Wednesday, November 10, 2021

No much to report, but thought I'd get a thread up.

I had a great urban hike at the coast yesterday with two friends. 600+ ascended stairs and 7 miles. And it was a beautiful day. Last night I went to another friend's for dinner. Quick as he seemed tired, but nice to see him after being gone for so long. Texting last night with MI guy.

No official plans for today, so I need to come up with something. Unfortunately I don't think we are going to get Pep's rain. It's going to be 93 tomorrow and 95 on Friday. Urgh.

My doctor wanted to test me for H Pylori on the off chance that is what is causing my GERD that I take Prevacid (lansoprazole) daily for. I think the chance is very small and that it's the sleeve and my hiatal hernia that has already been fixed twice, but figured it couldn't hurt. I was wrong about the not hurting! You can't be on any of the -zole antacids for 2 weeks prior to the test. So I am taking Pepcid (famotidine) for that time. But it doesn't work for me. He said I can take up to 4 (box says 2) a day. And still my esophagus is on fire. It's going to be a long two weeks...

Hope you all have good days!

Oh boy - that does NOT sound pleasant. I have had periodic GERD lately, but not every day. I had it all the time before the sleeve and had a hiatal hernia fixed when my sleeve was done. But when I get it now I always wonder if it is going to get worse. My 33 year DD has Barrett's esophagus from GERD so has to be checked on a regular basis now. Very concerning.

Today it is raining. Mike had his league golf and got soaked. I used the time to do some dusting and other cleanup prior to company coming Sunday to Wednesday as we are going to my East coast place for a few days prior to that.

Not much else going on I weighed this morning and was up 1 from last week. Rats!

Have a safe and healthy Wednesday!

I take one dose of Pantaprazole (Protonix) daily. I take half the dose prescribed and it works well for me. I'm not sold on the H Pylori thinking. Here's what Mayo says:

Most people with H. pylori infection will never have any signs or symptoms. It's not clear why this is, but some people may be born with more resistance to the harmful effects of H. pylori.

When signs or symptoms do occur with H. pylori infection, they may include:

• An ache or burning pain in your abdomen
• Abdominal pain that's worse when your stomach is empty
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Frequent burping
• Bloating
• Unintentional weight loss

None of these are on your radar. You have GERD. GERD is a very normal by product of VSG. Recommendations for VSG patients with GERD are to take a good PPI and supplement with B12 and ample calcium citrate.

He thought it was a small chance, but said the test was inexpensive and gave me the choice. I think it's the sleeve and the hernia myself! I said yes before I tried the Pepcid and found it did nothing for me. I may not last the full 2 weeks...

Not much going on here today either. Rain has gone away. Sun is low and intense today. I dislike the next 8 weeks when the sun is at its lowest point of the year. Blech..... Hurts my eyes on recess duty.

Knee appointment was less than I had hoped for, but somewhat on par with expectations. I have to try the PT route first. He doesn't want to refer me to ortho yet because in his words, "They like to cut. That's what they do." Apparently arthroscopic surgery, while a great short term intervention, can lead to severe/disabling arthritis in the long term. Doc wants to see if Sports Medicine will see me since I'm "active". He thinks they may have better treatment options for me. We shall see. In the meantime I have ordered an OTC anti inflammatory cream/gel that is supposed to work well for most people, but not all. If that doesn't work, I will go the CBD and TCH cream route.

Saw a pic of me posted on FB. Oh, dear! Such a belly! The rest of me doesn't look so bad, but the belly.... OH MY! But, alas, you all and I know photographic truth is not enough to spur me on to lose weight. Eating Disorder, phewy!

Had a kick ass workout and a 250 calorie soup for dinner. Weight was up a few tenths again. Luckily, I am much better about accepting the number on the scale as information, rather than a value judgment.

Students are highly charged today. I have needed to send two boys to other classrooms so that I could have a break from their behavior. The look of disbelief on Jack's face when I told him I needed a break from him was priceless. He clearly got the message. He's been very well behaved since he came back.

I rewatched a fun Dracula movie on Netflix last night. It's this one: DRACULA I will watch part 2 tonight. I didn't realize the first time I watched it that it was a 2 parter. Only watched the first part. It's good, if you like that creepy gross stuff.

