Water? Why does it work?

i was told everyone has to do the sleep study.. to RULE OUT sleep apnia.

sarah

That's what I thought too, but the nurse seemed to think the questionare covered it. If I have to have one I won't fuss. It's just one more step, right? It certainly can't be any worse than all the other stuff we have to have done. The scope is the one that scares me - I'm glad you're drugged for it. (and I hear not everyone has to be scoped - I can hope!)

How are you finding being on the liquid diet so far? I bet it helps a lot that you're not having to cook this week - and that you did the shakes for a couple of meals a day for a bit.

Kelly-Anne

Hi Kelly-Anne
  I am still adjusting to many things such as breakfast and the water.  I haven't had a diet pepsi since January and fortunately giving up the pop was much easier than I thought   The bathroom thing has just recently gotten better.  While I can't hold it all day at work like I used to I am not there all day either.  I've taken to going to the bathroom on another floor so that I can use the stairs...all my friends laugh at me on that one.  Sounds to me like everything is on track and your team will begin discussing surgery.  I know when I discused with the dietitian it was another couple of weeks before I saw one of the docs (not the internist but Dr. Sharma or his other associates).  Then we booked to see the surgeon.  I am suprised you didn't have to see someone in psyc as I thought this was a standard...I could be wrong on that one though.  I only saw her once for the assessment and she felt it was all good to go.  You may want to make sure they haven't forgotten because they had on me and I was lucky to catch a cancellation to see her that week or it would have been another month.  Waiting is a b**ch but we will get through it and be stronger because of it....i say that to myself at least 10 times daily...lol

Hope that helps!

Deanne

Hi Deanne,
  I started being anal about breakfast when I did all of the modules over a year ago. After awhile of making myself eat within the first hour of being up I started waking up hungry - that helps a lot. It also helped to find a breakfast that I can put together pretty much in my sleep - I buy huge boxes of Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch at Costco, then divvy them into 60 gram baggies that I keep in a larger ziploc in the cupboard. I may not eat variety, but I always eat!

  Picture it - chicken haired woman shuffling into the kitchen, drinking her 2 glasses of water, taking a handful of pills, then choosing a k-cup and poking the button for coffee. A dump of cereal into a bowl, a slosh of milk and breakfast is ready. That coffee is going to be my challenge for separating drinks from food, but I'll manage. Today I made French toast in my GF grill (an inspiration that works really well) which put my food 15 minutes after my coffee. (you have no idea of how grateful I was when Carlene said I don't have to give up coffee!)

  I see Carlene on the 27th and Janine on the 12th. I'll ask one of them if I'm in line to see a psychologist or if that's down the road. Since it sounds like I'm done the required weight loss I can relax a bit on that and just enjoy the pound a week I'm pretty much guaranteed by just doing as I'm told. I just realised this week that it's time to pass on my 2X tops and enjoy wearing the 1X ones I bought at Pennington's end of season sale. ($5 each - score!) I also bought several in sixe X for my next step down - I figure I'll need them in about 20#.

 I gave up pop at about the same time you did. I'd cut down a lot, then saw a news bit that said the diet pop (not regular) is being linked to a higher risk of strokes and heart attacks. That was the nudge I needed to quit. Fresca and Dr Pepper were my drugs of choice. :o) I've been thinking - if they can make "water enhancers" in so many flavours, think of the killing they'd make if they produced them in flavours like cola or root beer. Also - imagine a savoury broth for when you want something hot and NOT sweet - that had no calories and wasn't loaded with sodium!)

 My path seems to be a bit off. My nurse brought up surgery at my intake visit, then talked about it more this last visit - and gave me some papers describing different ones. The internist asked if I was interested in surgery and reeled off a list of requirements before referral (lose 14#, drink 2 litres of water every day, eat breakfast, don't eat desserts with sugar, be in a regular exercise program, don't eat fast food, blood pressure under control, probably more...) the water and 14# were the ones I had to work on. Carlene has never mentioned surgery, but was at the info night on Wednesday...

  What are you doing for your exercise? I joined the local Y and go to aquasize 3 days a week. I love it! I don't do so well with walking (makes my knees hurt) but Janine said the aquasize was just fine.

