A few weeks ago, I found myself attending the AUSA (Association of the United States Army) Conference held annually in Washington, DC. As a Department of Defense employee, I was allowed to go and my installation sponsored a bus trip.
AUSA showcases current and future technologies. Not to get too deep on acquisitions, but contractors need to put out their own money to develop a technology with the hopes that someone will buy it. Waiting for the call for bids to develop would often put these businesses in a poor posture.
This stuff is way beyond my pay grade, but nevertheless, it was a fun day checking out stuff.
I found a few booths that were giving away samples of hydration aids and I was immediately drawn to them. When they heard about the bariatric needs for hydration, I think I literally saw dollar signs in their eyes. They had been focusing on athletes and soldiers, but this market of individuals who have unique hydration needs was disregarded in their market research.
Hydration is important for everyone, but for bariatric patients it is even more important. The most common cause for hospital readmission following surgery is dehydration. It is also the most preventable. I was not the best bariatric patient I could have been regarding this, but with some tips I've learned perhaps you can learn from my mistakes.
1) You're only drinking that first week, right? Make sure you are getting water and electrolytes in as well as protein. My husband is going to go through this procedure sometime in 2018, and during that first week, he will have water, a protein shake, or both within arms length all of the time.
2) There is no such thing as too much water. I stupidly listened to the Facebook support groups, that if I drank too much water, my stomach would stretch back out. I was told by my research surgeon that this will not happen. Water just flows through your new rerouted system, which actually means you need more of it. If you drink a sip that's a little too big and you feel pressure, then you know you've sipped too much. Learn from that.
3) But, you will not get 64 ounces of water in immediately. Be patient with yourself. Know where you were at the previous day and try to do a little better the next day (this is where my severely analytical side kicks in).
4) When you get tired of water, mix it up. I still deal with this. I went away a few weekends ago, and I just didn't put any flavor in my water for some reason. I found my intake getting slower, and it took a day to realize that I was missing my flavor. It was in my bag the whole time. There was no reason for me to get a little dehydrated. Crystal Light-type individual flavor packets are great because they are portioned out. I have started using the squeeze bottle style so I can leave one or two in my bag at a given time.
5) Electrolytes are your friend. Use them. When I go a day or two without a little bit of an electrolytes in my drink, I notice that I feel just a little dryer. I have spoke the praises of Propel, but I also use the WalMart brand of Electrolytes as well as Mio.
Showing posts with label gastric bypass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gastric bypass. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Stress Eating and Travelling: A Two for One Deal!
Just as a little bit of background before I jump into it, my husband's family with little exception all lives in a town in Southeast Texas. We've gotten out there about once a year since we started dating because we can see so much family in a single shot. Also, his grandmother (Meemaw from this point forward) had Lou Gehrig's Disease. She passed away on September 6, 2017.
If you have put a few pieces of this puzzle together, she passed away during a time of a natural disaster (Hurricane Harvey), and partially due to this the services had to take place nearly two weeks after she passed away.
When we got the sad news, we assumed things would happen quickly and the price of last-minute flights made it cost-prohibitive for both of us to go. A day later, we found out the service would be in about ten days, and we managed to find cheap airfare so both of us could go. After all, if Meemaw knew you, you were her grandchild and she loved you as such.
So today's story hits on two things, dealing with a high-stress situation, and traveling.
This was not my first post-operative trip, we went to Canada when I was eight weeks out. But, when we went to Canada, I was not cleared to eat all foods yet, so I found myself reverting to be safe as I didn't want to have an emergency so far from home.
At nearly 16 weeks out, I can eat practically anything, so the thought of what to eat for safety was no longer present which made some things easier, but also presented a danger for eating the wrong things.
I'm not going to sit here and write that I made every perfect decision and I would proudly present my food journal to my nutritionist or surgeon. The facts remain that I wrote everything down, and I did the best I could. A few key points made this possible:
1) I have a supportive husband who is willing to share plates. I'm going to start a new series of entries about my husband going through his own WLS journey (he starts in a few weeks from writing). So he understands where I'm coming from, and also that portions at restaurants are so huge, me having my three or four bites does not take anything away from his experience. Especially since the surgery, we haven't eaten out all that much. We would discuss what to order, then when it came to the table I had a small plate for my own serving. I know some hospitals give out cards to keep in your wallet that you have a medical necessity to order from the kid's menu. After this weekend, I am solid in my choice to not even ask for that card. The choices on the kids menu are generally less healthy than the main menu. They are there as usual kid crowd pleasers.
2) Planning planning planning. I have said in past posts that failing to plan is planning to fail. From the start of planning out our flights and our day of travel (we were landing at 3:30pm, getting lunch with my in-laws, who were on the same flight, and driving the 90 minutes to the destination) we planned out how we were going to get what we needed for a good trip. Before we even got on the plane, we made a list of things we would need at Walmart when we landed. This list included pre-made Premier Protein (a luxury to us), Cheerios, water flavoring, and fiber laxative. We stopped at Walmart and made our purchases, which carried us through the trip.
3) Think "protein" first. Every time I put something in my mouth, I thought "protein" first. I tried to keep my normal day for as long as possible every day, and no matter how the day ended, I restarted with the normal day the next morning. My normal day is my fiber laxative, protein shake, and a little later Cheerios (dry). At that point my days change as I mix up lunch and dinner. While the family was eating the food local organizations had so generously brought, I had my lunchbox. On the way in, I bought beef jerky from Buc-ee's. For non-Texas people, Buc-ee's is just a magical rest stop with the cleanest bathrooms you'll ever experience, along with fun food options. What caught my eye was the beef jerky bar, and we bought enough jerky to share with everyone. Also, beef jerky takes so long to chew, especially post-op that it would really keep me busy.
This wasn't the happiest of trips either. It was the first time I found myself in a situation where I would have eaten a lot from stress eating before the surgery. I was a little nervous going into it, but honestly I had no desire to overeat. I wonder how this will change in the future, but I had no issue saying no, and more importantly, no family pushing anything on me. This was the first time everyone had seen me since I lost any weight, so I was down 90 pounds since the last time I saw them.
This trip proved a lot to me about what I'm capable of and what level of planning it takes. The most important part is that as long as I am able, a Walmart should be my first stop, even before I get to a hotel. Research and preparation will allow anyone to have a successful trip.
If you have put a few pieces of this puzzle together, she passed away during a time of a natural disaster (Hurricane Harvey), and partially due to this the services had to take place nearly two weeks after she passed away.
When we got the sad news, we assumed things would happen quickly and the price of last-minute flights made it cost-prohibitive for both of us to go. A day later, we found out the service would be in about ten days, and we managed to find cheap airfare so both of us could go. After all, if Meemaw knew you, you were her grandchild and she loved you as such.
So today's story hits on two things, dealing with a high-stress situation, and traveling.
This was not my first post-operative trip, we went to Canada when I was eight weeks out. But, when we went to Canada, I was not cleared to eat all foods yet, so I found myself reverting to be safe as I didn't want to have an emergency so far from home.
At nearly 16 weeks out, I can eat practically anything, so the thought of what to eat for safety was no longer present which made some things easier, but also presented a danger for eating the wrong things.
I'm not going to sit here and write that I made every perfect decision and I would proudly present my food journal to my nutritionist or surgeon. The facts remain that I wrote everything down, and I did the best I could. A few key points made this possible:
1) I have a supportive husband who is willing to share plates. I'm going to start a new series of entries about my husband going through his own WLS journey (he starts in a few weeks from writing). So he understands where I'm coming from, and also that portions at restaurants are so huge, me having my three or four bites does not take anything away from his experience. Especially since the surgery, we haven't eaten out all that much. We would discuss what to order, then when it came to the table I had a small plate for my own serving. I know some hospitals give out cards to keep in your wallet that you have a medical necessity to order from the kid's menu. After this weekend, I am solid in my choice to not even ask for that card. The choices on the kids menu are generally less healthy than the main menu. They are there as usual kid crowd pleasers.
