Checking in with everyone!

I am so excited. I did it! I actually went to the gym today....yeah for me! ! Ok, I am really on schedule today. I walked a mile and did some upper body weights (nothing to much, but I did it)! For breakfast I had: Omelet with a little cheese, tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. My Omelet was with those low Chol. eggs out of a carton. And I had two slices of turkey bacon. I have also drank almost 32 oz. of water so far! For lunch, I will have a salmon salad! Will check in again at the end of the day! Tonia Oh yeah, I know since I have only been doing this about a week it is probably jus****er, but the scales have moved!!!!!!! I have dropped almost 10 lbs. You know, I was shooting for 15 lbs before surgery so that I would be able to have it lap. I think I am well on my way!! Please you guys, share with us how you are doing! You know, I am so excited about surgery, but I am also excited that I am preparing myself now. At first I was feeling like, wow there is nothing else for me to do but wait. Oh yeah, and keep reading all of the succcess stories. But tell you the truth, I am tired of reading those too! I am so ready to be a part of the stories. So for me, this is my way of getting myself closer to being a success. Also, studies show that if you are somewhat physically active, you come through surgery better. I am counting on that, since I do not handle pain all that well! How many of you guys have an angel? I just got one last week. Wow, she is great. She is so knowledgeable. I consider myself pretty obcessive and kinda type "A". So I felt like I had done all of the research and I just knew it all. But when she started spouting off some other things that I needed to be aware of about vitamins, pretest, and gall bladder info. I was so happy we had made a connection. Tonia

Hi Tonia, You are doing GREAT!!! Horray!!!! I am just curious, did you just now start going to the gym, or is that something you've done on and off for awhile? I haven't been to the gym in YEARS and I'm a bit intimidated by it (and even moreso by the skinny-minny's that prance around in their spandex!) I really would like to get into a routine of some kind before surgery. Also, what exactly is the role of an angel and how did you get one? Jill

Hey Jill! I just started, have not been to the gym in about 1 and a half to two years. Actually, I joined a gym different from the one I am at now about 1 and half ago. I never went to the this gym, my husband (who is really a health nut, exercises everyday, and yatta yatta yatta) really liked it. It is exactly what you described, a bunch of skinny people in spandex! lol! I hated it, and never went. Anyway, I went back to my old gym. It is a family friendly gym. They have a huge number of classes you can take, swiming, step for beginners, toning class, and an inside track. They have classes geared for children through seniors. It is just a good mix of people: large, small , old, and young. I felt like I was back at home this morning. I wish I would have never changed gyms. And the price was reasonable, and you do not have to sign a contract. Just pay by the month. You should look for a community gym for the family. One that is affiliated with a hospitial...they seem to be less "beef cakish" if that makes any sense. Well they have a neat thing on this site, you can team up with people who have had or not had the surgery. Their job is to basically motivate you, give you information, answer questions, keep people on the boards posted after surgery as to your progress. It is good to have someone in your state, those angels have actually came to the hospital to check on their people. I would just think it would be better to also have someone who has had the surgery, just because they have more of a wealth of information to give. My angel is not in the same state as me. But I am ok with that. We have actually talked on the phone and stuff. Also, she has been an angle to others out-of-state, and actually decided to come to some of their respective states. I hope that helps, Tonia

Tonia: You go girl! Good for you. I also went to the gym for the first time in forever- on Tuesday. I could only manage about 5 minutes on the treadmill before I stopped. I will be meeting with a trainer on Friday, and start a regular program then. As it turns out I didn't have the stress test on Tuesday because someone had scheduled me for a cardiolite stress test, instead of a regular stress test the doctor had originally told me to have. Since there was some confusion,and I didn't have an actual order from him they wouldn't do any test. The cardiolite test is where they inject your veins with some kind of radioactive dye, and I would have done it if it was what my doctor ordered, but since it wasn't the whole idea didn't thrill me. So instead I just figured I would wait until I saw the surgeon again on Wed. He says the regular stress test is just fine. So I have to order another test done. But in the meantime, I was already all psyched to get on the treadmill and move, and it kind of bummed me out that I wasn't going to be doing that. So I figured, I am already decked out, so I am going to go to the gym ( My husband bought me a membership for Chanukah..back in December and of course I still haven't used it. ) So it made me feel good that at least I actually went to the gym. When I went to the Doctor yesterday it showed me down 6lbs. which added to the 2 I already lost puts me at an 8 lb weight loss. The surgeon said even a modest weight loss makes it much easier for them to do the surgery because it shrinks the liver which stores alot of fat cells. Since I have 60 days ( 3 months ****il surgery, I think I can lose at least another 10 lbs, and probably more to put me in better shape, along with the working out. I ve been a little derailed with food this week because it was my daughters birthday and we went out, and then that darned birthday cake is still in the house. I should be gone today and then life will be okay. I don't have an angel yet, two of my best friends have had this, one who had it lap- about 6 weeks ago, an another who had the open 10 months ago and both are doing beautifully. I know how you feel about not having alot to do except wait to have the surgery done, and I think we are both doing the right things. Keep up the good work, and keep in touch. I'll post daily too. Marcy