Pre-Op Diet

My doctor requires a two week pre-op diet for every one of his patients.  His diet is a combination of 5 shakes or bars during the day and a lean meat/low starchy vegetable for dinner.  Basically it's like slim fast or medifast.  It's not too hard  but it certainly isn't easy.  It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to make every meal and snack for 3 hungry boys!! Today is day 4 and I'm already down 5 pounds!! 

Protein drinks I love:
Syntrax Nectar - these have flavors that are like tropical drinks, lemonade, fuzzynavel, mmmm; it's a nice change from chocolate and vanilla shakes
Premier Chocolate Shakes - these are ready to drink and are nice to grab when heading out the door.  They taste good too!

I HAVE A DATE!!!

And it's only a week away from today! OMG!! 

I finally had my appointment with Dr. Nick last Thursday, August 8th.  I couldn't find anyone to watch my 3 kids so they went with us.  I was a little worried but we loaded them up with electronics and they were perfect.  We sat in the tiny waiting room for over an hour and they were so well behaved. 

We finally get called back and my official weight that I'm using for my highest weight and pre-surgery weight is 198.8.  UGGG So depressing but I refuse to ever see that number again!!

Dr. Nick comes in and goes over my EGD and talk about the hernia repair.  He asks me when I want to schedule surgery and I told him I originally wanted the 20th but I heard he was booked that day and he cuts me off and says, "So, let's do the 19th at Surgery Center of Richardson."   Umm, wow! I wasn't expecting it that soon, but OK! 

I got all of my pre-op paperwork including pre-op diet and post -op info, signed a consent and left the doctor's office in shock.

I am doing it! I am actually doing it!  I have a surgery date and it's less than 2 weeks away! 

The first day I was very scared and started questioning my decision but now I'm ok and I know I am making the right decision.  I am very excited about it and can't wait to get it done and started.

I Finally Told My In-Laws

Out of everyone to tell, I was most afraid to talk to my in-laws about surgery.  They are the type to ask a lot of questions and they make their opinions known.  So, I just made sure I knew all the facts possible and could hopefully answer all of their questions. 

We went to Joe T. Garcia's for dinner after an afternoon in the pool.  Joe T.'s is one of my favorite restaurants.  The food is good and the atmosphere is awesome! I was super nervous but just bit the bullet and told them.

They were very supportive and understood why I am doing this.  I cannot tell you how relieved I am that they are supportive!!  They naturally did have a lot of questions but John and I had answers!! Yay!

So, now all of our parents know and a few of my friends know.  I'm still undecided how I am going to handle the rest of my friends.

EGD

So, I meant to update sooner but well, life has been happening. :)

I had the EGD a week and half ago on July 24th.  I dropped the boys off at my good friend's house and they were super excited to play with friends for a few hours.  John and I drove to the hospital (Victory Medical Center) and got there 15 minutes early.  It's kinda rare for us to be early!  We checked in and within minutes a nice woman at registration came and got us.  I signed the consents and she made copies of my drivers license and insurance card.  They immediately took me back and I changed into a gown.

This is the part that I'm not too impressed with Victory.  A nurse came in to get my IV started.  Now, granted I'm not an easy stick and my veins tend to me small and roll.  I mentioned this to the nurse but she immediately went for a vein on the underside of my right forearm.  She got it first try but oh my lord did it hurt!  Needles and IVs don't bother me...I can watch them put it in and I have a high pain tolerance but this hurt.  I've never had an IV put in my forearm EVER and I thought it was so odd.  Every time I just rested my arm it hurt because it was putting pressure on my IV.  Then they said they would go get John and he could come back with me.  But they never went and got him and nobody was coming behind the curtain.  Finally someone walked by and I asked if they would please go get him.  He finally came back and it helped calmed my nerves a little.

I think 3 different people from anesthesia came in to talk to me along with a few other people.  I confirmed that they would knock me out for the EGD.  I was the last one to go back.

I kissed John and they wheeled me back.  The anesthesiologist put propofol into my IV and I felt warm tingly feeling all over and then the next thing I know I was waking up in recovery.  Super easy!!

The doctor came in and told me that he did find a hiatal hernia!  YAY!!! So that means that insurance should help pay for part of the surgery and I will pay the difference.  This is very exciting news!! He also found a polyp that they are sending to pathology but he said he thought it was nothing.  I do have to get another EGD in a year to be sure it hasn't come back. 

I go back to see Dr. Nick next Thursday and I'm hoping and praying to get a date set.

First Official Appointment

On Wednesday I had my first appointment with Dr. Nick Nicholson. It went really well. Megan, the PA, took me back and weighed me. (198 lbs for the record) Then she took me to a room and went over my current medications, asked which surgery I was interested in, and then started handing me consents and prescriptions for nausea and B12 vitamins. I was shocked she was giving me all of that considering I hadn't even talked to the doctor. But whatever. 

