dahoodman

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Okay, well it must be getting to me now because I am starting to dream about the surgery. So far it's just me looking in on myself and not so much me being myself. Does that make sense? It's not me being me in the dream after surgery, it's me seeing me after surgery. It's all very sporadic so I really can't tell if I'm happy/sad/mad or whatever. I just know that in the past when it starts to become crunch time I start dreaming about whatever it is.

I am psyched and ready to go. I'm nervous and my wife is nervous for me. I keep asking her if she's ready and she keeps saying it's me that needs to be ready. I keep trying to tell her that she'd better be prepared too. I told her she's going to have to deal with me whining about pain, not being able to eat, not wanting to go somewhere, or whatever. This is a lifestyle change for me AND THE FAMILY. It IS going to affect us ALL in one way or another. She's very supportive, but I don't think she realizes just how much this is going to change us all. Or at least I believe it is going to change us all.

Hey a good friend of mine shared a struggle she had which is interesting. We all tend to think that the something new that we have is the something that everyone else wants or that everyone is going to notice. Like a new car or clothes or something. When we buy a new car we ride around with our heads up high thinking everyone is going to notice and go Wow what a cool car that guy has. Well, she thought the same thing about her surgery that everyone would be so like Wow, you're looking so slim. And I mean she thought everyone down to the people you never even saw before in the mall or whatever. Like they'd know she lost weight!! I forget exactly what she said, but I say it's like the super hero or queen/king for a day type complex. It really is just like that car or whatever. You think everyone notices that you are driving around in a brand new car when in reality, no one really cares except maybe those close to you and that's a big maybe. I thought it was kind of funny but I can see myself being the same way though. It was an interesting look at herself and that she realized it.

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

I did the discount double-check with my surgeon's nurse and she said she has all the test results so I should be good to go. I'm carpooling with a guy right now who has a cold. He's getting over one anyway. I'm hoping that if I'm going to catch it, that I catch it real soon so I have time to get over it before my surgery. I told him that I would hate to have to kill him if he gets me sick and reschedules my surgery. That would not be good. I've put myself in a mode where I am looking forward to having a mini-vacation of sorts. I know, I'll be in a lot of pain for a bit and I'll probably be in a funk because I can't eat, but I won't have all the stresses of work either. I'm going to take 3 weeks off. My friend did that too and said it helped her get more regulated on her diet so she would be able to bring the right things to work and know exactly what she was going to have to do. Some people go back to work when they're still sort of in shock and dismay.

The Tramadol is still working beautifully and really no side effects other than a mild headache. I have been able to take one Tylenol with the Tramadol and I don't even get a headache anymore. So as long as that keeps working I'll keep doing it.

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Okay, was reading through the forums and someone was struggling with a weight gain after 2 years post-op. Quite a few replies came in, but this one by Kim S. really struck me as the most comprehensive and useful so I wanted to put it in my blog so I could find it again.

Did you fail? Define failure. You are only a failure (in my opinion) if you CHOOSE not to do something positive. You hold all the tools you need to be successful. Failure is a choice. Success is a choice. Someone (I think Lora??) has a wonderful saying in their signature...."You don't drown by falling into the water, you drown by staying there".....or something along those lines......

You need to do the opposite of the things that caused you to get off track. WLS is NOT a cure all. We, like the non-surgically altered people, have to do our part to maintain good health and weight loss. YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO-NOW DO IT.

Please do not try fad diets, or starvation. If those worked, we'd never need WLS.

1) Begin tracking (HONESTLY) everything you put into your mouth. You can do that here on OH in the Health Tracker, or on mobile apps like myfitnesspal.com.

2) Determine your RMR http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php

3) Set your daily caloric level at your RMR - 500. This will set you up to lose 1 lb per week, which is the safest level to shoot for AND it will give you enough food so you don't feel deprived.

4) Make 100-120 grams of protein per day your goal. I eat a 6-7 oz chicken breast grilled every single day. That alone is 53 grams of protein, and it is real food so I feel full.

5) Eat 6-7 small meals each day. This will keep your blood sugar level and will keep you feeling full.

6) Exercise. Everyday. At least 30 minutes. If your heartrate is up and you are sweating, you are good. DO NOT MAKE EXCUSES ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME. You have the same 24 hours in the day that the rest of us have. It is about priorities. Aren't you important enough to make yourself and your exercise routine a priority? How much time do you waste every day feeling sorry for yourself? Use THAT time in a positive way.

7) Follow the rules of your surgery. Do not drink with meals and do not drink for at least 30 minutes afterward. Limit simple carbs and sugar, but don't completely eliminate them. If you do, you'll feel deprived, and we all know how well that has worked for us in the past.......