2) Planning planning planning. I have said in past posts that failing to plan is planning to fail. From the start of planning out our flights and our day of travel (we were landing at 3:30pm, getting lunch with my in-laws, who were on the same flight, and driving the 90 minutes to the destination) we planned out how we were going to get what we needed for a good trip. Before we even got on the plane, we made a list of things we would need at Walmart when we landed. This list included pre-made Premier Protein (a luxury to us), Cheerios, water flavoring, and fiber laxative. We stopped at Walmart and made our purchases, which carried us through the trip.
3) Think "protein" first. Every time I put something in my mouth, I thought "protein" first. I tried to keep my normal day for as long as possible every day, and no matter how the day ended, I restarted with the normal day the next morning. My normal day is my fiber laxative, protein shake, and a little later Cheerios (dry). At that point my days change as I mix up lunch and dinner. While the family was eating the food local organizations had so generously brought, I had my lunchbox. On the way in, I bought beef jerky from Buc-ee's. For non-Texas people, Buc-ee's is just a magical rest stop with the cleanest bathrooms you'll ever experience, along with fun food options. What caught my eye was the beef jerky bar, and we bought enough jerky to share with everyone. Also, beef jerky takes so long to chew, especially post-op that it would really keep me busy.
This wasn't the happiest of trips either. It was the first time I found myself in a situation where I would have eaten a lot from stress eating before the surgery. I was a little nervous going into it, but honestly I had no desire to overeat. I wonder how this will change in the future, but I had no issue saying no, and more importantly, no family pushing anything on me. This was the first time everyone had seen me since I lost any weight, so I was down 90 pounds since the last time I saw them.
This trip proved a lot to me about what I'm capable of and what level of planning it takes. The most important part is that as long as I am able, a Walmart should be my first stop, even before I get to a hotel. Research and preparation will allow anyone to have a successful trip.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
My Own Decision
Some of the most common things I see on the various Facebook support groups I follow include what brands of vitamins to take to save money, and what finally made people decide that surgical weight loss was the way to go.
If you've ready my story, you know how I arrived here. For those of you that didn't read it, my size was defining physical limitations that were becoming more limiting by the day, so it was time to do something about it.
I thought about surgery from the start of physical therapy for a knee and hip injury in July 2016 and applied through Johns Hopkins in October 2016. I was still not convinced when I applied, but since that twelve-page application deemed me eligible, I decided it was something to really consider. Still, however, I told myself not to make up my mind until I saw the surgeon. Even after the appointment with the surgeon, I made the first couple of appointments, which were an EGD and my first appointment with my Primary Care Provider, I still wasn't convinced. Either way though I was going to lose a little weight. I don't know exactly when my mind was made up, but by the second month of my process, I knew that surgery was the right choice for me.
To oversimplify my thought process, I'm going to break this up into Pros and Cons.
Pros:
1. I will lose weight quickly: This one speaks for itself. No other program boasts up to a 75% excess weight loss in 18 months.
2. I am more likely to keep it off: Of course everyone I talk to has a cousin that has a friend that had the surgery and then gained it all back and then some. But, the numbers tell me that more people have greater long term success due to surgery. This surgery is altering how my body absorbs food, so as long as I'm not actively seeking out all of the loop holes, I will be successful.
3. All of the other pros of weight loss: More energy, less over all pain, better fertility. All the things that other programs can offer as well as weight loss surgery.
Cons:
1. Surgery is scary: Someone is knocking you out to the point where you can't even breathe on your own and rerouting your body. Yes, its scary. But I was deemed medically necessary by the surgical team as well as my insurance, so this must be a risk worth taking.
Counterpoint: My first surgery was when I was 28 years old. It was a tonsillectomy and I needed it. Like, my tonsils touched when I swallowed and were terribly infected so my quality of life was not too good. I was scared, but I knew I had to do it, otherwise every few months I would be sick for a week at a time, and each time I got sick, it got worse. Finally one day I realized that I'm one bad turn of the steering wheel or even one bad step, away from needing emergency surgery where I would have the time to go through my own existential crisis. That actually soothed me.
2. There are no guarantees it will work: Yes the surgery makes your stomach a lot smaller, but I can just change my eating habits and get it all in. There are ways for this to fail and the surgeon and your team are not with you all day helping with your choices. One side effect of the long pre-op is you have plenty of time to think and decide if this is really right for you.
3. Possible complications: Every surgery carries risk and unfortunately these risks are multiplied for those who are overweight/obese.
Counterpoint: See con 1. You never know when you need surgery. Also, if you follow the instructions to the letter, you decrease the chance of complications significantly.
If you've ready my story, you know how I arrived here. For those of you that didn't read it, my size was defining physical limitations that were becoming more limiting by the day, so it was time to do something about it.
I thought about surgery from the start of physical therapy for a knee and hip injury in July 2016 and applied through Johns Hopkins in October 2016. I was still not convinced when I applied, but since that twelve-page application deemed me eligible, I decided it was something to really consider. Still, however, I told myself not to make up my mind until I saw the surgeon. Even after the appointment with the surgeon, I made the first couple of appointments, which were an EGD and my first appointment with my Primary Care Provider, I still wasn't convinced. Either way though I was going to lose a little weight. I don't know exactly when my mind was made up, but by the second month of my process, I knew that surgery was the right choice for me.
To oversimplify my thought process, I'm going to break this up into Pros and Cons.
Pros:
1. I will lose weight quickly: This one speaks for itself. No other program boasts up to a 75% excess weight loss in 18 months.
2. I am more likely to keep it off: Of course everyone I talk to has a cousin that has a friend that had the surgery and then gained it all back and then some. But, the numbers tell me that more people have greater long term success due to surgery. This surgery is altering how my body absorbs food, so as long as I'm not actively seeking out all of the loop holes, I will be successful.
3. All of the other pros of weight loss: More energy, less over all pain, better fertility. All the things that other programs can offer as well as weight loss surgery.
Cons:
1. Surgery is scary: Someone is knocking you out to the point where you can't even breathe on your own and rerouting your body. Yes, its scary. But I was deemed medically necessary by the surgical team as well as my insurance, so this must be a risk worth taking.
Counterpoint: My first surgery was when I was 28 years old. It was a tonsillectomy and I needed it. Like, my tonsils touched when I swallowed and were terribly infected so my quality of life was not too good. I was scared, but I knew I had to do it, otherwise every few months I would be sick for a week at a time, and each time I got sick, it got worse. Finally one day I realized that I'm one bad turn of the steering wheel or even one bad step, away from needing emergency surgery where I would have the time to go through my own existential crisis. That actually soothed me.
2. There are no guarantees it will work: Yes the surgery makes your stomach a lot smaller, but I can just change my eating habits and get it all in. There are ways for this to fail and the surgeon and your team are not with you all day helping with your choices. One side effect of the long pre-op is you have plenty of time to think and decide if this is really right for you.
3. Possible complications: Every surgery carries risk and unfortunately these risks are multiplied for those who are overweight/obese.
Counterpoint: See con 1. You never know when you need surgery. Also, if you follow the instructions to the letter, you decrease the chance of complications significantly.
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Presurgical Shopping List
I remember getting ready for my surgery and thinking to myself how different life was going to be as soon as I got home from the hospital. I was nervous, excited, anxious...so many emotions at once.
I was well prepared, the program at Johns Hopkins had gotten me ready and I was more excited than anything to get the petal to the metal. Hopkins even makes their guidelines available to the public, if anyone would like to read over the material.