Dr. Nick then came in and he asked me what I wanted and asked what I did for a living. I told him I'm a stay at home mom for 3 boys ages 3, 4, and 7. He explained that I would probably need help with them for at least a week and a half after surgery. He talked about when I could expect to drive etc. Then he asked me what questions I had. 

I asked him what if I had a hiatal hernia. This quickly changed the conversation. If I have a hiatal hernia then insurance will cover his surgical fees and some of the hospital and I would only owe the hospital approximately $4k which would save me about $8k. An $8k savings is huge!!! So come on hernia!!!! I've never wanted a hernia so badly!!! 

So with that our conversation was over and I went out to schedule an EGD. He said we would talk about everything else after I have the EGD and go over those results. 

My EGD is scheduled for next Wednesday, July 24th at Victory Medical Center in Plano. 

Oh, also the only place I can have surgery is Victory if I use my insurance to cover the cost of the hernia repair. I was really hoping to have it at Forest Park but I'm ok with Victory if it means an $8k savings. It's a very small facility with only 20 inpatient rooms and I've heard good things about it. 

I'm nervous for the EGD just because I don't know what to expect. As long as I'm knocked out then I'm good. Lol 

I'm excited to be one step closer!!!!  

Oh, I didn't know you were...

PREGNANT!! Ugh...nothing more humiliating (I'm sure from both sides) when someone says that when you are in fact not pregnant.  I just laughed and reassured her for at least 2 minutes that it was no big deal.  And then as soon as I walked her out and shut the door, I came back to my room and can't stop crying!!  I mean, I know I'm fat and I do look pregnant but it just sucks when someone points it out.

On a positive note, I spoke to the surgeons office today and scheduled my one on one consult with him.  I meet with him on this Wednesday at 11:45!!!!  YAY!!!  Hurry up Wednesday!!!

Support

I have to brag on my husband. I really do have the best husband EVER!! He totally supports my decision to go ahead with surgery and thinks it will greatly benefit me and our family. 

A few days ago, the boys were playing video games in the living room and I was in my room watching TV. John came into the room and said, "I just want you to know that I fully support you and surgery." It was totally random and I already knew he did but I really appreciated hearing it again. 

I asked him if this was something he would ever do and he said no. He said he wasn't against it, he just can't imagine taking the majority of his stomach out. I definitely see that point and I question my own decision. But he reiterated how he supports my decision to do it. He admitted that there was no way he could relate to being over weight for so long. The last time I was in the normal weight range was in high school. Granted, in college I was just over the normal weight by 10 pounds. 

But back to the point...I'm so lucky to have the best EVER husband!!!! Love him so very much!!! 

Seminar

I went to the required informational seminar last night for Dr. Nick Nicholson. I felt like clapping when he walked into the room. It was like meeting a celebrity after watching so many YouTube videos about him and doing so much research. Everything everyone says about him is true. He is a very kind, funny, tell you how it is type of doctor. He didn't sugar coat anything and was very transparent 

He talked about the general stuff...how he started doing bariatric surgeries, the types of surgeries along with the pros and cons about each one. He also talked about the 3 deaths he's had over the coarse of operating on over 9,000 patients. 

Interesting facts:

1.  98% of people fail long term on diets. That means I only have a 2% chance of succeeding on a diet long term. No wonder I've done so many diets and still fat!! 

He spoke for about 2 hours and made sure everyone's questions were answered. I was very impressed. 

Now I wait to get a one on one consult. I'm so anxious to get the ball rolling. I know he's the surgeon I want and I know this is the surgery I want!!

Morbidly Obese

I said "I am morbidly obese." For the first time last night and cried. Sucks to admit certain things out loud. 

Picking Dates

Having 3 children makes for some complicated schedules. I started looking at our calendar to see when a good time to schedule surgery would be. Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself since I haven't even had a consult yet but always better to be prepared, right?? 

I'm assuming since I will be self paying for this surgery I won't have to jump through so many hoops that a lot of people have to. I will still have to do all of the pre-op testing and etc but that shouldn't be a huge deal. 

With all that said I think the week of August 19th would be best. It's a week before school starts, towards the end of summer, between kids birthdays, before soccer starts and after my inlaws get back into town from traveling to San Diego. 

We will see what the consult results in. :)

Told one more person!

Yesterday we had all of our family over for 4th of July. It was a lot of fun! We grilled steaks, pasta salad, potato salad, watermelon, strawberries, and homemade ice cream. 

After everyone except my dad and step mom left I told my dad that I have a weight loss surgery consult. They seemed a little surprised but were very supportive. I do feel better letting at least family know about it. I'm a very open person so I'm not sure I can keep it a secret from family. 

