JUST CHECKING IN

CHRISTINE & COMPANY:

IT SHORTLY AFTER 10:00 AM PST TODAY I REALIZED 1) I WAS UP, 2) I COULD PARTICIPATE IN THE SAT TELEPHONIC SUPPORT GROUP, AND THEN 3) I'D NOT HEARD ROM CHRISTINE OR ABOUT A WEEK AND DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE EVEN WAS A PHONE GROUP TODAY AND I SO, HOW TO ACCESS IT!

I HOPE THAT Y'ALL ARE WELL AND CONTINUING TO SIMPLY PUT ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER ON YOUR WLS JOURNEY AND ALLOW YOUR FOCUS TO REMAIN ON SUCCESSFULLY MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, AND LONGER LIFE.

I HAD MY 3 MONTH (ACTUALLY 107 DAYS SO MORE LIKE 3.5 MONTH) F/UP WITH DR. SRIKANTH YESTERDAY AND HE IS VERY PLEASED WITH MY PROGRESS OVERALL.  FRANKLY, I BELIEVE, HE’S A LITTLE SURPRISED BY MY SUCCESS WITH THE VSG, A RESTRICTIVE PROCEDURE, GIVEN MY OCT '08 STARTING BMI OF 65.2.  I ASKED HIM SPECIFICALLY HOW HE THOUGHT I WAS DOING IN COMPARISON TO HIS OTHER VSG PATIENTS BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS ABLE TO "KEEP UP WITH THE PACK "(I KNOW, I KNOW, I SHOULD NOT COMPARE MYSELF TO OTHERS, BUT IT'S HUMAN NATURE AND I'M HUMAN) GIVEN MY ISSUES WITH CHRONIC PAIN DUE TO OSTEOARTHRITIS, SCOLIOSIS, BILATERAL CHONDROMALACIA PATELLA, MIGRAINES, AND FIBROMYALGIA/CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, ET AL WHICH HAS GREATLY IMPACTED THE EXERCISE PORTION OF WHAT I KNOW TO BE AS IMPORTANT AS NUTRITION IN FIRST GETTING RID OF MY EXCESS WEIGHT AND THEN ENJOYING LIFETIME MAINTENANCE AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT.  "NO WORRIES, AMY (THOSE OF YOU WHO SEE DR. SRIKANTH KNOW THAT THE PHRASE 'NO WORRIES'  IS HIS SIGNATURE LINE IN THE SAME WAY HIS MOUTH BUGLE HORN SOUND AND LAUGHTER ARE IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZABLE) YOUR PROGRESS IS EXCELLENT!" 

THAT SAID, I HAD BEEN ANXIOUS ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE I WOULD BE RECEIVING THE RESULTS OF MY THREE MONTH LABS. AGAIN, DUE TO THE MEDICAL ISSUES MENTIONED ABOVE, I STRUGGLE WITH COMPLIANCE TO HIS STRICT DIETARY AND SUPPLEMENT REGIME WHEN I'M EXPERIENCING AN "EPISODE" (CHARACTERIZED BY COMPLETE PHYSICAL MISERY AND DECLINE IN MENTAL HEALTH, INCLUDING INCREASED PAIN AND CORRESPONDING INABILITY TO DO MUCH MORE THAN MOVE SLOWLY FROM BED TO COUCH;  BASICALLY ALMOST TOTAL DISABILITY FOR THE DURATION OF THE ATTACK/EPISODE/WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.  THANKFULLY, THIS ISSUE AFFECTS ME ONLY 25% OF THE TIME AT THIS POINT (AN IMPROVEMENT FROM VIRTUALLY 100% MISERY PRIOR TO OCTOBER 2008).  I WAS FULLY EXPECTING A STERN LECTURE AND ASKED HIM TO GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT, IT'S WHAT I NEEDED TO HEAR.  SURPRISINGLY, THE LABS SHOWED MY PROTEIN IS GOOD AND IRON IS EXCELLENT.  MY VITAMIN A & D LEVELS ARE LOW, BUT NO WORSE THAN PRE-OP.  HOWEVER, MY B-12 AND FOLATE LEVELS ARE VERY LOW AND I NOW HAVE THE JOYOUS RESPONSIBILITY OF B-12 SELF INJECTIONS EVERY OTHER DAY AND FOLIC ACID SUPPLEMENTATION AT 4 TIMES THE DAILY RECOMMENDATION.  AS I WAS UNABLE TO PERFORM THE 24 HOUR URINE CATCH THE WEEK PRIOR TO MY APPOINTMENT DUE TO MY MENSTRUATION, WE WON’T KNOW ABOUT MY CALCIUM LEVELS UNTIL THE END OF THIS WEEK (I'M DOING THE FUN CATCH PROCESS TOMORROW).  DR. SRIKANTH UNDERSTOOD MY DIFFICULTY GIVEN MY SIGNIFICANT “DISABILITY" BUT TOLD ME I HAD TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO JUST DO IT.  I TOLD HIM I WAS TRYING; I’VE TRIED CHARTING, SCHEDULING, SETTING ALARMS AND NONE OF THAT HAS WORKED.  HE SAID KEEP TRYING, NO EXCUSES!  I THANKED HIM FOR THAT!  IF ANY OF YOU HAVE AN UNUSUAL TIP OR TRICK , I’D LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT IT!

I GO BACK TO SEE DR. SRIKANTH IN 6 WEEKS, ON 04/19/2009, WHICH COINCIDENTALLY IS MY 5 MONTH SURGIVERSARY.  HE WON'T ORDER ANOTHER ROUND OF LABS UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONTH AND YOU CAN BET YOUR LAST PRETTY PENNY THAT I GOT REAL SERIOUS REAL QUICK ABOUT DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH HIS PROTEIN/SUPPLEMENT REGIME IN ORDER TO BOTH DO WHAT’S NECESSARY FOR MY OWN HEALTH BUT ALSO TO PLEASE HIM.  THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE, THE SMALLER CLOTHES, ALL OF THE NSV'S ARE TERRIFIC, BUT I CHOSE WLS TO ATTAIN HEALTH...AND YESTERDAY'S APPOINTMENT WAS A FANTASTIC REMINDER THAT I CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ENDEAVOR REGARDLESS OF POUNDS LOST WITHOUT BEING VIGILANT AND COMMITTED TO THE ENTIRE PROGRAM!

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING WELL AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM Y'ALL SOON!

AMY