The weekend before the surgery, I went shopping and got two sets of the below list. I got two because I was going to be spending nights at my house, but would be spending most days at my parents' apartment since my mom works from home and is an RN. This list was derived from the guidelines linked above:
The biggest key however is getting at least that 64 ounces of water in daily. Before discharge I got a water bottle from the hospital that had increments of 2 hours to get 8 ounces of water in. If I started at 7:00am, and I was consistent, I would get my 64 ounces in by 11:00pm. I still use the one from Hopkins, but I found inspiration here. But, even taking a standard 32oz Nalgene with a Sharpie would work, but you would have to remark it fairly regularly.
Finally, I made a paper chart with goals based on the timeline in the guidelines attachment. I would include all of my new vitamins and medications on this list as well. I don't have any copies of these left, but it looked something like this:
I was well prepared, the program at Johns Hopkins had gotten me ready and I was more excited than anything to get the petal to the metal. Hopkins even makes their guidelines available to the public, if anyone would like to read over the material.
The weekend before the surgery, I went shopping and got two sets of the below list. I got two because I was going to be spending nights at my house, but would be spending most days at my parents' apartment since my mom works from home and is an RN. This list was derived from the guidelines linked above:
- Protein powder
- Lowest fat cottage cheese
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Dannon Triple Zero Oikos
- No sugar added pudding pops
- Sugar free popsicles
- Fairlife skim milk
- Ricotta Cheese (lowest fat)
- Pudding (powder)
- Jell-O
The biggest key however is getting at least that 64 ounces of water in daily. Before discharge I got a water bottle from the hospital that had increments of 2 hours to get 8 ounces of water in. If I started at 7:00am, and I was consistent, I would get my 64 ounces in by 11:00pm. I still use the one from Hopkins, but I found inspiration here. But, even taking a standard 32oz Nalgene with a Sharpie would work, but you would have to remark it fairly regularly.
Finally, I made a paper chart with goals based on the timeline in the guidelines attachment. I would include all of my new vitamins and medications on this list as well. I don't have any copies of these left, but it looked something like this:
- 7:00am: Protein Shake made with Fairlife and AM pills
- 8:00am: Water
- 9:00am: Greek Yogurt (make sure water goal is met), Lovenox shot
- 10:00am: Water
- 11:00am: Fudgepop (make sure water goal is met)
- 12:00n: Protein shake made with Fairlife and Noon pills
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Tailbone Pain after Bariatric Surgery
After I had my surgery and went back to the office (read: a more sedentary lifestyle), I noticed a very unusual and uncomfortable symptom developing.
Lower back/tail bone pain.
The pain comes on quick at about an hour after sitting down. It is terribly uncomfortable, and unfortunately seems to be a common complaint not just from WLS patients, but also people who have lost a lot of weight.
When I started telling friend about this pain, the joke became that I'm losing my "padding" on my bottom. However, I never exactly had a lot of padding down there. I would love to understand why this happens, but I would like to take a few minutes to share my coping mechanisms that I'd started and will start in the near future.
Lower back/tail bone pain.
The pain comes on quick at about an hour after sitting down. It is terribly uncomfortable, and unfortunately seems to be a common complaint not just from WLS patients, but also people who have lost a lot of weight.
When I started telling friend about this pain, the joke became that I'm losing my "padding" on my bottom. However, I never exactly had a lot of padding down there. I would love to understand why this happens, but I would like to take a few minutes to share my coping mechanisms that I'd started and will start in the near future.
- My Fitbit vibrates every hour. I have a Fitbit Blaze and one day last spring, it started vibrating at 10 minutes to the hour. I looked into my app, and there were now hourly goals. Most hours, I remember to get up as I start to feel the familiar tenseness, but there are times I get wrapped up in my work and that vibration is a reminder to get up and give myself just a few minutes to get moving. This feature is NOT available on all Fitbits, such as Fitbit Charge, Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit One, Fitbit Surge, and Fitbit Zip.
- I got a cushion. We were visiting friends in Upstate New York and spending hours around a fire when I started to shift in my seat a lot. One of my friends noticed and gave me a cushion that he had gotten for his car, but he is very tall and his head was hitting the ceiling of the car. I can't tell you how much mine cost, or even what brand it is, but it has made my bottom much happier.
- Standing Desk. This is still in the early stages. I was going to do the IKEA hack but I was encouraged to ask for my job to provide me with a standing desk and it was really easy. I got a doctor's note, and less than a week later I was approved. Due to budget issues, I need to wait until October to actually get it but I'm sure it's going to help this situation.
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
August 24, 2017: Three month post-op visit
I should start with addressing two issues: first, this appointment was 12 weeks and 1 day post op for those of you paying attention to the dates. Secondly, the three month appointment really started 10 days earlier.
On August 14, I went to the lab to get my bloodwork done for my upcoming appointment. To help anyone going through this in the future, the phlebotomist took seven vials of blood and it took two arms to get this job done. The good news is that this is not a fasting blood test so I didn't get woozy or anything. I could list all of the blood tests they did, but highlights included a standard CBC, protein checks, B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and electrolytes.
Between August 14 and August 24, I got to see my blood tests come back using the MyChart feature Johns Hopkins provides to all patients. Everything was coming back beautiful.
Finally on August 24, I had my appointment which, thanks to nasty traffic, I was nearly late for.
I sat down with my Nurse Practitioner and discussed how the last three months had gone. I told her about a burning sensation I had under my ribs the previous week, but changing my diet and certain routines things had gotten better. She then told me that she thought the best idea was to re-prescribe Protonix, which I would have asked for if she hadn't brought it up. We began going over my average daily diet and I apologized for my diet sounding bland, but I had adjusted my diet to address that burning sensation, which I assumed to be heartburn. She said "I'm already giving you back your Protonix!" jokingly.
I am doing one thing bad: coffee. I was completely off the sauce prior to the surgery but I found coffee to be a helpful part of my daily routine at preventing constipation. I told her this and we addressed changing my constipation prevention routing. The new routine is:
Finally the surgeon came in and she did the standard pain check by touching my stomach, which went fine.
These post op appointments are so important no matter how far out you are. I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who skips an appointment so early, but there are people who just don't want to go to the doctor when they are feeling well. However, bariatric patients, for the most part, have been trained better than this.
On August 14, I went to the lab to get my bloodwork done for my upcoming appointment. To help anyone going through this in the future, the phlebotomist took seven vials of blood and it took two arms to get this job done. The good news is that this is not a fasting blood test so I didn't get woozy or anything. I could list all of the blood tests they did, but highlights included a standard CBC, protein checks, B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and electrolytes.
Between August 14 and August 24, I got to see my blood tests come back using the MyChart feature Johns Hopkins provides to all patients. Everything was coming back beautiful.
Finally on August 24, I had my appointment which, thanks to nasty traffic, I was nearly late for.
I sat down with my Nurse Practitioner and discussed how the last three months had gone. I told her about a burning sensation I had under my ribs the previous week, but changing my diet and certain routines things had gotten better. She then told me that she thought the best idea was to re-prescribe Protonix, which I would have asked for if she hadn't brought it up. We began going over my average daily diet and I apologized for my diet sounding bland, but I had adjusted my diet to address that burning sensation, which I assumed to be heartburn. She said "I'm already giving you back your Protonix!" jokingly.
I am doing one thing bad: coffee. I was completely off the sauce prior to the surgery but I found coffee to be a helpful part of my daily routine at preventing constipation. I told her this and we addressed changing my constipation prevention routing. The new routine is:
- 1 colace 3 times a day
- 1 Senna at night (was 2)
- 1 serving of Metamucil at night (new)
Finally the surgeon came in and she did the standard pain check by touching my stomach, which went fine.
