that. Duh. Then she tells me that Heidi hasn't saved any money for college and that she probably won't be able to afford to go because she'd get turned down for financial aid because of her poor grades the last semester she'd gone. Apparently she didn't know that Heidi filed an appeal to be reconsidered because of her circumstances at the time. :P She told me I had to stay on top of her to make sure she calls to follow up! Please!
That night, Kristin was up all night--not because she was yakking or anything but because she couldn't sleep. The next day, she was having mood swings, rapid cycling between being high and low. That was a little scary.
I totally missed cats in boxes day for Feline Friday. Oh well...
We had Little T with us on Friday and that was a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of my two building engineers:
T and TB played with Lincoln logs in the afternoon when it grew too hot and we became too tired to go walking again
The Little T sideways look
TB the Builder
Surprise!
Tickle Tickle!
I'm really relieved that things went so well. We'd picked him up Monday afternoon and had to tote him around on some errands. He was terrific on the trips to the doctors' offices but then had a meltdown at the library that was pretty awful. :( It's a long story but we finally had to call Kennan to come get him because he'd planted his little heinie in front of the library sliding doors and we couldn't budge him! Reasoning didn't work, bribery didn't work, a swat on the butt didn't work and neither of us were strong enough to pick him up and carry him. We're concerned about being able to keep him safe as he gets bigger and stronger--it isn't all the time, but he's definitely got some oppositional defiant issues going on. :(
And...I weighed myself and found I'd lost another 2-1/2 lbs. Yay, me!
Wednesday, June 10
Some Catching Up
I just passed my 8 week "surgiversary". Yes, it's been 2 months already! I've lost almost 38 pounds since surgery, nearly 50 since I first saw Dr. G and 71 since I started my journey toward weight loss surgery! :) My allergies are clearing up and I'm feeling much better. I have more energy and am sleeping better.
I another "WOW" moment last Monday. A "WOW" is when you realize how much you're changing after surgery. For instance, when I didn't have to take diabetes or high blood pressure meds anymore, that was a "WOW"!
For this one, we went to the school to get my daughter for her endocrinology appointment. You have to show your ID to the security guard and they check it against the computer system to make sure you are who you're supposed to be and that you're authorized to pick up the student. Well, the guard looked at me closely, looked at my license and then said, "Uh, this doesn't look like you."
WOW. I realized I was at my heaviest when that picture was taken and so I said, "I've lost over 70 lbs since that photo was taken."
He said, "Well, good for you! You're going to need a new photo ID soon!"
Yes, I am. :D
On the down side, the endo appointment was a total disaster. I ranted about this on another website when it happened and have been trying to put it behind me since. However, yesterday that same doctor contacted me by letter and brought all the anger back up.
He was the doctor that confirmed Kristin has PCOS. He wanted Kristin to take birth control for the estrogen and to try and regulate her period. He also wanted her to take metformin for insulin resistance...but he didn't want to follow her he said. He wanted to leave that to the gynecologist and primary. He said if anything else came up, we should come back to him. I was puzzled about that but didn't push him.
Kristin's care was interrupted when we lost our health insurance. TB and I went with Medicare and we applied and eventually got Medicaid for Kristin. Think it's easy finding a specialist who takes Medicaid? Not really!
The endo, Dr. Post, is with the pediatric division of Cooper Regional Hospital and so I thought to bring her back there. Her period stopped again and she'd developed a cyst on her ovary. She wasn't losing weight in spite of exercising to the point she hurt her back and sprained her ankle. She's on other medications that cause weight gain. Besides, PCOS is a hormonal/metabolic issue and that's what endos are supposed to treat, right? So I made the appointment.
What a mistake that was! Dr. Post seemed really annoyed to see us and wanted to know what we were doing back in his office six months after he told us to go to someone else. I explained it to him while he listened impatiently. Then he announced, "Well, I can't help her. She eats too much."
I should have gotten up and taken Kristin with me and left the SOB. I could tell what he was thinking: fat mother, fat daughter, waste of my time. He didn't know a damn thing about either one of us! However, I argued with him because Kristin needed to see an endo. I told him Kristin was eating low fat/low sugar/low carb foods and exercising and she did NOT eat too much.
He looked at me and said, "YOU eat too much!"
Kristin started crying.
I'm thinking--this jerk doesn't want to help. He hasn't asked a thing about what we eat or how much. He has NO clue. He said that whatever Kristin was eating, it was still too much--or maybe she was getting food at school.
At that point, I got up. There was no point in staying. The man absolutely did not want to help Kristin and now I needed to find a new endocrinologist. I've been looking for another pediatric endo that will take Medicaid and have written a letter of complaint to Cooper.
The letter from Dr. Post was like the icing on the proverbial cake. It said something like, after you left, I reviewed Kristin's records and realized there is an additional test she should have. Here's the lab slip, have the test done and I'll write you again after I get the results.
