SpunkyMel

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Don't worry my dear friends - I have not abandoned you! :) In fact, I think I may be able to make a return to the world of blogging! I have been so very busy lately that many things got pushed to the side - my blogs included.

Until I can give a big long update (with pics!) here are my current stats:

RNY 5.28.2008
Starting: 345lbs
Current: 221
Total loss so far: 124 lbs in almost 10 months

Needless to say I am so very happy and thankful to the amazing Dr. Hart & his wonderful staff at Atlanta Bariatrics.

Maybe i'll be able to post a good update tonight - if not i will get it posted soon.

Thanks a ton for staying tuned :)

All my love,
Mel

Yes that's exactly what it sounds like... I am under 300lbs! woooo hooooooo!!!! I'm currently at 297! Hurray! I've lost 35lbs in 6weeks!! Its surreal!

On Tuesday I had my 6-week f/u with Rachel (my NUT) and I am sooo stoked about what I can eat now (and blown away a bit too!).

With that here is my transcription of the notes I got for my "stage 4" diet. *REMEMBER*: Every NUT/Doc has different guidelines and some things that i can eat may not be allowed by your team or by your team at that stage. That being said, my doctors office and NUT have had huge success and their plan works (I've seen it) so no flaming b/c i can eat something your team may not allow yet/ever



** Continue to take 2 MVI w/ iron, 2-3 Calcium Supplements, 2000mcg/B12/wk (Personal Note: Rachel is having me add another iron supplement to up my iron intake and we are switching me over to 500mcg of B12 Daily)

**Exercise:
- Minimum 3 x week (I am doing this now)
- Goal is 5 x week
- Focus on increasing speed and duration
- 15-17 minute miles ( I'm already beating this! woot!)
- Add 2 x week of resistance training ( I am doing this now)

** Continue with one protein supplement or protein bar per day until at least 3 months post op (Note: OK to change protein. For Bars make sure ≥ 15g Protein and ≤ 7g sugar)

** To ensure adequate intake of omega-3 fats/healthy fats:
- Cook only with Canola Oil (not evoo)
- Eat Salmon or Tuna 2 x week
- Use soft tub spreads (eg: Brummel and brown/ smart balance)
- Consider fish oil supplement if no tuna/salmon
(Note: Per Rachel I need to eat more fatty fish like salmon. right now all the fish I'm eating is lean fish. If i don't do this 2 x week she WILL put me on fish oil supplements)

** DIET PROGRESSION:
- Fresh fruits - no skins until 6 months (Note: per Rachel if I can tolerate the skins its ok to have them now)
- Fresh tomatoes and cucumbers - can add salads once you can tolerate the tomatoes and cucumbers
- Pasta/Tomato Sauce (Personal Note: I will not be partaking of this at this time. Pasta is too big of a trigger food for me so i am just not even going to go there!)
- Ground round or ground sirloin (those specific cuts - not "ground beef")
- Pork tenderloin, center cut pork chops, lean ham
- Ground turkey breast
- Cold Cereals ( <10 grams of sugar per serving) with milk
- Nuts (no honey roasted) (Note: per Rachel can have a lower sugar granola like bear naked)
- All Beans
- Any reduced calorie frozen meals (ex: Weight Watchers/Lean Cuisine)
- Light microwave popcorn
- Toasted english muffin or toasted quesadilla

Continue to avoid steak and rice until 6 months post op

**Meal Pattern:
Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Dinner

(Personal Note: Rachel is telling me to add snacks into my day b/c I am not getting enough food in and also she wants me to bump up the carbs a bit - not getting enough of those either! Never thought I'd hear that about ME!)

**Make sure to include a protein source at each meal/snack.
Protein sources:
- Beef, Chicken, Pork, Turkey, Fish
- Milk, Yogurt, Eggs, Cheese, Cottage Cheese
- Nuts/seeds/peanut butter
- Beans/lentils
- Soy products

**MEAL SIZE @ 3-6 MONTHS: 1 cup of food
Traditional Meal:
Protein: 1 palm
Vegetable: 1 palm
Starch: 1/2 palm (starch: potatoes,corn,beans,pasta,rice,bread)
Pasta Meal:
Pasta dish: 1 hand
Vegetable: 1 palm

ALWAYS eat Protein first, vegetable second, and starch last

CONTINUE TO AVOID ALL REGULAR SWEETS AND FRIED FOODS!

*** OK to have Alcohol (Wine/Beer/Liquor) at this point - Stay away from the sugary drinks and use light juices and tonic) ***

Focus on Variety
Everyday in addition to protein make sure you eat at least 1 serving of: Fruit, Veggies, Dairy & Grains

So yeah... that's it!

Hello everyone out there in cyberspace!

As of this morning I am down 30 LBS from surgery and 43 overall! wooooooo hooooooo!!

Things are loose on me and I can fit some smaller sizes which is just freakin awesome! I'm going out dancing tonight for the first time since about a week before surgery thats almost 6 weeks... holy poop batman!

My 6-week appt is Monday morning with the NUT. I should have more to report then.




EDIT: No dancing tonight since Ambee get herself all worn out n stuff! hehe BUT I will be walking 3/1 miles tomorrow in the PRIDE Parade! AND i'll be workging the AIDS WALK ATLANTA booth until 3PM so COME VISIT ME!!

