Work, Workouts and Eggs!!

 
It has been two weeks since my surgery and yesterday I returned to work. I returned to an overflowing email inbox and gratitude to be back on the job. After seeing the doctor on Friday and talking with my boss we came to the decision that I would return to work but only part-time for this first week. I have to admit I still get tired in the afternoon but getting back to work feels great.

Since being cleared to workout on Friday I haven't missed a day. Saturday and Sunday I ran. Yesterday I biked and today I walked. Needed to get something done but I was tired so I figured walking was better than nothing. The workouts have felt great but still need to keep them easy. Until I meet with the nutritionist I can't increase the miles or the intensity. I am hoping with the help of the nutritionist I can learn how to balance my nutritional intake with increasing my miles.

The biggest update I have for this week is I can start adding some solid food to daily intake. For the last two weeks I have following a liquid diet. The most solid item I was able to eat was yogurt. However, I had to add milk to it to make sure it was more of a liquid. The problem with eating yogurt every day is I don't really like yogurt. Prior to the surgery I ate yogurt occasionally but not every day. So after eating it for two weeks I was looking for something else. I am slowly adding certain items back into my diet like unsweetened applesauce, bananas and eggs. However, in order to add these items I had to go to Wegman's first.

On my list was Eggs, Milk, bananas, applesauce, gazpacho (purred veggies), chicken, and light mayo. I was never so excited to go grocery shopping. I went to get the soup first, then I picked up some chicken, bananas, milk and eggs. I then had to discover what was the best kind of unsweetened applesauce I should buy and also mayo with little sugar. Come to find out Mayo with olive oil doesn't have any sugar ... who knew?!?

The other item I was going to investigate was baby food. Yes, you read that correctly baby food! Due to the fact that during this period of post surgical diet everything has to be blended, mashed or pureed, many weight loss surgery patients suggested I try some baby food. It comes in the correct serving size, there is no sugar added and if you try the stage II jars they are usually chicken, turkey etc and they have plenty of protein.

Well first I had to find the baby food. Obviously, not having any children, this is not an item I normally buy. So as I wonder the aisles at Wegman's I finally discover that baby food  is not where I would have displayed it. Sure it is on the same aisle as diapers and baby wipes but it is not with other food, but that isn't important. I discovered a few things as I was checking out all the jars of baby food. First I feel bad for babies because none of the jars seemed very appetizing and second baby food is very expensive!! Well, after weighing all my options I decided on three Gerber jars (at .99 a jar) of chicken and gravy. When I get up the courage to try it I will let you know!!

In the mean time tonight I had a scrambled egg and a 1/4 cup of applesauce!! I love eggs!!

There is always an adventure on this new journey!

First Run Complete ... Post Surgery

Here it is ... I completed my first run post surgery. It was an easy 35 minute run/walk and I felt great. I will admit I was nervous when I first started. I didn't know what to expect. However, as the minutes passed by the nerves disappeared and I felt like I could have run for ever!

I didn't want to over do it on my first time out but I was quite surprised at how well it went. For a while it will be easy runs until I can balance distance with nutrition. Understanding what my body can handle and what it can take in during endurance training is so important.

So what will I do today ... I am going back and forth between another run or a swim. I haven't decided yet.

Back to work tomorrow...I have to set my alarm...ugh! Just kidding I really do want to go back to work.

So many more adventures ahead ... stay tuned!

10 days post surgery -- staples are removed.

Five Weeks Before Surgery --(hope the family doesn't mind)

Yesterday was a big milestone in this new journey, post surgery, My staples were removed! I had six incisions and about 3 staples per incision. I was anticipating a lot of pain from previous staple and stitches being removed, but to my surprise I didn't even know that it was happening. My surgeon was on vacation so I met with aphysician assistant named Chris. He was the same individual who discharged me from the hospital so I have met him before. We discussed my week post surgery and what I had experienced so far; the indigestion over the weekend ... I have been advised to continue with the prilosec.

We continued to discuss the fact that my blood pressure had dropped and my daily blood sugar levels were in normal range. I told him that I saw a number earlier that week that I had never seen before after pricking my finger. The number was 85 and I had to google to find out if that number was too low or normal. Come to find out it is in the normal range! It is amazing how fast the numbers drop.

We discussed going back to work and travel, since my job includes so much of that. I am going back to work on Monday but part-time. I will be back full time on the 15th of August. As far as travel is concerned I have been cleared to add that back to my life on August 23rd, which is one month post surgery.

The final discussion was about my workouts ... when can I run, bike or swim? Prior to surgery, I was told to plan on three weeks. Chris informed me that I could start those back up again. I am to take it easy and listen to my body. Keeping in mind that I am still trying to figure out my nutrition on a daily bases never mind for my workouts. I am looking forward to that first run ...it will be happening later today.