As if!!!
I called the doctor's office and left a very angry message for him with his receptionist, careful not to blow my stack at her. It's not HER fault he is an ass! She asked for my number and I said, "Oh no, there is no way I want to talk to him. Just tell him what I said." What I said was basically that over my dead body would my daughter ever see him again after the way he'd treated her. Grr.
I another "WOW" moment last Monday. A "WOW" is when you realize how much you're changing after surgery. For instance, when I didn't have to take diabetes or high blood pressure meds anymore, that was a "WOW"!
For this one, we went to the school to get my daughter for her endocrinology appointment. You have to show your ID to the security guard and they check it against the computer system to make sure you are who you're supposed to be and that you're authorized to pick up the student. Well, the guard looked at me closely, looked at my license and then said, "Uh, this doesn't look like you."
WOW. I realized I was at my heaviest when that picture was taken and so I said, "I've lost over 70 lbs since that photo was taken."
He said, "Well, good for you! You're going to need a new photo ID soon!"
Yes, I am. :D
On the down side, the endo appointment was a total disaster. I ranted about this on another website when it happened and have been trying to put it behind me since. However, yesterday that same doctor contacted me by letter and brought all the anger back up.
He was the doctor that confirmed Kristin has PCOS. He wanted Kristin to take birth control for the estrogen and to try and regulate her period. He also wanted her to take metformin for insulin resistance...but he didn't want to follow her he said. He wanted to leave that to the gynecologist and primary. He said if anything else came up, we should come back to him. I was puzzled about that but didn't push him.
Kristin's care was interrupted when we lost our health insurance. TB and I went with Medicare and we applied and eventually got Medicaid for Kristin. Think it's easy finding a specialist who takes Medicaid? Not really!
The endo, Dr. Post, is with the pediatric division of Cooper Regional Hospital and so I thought to bring her back there. Her period stopped again and she'd developed a cyst on her ovary. She wasn't losing weight in spite of exercising to the point she hurt her back and sprained her ankle. She's on other medications that cause weight gain. Besides, PCOS is a hormonal/metabolic issue and that's what endos are supposed to treat, right? So I made the appointment.
What a mistake that was! Dr. Post seemed really annoyed to see us and wanted to know what we were doing back in his office six months after he told us to go to someone else. I explained it to him while he listened impatiently. Then he announced, "Well, I can't help her. She eats too much."
I should have gotten up and taken Kristin with me and left the SOB. I could tell what he was thinking: fat mother, fat daughter, waste of my time. He didn't know a damn thing about either one of us! However, I argued with him because Kristin needed to see an endo. I told him Kristin was eating low fat/low sugar/low carb foods and exercising and she did NOT eat too much.
He looked at me and said, "YOU eat too much!"
Kristin started crying.
I'm thinking--this jerk doesn't want to help. He hasn't asked a thing about what we eat or how much. He has NO clue. He said that whatever Kristin was eating, it was still too much--or maybe she was getting food at school.
At that point, I got up. There was no point in staying. The man absolutely did not want to help Kristin and now I needed to find a new endocrinologist. I've been looking for another pediatric endo that will take Medicaid and have written a letter of complaint to Cooper.
The letter from Dr. Post was like the icing on the proverbial cake. It said something like, after you left, I reviewed Kristin's records and realized there is an additional test she should have. Here's the lab slip, have the test done and I'll write you again after I get the results.
As if!!!
I called the doctor's office and left a very angry message for him with his receptionist, careful not to blow my stack at her. It's not HER fault he is an ass! She asked for my number and I said, "Oh no, there is no way I want to talk to him. Just tell him what I said." What I said was basically that over my dead body would my daughter ever see him again after the way he'd treated her. Grr.
Thursday, April 9
Little T's Spring Concert and Party!/Updates
A little update on our Tomas. On Tuesday, we went to see him perform with his classmates and 1st and 3rd graders for the school's spring concert. Oh, these little ones were wonderful, enthusiastically belting out "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"! They were so well behaved and I was so proud of my little grandson!
Yesterday was T's classroom party and TB and I gladly joined in the fun. All the kids rotated around the classroom to try different activities.
One activity was to bounce up and down a short stretch of the classroom. T has never wanted to do that before so everyone was thrilled when he decided to give it a try!
Kennan and T played catch.
T and I read a story together.
TB isn't in any of these pictures because he was behind the camera. He's lost almost 150 pounds and looks great. Here he is!
For a comparison, check out these pictures of TB taken just a couple of weeks ago! Way to go, TB!
As for me, it's day 11 of this shake diet thing and I'm hanging in. For several days, I didn't even feel that hungry. Today Bill cooked and made extra meals for himself and the hunger hit me. I've been a little irritable but otherwise just fine!