8) Come here for support. We are here for you.

Being successful after WLS is an ongoing project and takes work. No one ever promised a lifetime of good health and weight loss maintenance with no work.....after those first 2 years, it is all up to us to write our own success story.

Now, get your head out of the failure thinking and go for a nice long walk! Hugs.

I got lazy yesterday about posting. I guess there's really nothing new anyway other than I am really starting to get nervous now. I mean it's almost 2 weeks or less!!!!!!! I am going to start having a protein shake for breakfast and lunch and then try to eat a somewhat sensible dinner for the next two weeks. My doctor doesn't require it, but I'm still feeling pretty fat these days and I don't want anything to mess up my surgery date.

I started taking Tramadol for my chronic pain. My PCP gave me enough for 20 days and 1 refill. He said to take it 3x a day and I know that he really meant take what you need up to 3x a day and he was likely hoping this and the refill would last a couple months. However, I unfortunately need to take 3 a day. The one good thing is that it does appear to be working very well. Much better than I anticipated. It's getting better as the days go by. The first day and half I didn't think it was doing anything, but now it's been 2.5 days and I feel pretty good. It's not perfect, but almost as good as ibuprofen. It doesn't really help the swollen joints so there's still some pain from that but man all the other stuff is pretty much gone.

Well that's it for today!

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Not much to say today. I thought I had something earlier, but I guess I forgot what it was. 

The closer I get to my date the more nervous I get. I was asked the other day if I had buyer's remorse. What? I haven't bought anything yet! I asked what the hell she meant and she said do I miss eating things yet? What!? I haven't had the surgery yet numb nuts!! Anyway, I was cordial and just said no.

My biggest fears are waking up in the ICU with tubes down my throat and the nurse shaking my leg or something saying, "Mr. Hood? Mr. Hood? Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?" You know, shit like that!! I have had other surgeries and even that Endoscopy but I have never really had these kinds of fears. I know this is a bit more invasive, but surgery and anesthesia are pretty much the same. Some complications from various surgeries are common. Anyway, I shouldn't really be talking like this anyway.

I'm ready to be 6 weeks post-op. I'm not looking forward to 2 days post-op. I'm hoping that I'll be one of those people that just has minimal pain at the incision and that's about it. Maybe if I keep telling myself that I can convince myself to be that way.

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Well, as you can see, I missed 19!! Well, was without power due to the "snowquester" that passed through my area. What a dumb name for a storm. Anyway, the power's back on and all is good.

So my neck is a bit sore the last couple of days and I just have to guess that it is from the endoscopy and maybe they had to move my head around a lot or something. I'm not too sure. I tried to Google it and read a story about one guy who said he called his doctor and they told him that he work up during the endoscopy and thrashed around some and then threw up!! That's why he was sore. I wonder why they didn't tell him that when he really woke up? He said he had no knowledge of waking up during the procedure.

18 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get $10 off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Nothing to say today other than 20 days left!! Oh and on the 10th of March I will have 1 less hour to wait because of the time change!!!!

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get $10 off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Okay, well today was Upper Endoscopy day for me. This was going to be one of my "hell" days or so I thought. It was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. They put this little plastic thing in my mouth to keep it open during the procedure, but then in came the groovy juice in my IV. I remember the feeling of being pretty wasted for about 5 seconds and then I remember hearing, "Mr. Hood? Mr. Hood? It's time to get up now." They rolled me into another room and I was up and about in about 10 minutes tops. I felt so good that I went to Famous Dave's BBQ with my wife for lunch. Fasting really makes me hungry.

The excitement is still ramping up. I had a dream last night that I was making the wrong decision and I was going to regret it for the rest of my life. Not going to happen this time. I am not going to let my mind play tricks on me again. This surgery is going to happen.

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get $10 off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

It's getting real now. I'm in the process of getting my doctor to fill out the FMLA paperwork and submit my applications for leave. Still some hesitations for tomorrow's endoscopy but I know it's got to be done. 

Click on this button to follow a link to BariatricChoice.com and if you register using the referral code that it comes up with we both get $10 off. I'm putting this on all my posts now so I can save some cash!!!

Okay, well there you have it. Doubt is creeping its way back in again. I woke up this morning with doubt filling my inner ears being batted back and forth like a tennis ball. What am I doubting? I have researched WLS for years now. Yes, YEARS! I have let doubt creep in on me several times now and generally my response is to pull the plug. Of course all the other times doubt creeped in before I spent a shit-load of money. Not this time so perhaps I have one up on doubt this time.

Very frustrating!