These post op appointments are so important no matter how far out you are. I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who skips an appointment so early, but there are people who just don't want to go to the doctor when they are feeling well. However, bariatric patients, for the most part, have been trained better than this.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Living on a budget (vitamins and protein)
It is no secret that eating healthy
is more expensive than not eating healthy.
I can go to Little Caesar's and get
a medium pizza that will feed both my husband and myself for $5.99 or go next
door to Panera and spend over $6 for each of us to get a salad. All of this is
situational seeing as I'm gluten free by medical necessity.
I'm not going to go over this fact
again as many blogs and sites have done it themselves.
But Bariatric surgery has an added
level of complication. Post-op, patients need to buy protein supplements and
vitamins. These can add up to astronomical levels. Some say that the money
you're saving on food can help balance the budget, but I haven't completely
found that to be true as I am still feeding my husband.
Let's start with saving money on
protein:
Addressing once again that I'm one
of the cheapest people I know, I will remove a little satisfaction from my food
to save significant money. That is exactly what I do with Pure Protein. I have
had better brands with better flavors, but Pure Protein is $17.98 for 29
servings. That means I go through one of these every four weeks.
Going on to vitamins:
I decided to use Celebrate vitamins
when I started this process simply to take less vitamins any given day. But,
does this add up to savings at the register? I'm going to compare two options
at prices for every thirty days. All vitamin intake must meet these minimum
standards.
- Daily intake of 65mg Iron
- Daily intake of 1500mg Calcium Citrate
- Daily intake of 800mg Folic Acid
- Daily intake of 3mg Thimine
- Daily intake of 2mg copper
- Daily intake of 3000IU Vitamin D3
- Daily intake of 500mg B12
- Preferably has selenium and zinc
- Oh, and chewable only for the first 6 months
- AND you can’t take gummy vitamins
One option that many seem to take is
to take Flintstones Vitamins and then supplement what else they might need. Looking at
our list, if you use the iron minimum to decide how many vitamins to take, you
must take six Flintstones a day (and this is with enhanced iron). At six
Flintstones a day, you meet the requirements for Iron, Folic Acid, and Thimine.
This means you are still missing Calcium Citrate, Copper, Vitamin D3, Vitamin
B12.
Some quick math on walmart.com
showed me that:
- Best value for Flintstones was $27 for 180 pills (or $27 for 30 days)
- Best values for Calcium Citrate (includes part of daily supply for D3) was $15 for 155 pills (or $12 for 30 days)
- Best value for Copper was $7 for 300 days (or $1 for 30 days)
- Even with the Calcium Citrate in this scenario, you still need one D3 which was $13 for 240 pills (or less that $0.50 for 30 days)
- Best value for B12 sublingual $4 for 200 days (or $1 for 30 days)
- Total vitamins daily: 12 (6 Flintstones, 1 Copper, 1 D3, 1 B12, 3 Calcium)
Flintstones come to about $41.50/30
days to meet all requirements.
At first, I thought it was going to
be more expensive to buy the special brand name bariatric vitamins for my
needs. Due to the values of the needed minerals and vitamins, there is no need
for extra supplemental items to buy. Let’s see how they measure up:
- Multivitamin chewable (without Iron) is $42 for a 90 day supply ($14 for 30 days)
- Iron supplement (chewable): The price discrepancy is significant depending on how much you need. I’m on the high end as I had gastric bypass and I still have my period. The cost range is $21.50-$35 for 90 days (or $7.17-$11.67 for 30 days)
- Calcium is interesting because this vendor offered soft chews, which taste better and have a better texture, but in my (cheap) opinion is not worth the extra price. The cost comes to $45 for 90 days ($15 for 30 days)
- Total vitamins daily: 6 (2 MV, 1 Iron, 3 Calcium)
Going with Celebrate Brand means
less work organizing your vitamins weekly. This is something I spend about 10
minutes a week doing to get me set up for a full 7 days.
Celebrate Brand vitamins would cost
$36.17-$40.67/30 days. This means that a patient would save a little less than
a dollar to go the Celebrate route.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
When Food gets Stuck
It happened again on Monday night.
My husband makes this dish called "Poor Man's Meal" which is basically cut up potatoes, cut up hot dogs, some tomato sauce, and cheese. Not the most nutritionally sound thing in the world, but he could make a lot worse.
So, I was under my calorie goal for the day and above my protein, so when I came home from my knitting and crocheting group, I figured I would have a little bit of my husband's creation.
As I put the first bite in my mouth, I started talking to him, and swallowed before I was done chewing properly.
Before anything happened, I knew I did something wrong.
The advice to chew for 20 seconds (or 30 times, whatever your nutritionist tells you) is not only to slow you down, but to have your food better prepared to go into your stomach. First of all, I'm only 10 weeks out so my stomach is pretty much still recovering. Second, the point where the stomach passes food into my small intestines is the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Normal people's stomach to small intestine passageway is the size of a quarter.
When I saw my nutritionist for the first time, she didn't say this might happen, but that it would happen. I was told to not drink, because that wouldn't help "de-clog". Drinking would only make the situation worse (I had to learn for myself).
And that's the point of what happened on Monday.
I wasn't careful in chewing and swallowed without thinking and completing my chewing. Immediately I knew simply not puking would be a gold star for the evening. I quickly put the remainder of my bowl away, and went upstairs to start my night time routine. I felt better after my shower, but I knew I couldn't drink or even take my last vitamins for the day.
Sometimes I have to throw up to feel better after a clog. On Monday night, I stayed vertical a little longer than usual and I was able to fall asleep without vomiting. I did however skip my vitamins which would not be recommended.
The moral of the story is that chewing is important. I find myself trying to make meal time about meal time and not about talking to someone else which does not make me the best for dinner company. That adds into my attempts at not socializing around food.
Which is another entry for another day...
My husband makes this dish called "Poor Man's Meal" which is basically cut up potatoes, cut up hot dogs, some tomato sauce, and cheese. Not the most nutritionally sound thing in the world, but he could make a lot worse.
So, I was under my calorie goal for the day and above my protein, so when I came home from my knitting and crocheting group, I figured I would have a little bit of my husband's creation.
As I put the first bite in my mouth, I started talking to him, and swallowed before I was done chewing properly.
Before anything happened, I knew I did something wrong.
The advice to chew for 20 seconds (or 30 times, whatever your nutritionist tells you) is not only to slow you down, but to have your food better prepared to go into your stomach. First of all, I'm only 10 weeks out so my stomach is pretty much still recovering. Second, the point where the stomach passes food into my small intestines is the size of the tip of my pinky finger. Normal people's stomach to small intestine passageway is the size of a quarter.
When I saw my nutritionist for the first time, she didn't say this might happen, but that it would happen. I was told to not drink, because that wouldn't help "de-clog". Drinking would only make the situation worse (I had to learn for myself).
And that's the point of what happened on Monday.
I wasn't careful in chewing and swallowed without thinking and completing my chewing. Immediately I knew simply not puking would be a gold star for the evening. I quickly put the remainder of my bowl away, and went upstairs to start my night time routine. I felt better after my shower, but I knew I couldn't drink or even take my last vitamins for the day.
Sometimes I have to throw up to feel better after a clog. On Monday night, I stayed vertical a little longer than usual and I was able to fall asleep without vomiting. I did however skip my vitamins which would not be recommended.
The moral of the story is that chewing is important. I find myself trying to make meal time about meal time and not about talking to someone else which does not make me the best for dinner company. That adds into my attempts at not socializing around food.
Which is another entry for another day...
Monday, August 7, 2017
Stigma, Judgement, Myths, and Misconceptions
I'm going to start with this fact: I applied for my weight loss surgery in October of 2016 and I was not too open about my application. I would like to think that I wasn't open about it because I honestly had not made a decision, and wanted this decision to be mine and mine alone. I told my family, but I did not tell my husband's extended family so when one of them came for a visit in the spring and I was well into preparations, it took her by surprise. After all, I had not mentioned anything over Christmas.
