Pre-Op Diet

Okay, here we go!!!!  I went to my 4 hour nutrition and pro-op class yesterday.  Let me just say.....I am afraid.  The diet consists on 2 protein shakes per day, 64 ounces of water, sugar-fee jello and sugar-free popsicles, AND one meal consisting of 4 oz of meat and a non-starchy vegetable.  I am supposed to start this morning but..... I am afraid.  I have the first shake all mixed up and ready to drink (did I mention you can only mix it with water!!!!).  I hope it tastes good.  Like I said, I am afraid.  Surgery is on December 22 and I will go home on Christmas.  I will keep this updated as I get closer and closer to surgery.  I am getting nervous.  I hope I am doing the right thing.

A long long wait

It's been a long wait since I was approved.  I am still hanging in there.  I have two appointments next week.  One is to sign my surgical consent, the other is a nutrition class to get me ready for surgery.  I have approx. 2 pounds to lose to get back to the last weigh-in weight.  I plan on having lots of soup to help with that.  I am also getting scared and excited.  

Actually, I could have already had my surgery already but I chose to wait.  I am a letter carrier and December is all about the overtime.  I did not want to miss out on that money.  So I wait and yes, I do get inside my own head quite a bit.  I feel like this is a God driven journey.  Everything has happened just the way it was supposed to so that is what I tell myself when I get into a funk.  

I know it will be worth it!  I am a healthy person other than this weight (and asthma) so this just makes sense.  I know I can't do it by myself so I am trusting God in this journey.

More to come after appointments next week!

I'm Approved!!!!!

Oh My Goodness!!!!! And Thank you GOD!!!!!!   I got my approval letter from the insurance company on Monday when I got home from work.  I cannot tell you how excited I am!!!!!

Deep Breath

I emailed the ladies at BMI Surgery and told them the good news.  So what is the next step?  Well, I scheduled my surgery and pre-surgery classes.  Since I am a US Postal Letter Carrier this was a tricky one. I could have had the surgery November 24 but I don't want to miss all the overtime in December or the tips.  So I took the last possible date I could for this year, December 22!!!

I can't tell you what a relief this is for me.  I now have a thinner future to look forward to and a healthier one to boot.   I can only imagine the things ahead for me but I can't wait to enjoy them all!!!

To anyone reading this, don't give up on your journey either.  With lots of prayer and hard work you can do any thing!

The waiting begins....

So on Oct 8, 2015 I went in for my final weigh-in of my 3 month doctor monitored weight loss.  I was down 2 pounds.  What a relief.  Now everything goes to my insurance company and they have 30 business days (6 weeks) to approve/deny my surgery.  It has been a prayerful journey and I feel as though it is God driven.  Everything has gone so smoothly.  Not to say there have not been any hiccups, but all is well with my soul on this journey.

This picture of my was taken at Starved Rock on Oct 12, 2015.  As I look at it I do not see me.  I see my head on someone else's body.  I do not picture myself this big.  But here I am.  The hard part is that my friends say that I look "great".  All I see is fat.  My goal is to return next year and hope I can find this tree or a similar one so I can retake this picture.  I am really excited to see the results.

Talk to you again around November 2.  That is my next Dr. appointment.

A Very Rough Month

Well, this month stinks.  It's been very slow going as far as my weight-loss for my "Dr monitored" program which isn't really a program.  I have stayed the same until this morning where I showed a 8/10 of a pound weight loss.  Whoop Dee Do.  I also noticed something.  The doctor's office is fabulous as a support system after you have surgery, but before you have surgery and during this weight-loss crap they are pretty much non-existent.  That is frustrating.  

I also ran into issues with my Psych consult.  I had my appointment on Sept 2 and as of Friday Sept 25 they still hadn't transmitted my report to the doctor's office.  WTF!  I left a message with the psych office and I am going to check again with BMI doctor today to see if it was received.  Everything seems to be continuing to lead me to this path except for the stinkin' Psychologist. 

I go for my final weigh-in for this 3 month thing on Oct 8. 2015.  I need to be down at least 2 pounds.  Wish me luck!!!!

Second of Three Dr Monitored Weightloss

Today was my second weigh-in for the doctor monitored weight loss plan that my insurance company requires.  I am excited.  I lost 5 pounds!  Yes, the process of getting there sucked but I did it.  I am still off of Pepsi and I am still doing one meal a day as an Atkins shake.  I have found that switching Chocolate and Vanilla is nice for a change but I prefer the Chocolate.   I have all of my "other" doctor appointments completed.  There was a glitch I found today.  My primary doctor did not send over my weight records for the past two years (a requirement for my insurance company).  So the ladies in the WLD office resent the request and I stopped there on the way home.  My PCP claimed that they never got the initial request.  Whatever.  So I waited while she got all of the papers together.  Otherwise, things have been running very smoothly during this entire process.  That actually scares me a bit.  Things in my life don't ever go the way they are supposed to.  I am sure I will run into a road block somewhere but until then I will just keep at it.  I hope you do too!!!!

Psych Approval 9/2/15

Today was my dreaded psych approval appointment (take 2).  Nervous once again mostly due to unknown factors.  I am a master at creating something out of nothing.  But let me tell you, it was a piece of cake!!!  I had all of my paperwork filled out ahead of time.  So I walked in and they sat me at a computer.  I answered 338 VERY random questions, and I do mean random.  My favorite was "If given a chance you would like to be a forest ranger--True or False".  Then I sat with a woman for about 10 minutes going over paperwork and she asked questions to see if I understood the surgery and what to expect.  No problems here either.  Now I just have 2 more check-ins for my medically supervised diet, one being next week and one in early October.  Hopefully I will have surgery before the end of the year since my deductibles are all met.  I don't care if it happens between Christmas and New Years just so that it is in 2015.

Still off of Pepsi, although I did have a 20 oz bottle the other night.  No desire to have any more.  Doesn't taste the same anymore.  Really wasn't enjoyable.  I am also having an Atkins shake for lunch at work.  I figure if I start with one meal a day now, when I have to get ready for surgery it will be much easier.  (I hope).  I also find myself getting scared and nervous about surgery sometimes.  But my inner self knows it will all be worth it.  That 100 pounds will melt off like butter.  I am so looking forward to my skinny future!