I am sure you are all wondering, what I couldn't wait to find out when I arrived at the doctor's office. What did the scale say? Oh the power of those digital numbers!! Well, I was down 10 lbs since the surgery and a total of 20 lbs since my pre-op appointment. That appointment took place just prior to starting the pre-surgery diet (shakes, protein bars and veggies). Of course being the numbers girl that I am (ha ha ha) I instantly wanted to know if I was on track ... my biggest fear in all of this to be the freak who has the surgery and doesn't lose any weight! As of right now I am on track!!

Another day on this journey!!

Tuesday, July 12th - 2 weeks before surgery

Monday, July 25th - the day before surgery

Monday, July 25th the day before surgery

Two weeks before surgery

One Week Since Surgery

View from my hospital bed ...books, magazines and the TV remote!

One day at a time...that's what I have to keep telling myself. It has been one week since my surgery. I spent three full days in the hospital following the procedure for observation. I spent my time sleeping, reading, watching the Democratic National Convention and walking the halls of the hospital. I was told that I needed to walk as much as possible so every hour I was up and at it! After the first 24 hours of not drinking I was allowed to start taking in some nutrition ... started off small but I was so excited. My first drink was a cup of tea! Is anyone surprised??

The photo on the right is the amount I could drink times 2 per hour. That is correct 2 oz of liquid per hour. And my options were broth, tea, water or Crystal light! I did discover during this time that I really like vegetable broth vs chicken broth. It is much more appetizing!

During this time I was poked and prodded. My temperature, blood pressure and oxygen levels were taken every two hours. I was hooked up to an IV drip and my blood sugar levels were tested. Prior to the surgery individuals with diabetes who had this procedure told me that their blood sugar levels dropped instantly. I had this in the back of my mind every time they tested my levels and the numbers were not coming down. I was in shock and thought of course this could only happen to me. It wasn't until my surgeon stopped in on day two that he explained why the numbers were up. The IV drip had sugar water in it along with some other medications. He said as soon as they remove the IV the numbers would go down.He was right, my numbers did drop! I am happy to report ... my medication has stayed on the shelf and I haven't taken any of it!

So I have been home from the hospital for five days and every day has been an adventure. Learning how to drink and eat again is not an easy feet. Prior to surgery if I was thirsty I would just pour a glass of water and drink it down. Instead I have had to learn to sip the water and drink it slowly. If it goes down too quickly it can cause such discomfort. This is also true of any food or drink that I take in.

On Sunday evening I had my first scare since the surgery. I ended up with painful indigestion. It hurt to move and breath. I couldn't even sleep. By 1:00 AM I was in so much pain I almost went to the ER. Instead I called the on-call doctor to find out what I could do? I spoke to the doctor and he instructed me to take some prilosec and also the pain medication they gave me when I left the hospital. I hadn't taken the pain medication yet because I wasn't in any pain from the surgery. The doctor felt that if I took it that night it would help me relax and sleep. He was correct! The medication knocked me out. I ended up sleeping in a chair that night, which surprisingly was very comfortable. The next morning I woke not perfect but feeling 100% better than I was feeling.

Since that one incident I have been feeling great. I have been walking, still not cleared to run yet, and feeling well. On Friday I have my staples removed and then it is back to work on Monday. It is only the beginning of this new journey. Every day I am learning something new. Keep in mind I am only taking in liquids at this point. If it wasn't for my sister I don't think I could have gotten through this first week. Thank you!!

The adventure continues...I am off for a walk now!

Tuesday, July 26th ...Surgery Day!

A new beginning? Out with the old and in with the new? Directions given to me to follow pre-surgery; no food after 9 pm and only clear liquids were allowed up until 6:30 am. Due to the fact that my surgery was scheduled for 9:30 am, I needed to be at the hospital at 8:00 am. So on Tuesday, July 25th, in the morning I had some water, brushed my teeth and headed to the hospital with my sister. As soon as I entered the hospital a series of questions started ... what is your name, date of birth and what surgery are you having??? I wanted to make a sign after a while, as a few times I actually stumbled over my own name! So after being checked-in, hooked up to an IV and having answered the same questions several times it was hurry up and wait ...my surgery was delayed over 2 hours ...keep in mind I haven't had anything to drink since 6:30 am, I was getting thirsty.

Well I finally got wheeled into surgery and I don't remember a thing about that, so obviously the anesthesia was working.  I do remember, however, talking with the anesthesiologist, prior to being put out, about the surgery and hoping to become a faster runner and/or triathlete (not the reason for the surgery). He laughed and said as a triathlete I usually just by a faster bike! Maybe I will try that too ... but not right now.

After surgery I woke up in my hospital room still hooked up to the IV and not able to drink anything, I was thirsty. I wasn't hungry or dehydrated, because the IV was taking care of that but my mouth was dry. I wasn't able to take anything in until Wednesday morning when my doctor came in and cleared me for that. The highlight of this time was when a nurses aid came into my room around 10 pm and asked if I wanted to wash up before bed. She told me I could brush my teeth and when I heard that I was so excited. You would have thought I heard "you won the lottery"!. I was able to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth ... it was like being in heaven! I know it is the simple things in life.