Happy Friday to me. Happy hump day to the rest of you!

I watched that. Very creepy! He makes a hot Dracula though

Having a sleeve makes medical care a bit more complicated, as not every doctor we see takes our changed anatomy into account. Hope you get some relief Cecily! My GERD, or tendency towards GERD is controlled by Pepcid. I lucked out. Since I started taking Fosomax, I've had a couple of awful reflux incidents, which is a side effect of that medication. One of my friends, who is a pharmacist, suggested I chase it with a spoonful of honey. (it's only once a week med), for a protective coating for my esophagus. Don't know if it's a self fulfilling prophecy, but I feel like I have more reflux when I forget the honey.

A storm is blowing in tonight, cold rain, maybe snow. I need to find gloves for tomorrow, I've made it this far into November without them!

I took DH for his colonoscopy today. The clinic he uses are now fully sedating patients. They said it has better outcomes, people are more comfortable, so they're more likely to come back. I'm not sure how I feel about that, I really dislike going under. I felt okay with the light sedation I had with my last colonoscopy, but DH said his previous one was quite uncomfortable, so he welcomed the change. No polyps or other pathologies, so he's done for the next 10 years.

When we got back, I churned out some paperwork much more efficiently without the interruptions I have at school. Now I am going to tidy up the kitchen and go to Costco.

I've been thinking and thinking about my weight. I have been tracking, dieting, planning for 9years post op, and yet I continue to gain. Sometimes I have a who gives a $%%%, but usually not for very long. I don't even want to post anymore about what I'm trying because it feels like, oh yeah, there she goes again. But I also know I can't go back. If I end up morbidly obese again, I will do it kicking and screaming. So this weeks plan is high protein, and back to tracking calories with MFP. WW just didn't do it for me, I could eat too much. It could be a good maintenance plan if I ever get to a number I want to maintain again.

I hope no one ever worries about posting what they are trying! Every one of us can appreciate how hard it is to try to get into the right headspace to make good food decisions. I will ALWAYS want to hear what you are doing to cheer you on!

I feel the same way about posting my "there he goes again" stuff. I will be 10 years post VSG next month. I was "thin" for about 2 full years. That's it.... I am considered morbidly obese medically. But I know I am a different obese from the obese I was before WLS. The weight is different and my shape is different.

Never second guess our reactions! Your sharing is valuable.

We are our own worst critics, I think!

I am a lurker here and have only come out of hiding once or twice and am doing so again today because I wanted to share that after gaining back 65lbs in the last 5 years I started using Ozempic this year and it has helped me to lose 45 lbs so far. It's a diabetes medicine consisting of 1 injection per week and is very expensive. But it's working for me and considering the helplessness and shame I was feeling (even though I was still much lighter than my highest weight...but that never matters when you're examining weight gain, right?) we decided it's a worthwhile investment. I am an emotional eater, grazer, snacker and carboholic. This medication has really curbed my appetite so that I don't think about food very much (what?!) and I feel ok eating those smaller amounts of food I was formerly accustomed to. This is strictly my experience and it may be 'cheating' because I'm using a medication but I was/am willing to do whatever it takes to get close to my previous best weight. Not sure I'll get all the way and that's ok. I'm in my 50's and it certainly doesn't get any easier to lose weight and I've accepted that I may be on this medication (albeit a lower dosage once I reach a satisfactory weight) for the rest of my life. I'm ok with that. For me, it's given me hope and some of my power back because I was on a slow, slippery slope and I couldn't seem to stop it. I tried protein shakes, food tracking, WW, various medications, anything I could think of and I just couldn't get back into the 'zone' from that first 2 years. I was sinking. Anyway. Not here to pontificate or anything. Just sharing this has worked for me and it's allowed me some degree of control back. tomorrow, who knows? But today is ok. I admire each and every person on this board because you are all so strong and dedicated and willing to share your struggles.

Edited to add: I went back to my surgeon in June who told me that in his experience most VSG people gain half if not all of their weight back and his only solution was revision to RNY. Where I live that means re-admission into the bariatric program and a 3 yr wait for surgery. I decided to try the Ozempic first and see how that worked before pursuing any surgical steps. I wanted to avoid the surgery route, if possible.