On My Way to the 7th

Yippeeee! I went to my pre-op yesterday at the WISH Center, and I am all approved for the surgery on October 7th! Whew! Huge sigh of relief! They really go through our 8-week food and exercise journals with a fine-toothed comb. I cracked up when I got it back and noticed that they highlighted in pink all of the little "cheats" I did, like ice cream or cookies once in a while. But I still passed! The best inspiration for me was when my nutritionist came in my room. She was a thin, attractive, very healthy-looking young woman with lots of energy and positive attitude. She was the one who "graded" my journals. My immediate thought was "wow, I'd love to look like her someday. I wonder if she has any idea what it is like to diet and never lose weight?" As we got to know one another better, she felt comfortable enough to pull a photo out of her pocket and hand it to me. And there she was, IN MY SIZE! She said that she had gastric bypass a year ago, lost 107 lbs, and went from a size 22 to a size 4. All of her co-morbidities are gone. It was so amazing!!! What struck me the most is how HEALTHY she looks and acts. That's what I want! I also learned how to eat for the first two weeks after surgery. I've seen lots of "versions" of what to do on this website, but the WISH Center has a strict regimen of 2 weeks of liquids, including protein; 4 weeks of pureed food; and 2 weeks of soft solids. Plus, I am to eat 1/2 cup of food, 6 times per day, for the rest of my life. Plus the vitamins that everyone else talks about. My first 2 weeks will require a detailed flow chart of what I take in! Sounds like I won't see real food for 2 months. Oh well. It is only 2 months in exchange for many, many years of better health. I want to let this Board know that I truly appreciate everyone's posts, replies, and messages, even if I often cannot respond or post within days. I am so busy with getting my life organized before I go to surgery. Thank you so much for all of your support, and happy losing! Your friend, Chris

Congratulations Chris!!!! We are officially surgery buddies. Except I think you will be in Kent Regional Medical Center and I will be in St. Francis in Federal Way. What time is your surgery? Mine is schedule for noon, I believe anyway! Good Luck!!! We will have to compare notes as soon as we can sit up at the 'puter for long enough LOL

WONDERFUL! WONDERFUL! I am thrilled for you! I'm so glad you posted to the boards. It'll be exciting to watch your progress. God bless, Nan