It's been a looooong time!

It's been a long time since I posted.  Here's a quick recap of the past 2 months:

• I went on vacation with my family in the middle of April and had a great time.  Eating out was a bit challenging considering I was only 6 weeks post op, but I managed.
• My wound finally closed the end of April.  I was so happy to not have to deal with that any more.  My husband was also happy to no longer have to pack my wound every morning at 6AM!
• In the beginning of May I went back to the gym.  I finally had enough energy and no more pain to start exercising.  Prior to May, the only exercise I got was walking. 
• As of today, May 29th (3 months post-op), I am down 36 pounds since I had the surgery.  I am feeling great and have lots of energy!

So that's a quick summary of what life has been like for the past couple of months.  I am burned out on the protein shakes so that has been a problem.  I've been having the Special K Protein Water and that's good.  I also switched from the vanilla and chocolate type of shakes to the fruity ones.  I think the key is to switch it up a lot so you don't get burnt out! 

I still can't eat raw vegetables.  Rice and potatoes make me sick - even a tiny amount.  I've been eating mostly protein, dairy, fruit and cooked veggies, which has been totally fine.  I just need to make sure that I make a variety of things and not the same thing day after day.  It's very easy to get in a rut!

Post Surgery Update

Hi everyone!  I know it's been so long since I posted so I want to give you an update.  I had my gastric bypass surgery on Feb. 27th.  Everything went great and I was discharged on the 29th.  By March 4th I was in a lot of pain and had to call the surgeon.  She determined that it was probably an infection so I went to see her on the 5th.  She needed to re-open one of the incisions a bit and drain it.  From there I had a visiting nurse who came every day to change the packing and dressing on the wound.  I saw the surgeon again on the 12th and the infection wasn't getting better and she needed to open the incision some more.  Boy, did that hurt!  I had another week of the visiting nurse and on the 16th she trained my husband on how to pack and dress the wound.  Talk about true love.

On the 19th I went back to work.  Yes, 3 weeks post-op might have been a bit premature, but I have a desk job and thought I could handle it.  I had a friend drive me every day so that I could take my pain medication late in the afternoon.  The pain is from the wound infection.  By the end of day Tuesday I was exhausted.  I called in sick on Wednesday.  Then went back Thursday and Friday.  Mind you, on Friday I started to get a terrible head cold with lots of coughing and congestion and sinus pressure.  That weekend I barely left the bed. 

That brings us to today.  I still have the head cold, but it's not nearly as bad.  My wound infection is still the same.  It doesn't seem to be getting better or worse.  It's about 2 inches deep and really hasn't changed much.  My surgeon said on the 12th that she expects it to be almost healed by the next time I see her.  Well, I see her next Friday and I don't think it's even close to healing.  I will probably e-mail her today. 

My nausea has mostly subsided.  I still get a little nauseous in the morning sometimes, but I think that's common.  I have been having a protein shake for breakfast, 2-3 oz. of chicken, fish or meat at lunch and at dinner.  I haven't had a problem eating (no gagging or vomiting) so that's good, but I chew everything real good and I eat real slow. 

I promise I will post a before picture and monthly progress pictures.  I just haven't felt like doing much lately.  My goal has just been to get through the work day. 

Well, that's all for now!!

Superbowl Sunday

I am rooting for my Pats tonight, but I'm a little fearful for them 'cause those Giants are bad-asses.  I did a lot of cooking for tonight's festivities and couldn't help but think about my upcoming surgery and thinking "I won't be able to eat this" or "I'll be able to eat this, but not much."  It started to sink in that my life is really going to change and that's o.k.  I am so ready for this.

Speaking of my upcoming weight loss surgery and changes I'll need to make, Shelly on her blog: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com  is having a great giveaway!  She is giving away A HUGE 30 count variety pack of Celebrate Vitamin's ENS - Multivitamin, Calcium, & Protein Shakes - 10 single serve packs of each flavor Chocolate Milk, Vanilla Cake Batter, and Strawberry and a 20 oz. Blender Bottle Shaker!  Make sure you go here to enter the giveaway.

Shelly's blog is one of the first ones I found when I was first researching weight loss surgery.  I am amazed by her ability to stay focused and vigilant 5 years after her surgery.  She is certainly a great role model and mentor for all of us who embark on this journey. 