I’m down 19 lbs today! Freakin woot!!! In 3 weeks!! That’s pretty damn sweet in my opinion! :)
 
Sorry I haven’t posted much of an update recently. The first two weeks after surgery were sort of busy. The first week I was still really sore and tired all the dang time. After the second week I was feeling a lot better and 100% off the pain medication (that was during week 1 really) and was getting super stir crazy! I think because of that I’ve been going out and doing stuff constantly. I can’t stand to just be sitting and bumming! I’m sure things will slow down a bit again soon but right now I am on a ‘get up and move” roll! Been doing lots of Karaoke and just getting out of the house :)
 
I’m on soft foods now – basically stuff I can chew down to a mush. This really gives me quite a few options, which is nice. I still can’t have raw veggies or fruit but soon enough… If I stay at the rate I’m going I may be down 40lbs by my 6-week appointment! That would be exciting! I’m feeling much better so it’s easier for me to get my “movement” in for the day. Yesterday I did a 30min aerobics tape and WHEW it wore me OUT! I guess I’m not as ready to go back to the gym as I thought – still getting tired a bit easy. Lame-o.
 
Things are getting better every day and that makes me excited. I promise to be better about blogging again. I may even start taking pics of my food! Ok… well maybe I’ll wait until its not all mush! Hehe!
 -Mel Out.

This post is a couple of days late but im posting it anyways :P :P

Well the Dr said the surgery went well and overall i'm feeling decent... could be worse. I'm sore which is to be expected, but doing much better today. I REALLY do NOT feel like eating (bleh!) but i'm making sure I get my protein shakes down and trying to get as much water down as i can.

I can feel the gas moving around and making noises - bleh! But I just keep walking trying to get it to loosen up! I am hoping it eases up soon.

I am a little bit loopy from the medicine so I will give a more comprehensive update later. heheh!

It feels good to be home... thanks for all the well wishes - you guys are the BEST!

P.S. A HUGE thank you to Dr Hart, Emory Johns Creek Hospital & Rita for being awesome and getting me through the surgery!!

I have a surgery date! I will be having my LAP RNY on MAY 28th, 2008!!! WOW!!! I'm so excited!!!! *squee*

I can't believe how fast everything is moving along. I'm so glad that Atlanta Bariatrics is the freakin BEST! Latonya is my hero! She is so sweet and has really helped me get the insurance stuff all together! :)

So... before surgery i have to:
- Meet with Rachel (the NUT) for my 6-week post op instructions (scheduled for TODAYat 11:30 AM)
- Meet with Dr Hart to go over the final paperwork, sign consent forms, yadda yadda (scheduled for next Monday the 19th at 10 AM)
- Meet with the Anesthesiologist for pre-op consultation (scheduled for next Monday the 19th right after meeting with Dr Hart)

Holy -freakin- Crap!! Now i'm getting twitchy with nerves a bit... not really scared, just ready for it to be over.

Thank you all for the great support you've given me thus far :)

*X-POSTED from my WLS Blog: http://melswlsjourney.blogspot.com ... feel free to check it out :) *

Alrighty... so I said i'd give it until Friday to call... i lied! I called yesterday afternoon just to confirm they received the request. I asked how long it would take and i got the blanket 2 weeks response.

PLEASE let UHC do for me what it has done for so many other people and get a reply back within a week!!!

Now the question is... will I be able to hold out and not call today?

We shall see.......




XPOSTED from my WLS Blog.... http://melswlsjourney.blogspot.com

My request for preapproval has been submitted!! Tonya at AB called this morning to tell me the claim number (so I can call and harass the insurance company! bwahaha!).

I probably won't call them until Friday... don't want to be the crazy lady that calls all the time! ;)

Keep me in your thoughts/prayers/whatever you do!!

After going back and forth with the surgeons office and the insurance company about what was going to be required, either this afternoon or tomorrow morning my request for pre-approval is being sent!!!! WOOOO!!!

I'm hopeful. I meet all the requirements except I am missing one bit of information the insurance co wants... (long story-see prior entries!)... but hopeful that my cover letter will be acceptable.

woo...... *crossing my fingers* for a quick approval

Things I have to do before I can submit to insurance:
- attend at least 1 support group meeting (DONE!)
- get pre-op testing done (DONE!)
- have a preliminary appointment with the dietitian (DONE!)
- have an evaluation and get cleared for surgery by a Psychologist (DONE!)
- complete my "weight loss journal" chronicling all my previous weight loss attempts (DONE!)
- have a 5 year record of weights from my physicians ( as DONE as its gonna get!)
- Letter of medical necessity/clearance from my PCP (DONE & HAVE LETTER!)

Heck YEAH!!!! I'm done! I just got done faxing over the WLJ and the weights to Atlanta Bariatrics!! WOO HOO!!

There are one a few small problems...

1. I couldn't get 5 yr weights - only 4. The doctor I saw in 2004 is no longer there, multiple searches came up with nothing, and according to doctors in the same complex - he went oversees (he is in the reserves). I emailed the person at AB about this today but it was after hours (they close at 4) so I don't expect to hear anyhting from them until tomorrow morning at the earliest (if i am that lucky!). Since I have exhausted every effort to try and get this I don't see why 4 years should be a problem.

2. According to an email I got today from AB (while i was on the phone chewing out my PCP's office in fact!) that they still needed my weights and my PCP letter. Well... savvy readers will know that I already completed this and have turned it in. I emailed the lady back in a flash that this was left for her at the front desk on the 19th when i had my appointment with Rachel. I asked her to confirm that she recieved this. If she hasn't then a. im pissed and b. its not a big deal - i can get dr gray's office to fax over to them.

3. In the email I recieved from AB they also said that "one (very minor) missing piece of my test results will need to be redone immediatly pre-op" so no worries... it won't hold anything up.

So now I just await an email/phone call stating that they have everything and can SUBMIT TO INSURANCE!! Whew!! I'm excited now!

I'll post when I get an update.... yay!