Kelly-Anne

Hey Kelly-Anne,
  You asked about exercise...well I don't do any...ha ha just kidding...I played national level sports when I was younger and really fudged my knee in 1993...that's when I packed on a good 80 lbs.  It's been uphill since then really.  I wasn't able to walk for 9 months after my initial operation and for someone that identified herself as an athlete it was rough.  The last 5 years I've had myself convinced that I couldn't exercise.  I am soooo competitive that when I joined a gym or did public exercise in any form I ended up over doing it and hurting myself because I had to beat the people around me....such a healthy mindset right...lol
Well this time there is so much that is different...the mind is in the right place etc.  I began exercising on my WII using WII fit, that quickly got old and not challenging enough so I purchased EA Sport Active 2.  This was what really got me kick started.  4 nights a week I could be in my living room and yell and swear at the trainer who said "is that all you got" or "this is all for you"...but alas I overdid it on the impact side of things and my knee began to ache....so with the sound advice of PT I have moved to the elliptical and now do 45 minutes on that at least 4 days a week as well as abs and arms (I hate that flab).  I swim twice a week when my daughter is at her swimming and I find that nice.  When spring was here last week we moved to the outside routine of biking and walking with the fam and pooch.  I enjoy that very much.  I've signed up for a softball team this summer for the first time in about 6 years and am very excited to get back into that again.  Golf is somewhere around the corner and that keeps me going as well.  I still sometimes battle the athlete demon in me and pay for it for a few days but overall I've learned to do what I can without hurting myself.  Although I am not losing as fast as I was previously I am content with things continue to decline while I wait.  We leave on a mexican riveiera cruise on Friday so that should be interesting with endless buffets...thankfully lots of pools and fitness rooms to use...even some fun family aerobics. 

  I have a recumbant bike well hidden under a pile of clothes in the corner of our bedroom. I need to do some excavating - none of the clothes fit anymore, so I may as well donate them. I'd really like to buy a real bike but the physio (who knows a lot more than I do. sigh...) says I can't until I can pedal my recumbant for 15 minutes without pain. She actually recommended a trike - would I look silly on a trike?
  My daughter has a cool eliptical/exercise bike that she says I can try. I confess that the reason I bought the recumbant (other than my Dr telling me to) was so I could read or knit while exercising. I suppose I shouldn't admit that to my nurse, huh?
  Who is your surgeon? My friend was able to call the booking office regularly to see where she was on her surgeon's list. It took 6 months for her to get an actual date, but at least she knew she was moving up.
  I think that's why I'm so impatient. Not so much for the surgery itself yet, but to know what my next task is so I can get on it. I know that even after approval there's a significant wait, but at that point you've done it all, so in a way you can relax and just let it happen.
  I hope your cruise is fabulous and that you enjoy every minute!

Kelly-Anne

My surgeon is Dr. Karmali.  I will begin my phone calling next week to see where things are at and then will try every couple of weeks from there.   I really wouldn't mind if they called next week and booked a date for 6 months from now as long as it was booked...I think there is an issue with OR times and doctors releasing schedules.  I was afraid to ask if Dr. Karmali took vacations...lol 
Keep well!

Deanne

today was day one of my liquid diet.... going to be tough. but i think if i make it through this first week i will be fine.  I have decided not to cook this week as i am a taster as i cook. thank goodness for my mother in law who will feed my  kids :)  surgery is on may 18th... pre admin april 26th.

for me .. i called the beginning of every month for the first 5 months.. then.. every week.. lol i think she finally gave me a date to make me stop calling.. either way .. i was happy.

sarah

Good Luck Sarah with your liquid diet. It may be hard to do but if anyone can do it. it's you. You have waited so long for this and you will do so awesome with it cause you are awesome. I'm thinking of you my friend and sending lots of positive vibes your way.

Kee.

Thanks for the calling frequency thing...I don't want to make her hate me but want her to keep my name in her mind...you all know what I mean I'm sure!  I am suprised that you are on liquids already.  How does that decision get made?  I ended up a the clinic today because when I went to fill my prescription the doc had only written 2 months on one of them and 3 on the other and now I am leaving for the cruise and had no meds...thankfully Anna slid me in and I saw Dr. Sharma.  Reminds me why I like the program so much...and extra bonus was that I was down another kilo since Friday! 
Do other people have different pre-surgery diets they could share?

Sarah I think the liquid before has to be a challenge but I know you can do it.  Be strong!

Deanne