As the process continued, I was open with people I spoke to and saw every day. But there was an audience that was in the dark about this decision: my extended army of Facebook friends. Now, I personally know all of my Facebook friends, and I occasionally go through and delete people that I don't see myself getting back in touch with. I had a tentative surgery date of June 14, so I decided I would tell the greater Facebook community on April 14, two months to the day when I was to go under the knife.
The support I got was amazing and I wondered what took me so long to tell more people what I was going through.
Before becoming a bariatric patient myself, I always wondered why people would decide to make the decision to have weight loss surgery. As I developed my own reasons for the surgery, I gained a new respect for friends that had taken this path before I did. I never thought as surgery as an easy way out, I just thought it was extreme.
The other night I came across this article written about a woman who has had bariatric surgery and denies it when people ask her how she lost weight. The stigma that surrounds weight loss surgery patients is deep and complicated. Bianca mentions an article, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Obesity Surgery. In the study, individuals are shown before and after pictures of individuals who had lost weight and rated them based on their opinions of the pictures (Vartaniam and Fardouly, 2013). Then, the individuals are told which ones had weight loss surgery. The opinions of the individuals in the study towards individuals who has the surgery dropped dramatically. Further more, the individuals who had weight loss surgery were seen as "significantly more lazy and sloppy, less competent and sociable, less attractive, and having less healthy eating habits" as compared to those who lost weight using more traditional methods having less harsh descriptions.
I had a hard time wrapping my head around this idea that people are judging me negatively based on this decision I had made. After all, I'm still watching what I eat and going to the gym. Only rarely does my stomach dictate how much can go in, I usually stop eating well before that pressure reminding me that my stomach is the size of an egg begins.
Ultimately, the overwhelming opinion is that everyone will lose weight if you eat less and move more. Most bariatric patients will tell you that is not the case. There are nutritional considerations to make, and types of exercise to consider. The solution is not a one-size-fits-all situation.
I have surprised many with the depth my journey took me before having my surgery even scheduled. The design of the Johns Hopkins program is to get you ready for surgery by starting to develop good habits beforehand. Like most stereotypes, if someone took the time to get to know someone going through it, many misunderstandings will go away. Which is a big reason why I started this blog. If you have the time to want to understand the process, I'm hoping this blog can help.
I'm going to end this with two stories of resistance I've met in the last year:
During my pre-op diet, I found great success. But, I knew I usually lose between 40-60lbs and then maintain it for about six months before gaining it back. Several people asked me why I would get the surgery when clearly I'm able to do it on my own, and I would explain to them that I've never been able to keep it off. One person went so far as to treat me as if I were in hysterics and told me "we are going to do this together, without surgery". The message I had to tell her was that I don't think her less for not wanting the surgery, but this is a decision I have made because the time is right and it's time for a change.
The second story is from December, right after I had applied and I hadn't told anybody outside of my immediate family. My husband's family is mostly in Texas and I had strongly considered not telling them and surprising them with our next visit. When we were at one of the houses on our circuit, my husband's uncle came up to him and commented (note that his verbal filter has been eroded by years of substance abuse) "not getting any smaller, why don't you get that gastric bypass?" My husband was so mad just knowing the process, not living it as he would within two months' time.
To overcome the overwhelming feeling of stigma, attending in-person support groups as well as online ones can help a lot. There are so many people involved in those groups, when I look at my newsfeed these days, I wonder how many people on my newsfeed have not had weight loss surgery.
Like all choices in life, we are judged. I don't judge people who don't get the surgery because insurance and time off can make that tough. I just hope that my decision to get the surgery warrants the same respect.
As the process continued, I was open with people I spoke to and saw every day. But there was an audience that was in the dark about this decision: my extended army of Facebook friends. Now, I personally know all of my Facebook friends, and I occasionally go through and delete people that I don't see myself getting back in touch with. I had a tentative surgery date of June 14, so I decided I would tell the greater Facebook community on April 14, two months to the day when I was to go under the knife.
The support I got was amazing and I wondered what took me so long to tell more people what I was going through.
Before becoming a bariatric patient myself, I always wondered why people would decide to make the decision to have weight loss surgery. As I developed my own reasons for the surgery, I gained a new respect for friends that had taken this path before I did. I never thought as surgery as an easy way out, I just thought it was extreme.
The other night I came across this article written about a woman who has had bariatric surgery and denies it when people ask her how she lost weight. The stigma that surrounds weight loss surgery patients is deep and complicated. Bianca mentions an article, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Obesity Surgery. In the study, individuals are shown before and after pictures of individuals who had lost weight and rated them based on their opinions of the pictures (Vartaniam and Fardouly, 2013). Then, the individuals are told which ones had weight loss surgery. The opinions of the individuals in the study towards individuals who has the surgery dropped dramatically. Further more, the individuals who had weight loss surgery were seen as "significantly more lazy and sloppy, less competent and sociable, less attractive, and having less healthy eating habits" as compared to those who lost weight using more traditional methods having less harsh descriptions.
I had a hard time wrapping my head around this idea that people are judging me negatively based on this decision I had made. After all, I'm still watching what I eat and going to the gym. Only rarely does my stomach dictate how much can go in, I usually stop eating well before that pressure reminding me that my stomach is the size of an egg begins.
Ultimately, the overwhelming opinion is that everyone will lose weight if you eat less and move more. Most bariatric patients will tell you that is not the case. There are nutritional considerations to make, and types of exercise to consider. The solution is not a one-size-fits-all situation.
I have surprised many with the depth my journey took me before having my surgery even scheduled. The design of the Johns Hopkins program is to get you ready for surgery by starting to develop good habits beforehand. Like most stereotypes, if someone took the time to get to know someone going through it, many misunderstandings will go away. Which is a big reason why I started this blog. If you have the time to want to understand the process, I'm hoping this blog can help.
I'm going to end this with two stories of resistance I've met in the last year:
During my pre-op diet, I found great success. But, I knew I usually lose between 40-60lbs and then maintain it for about six months before gaining it back. Several people asked me why I would get the surgery when clearly I'm able to do it on my own, and I would explain to them that I've never been able to keep it off. One person went so far as to treat me as if I were in hysterics and told me "we are going to do this together, without surgery". The message I had to tell her was that I don't think her less for not wanting the surgery, but this is a decision I have made because the time is right and it's time for a change.
The second story is from December, right after I had applied and I hadn't told anybody outside of my immediate family. My husband's family is mostly in Texas and I had strongly considered not telling them and surprising them with our next visit. When we were at one of the houses on our circuit, my husband's uncle came up to him and commented (note that his verbal filter has been eroded by years of substance abuse) "not getting any smaller, why don't you get that gastric bypass?" My husband was so mad just knowing the process, not living it as he would within two months' time.
To overcome the overwhelming feeling of stigma, attending in-person support groups as well as online ones can help a lot. There are so many people involved in those groups, when I look at my newsfeed these days, I wonder how many people on my newsfeed have not had weight loss surgery.
Like all choices in life, we are judged. I don't judge people who don't get the surgery because insurance and time off can make that tough. I just hope that my decision to get the surgery warrants the same respect.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
August 1, 2017: Eight weeks, six days
Today was back to the office, but only for three days. Not a terribly eventful day. I had a project that really tied me to my desk, so I didn't get to tell stories about our vacation to my coworkers. But I did catch up on my podcasts.
I had a lunchtime workout followed by my "meal planning" of another slice of leftover pizza.