Yesterday was T's classroom party and TB and I gladly joined in the fun. All the kids rotated around the classroom to try different activities.
One activity was to bounce up and down a short stretch of the classroom. T has never wanted to do that before so everyone was thrilled when he decided to give it a try!
Kennan and T played catch.
T and I read a story together.
TB isn't in any of these pictures because he was behind the camera. He's lost almost 150 pounds and looks great. Here he is!
For a comparison, check out these pictures of TB taken just a couple of weeks ago! Way to go, TB!
As for me, it's day 11 of this shake diet thing and I'm hanging in. For several days, I didn't even feel that hungry. Today Bill cooked and made extra meals for himself and the hunger hit me. I've been a little irritable but otherwise just fine!
Sunday, April 5
Bubble Boy 2009
After a very rainy start to the day, the sun came out and it was nice and warm late in the afternoon. It was time to break out the bubbles and go outside! Tomas just loves bubbles.
Does it seem like he's not having fun? He really is. It's just that his concentration is such that he doesn't smile a lot. I'm thinking this has to do with PDD-NOS.
Pop-Pop got into the act and was having lots of fun, too! Doesn't he look great?
Look what we found growing in the yard! If E.B. was still here, he'd be having a feast!
Does it seem like he's not having fun? He really is. It's just that his concentration is such that he doesn't smile a lot. I'm thinking this has to do with PDD-NOS.
Pop-Pop got into the act and was having lots of fun, too! Doesn't he look great?
Look what we found growing in the yard! If E.B. was still here, he'd be having a feast!
Sunday, March 22
TB: Lookin Good, Hon!/I wear a dress for the first time in years!
TB and I have definitely found a church home!
This morning, as we were getting ready, TB discovered some smaller dressy shirts he can fit into again. I decided to take some pictures.
Hey, handsome!
TB lost a little more weight. He's doing great!
He's still not thrilled with his side view but I know that's going to change.
I haven't worn a dress in years because my weight embarrasses me and because of my collapsed ankle. I found some really pretty dresses at Good Will, though, and decided I would wear them for church. Okay, so my feet look clunky with the brace and big black shoes but who cares?
Here's a rare picture of TB and me together. Usually one of us is the photographer. Kristin happened to be around and so we asked her to take a shot of us. It came out great!
I think we'll be leaving for Long Island on Thursday. I'm just waiting to hear back from my cousin about funeral arrangements for my Uncle Gil.
This morning, as we were getting ready, TB discovered some smaller dressy shirts he can fit into again. I decided to take some pictures.
Hey, handsome!
TB lost a little more weight. He's doing great!
He's still not thrilled with his side view but I know that's going to change.
I haven't worn a dress in years because my weight embarrasses me and because of my collapsed ankle. I found some really pretty dresses at Good Will, though, and decided I would wear them for church. Okay, so my feet look clunky with the brace and big black shoes but who cares?
Here's a rare picture of TB and me together. Usually one of us is the photographer. Kristin happened to be around and so we asked her to take a shot of us. It came out great!
I think we'll be leaving for Long Island on Thursday. I'm just waiting to hear back from my cousin about funeral arrangements for my Uncle Gil.
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.
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.
Monday, December 1
The tree is up :)
This is going to be a tough holiday season financially speaking so that's why I want to make sure there's plenty of music and atmosphere to remind me what Christmas is really about. TB put the tree up for me on Saturday. Today I put as many ornaments on the tree as would fit. I think it looks pretty good! I've been playing WBAB practically round the clock (they're playing all Christmas music right now).
Tomas was entranced with the tree. Of course he wanted to pull off the ornaments and play with them and I let him. That's what being a grandparent is about, I guess. I figured I could always put them back on the tree when he was done. We also played outdoors and I notice he really is using his words more. He said, "tree, tree" and pointed to each and everyone in our yard and our neighbor's yard.
We took Tomas to the mall last week and met Santa. It was really cool. T said hello and goodbye to the man and didn't seem afraid of him at all. TB took a bunch of pictures that I'm hoping to post.
TB continues to get stronger. His thing now is wanting to eat "normal" food. After that bad experience with the chicken, he laid back and stuck with shakes and yogurt and cottage cheese for a while but now he's back to wanting "real" food again. He realizes that this is an issue he struggled with before surgery. It's a matter of looking at food as just fuel, not as something you can only eat so much of or enjoy. It's not easy.
We were supposed to go to a support meeting at the hospital tonight (there's a meeting once a month) but unfortunately Kristin's bowling league ran late and she had no way to get home so we had to skip it. It was kind of disappointing because TB had questions he'd wanted to ask.
Sunday, November 16
Sunday Sundries
So far so good! TB and I went for a short walk down the street and back. Later this afternoon we went to Lowe's and then to the grocery store for two short trips and that counted as an afternoon walk. He needs to build his abdominal muscles back up; he's doing great but the walks took a lot out of him. I'm happy that he's not in pain and is eating. He's lost about six pounds so far. I'm sure glad to have him home again and will feel much better about everything once he heals completely.
