Rachel Erickson

Just drank 10oz lemeony Magnesium Citrate. For those of you still waiting to have surgery it wasn't that bad. Make sure you put in the fridge to get it cold. I think it tastes like pop with no sweetness to it. Almost like bakers chocolate thats bitter. I've been on a liquid diet for the last 14 days im down. I needed to loose 15 pounds and I lost 19 so ive really done an excellent job at prepairing myself for surgery. Remember to drink pleanty of clear liquids to keep yourself from getting dehydrated. Dehydration can cause health problems to start in and may cause you surgery to be canceled. Some other things you might want to purchase before surgery are slip on shoes, loose comfortable clothing unless you already have, small bottle of lotion, chapstick, antibactiral soap, wet-wipes the kind okay to flush and vasline for that little area down below that will be getting some attention from the Magnesium Citrate. A couple of nights ago I broke down and cried to my mom wondering if i'm doing the right thing. I wished it would have happend earlier because I worked that night and I endend up being 10 mins late to work. I had her call and explain that I was extreamly emotional right now and that I was running a little late. With words of encouragement and listening to myself talk i know that i'm making the right choice. The choice to live and the choice to be healthy. For the last 20 months or so i've educated myself about gastric bypass surgery. I leared everything i know by talking to others that have had it done, talking to doctors, and going to support groups. My surgon is Dr Michael Schwartz and will be done at Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis, MN. Michael has been performing gastric bypass surgery since 1986. There many doctors that preform this surgery. Make sure you do your homework find out his/her qualifications, this will also allow you to find the best doctor for you. Dr Schwarts father was also a surgon. This surgery is like an on going profection they will keep changing it until they find the very best way. You may wonder why I waited 20 months before having surgery. Well I ended up switching doctors. Not because the doctor that I was going to have first wasn't qualified but I wanted to be closer to home incase a problem came up. Another reason why I switched doctors was because the first doctor I went with had a weight loss requirement. I had tried for many months to loose the 10% excess body weight that is required by the doctor and it just wasnt happening. Finally a year later and after gaining yet even more weight I said I need to figure something out. I attended Dr Schwartz informational meeting on Jan 31st 2004. Because I was planning on going with another doctor I had already compleated the MMPI thats is one of the requirements for most doctors that peform this surgery. I also updated my letter to the insurance company. (Note this letter is on this site and is called Insurance letter. Incase you need an example of what to write). I handed everything that I had as far as paperwork in at the end of the meeting. I even handed his packet in all compleated. The handwriting looked like a doctors but you could at least read it. I got my approval letter from the doctor in Feb 2nd week or so and I got the letter from the insurance company saying it was approved on Feb 24th 2004. At the info meeting the time frame to have surgery was 8-10 months out. I called the doctors office in April to see what the wait is and if another surgon from their office had a earlier date. I was told that things are set and i just need to wait until the doctor calls me but it wont be until the 8th month or so. I called back in July to see how much longer and if it would be at 8 months of now 10. I was placed on hold. Judy came back and said that two other people are currently ahead of me. She then set up an appointment for me to meet with the doctor. Aug 2 I met with the Micheal Schwartz and we went over surgery stuff. I got all my instructions that i needed to compleate and now guess what another required weight loss. I almost cried, not again. The reason why I chose this doctor was cause it was not something he required and because his office is closer to home. I got my surgery date of Oct 26th 2004 Dr Schwartz told me that i need to loose the weight and have everything done on the check list given otherwise he would cancel the surgery and reschedule it for a later date. I spent a couple days regrouping. I went to the store and bought about $70.00 in food items mainly for work. At my work lunch is provided but its not all healthy selections. I found another break room to eat my lunch in its away from all the other food wich is also away from many temptations. Aug 12th 2004 I had my chest x-ray, and gallbladder ultra sound. I was used to ultra sound cause i've had them before with some other medical stuff that came out okay and nothing to worry about. Ultra sound and x-ray was no big deal to me and it didn't hurt me at all. Oct 10th Today I started the 2 week liquid diet. It's not so bad it starts to get old after two weeks of being on it but other then that its okay. Mine consisted of, carnation instant breakfast, yougert, mashed potatoes, cottage cheese, sugar free jello and pudding, sugar free apple cider, cocoa, suger free popsciles, fudge bars, Juicy Juice, low sodium V-8, chicken, beef broth, tomato soup, other soups with out chunks, low carb/sugar ice cream, water, milk, diet soda. I even went to dairy queen and had a fudge bar they are 50 calories and 3 grams of sugar it was a nice treat once and a while. They have chocolate, orange, raspberry, and chocolate and vanilla and i believe they are all 50 calories and 3 grams of sugar but you will need to check to make sure. Oct 12th 2004 I weighed in at Dr Schwartz office i'm down 13 pounds just three more to go. Oct 19th 2004 I'm down 19 pounds total. I weighed in at home, my GP's and Dr Schwartz All paperwork given to doctor Schwartz office. Attended another Renewal support group. Support groups are a very nice tool for me and they sure help me stay focused. Oct 22nd 2004 nice fun filled weekend planed. I went with a friend to see the johnny holm band play at apple valley bogarts. I saw one of Schwartz physicians assistants Ryan sing on stage wow he sure is talented. Oct 23rd 2004 a group of us went and saw the Minnesota Gophers Football team play at the dome today. What a game 1st of all we had really good seats row 6 behind one of the end zones. we played against illionios, the game was a total blast 45-0. Oct 24th 2004 My cousins baby had his birthday party today he turned 2 on the 19th. It was really nice to see family and friends at his party. Came home and drank the good stuff lol and then had a date with the toilet it wasnt bad at all either i think i only went in the bathroom 6-7 times that night. I didnt have much in my system since I was on liquids for 14 days prior. Oct 25th 2004 Off to the hospital for surgery Oct 26th 2004 I was released from the hospital at 1:30pm, origanally I was told that i would be released at 6-7pm but I did so well and was up and moving around that the doctor could see no reason to keep me their longer.

Wow, Rachel! Awesome posting -- very detailed, full of information. I enjoyed reading it! How are you doing now? Still doing great, I'll assume! Please repost and let us know. Thanks -- -- Darcy