Surgery Date

Well, I just got my surgery date today.  February 27th.  All of a sudden it seems so "real" and I'm very nervous, but I'm sure that's normal.  I told my boss and I got the "Are you really sure you want to do this?"  Ugh.  I know she just cares about me.  I don't think I'm going to tell anyone else (other than my husband & kids) for a little while.  I still need time to process all of this. 

How did you feel when you got your surgery date?  Mixed emotions?  Second guessing? or just pure elation?

Living in New England...

Huge victory tonight for our Patriots!  What a nail biter of a game though.  Let's hope they don't cut it so close at the Superbowl!!  Now I'm watching the Giants game and rooting for them.  I'd love to see a New England vs. New York Superbowl especially since we have family in New York.  Oh the rivalry! 

As far as the weather goes, we were doing so good until this past week, but I guess we should be lucky we dodged the snow for as long as we did.  It's just so much work... shoveling, plowing, throwing down the salt and sand.  The snowy white picturesque scenery doesn't last long before it's all a big dirty, slushy, muddy mess.  I'm just counting down the days until Spring.

I've been trying to watch my diet this week, but I really blew it this weekend.  Lots of bad choices, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it.  Tomorrow is a new day.  I already packed my lunch to bring to work tomorrow and I picked up some more crystal light packets to make sure I drink my water.  I need to get back to the gym since I don't like walking outside once the snow comes. 

Well, have a great week and enjoy the rest of your Sunday night!

Mindful Eating

I’ve always inhaled my food and it’s a habit I’m determined to break.  I’m trying to eat slower and it’s not as easy as you’d think.  Mindful Eating.  Have you googled “mindful eating”?  There are an amazing amount of resources dedicated to this. 

I want to adopt this concept, but eating has always been a social thing for me.  My favorite time of the day is dinner with my family when we’re all sitting around the table enjoying a home cooked meal and talking about the details of our day.  How can I talk and listen to my husband and kids when I am focused on every bite I put in my mouth?   I’m not complaining - I’m just trying to figure out how to make this all work.  Until I address the obstacles, I’ll never overcome them.

Mindful Eating.  How do you enjoy a dinner out with friends?  I can’t listen and count in my head how many times I’ve chewed my food.  Is this something you work on until it becomes second nature?  Does it get easier with practice?  Has anyone mastered this? 

Today, I tried to eat my snack, cottage cheese & crushed pineapple, slowly and mindfully.  I did great for the first few bites and then the next thing I knew it was gone.  Seriously.  It was completely gone.  I felt like an alcoholic who blacked out.  I really don’t remember eating the rest of it. 

Please tell me this gets easier.

Mean Girls...

I have an 11 year old daughter that I call “Peanut” and I do my best everyday to be a good role model for her.  So far, I think I’ve done a pretty good job.  She and I watch a lot of what I call “trash TV.”  I can’t help it.  If there’s a Real Housewife around – I have to watch her.   I can spot a Kardashian a mile away.  I love this mindless, silly drama.  Don’t judge me. 

So, Peanut and I watch these shows together and it leads to all sorts of conversations about girls and friendship and also a lot of examples of “how not to behave.”   I’ve explained to her that while I think these shows are silly and mindless and sometimes the behavior of these women is downright horrifying, I find it terribly entertaining. 

Now, I live in a cul de sac.  I’ve lived there for about 14 years.  It’s a great neighborhood filled with lots of Moms with loads of kids around the same ages.  It can also be a neighborhood filled with drama, petty nonsense and sometimes bad behavior.  On TV this is entertaining.  Real life?  Not so much.

One of the women in my neighborhood had WLS a year ago and there is this one woman who has not had a kind word to say about it (not that anyone has asked for her opinion).  Mind you, she didn’t like her much to begin with, but some of the things she said were downright mean.  She also began posting things on Face book about losing weight with dieting and exercising “the old fashioned” way.  Yes, we’re all Face book friends.  It’s terrible. 

Most of us have just ignored it, not wanting to get in the middle of it, but I think it’s like bullying at this point and we’re all supposed to be role models for our children and I feel like I’ve really let myself down – not to mention the woman who’s been on the receiving end.  Also, I’ve started this WLS journey and haven’t breathed a word it for fear that I will be her next target.  I don’t know what to do.  I don’t want to get mixed up in something that doesn’t involve me, but at the same time it feels wrong to sit back and watch.  This isn’t the BRAVO or E! Channel.  It’s my neighborhood.