1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? Nope
2. Favorite late night snack? Apple and a wedge of cheese...I'm changing my eating habits too!
3. Do you own a gun? Nope!
4. What’s your favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty coffee shop? coconut mocha frappacino
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not usually
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Used to love them, now they scare me!
7. Favorite Christmas song? Christmas Canon by the Trans Siberian Orchestra
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee
9. Can you do push-ups? Nope
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Heart necklace with my birthstone and those of my kids
11. Favorite hobby? Reading
12. Do you have A.D.D.? No
13. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself? I'm a big procrastinator
14. The last disease you contracted? The flu
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. My back hurts, got to check on dinner, I'm glad TB's doing all right
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, coffee and diet soda
17. Current worry right now? Money--the lack thereof
18. Current hate right now? bigotry
19. Favorite place to be? the ocean
20. How did you ring in the New Year? watched TV
21. Like to travel? Love it!
22. Name three people who will complete Sunday Stealing this week: I have no idea
23. Do you own slippers? Yes
24. What color shirt are you wearing? Black with a cat's face on it
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No
26. Can you whistle? Yes
27. Favorite singer/band? Billy Joel
28. Could you ever make it 39 days on the show Survivor? No way!
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't
30. Favorite girl’s names? Heidi & Kristin
31. Favorite boy’s name? William & Ted
32. What’s in your pocket right now? Change
33. Last thing that made you laugh? TB's joke
34. Like your job? I don't work
36. Do you love where you live?yes
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3
38. Who is your loudest friend? I don't kow
39. Do you drive the speed limit or speed? speed limit
40. Does someone have a crush on you? No
41. What is your favorite book? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
42. What is your favorite candy? Snickers
43. Favorite Sports Team? don't follow sports
44. What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping
45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up today? I'm glad to be alive
1. Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? Nope
2. Favorite late night snack? Apple and a wedge of cheese...I'm changing my eating habits too!
3. Do you own a gun? Nope!
4. What’s your favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty coffee shop? coconut mocha frappacino
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments? Not usually
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Used to love them, now they scare me!
7. Favorite Christmas song? Christmas Canon by the Trans Siberian Orchestra
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Coffee
9. Can you do push-ups? Nope
10. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? Heart necklace with my birthstone and those of my kids
11. Favorite hobby? Reading
12. Do you have A.D.D.? No
13. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself? I'm a big procrastinator
14. The last disease you contracted? The flu
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. My back hurts, got to check on dinner, I'm glad TB's doing all right
16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Water, coffee and diet soda
17. Current worry right now? Money--the lack thereof
18. Current hate right now? bigotry
19. Favorite place to be? the ocean
20. How did you ring in the New Year? watched TV
21. Like to travel? Love it!
22. Name three people who will complete Sunday Stealing this week: I have no idea
23. Do you own slippers? Yes
24. What color shirt are you wearing? Black with a cat's face on it
25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No
26. Can you whistle? Yes
27. Favorite singer/band? Billy Joel
28. Could you ever make it 39 days on the show Survivor? No way!
29. What songs do you sing in the shower? I don't
30. Favorite girl’s names? Heidi & Kristin
31. Favorite boy’s name? William & Ted
32. What’s in your pocket right now? Change
33. Last thing that made you laugh? TB's joke
34. Like your job? I don't work
36. Do you love where you live?yes
37. How many TVs do you have in your house? 3
38. Who is your loudest friend? I don't kow
39. Do you drive the speed limit or speed? speed limit
40. Does someone have a crush on you? No
41. What is your favorite book? Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
42. What is your favorite candy? Snickers
43. Favorite Sports Team? don't follow sports
44. What were you doing 12 AM last night? sleeping
45. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up today? I'm glad to be alive
You Are Chess |
 You are brilliant and shrewd. You can often predict what people will do in the future. You thrive in complex situations. You deal with contradictions well. You can have many streams of though going on at your mind at once. You keep track of things well. You are very patient. You have lots of endurance, even when your energy dwindles |
Sunday, May 11
A New Generation To Mother
When I got home from one of my visits to TB in the hospital, I found this:
There was a burned smell in the air. Did I panic? What, over something so insignificant as a trashed sink and burning whatever after everything else that's been going on? Of course not. I knew my kids had it under control.
"This is the ugliest cake I ever made!" Kristin exclaimed. Part of one layer had burned and so she made another layer which would have been fine. She put the good half third layer on top of the cake and it still looked fine to me and her brother, just, you know, big.
With all the weight issues we have a two layer cake would have been more than enough but I didn't say anything because it's just this once and that third layer sure added character.
This so called ugly cake is enough to find an entire army!