After that I headed to bed feeling refreshed knowing that throughout the night, I would be woken up every 2 hours to have my vital signs taken! A hospital is not a great place for rest!

Stay tuned for more stories to come ...

A new journey ... a new story!

 

For those of you who may be new to my blog, in November of 2014 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. This diagnoses came as quite a shock because I was never warned of being pre-diabetic and I had just lost over 25 pounds. For the last 18 months I have struggled to keep my diabetic numbers down and my doctors have been frustrated. I exercise regularly and try my best to eat a healthy diet but with medication my numbers were not coming down.

 

Back in September I was seeing the nutritionist who works with my diabetes specialist she was talking about diet options and she asked if I had ever consider Bariatric Surgery. I kind of chuckled a bit and asked if I even qualified as a candidate? She didn't even hesitate with an answer and said "yes". Between my weight, slow metabolism and my type 2 diabetes I am a perfect candidate.

 

At the time the nutritionist suggested this option I shook it off and disregarded what she said. Then two months later I met with my Diabetes specialist and she brought it up too. The only difference she didn't ask me if I have ever considered it, she asked me to consider it. She explained to me that she never recommends her patients to the program but feels I would be a great candidate and a success. The process of even thinking about having the surgery is pretty intense but I decided to look into it.

I had my first appointment with the surgeon on January 4th. I followed that appointment up with several blood tests, video x-rays of my esophagus & stomach, an endoscopy and a meeting with a psychologist. When I met with the psychologist he suggested I have more appointments because of my emotional relationship with food. It was a concern I had too. I could have the surgery but still have a problem with food and binge eating. The surgery can't fix that relationship.

I saw the surgeon again in February but I wasn't ready to make a commitment. He suggested I go to one of the support groups they have and talk with some of the other patients and then he rescheduled me for another appointment on April 4th.

I did go to the support group.They understood my concerns and gave me their feed back. When I told them my feelings about the surgery being the easy way out and that people will judge me. They told me not to worry about other people that this is all about me. And that there is nothing easy about this surgery. One woman said that for years she always took the easy way out when she would give up on her diets. She let me know that there is nothing easy regarding the post surgery lifestyle. I was glad that I went to the support group because I learned so much. Also during my research I have met other patients who have had nothing but great feedback about their experience and never questioning their decision to have the surgery.

I have had lots of support from my diabetes specialist, my primary care physician, friends and my family. When I met with the surgeon in April I made the decision to have the surgery. He explained to me that the surgery was more than just weight loss it is about my diabetes and the fact that my metabolism is shot. After he said that I asked if he could make me a faster runner?!?! He laughed and said I would be a faster runner!! Following this meeting I decided to go ahead with the surgery (and it had nothing to do with being a faster runner).

 

So tomorrow, Tuesday, July 26th I start out on a new journey and this is where my story begins. 

 

A memory from three years ago

Yesterday this picture popped up on my Facebook page as a memory from three years ago. I stared at this drink, a Jameson and Ginger-ale, but I couldn't figure out where it was taken or why? It bothered me all day long...what was the significance of this drink? Well in the middle of the night I figured it out!

Three years ago yesterday I was diagnosed with high blood pressure! I was thrown for a loop and I was scared to death! Less than a year earlier I had a physical done and everything was fine so this was a bit odd. I remember sitting in my office at my office at work not feeling well and my legs were swelling, so I called a friend of mine who is a chiropractor. He instructed me to stop by his office and he would check things out. I arrived at his office and his partner, who I had never met and knew nothing about me took my blood pressure. He took it four times without saying a thing to me. I told him he was scaring me and he had lousy bed side manner, which I am sure raised my blood pressure even more. At that point my friend came in took my pressure one more time and said to me I am calling you primary care doctor right now. He read off numbers I had never heard before! To make a long story short I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and was put on medication. That evening I was meeting friends for dinner prior to the Mountain Goat (a 10 mile road race in Syracuse)! I arrived early, was stressed and scared and decided to have a drink! Hence this picture!

What a long strange trip it has been ... since that day in May, three years ago. I thought it was the scariest day of my life until 18 months ago when I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes! These past three years have not been the best years of my personal life. I certainly don't want to write a "whoa is me" post by any means. No one wants to read that.

For the past 8 months I have been doing a lot of soul searching, researching, talking to family and friends and I have decided to do something that will change my life dramatically! I am not quite ready to tell you everything at this time, but I promise I will. I am just waiting for things to be finalized before I make the announcement publicly. A few friends and family members know but in time I will let everyone know. I am not one of those people who puts vague statements out there in hopes that people will ask ... I am making a vague statement now because all the pieces aren't in place yet. You don't need to worry, I will share when the time is right, hopefully soon.

Here's to life ... cheers!