One thing about sitting all day for 8 hours was I found the need for a standing desk to be much stronger than it had been in the past. I spoke to some people in my office to see about getting the ball rolling and plan to write a message to my surgical team agreeing with my need for a standing desk. I also got the blessing to put an IKEA standing desk hack on my desk for the time being! Yay projects!
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein shake
Mid morning:
Banana
Lunch:
Slice of pizza
Leftover beet salad (like a quarter cup...two months ago I would have thrown that out but now...different story!)
Afternoon snack:
Oikos Triple Zero
After workout snack:
Slice of Cheese
Dinner:
18 medium grade shrimp
Cocktail sauce
Workout Journal:
Lunchtime:
3 miles in 30 minutes
After work:
Chest:
Pec Fly 4x12 @40
Assisted Dips 1x10 @175, 2x8 @ 160 (lower the weight the more body weight you're pushing)
That badass move where you're between the cables and using two machines making a hulk motion 3x12 @ 15 each arm
PF360
Chest pull with upright cable
Russian Twists with 6lb ball
Shoulder pulls
Box Jumps (level 2)
Rope shuffle
TPX Squats (w/jump first time w/o jumps second)
Kettle Bell alternates with 15lbs
I had a lunchtime workout followed by my "meal planning" of another slice of leftover pizza.
One thing about sitting all day for 8 hours was I found the need for a standing desk to be much stronger than it had been in the past. I spoke to some people in my office to see about getting the ball rolling and plan to write a message to my surgical team agreeing with my need for a standing desk. I also got the blessing to put an IKEA standing desk hack on my desk for the time being! Yay projects!
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein shake
Mid morning:
Banana
Lunch:
Slice of pizza
Leftover beet salad (like a quarter cup...two months ago I would have thrown that out but now...different story!)
Afternoon snack:
Oikos Triple Zero
After workout snack:
Slice of Cheese
Dinner:
18 medium grade shrimp
Cocktail sauce
Workout Journal:
Lunchtime:
3 miles in 30 minutes
After work:
Chest:
Pec Fly 4x12 @40
Assisted Dips 1x10 @175, 2x8 @ 160 (lower the weight the more body weight you're pushing)
That badass move where you're between the cables and using two machines making a hulk motion 3x12 @ 15 each arm
PF360
Chest pull with upright cable
Russian Twists with 6lb ball
Shoulder pulls
Box Jumps (level 2)
Rope shuffle
TPX Squats (w/jump first time w/o jumps second)
Kettle Bell alternates with 15lbs
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
July 31, 2017: Eight weeks, 5 days
Today was the first day back at work since our road trip. Getting back into routine is always a little tough so I mixed up the routine a bit.
First, I went to the Army Wellness Center, as civilians are allowed to do, and got my Body Fat Percentage through a very accurate tool called a Bod Pod. The only comparisons were from about 15 months ago, and 34 pounds lighter than my actual high weight. Still though, I dropped 4% body fat as well as 9 lbs of muscle. Obviously we want to see the body fat drop more than the muscle.
During lunch I did the 30 minute PF circuit and it worked out well.
After work I walked with my friend while she walked her dog then we went out for dinner. I had two bites of a beet salad along with a single slice of gluten free pizza.
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein Shake
Morning snack:
Banana
Lunch:
Swiss cheese (2 slices)
1 serving of Halo Top
Dinner:
A couple of bites of a beet salad
A single slice of pizza
Workout journal:
30 minute circuit class during lunch
Mile or so walk after work
First, I went to the Army Wellness Center, as civilians are allowed to do, and got my Body Fat Percentage through a very accurate tool called a Bod Pod. The only comparisons were from about 15 months ago, and 34 pounds lighter than my actual high weight. Still though, I dropped 4% body fat as well as 9 lbs of muscle. Obviously we want to see the body fat drop more than the muscle.
During lunch I did the 30 minute PF circuit and it worked out well.
After work I walked with my friend while she walked her dog then we went out for dinner. I had two bites of a beet salad along with a single slice of gluten free pizza.
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein Shake
Morning snack:
Banana
Lunch:
Swiss cheese (2 slices)
1 serving of Halo Top
Dinner:
A couple of bites of a beet salad
A single slice of pizza
Workout journal:
30 minute circuit class during lunch
Mile or so walk after work
Monday, July 31, 2017
Abdominal Binder
Today I want to talk a little bit about the abdominal binder. Some people have asked questions about this tool and how it can help after bariatric surgery.
I was about three hours out of surgery when I met my good friend, the abdominal binder. It looks similar to a back brace, but the support it provide is more spread through the wearer's core.
The nurse put the abdominal binder on me when I stood up for the first time post op (with the help of three people). I immediatley felt relief and the second time I stood up, I was able to walk around much longer than the first time.
By the end of the night, I was asking for a half dose of my heavy duty pain meds. I attribute all of this to the binder.
I wore the binder all day every day for two weeks. Luckily, my parents had one in the same size from a hospital stay of my dad's, so I was able to wash one while wearing the other.
After about two weeks, I started wearing the binder only if I left the house. This was because one day I went out without it and my energy levels were tanked. I think this only lasted about a week.
A lot of the questions I see about the binder start with "what is this thing and where can I buy one?" I recommend to people to wait until you're in the hospital and they will more than likely give you one. Then, you can look at the tag for the size, and buy a second one if you need it.
Some people respond that their doctor's don't want them wearing the binder, or not wearing it that much, as to not become dependent on it. My non-medical opinion of that is that thinking is not right. I'd rather be hooked on compression on my abs than hooked on oxy or other opioids.
I was lucky enough to have seven small incisions all held together with surgical glue, so putting the binder right on my skin felt fine. Some people have staples, and they suggest putting a t-shirt between your skin and the binder.
I will say this about the binder is that its hot. It's a thick fabric and it was unforgiving in the June heat right after my surgery.
Ask your doctor or nurses if the binder will be right for you!
I was about three hours out of surgery when I met my good friend, the abdominal binder. It looks similar to a back brace, but the support it provide is more spread through the wearer's core.
The nurse put the abdominal binder on me when I stood up for the first time post op (with the help of three people). I immediatley felt relief and the second time I stood up, I was able to walk around much longer than the first time.
By the end of the night, I was asking for a half dose of my heavy duty pain meds. I attribute all of this to the binder.
I wore the binder all day every day for two weeks. Luckily, my parents had one in the same size from a hospital stay of my dad's, so I was able to wash one while wearing the other.
After about two weeks, I started wearing the binder only if I left the house. This was because one day I went out without it and my energy levels were tanked. I think this only lasted about a week.
A lot of the questions I see about the binder start with "what is this thing and where can I buy one?" I recommend to people to wait until you're in the hospital and they will more than likely give you one. Then, you can look at the tag for the size, and buy a second one if you need it.
Some people respond that their doctor's don't want them wearing the binder, or not wearing it that much, as to not become dependent on it. My non-medical opinion of that is that thinking is not right. I'd rather be hooked on compression on my abs than hooked on oxy or other opioids.
I was lucky enough to have seven small incisions all held together with surgical glue, so putting the binder right on my skin felt fine. Some people have staples, and they suggest putting a t-shirt between your skin and the binder.
I will say this about the binder is that its hot. It's a thick fabric and it was unforgiving in the June heat right after my surgery.
Ask your doctor or nurses if the binder will be right for you!
Sunday, July 30, 2017
July 29, 2017: Eight weeks, three days
We are still in the process of getting back to normal after our vacation. We woke up early and each had different things to do, so we went our separate ways.
I ended up going to Wegmans with my parents just to get out for a few minutes. There, I found that they sold Quest Protein Chips in bulk (only 8 servings) for the same price as Amazon. I excitedly bought a box. We also found French Macaroons in the bakery, and they were surprisingly low carb, at 12 carbs a serving. A few months ago I would have eaten the three servings in the box, but my parents and I each had one serving of two.