Even the slopy side cleaned up nicely although Kristin continues to call it the worst cake ever. It wasn't. It was delicious and it had a lot of love in it. And there's a lot of it left to go around again.
Just as we were lighting the candles, we called TB and put him on speaker phone so that he could join in and sing "Happy Birthday" to Bill. It was too weird not to have TB here at all and having him on the phone was better than not at all.
The edema in his legs has gone down and the redness seems to be fading. A doctor specializing in infections came to examine him yesterday and said maybe it's not cellulitis at all but phlebitis. Still they are going to continue the IV antibiotics and recommend that TB see a special physical therapist who will work with him to keep his legs "thin"--meaning keep the fluid out of there. Maybe we can get a two-fer deal as I'd like to do that with my legs! So if all continues to go well, we can have our TB home again tomorrow hopefully!
Now, if I thought the days of waking up early to be the food provider of dependents ended when Kristin was old enough to make her own breakfast, I was mistaken. Yes, first there was my grandson who would get up early before his mother and I would get him breakfast. It's Mother's Day and I'm going to try to be nice and not even go in the direction of how could a mom sleep through her hungry child's need for breakfast. Let's just say that isn't an issue anymore.
Now, though, there's a new breed of dependent that says, "Ma, we know what an old softy you are and we're not waiting for you to wake up and give us breakfast when we are sooooooo hungry!"
I was going to take pictures of them twining around my legs and call it "The Swarm II" but then I was afeared :D and figured I ought to just feed the darlings.
Soon I'm going back to the hospital to see TB so I probably won't have a chance to get around and visit but for others who would like more cat blogging on Mother's Day:
Weekend Cat Blogging at What Did You Eat?
Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos at Sleeping Mommy
Carnival of the Cats at Bad Kitty Cats Journal
and Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!
There was a burned smell in the air. Did I panic? What, over something so insignificant as a trashed sink and burning whatever after everything else that's been going on? Of course not. I knew my kids had it under control.
"This is the ugliest cake I ever made!" Kristin exclaimed. Part of one layer had burned and so she made another layer which would have been fine. She put the good half third layer on top of the cake and it still looked fine to me and her brother, just, you know, big.
With all the weight issues we have a two layer cake would have been more than enough but I didn't say anything because it's just this once and that third layer sure added character.
This so called ugly cake is enough to find an entire army!
Even the slopy side cleaned up nicely although Kristin continues to call it the worst cake ever. It wasn't. It was delicious and it had a lot of love in it. And there's a lot of it left to go around again.
Just as we were lighting the candles, we called TB and put him on speaker phone so that he could join in and sing "Happy Birthday" to Bill. It was too weird not to have TB here at all and having him on the phone was better than not at all.
The edema in his legs has gone down and the redness seems to be fading. A doctor specializing in infections came to examine him yesterday and said maybe it's not cellulitis at all but phlebitis. Still they are going to continue the IV antibiotics and recommend that TB see a special physical therapist who will work with him to keep his legs "thin"--meaning keep the fluid out of there. Maybe we can get a two-fer deal as I'd like to do that with my legs! So if all continues to go well, we can have our TB home again tomorrow hopefully!
Now, if I thought the days of waking up early to be the food provider of dependents ended when Kristin was old enough to make her own breakfast, I was mistaken. Yes, first there was my grandson who would get up early before his mother and I would get him breakfast. It's Mother's Day and I'm going to try to be nice and not even go in the direction of how could a mom sleep through her hungry child's need for breakfast. Let's just say that isn't an issue anymore.
Now, though, there's a new breed of dependent that says, "Ma, we know what an old softy you are and we're not waiting for you to wake up and give us breakfast when we are sooooooo hungry!"
I was going to take pictures of them twining around my legs and call it "The Swarm II" but then I was afeared :D and figured I ought to just feed the darlings.
Soon I'm going back to the hospital to see TB so I probably won't have a chance to get around and visit but for others who would like more cat blogging on Mother's Day:
Weekend Cat Blogging at What Did You Eat?
Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos at Sleeping Mommy
Carnival of the Cats at Bad Kitty Cats Journal
and Blogging Cat Noos for all the latest!
Thursday, April 24
Apatrim
Has anyone seen something that seems to be an article in their newspaper called "Demand soars for 'fast acting' diet pill"? The article goes on to talk about this miracle drug, apatrim, that suppresses appetite and makes people lose weight. It's so popular, according to this article, the phone lines are jammed with callers and supplies are limited. Wow! A miracle drug, just what we've been waiting for!
What could be wrong with it, too? There was this research study that shows the drug works within minutes to suppress your appetite. Even better, dieters "don't have to starve or suffer through intense exercise and it's been clinically shown to get great results."
And also, "Apatrim contains an amazing compound that has a known ability to help control hunger pangs*. This allows people to eat the foods they want, they just eat less*."