Now I only have John's parents left to tell. I probably should have told them yesterday but I chickened out. I know they will have a lot of questions and I know they will be concerned which is all good. I just don't want to be criticized or asked why I can't just diet and exercise. Hopefully John will help me in explaining how this will benefit me and our whole family. 

Last Meals / Food Funerals

I've been reading a few WLS forums to hear from real people and get support from people that have been there and done that. One thing I keep reading about are food funerals. 

I think this is one of the head problems of being fat. Ever since I've decided that I'm going to go through with surgery I've been eating everything in sight. Nothing has been off limits. It's like this will be my last time to enjoy this...after surgery I won't ever be able to scarf ______ (fill in the blank) down to my hearts content. 

It's crazy. I feel horrible, physically, after I do it but I still do it. I'm going to gain 20 pounds before I even have a consult lol. 

I've also been thinking about the restaurants I want to hit up before surgery. 

1.  Babe's Chicken

2.  Joe T. Garcia's

3.  Buca di Beppo

4.  

I'll have to keep adding to the list because I know there's more! 

I know I'll be able to eat these foods eventually but I do have to change my life and change my mindset about these foods. So, yes, I do feel like I'm saying goodbye to them. 

Virtual Weight Loss Pictures

I found a cool website that you can create a virtual model at your current weight and a virtual model at your goal weight. It shows them side by side. Here is mine. 

It obviously isn't identical to me or even really close but it is a great visual. The website is http://modelmydiet.com/.  It's fun to play around with. 

Family Vacation - Yosemite

We just got back from an amazing trip to Yosemite National Park. If you've never been there, omg it's awe inspiring! Beautiful!!! 

We went with john's parents, his sister and her family. There were twelve of us, six adults and six kids. Age range from 3 years old to 70 years old. 

It's someplace I want to revisit after I lose weight so I can keep up with my kids and go on hikes without thinking I'm going to pass out. 

My proudest moment though is climbing to the top of Sentinel Dome. It is the 2nd highest point in Yosemite with Half Dome being the highest. Granted we started towards the top we still hiked far for our group! 

I will be back and I've added Half Dome to my bucket list. I will climb that one day and I know I will shed some tears once I reach the top! 

This trip reconfirmed my decision for weight loss surgery. Traveling will be so much easier as a thinner person!! 

Wow! 3 years later!!

I can't believe I thought about this blog exactly 3 years to the day that I originally started this blog!! That must be a sign, right??? Lol

A lot has happened in 3 years! The kids are older...3, 4, and 7. Our lives are busier now with sports, school, swim lessons, birthday parties, Boy Scouts etc etc. I love it though...it's our crazy day to day life! 

I'm still struggling with my weight. Same story, different day. I'm now heavier than I ever was and I hate it. I've tried Weight Watchers, Medifast, phentermine (diet pills), advocare...I can lose weight. The problem is keeping it off. 

A few weeks ago I took a friend to have surgery. As I was sitting in the waiting room there was a brochure about this facility being a bariatric center of excellence. That's when the idea of weight loss surgery (wls) popped into my head. I brought it up to John and he was like "whatever you'll be talking about something else next week". Which is true! Lol

Well, the next week I had my annual physical with my awesome pcp, Dr. Heather Akins. I love her!! She is close to my age with 3 young kids and totally gets my current life struggles. Love her!! Anyways, we talked about my weight like we always do. She's the one that gave me diet pills and they worked but I gained all of it back plus some. She asked me if I had ever thought about WLS. I laughed and told her as a matter of fact I had but wasn't completely sure if it was for me. We talked more about it and she gave me a recommendation for Dr. Nick Nicholson as the Nicholson Clinic. 

To be honest, I was shocked that she brought it up. Not sure why though. I'm only 5 feet tall and weigh 197 which equates to a BMI of 38. My ideal weight for me would be 110. I think my healthy weight is between 97 and 128 pounds. 

So, I did a lot of research...A LOT! Then brought it back up to John and we talked in detail about it. We talked all about the benefits, the risks and the risks of remaining overweight. We decided that the benefits outweighed the risks. 

I signed up to attend a seminar with Dr. Nicholson for July 9th. I have heard nothing but good things about Dr. Nick. I'm very anxious to meet with him. I know my insurance doesn't cover WLS so that's definitely a concern but I think we can figure it out. 

As of right now I've only told John, my mom and my best friend about this. I tested the water with a couple others but I'm finding out there are people out there with a lot of opinions. Lol and that's fine...they are entitled to their opinion. I just won't open up yet about this. I'm undecided about how to handle telling people. I know there are people that shout it from the mountains in order to hopefully help other in the same boat but that's not really my personality. I just really need support from people and not criticism. I don't want someone to try to talk me out of it. Until you've walked in my shoes and know my struggles like I do then just be there for me and support me. 

So, I have a lot on my mind that I'll be sharing but this is currently where I'm at. :)