After that I came home and continued to do housework and decided to go to the gym a little later. My goal was originally 45 minutes on the elliptical but then I decided to change my goal to 4 miles in 40 minutes.
I rocked it.
At night we had a baseball game to go to at our local minor league field. It was a good time to hang out with friends.
Food journal:
Breakfast:
1 egg scrambled
Lunch:
2 macaroons
Think Thin Protein Bar (not a fan)
Dinner:
Canned tuna
1 TBSP of mayo
Quesadilla cheese
Snack:
Quest Protein chips
After the game:
GF Matzo
Workout journal:
40 minutes on elliptical keeping to under 10:00 miles
Added cool down
Arm workout
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 curls with 20 lb barbell
Single arm extensions 3x15 @15lbs
Saturday, July 29, 2017
July 28, 2017: Eight weeks and two days
Our first full day back from vacation and I was ready to get back to normal. Normal eating, normal drinking, and normal working out.
I woke up and did a fasted workout (if I eat before a workout, my colon won't let me finish). It was a PF 30 minute class and a PF 360 class kinda morning. I got home, had some protein and some coffee and planned on doing some laundry and housework and then going back to the gym at about 2:30.
Well...life had other plans.
I got my running shoes on and had my headphones in my pocket (and two bags of clothes that are too big for me now ready for a donation) and I was ready to go! But the landscapers were blocking our driveway. I could have asked them to move but there was a lot of drama yesterday with them, and our condo needed the landscaping. So I went back upstairs. An hour later I looked outside and this time they were blocking the driveway AND blocking my car with their heavy equipment. Also this whole time it was pouring and I'm not that hardcore about my run yet.
Finally it was 4:30 and my husband was due home any minute so I didn't want to look like I was avoiding him ("Oh, so glad you're home from your long day at work, I'm going to the gym byeeee"). I ran out to get rid of those too-big clothes and came back home.
We went out for dinner to Panera so I can finally try that salad and it went down great! I'm so happy to have lettuce back in my life.
Another great thing that happened today was that I crowdsourced some topic ideas for this blog from my friend list and the response I got was amazing. There are so many things that non-bariatric patients are interested in and I'm so glad I can try to help them out.
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein Shake
Morning snack:
Banana
Lunch:
Corn Quesadilla
Afternoon snack:
Applesauce
Dinner:
Half a Greek Salad from Panera (no added meat)
Evening snack:
Protein shake (was less than 50g of protein by this point so I needed it more than I wanted it)
Workout journal:
PF 30 minute circuit (one day I'll take good notes on each exercise to help loyal readers)
PF360
I woke up and did a fasted workout (if I eat before a workout, my colon won't let me finish). It was a PF 30 minute class and a PF 360 class kinda morning. I got home, had some protein and some coffee and planned on doing some laundry and housework and then going back to the gym at about 2:30.
Well...life had other plans.
I got my running shoes on and had my headphones in my pocket (and two bags of clothes that are too big for me now ready for a donation) and I was ready to go! But the landscapers were blocking our driveway. I could have asked them to move but there was a lot of drama yesterday with them, and our condo needed the landscaping. So I went back upstairs. An hour later I looked outside and this time they were blocking the driveway AND blocking my car with their heavy equipment. Also this whole time it was pouring and I'm not that hardcore about my run yet.
Finally it was 4:30 and my husband was due home any minute so I didn't want to look like I was avoiding him ("Oh, so glad you're home from your long day at work, I'm going to the gym byeeee"). I ran out to get rid of those too-big clothes and came back home.
We went out for dinner to Panera so I can finally try that salad and it went down great! I'm so happy to have lettuce back in my life.
Another great thing that happened today was that I crowdsourced some topic ideas for this blog from my friend list and the response I got was amazing. There are so many things that non-bariatric patients are interested in and I'm so glad I can try to help them out.
Food journal:
Breakfast:
Protein Shake
Morning snack:
Banana
Lunch:
Corn Quesadilla
Afternoon snack:
Applesauce
Dinner:
Half a Greek Salad from Panera (no added meat)
Evening snack:
Protein shake (was less than 50g of protein by this point so I needed it more than I wanted it)
Workout journal:
PF 30 minute circuit (one day I'll take good notes on each exercise to help loyal readers)
PF360
- Ropes-10 seconds arms together, 10 seconds arms alternating
- TRX suspension: Lunges
- Upright rows (17.5 lbs)
- Wall squat with a chest pass (6 lbs ball) against the trampoline
- Kettle bell side touches (15 lbs first round, 20 lbs second round)
- Hip bridges with elevated legs and 10 lbs on stomach
The first three were done three times and the second three two times.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Lady Concerns (Consider yourselves warned)
Frequently, online I see people asking questions about how this surgery affects a woman's unique health issues. I would like to take more time and words than a comment on a post about this and what my experiences have been.
From the start, the surgeon told me to get off of my estrogen-based birth control method of choice. The estrogen puts individuals at a higher risk for blood clots (as does obesity) so it had to go, and I completely understood.
Also, I was told to not get pregnant for eighteen months. This was actually a deciding factor in getting the surgery since 16 months from now (that I'm two months out) our personal finances will have recovered from a step back for better job security.
The need for non-estrogen based birth control and the year and a half wait made an implant make more sense.
About six weeks after the initial surgeon appointment I finally got in to see my gyno. We discussed the implant options and decided the Nexplanon implant would be best. Nexplanon goes into the upper arm and I can check to make sure it hasn't moved whenever I want.
On May 1 (T-30 days before surgery) I got the implant. It was a five minute process once the doctor came into the room. They did a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant, numbed my arm, and in the Nexplanon went. I barely experienced any bruising, the pain was nothing an Advil wouldn't help, and I couldn't lift weights with my arms for a week. But, I was good for birth control until May 1, 2020. Overall, a very positive experience.
About two weeks later, I experienced a normal period on my regular schedule.
On May 31, I had my surgery and the next day, June 1, I started to experience some discharge that could almost be described as a period. This discharge did not stop.
Two weeks later, I experienced a real period, again right about on schedule. Once that stopped, I again went back to the stranger discharge. At that point I had another gyno visit scheduled and I went for it. I go to a practice and am not picky about who I see. So I was seeing this nurse practitioner for the first time. I explained my history and she said what I was experiencing was nothing to be concerned about. After all, I changed my hormones AND underwent a major surgery, so I should cut my body some slack.
I again had a normal cycle about on schedule, and now, eight weeks later, the discharge is finally ending.
Now that's my story. From this point on are my theories.
I admit that part of the reason I had this surgery was for fertility. My husband and I had about two months of actively trying to get pregnant before our situation changed. We weren't discouraged by two months of no luck at all, but increased fertility certainly made the surgery that much more attractive. Also, its not just the getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy, but also chasing a baby around, then doing the whole thing again with a second pregnancy and a second baby. I couldn't imagine being able to do that over 300 pounds.
The whole having my period for basically two months was really annoying. But I didn't really cramp. I did however bloat and weighing myself every day would get discouraging at times. That was when I decided to not weigh myself every day. From things I read online, I knew not to be concerned, but getting in with my provider made me feel a lot better.
From the start, the surgeon told me to get off of my estrogen-based birth control method of choice. The estrogen puts individuals at a higher risk for blood clots (as does obesity) so it had to go, and I completely understood.
Also, I was told to not get pregnant for eighteen months. This was actually a deciding factor in getting the surgery since 16 months from now (that I'm two months out) our personal finances will have recovered from a step back for better job security.
The need for non-estrogen based birth control and the year and a half wait made an implant make more sense.
About six weeks after the initial surgeon appointment I finally got in to see my gyno. We discussed the implant options and decided the Nexplanon implant would be best. Nexplanon goes into the upper arm and I can check to make sure it hasn't moved whenever I want.