Aha. We'll get to those stars in a minute.
How does it work? "The active ingredient in Apatrim comes from a plant that grows in India. This 'miracle' plant is Caralluma Fimbriata and it has been used by native tribes in India for centuries to reduce hunger and quench thirst during times of famine and drought."
TB and I saw this in our Burlington County Times and thought it sounded great but a little too good to be true. And was this a real news article or an advertisement? I decided to check it out online. Well, well. Here's what I found:
Diet Drug Report
Slimaluma was the first to start marketing a weight loss pill using Caralluma Fimbriata. Gencor Pacific, which makes Slimaluma, has sued the company making Apatrim for
And those stars? Well, at the end of the article, there was a * and it read: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration..." Why is this is such small print?
Another miracle drug bites the dust as far as I'm concerned!
What could be wrong with it, too? There was this research study that shows the drug works within minutes to suppress your appetite. Even better, dieters "don't have to starve or suffer through intense exercise and it's been clinically shown to get great results."
And also, "Apatrim contains an amazing compound that has a known ability to help control hunger pangs*. This allows people to eat the foods they want, they just eat less*."
Aha. We'll get to those stars in a minute.
How does it work? "The active ingredient in Apatrim comes from a plant that grows in India. This 'miracle' plant is Caralluma Fimbriata and it has been used by native tribes in India for centuries to reduce hunger and quench thirst during times of famine and drought."
TB and I saw this in our Burlington County Times and thought it sounded great but a little too good to be true. And was this a real news article or an advertisement? I decided to check it out online. Well, well. Here's what I found:
Diet Drug Report
Newspapers around the country are running full-page ads -- disguised to look like regular news pages -- filled with misleading claims for a new 'miracle' diet pill called Apatrim that allegedly enables dieters to lose weight without either cutting back on eating or increasing their exercise.
The pages contain a bylined story from the Universal Media Syndicate (intended, no doubt, to be confused with the Universal Press Syndicate, which carries columnists such as Dear Abby and William F. Buckley Jr.) urging overweight readers to phone a toll-free number to order "every dieter's dream." ...
What we can confirm is that Caralluma Fimbriata, like the South African "succulent" plant Hoodia Gordonii, has indeed been chewed for many years by Indian tribesmen during long hunts to suppress appetite and enhance endurance.
But from there, the breathless weight-loss claims for Apatrim not only become more suspect, but seem likely to ultimately involve its distributor, PatentHEALTH, LLC , with the judicial system. ...
The so-called clinical trial referenced in the ad, an anemic study that involved only 26 participants followed for four weeks (a serious Phase III clinical trial of a diet drug would involve thousands of participants tracked over at least a year), was sponsored by the developer of Slimaluma -- not Apatrim. ...
Slimaluma was the first to start marketing a weight loss pill using Caralluma Fimbriata. Gencor Pacific, which makes Slimaluma, has sued the company making Apatrim for
false advertising, false comparative advertising, and a variety of other charges stemming from their efforts to sell a a non-extract Caralluma fimbriata powder product.
And those stars? Well, at the end of the article, there was a * and it read: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration..." Why is this is such small print?
Another miracle drug bites the dust as far as I'm concerned!
Friday, April 11
Uh Oh
So TB and I went to see the pain management orthopedic guy this morning. TB's condition is about the same and the doc just tweaked the medications a little.
I'd been having more and more pain on the right side, radiating down the side of my leg. We thought maybe it was my sciatic nerve and so the doctor sent me for an MRI. He gave me the report results today and I think I would have preferred the sciatic.
According to the report, I have "Grade 1 anteroliethesis". What that means is:
The doctor took X-rays of my spine today and had me in several different positions. The condition I have is worse when I bend and so my back isn't "stable". I need to be careful not to fall and if I ignore everything, fall or otherwise injure myself I could become paralyzed. Maybe I'll need surgery--pins inserted into my spine. Maybe I'll just need an epidural or physical therapy.
If that wasn't enough, I also have a bulging disk although it's not herniated and I don't have spinal stenosis like TB does. On the other hand, there is something on both kidneys which could be cysts or an extrarenal pelvis which is confusing when I looked it up but didn't sound deadly or anything.
So when I left that office, I had 4 referrals: to a spinal surgeon, to have an EMG, to a urologist for a spectrum test because the condition I have messes with your bladder and bowel function, and for epidurals.
We also saw the dietician today for our second visit before having weight loss surgery. Just when we need it the most, we need to seriously cut back on the comfort food.
Waaah, it's always something isn't it?
I'd been having more and more pain on the right side, radiating down the side of my leg. We thought maybe it was my sciatic nerve and so the doctor sent me for an MRI. He gave me the report results today and I think I would have preferred the sciatic.
According to the report, I have "Grade 1 anteroliethesis". What that means is:
The vertebrae are the bones that protect the spinal cord. Each vertebra has a thick drum-shaped area in front called a vertebral body. Between the vertebrae are spaces that allow nerves (nerve roots) to go from the spinal cord to other parts of the body.
In anterolisthesis, the upper vertebral body is positioned abnormally compared to the vertebral body below it. More specifically, the upper vertebral body slips forward on the one below.
The amount of slippage is graded on a scale from 1 to 4. Grade 1 is mild (20% slippage), while grade 4 is severe (100% slippage).
The doctor took X-rays of my spine today and had me in several different positions. The condition I have is worse when I bend and so my back isn't "stable". I need to be careful not to fall and if I ignore everything, fall or otherwise injure myself I could become paralyzed. Maybe I'll need surgery--pins inserted into my spine. Maybe I'll just need an epidural or physical therapy.
If that wasn't enough, I also have a bulging disk although it's not herniated and I don't have spinal stenosis like TB does. On the other hand, there is something on both kidneys which could be cysts or an extrarenal pelvis which is confusing when I looked it up but didn't sound deadly or anything.
So when I left that office, I had 4 referrals: to a spinal surgeon, to have an EMG, to a urologist for a spectrum test because the condition I have messes with your bladder and bowel function, and for epidurals.
We also saw the dietician today for our second visit before having weight loss surgery. Just when we need it the most, we need to seriously cut back on the comfort food.
Waaah, it's always something isn't it?
Thursday, March 27
Weight Loss Surgery
Well...never say never. I was positive I did not want weight loss surgery and if I even considered it, I would only be interested in the lap band. Many months later of pain, increasing disability and inability to enjoy life, TB and I have come to the conclusion that we need and want the surgery.
Yesterday we went to the N.J. Bariatrics Center. This wasn't our first visit. A couple of weeks ago, we went to an informational seminar about the two types of surgery and we had the opportunity to meet both of the doctors, Dr. Brolin and Dr. Chau. The seminar provided a great deal of information and input from a man who'd had a bypass a couple of years ago. We were especially impressed with this man and decided to schedule ourselves an appointment to see Dr. Chau, the surgeon who does the lap bands. Dr. Brolin does riskier bypass surgeries.
If we thought we were informed at the seminar, we learned even more at the consultation. We met with Dr. Chau who explained in detail the benefits and risks of each surgery and what they entail. We also met with a dietician who explained what our lives would be like -- food wise anyway -- post surgery. An insurance specialist explained all the steps we needed to take for precert. The whole process will take 3 months.
After hearing all the information, pro and con, and even knowing that my success rate may be as much as 20% less than average, I still want the lap band. TB was leaning toward the gastric bypass because of all the problems he's having controlling his sugar and because weight loss is faster in the beginning with that procedure. The gentleman we met had the distal gastric bypass which is a procedure for the super obese, people who need to lose 200 lbs or more.
TB and I decided that since he is in the most intense pain and the one who needs to get back to work, his procedure will come first. Our next step is to get letters of support from our doctors and to begin a paper trail that shows we are getting counseling about the surgeries.
TB decided that although he is terrified of it, he wants the conventional bypass because it will help him faster. It scares me but I can't sit here and dictate to him what to do when his pain is so severe he gives his quality of life a 1 on a scale of 5. That's pretty sad for a man of only 54.
And so we're off on this new journey.
Yesterday we went to the N.J. Bariatrics Center. This wasn't our first visit. A couple of weeks ago, we went to an informational seminar about the two types of surgery and we had the opportunity to meet both of the doctors, Dr. Brolin and Dr. Chau. The seminar provided a great deal of information and input from a man who'd had a bypass a couple of years ago. We were especially impressed with this man and decided to schedule ourselves an appointment to see Dr. Chau, the surgeon who does the lap bands. Dr. Brolin does riskier bypass surgeries.
If we thought we were informed at the seminar, we learned even more at the consultation. We met with Dr. Chau who explained in detail the benefits and risks of each surgery and what they entail. We also met with a dietician who explained what our lives would be like -- food wise anyway -- post surgery. An insurance specialist explained all the steps we needed to take for precert. The whole process will take 3 months.
After hearing all the information, pro and con, and even knowing that my success rate may be as much as 20% less than average, I still want the lap band. TB was leaning toward the gastric bypass because of all the problems he's having controlling his sugar and because weight loss is faster in the beginning with that procedure. The gentleman we met had the distal gastric bypass which is a procedure for the super obese, people who need to lose 200 lbs or more.
TB and I decided that since he is in the most intense pain and the one who needs to get back to work, his procedure will come first. Our next step is to get letters of support from our doctors and to begin a paper trail that shows we are getting counseling about the surgeries.
TB decided that although he is terrified of it, he wants the conventional bypass because it will help him faster. It scares me but I can't sit here and dictate to him what to do when his pain is so severe he gives his quality of life a 1 on a scale of 5. That's pretty sad for a man of only 54.