On May 1 (T-30 days before surgery) I got the implant. It was a five minute process once the doctor came into the room. They did a pregnancy test to make sure I wasn't pregnant, numbed my arm, and in the Nexplanon went. I barely experienced any bruising, the pain was nothing an Advil wouldn't help, and I couldn't lift weights with my arms for a week. But, I was good for birth control until May 1, 2020. Overall, a very positive experience.
About two weeks later, I experienced a normal period on my regular schedule.
On May 31, I had my surgery and the next day, June 1, I started to experience some discharge that could almost be described as a period. This discharge did not stop.
Two weeks later, I experienced a real period, again right about on schedule. Once that stopped, I again went back to the stranger discharge. At that point I had another gyno visit scheduled and I went for it. I go to a practice and am not picky about who I see. So I was seeing this nurse practitioner for the first time. I explained my history and she said what I was experiencing was nothing to be concerned about. After all, I changed my hormones AND underwent a major surgery, so I should cut my body some slack.
I again had a normal cycle about on schedule, and now, eight weeks later, the discharge is finally ending.
Now that's my story. From this point on are my theories.
I admit that part of the reason I had this surgery was for fertility. My husband and I had about two months of actively trying to get pregnant before our situation changed. We weren't discouraged by two months of no luck at all, but increased fertility certainly made the surgery that much more attractive. Also, its not just the getting pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy, but also chasing a baby around, then doing the whole thing again with a second pregnancy and a second baby. I couldn't imagine being able to do that over 300 pounds.
The whole having my period for basically two months was really annoying. But I didn't really cramp. I did however bloat and weighing myself every day would get discouraging at times. That was when I decided to not weigh myself every day. From things I read online, I knew not to be concerned, but getting in with my provider made me feel a lot better.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Remembering Meds and Vitamins
The deeper I get into life as a bariatric patient, the more I truly believe the mantra of "failing to plan is planning to fail".
Someone, please buy me a bracelet.
Everything, from the gym, to food, to what the meat of this post is about, medication and vitamins, are carefully planned out. In just three months, this has become routine.
But lets turn our focus to strictly medication and vitamins. And lets start with storage. I use this pill holder. It's literally called "Lazy Me" and was the biggest one I could buy. Each day is broken up into four sections, which is exactly how my nutritionist said to pace things. I like it because I can pop one day out and take it with me all day. It's also just big enough for my biggest pills. I just have to worry about one little box all day.
Every Thursday night, I take my pill holder and all of my meds and put them into the proper days and times. In each section, I place the following:
I plan on updating my meds and vitamins very soon. (Updated: 8/11/2017) The change will be taking out protonix and splitting my multivitamin and my iron. The flavor of those tablets make me really nauseous and I want to try splitting them up. It will end up costing me about $30 more every three months if I decide to keep the change.
Someone, please buy me a bracelet.
Everything, from the gym, to food, to what the meat of this post is about, medication and vitamins, are carefully planned out. In just three months, this has become routine.
But lets turn our focus to strictly medication and vitamins. And lets start with storage. I use this pill holder. It's literally called "Lazy Me" and was the biggest one I could buy. Each day is broken up into four sections, which is exactly how my nutritionist said to pace things. I like it because I can pop one day out and take it with me all day. It's also just big enough for my biggest pills. I just have to worry about one little box all day.
Every Thursday night, I take my pill holder and all of my meds and put them into the proper days and times. In each section, I place the following:
- Morning
- Afternoon
- Celebrate Calcium Citrate
- Colace
Protonix(completed regimine)- Evening
- Celebrate Calcium Citrate
- Actigall
- Colace
- Bedtime
Two chewable Multivitamin plus 60 iron tablets(changed to splitting the MV from the Iron due to nausea issues)- Two chewable Mutltivitamins
- One Iron 60 chewable
I think one key to my success in remembering my meds and vitamins is to take everything in that section of pills at the appropriate time.
Speaking of appropriate times...this is a good time to share how I remember to take my pills.
My four times I get reminders are 5:45am, 11:30am, 2:30pm, and 6:00pm. I set these reminders through Baritastic but at three months I really don't need them. They've been great while I've been away though! The most important thing to remember is to space the calcium tablets out by at least two hours. So if I take my first section before leaving the house at 6:00am, and I look at the clock and it's 9:00am, I know I'm safe to go ahead and take it.
June 21-26: Seven weeks, two days to eight weeks
My husband and I are currently on a whirlwind road trip that took us from our Maryland home up to Toronto. On the way up, we stopped to see some of my family and some family friends before finally reaching Toronto.
The first day of the road trip went right according to plan. The one difference was going out to eat, but of course I had leftovers.
The second day of the road trip took us past some family, who put a lot of thought into what they served us for lunch (I had tuna salad). For dinner I had the leftovers from the night before.
The third day we went to the Baseball Hall of Fame which included a lunch out. Our gracious guests grilled up some burgers and hot dogs and I had half of each.
The fourth day was about 6 hours of driving. First we went to Niagara Falls, where I had a lunch that did not sit well with me. Upon arriving in Toronto, we went out to dinner and bought one meal to split between the two of us, and I think my stomach was already not doing too well since lunch so I spent about an hour vomiting during the first night we were finally at our destination.
The fifth day (and day one in Toronto) went great. My husband had a class all day so I spent the day wandering around the city myself. I made sure to pack a water bottle and a protein bar, and that sustained me through the day. For dinner, we went out with some of his classmates and I had some of the appetizers (oven baked nacho chips with vegan toppings), but by the time dinner came I had to put it all away to take home.
The sixth day was day two in Toronto. I spent time in the city again today and packed my protein bar and water again.
This was the first big trip we took since the bypass. I had spent a few days in Wildwood but the added complication of whole days in the car made this trip more difficult. This is what I've learned:
The first day of the road trip went right according to plan. The one difference was going out to eat, but of course I had leftovers.
The second day of the road trip took us past some family, who put a lot of thought into what they served us for lunch (I had tuna salad). For dinner I had the leftovers from the night before.
The third day we went to the Baseball Hall of Fame which included a lunch out. Our gracious guests grilled up some burgers and hot dogs and I had half of each.
The fourth day was about 6 hours of driving. First we went to Niagara Falls, where I had a lunch that did not sit well with me. Upon arriving in Toronto, we went out to dinner and bought one meal to split between the two of us, and I think my stomach was already not doing too well since lunch so I spent about an hour vomiting during the first night we were finally at our destination.
The fifth day (and day one in Toronto) went great. My husband had a class all day so I spent the day wandering around the city myself. I made sure to pack a water bottle and a protein bar, and that sustained me through the day. For dinner, we went out with some of his classmates and I had some of the appetizers (oven baked nacho chips with vegan toppings), but by the time dinner came I had to put it all away to take home.
The sixth day was day two in Toronto. I spent time in the city again today and packed my protein bar and water again.
This was the first big trip we took since the bypass. I had spent a few days in Wildwood but the added complication of whole days in the car made this trip more difficult. This is what I've learned:
- Don't test the waters with food while away. Have what you know works
- Make time to sit down and drink water
- Order one entree to feed two people. The leftovers we had floating around got tough to manage on the road
- Start the day with a protein shake even if there is a free breakfast at the hotel. On day five I had probably one egg and a single bite of sausage from the hotel breakfast and was stuffed (and unable to drink for 30 minutes). This was only 10g of protein at most. on day six I had a protein shake and things went better
- "Failing to prepare is preparing to fail" has basically become the mantra of how we travel.
As for workouts during this time, I got 15K and 10K steps in Toronto but besides that I was mentally and physically exhausted from driving. I can't wait to get back to the gym on Friday and get back into my routine.
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