And so we're off on this new journey.
Saturday, March 8
It's time to do something and stick to it!
I'm one of those fine fluffy people who don't realize they are bigger than their brains think they are. I never fail to be surprised when I get stuck trying to get out of a chair or when a car has parked too close and I think: oh, I can just slither in or out of my car easily only to find out OOOOOPS! NOT! When I had my breast reduction surgery, I was so thrilled! I felt so much better...and then I realized that not everyone noticed. How can you not notice breasts hanging down to the waist? I looked down at myself and was shocked. Oh! You don't notice if there's a big pregnant looking belly that's been there all this time!
I'm not knocking myself, believe me, this is just my sense of humor to help me stay sane.
The other day, TB, Tomas and I went outside to frolic in bubbles on a gloriously warm afternoon. It felt good to be out after being pent up for so long. And T loves bubbles (still "ub wah") so much! TB also brought out his camera and took lots of pictures. Last night when I saw them, my jaw dropped to the floor. Is that me? I thought. I was genuinely shocked. I'm not going to show those pictures because I'm going to save them as my "before" pictures.
Here is one that shows T and me, enjoying the bubbles: happy nana and grandson. In spite of the fact you can't really see my jelly belly, you can probably tell I can stand to lose a few pounds. Great...'cuz now that I've seen the pictures, I know I must act.
For starters, here is another helpful article I read:
More on my get-myself-healthy again plan a little later. It's time to get going this morning on all my errands!
I'm not knocking myself, believe me, this is just my sense of humor to help me stay sane.
The other day, TB, Tomas and I went outside to frolic in bubbles on a gloriously warm afternoon. It felt good to be out after being pent up for so long. And T loves bubbles (still "ub wah") so much! TB also brought out his camera and took lots of pictures. Last night when I saw them, my jaw dropped to the floor. Is that me? I thought. I was genuinely shocked. I'm not going to show those pictures because I'm going to save them as my "before" pictures.
Here is one that shows T and me, enjoying the bubbles: happy nana and grandson. In spite of the fact you can't really see my jelly belly, you can probably tell I can stand to lose a few pounds. Great...'cuz now that I've seen the pictures, I know I must act.
For starters, here is another helpful article I read:
What Does a Healthy Diet Really Mean?
Is it a Diet or a Lifestyle Change?
By Debra Manzella, R.N., About.com
Updated: February 27, 2008
Think of the word "diet" and what springs to mind? Restrictive meal plans? Best-selling books by skinny celebrities? Guilt producing health nuts who make us feel like anything that we might want to eat is not only bad for us but will ultimately cause our unfortunate demise and it will be all our fault because we didn't listen to them and follow their diet?!? OK, maybe that last one is just me.
Anyone who has been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes has heard the word "diet", usually in the context of a health care professional telling us that we need to change to a healthier diet. But these days, we tend to think that there must be a detailed diet we need to follow, a book we have to read a membership we have to buy, or a guru we need to pledge our allegiance to.
But "diet" actually has another meaning. According to our good friend Merriam Webster, the word "diet" can also mean "food and drink regularly provided or consumed." Another definition is "habitual nourishment".
Here in this country, there is so much talk of diets, that we start to think that we have to be "on a diet." The other meaning of the word diet gets lost in the hype: Your diet is what you eat everyday.
People can have a healthy diet, a junk food diet, or a steady diet of Steven King novels. It's just another way of saying... something you consume on a regular basis.
So when we hear in the news that we should add something, say, like olive oil, to our diet, it just means that we should chuck the trans-fat laden hydrogenated gunk we're eating and substitute something that's kinder to our heart instead.
No fancy diet required. Just tossing out some bad stuff and adding some healthier choices to what we already eat everyday.
More unhealthy items to limit or eliminate from our diets:
* Beverages that contain high fructose corn syrup
* Packaged salty, fried snacks
* Other packaged snacks that contain trans fats or high fructose corn syrup
* Deep fried or breaded, battered foods
* Creamy sauces or soups
* Processed foods like hotdogs, luncheon meats, or high-fat frozen foods
* Sugar-laden foods like packaged cookies, cakes and breakfast cereals
Healthy things to add to our diets:
* Fresh or frozen vegetables and salads
* Lean meats
* Water and other unsweetened beverages like green tea
* Homemade low fat, low sugar treats
* Fresh fruit
* Monounsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds
* Whole grain breads, brown rice, and other sources of fiber
A diet doesn't have to be rigid, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money and it doesn't have to be on The New York Times Bestseller List. It just has to be something that we can follow everyday. Good choices that fit our preferences and our lifestyles. In other words, an everyday diet that we can follow for life.
More on my get-myself-healthy again plan a little later. It's time to get going this morning on all my errands!
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