What a difference a year makes..

I mentioned in a recent post that one year ago this week, I made a decision to figure out a way to be healthier. I went to a seminar about weight loss surgery.. I talked with my PCP and she was on board with me getting healthy.. or as I would say to become less fat..

I want to just say- I am thankful for the compliments and acknowledgements. A lot of days, I smile and say thanks. I don't expect people walk around and hand out compliments to me. While this journey is a physical one - I hope my friends know that I am not that vain and a lot of days it's hard to admit that I allowed myself to get where I was. So, thank you for reading my blog and asking for updates and most of all for loving me at my highest weight and my current weight. I truly appreciate it. 

My friend Brent warned me about the haters out there. You know those people. They talk to others about your weight loss "surgery" and the fact that you posted on facebook you wearing jeans 4 size smaller..  I really wish those folks would delete me as a friend or get a life. But, I know that there isn't much I can do but, keep plugging along. Those people are why most people keep surgery a secret. Their sweet lil secret.. Honestly, those people can kiss my..... There is a reason why people say "Haters gonna hate". 

I dated a guy many years ago and his parents warned him the great danger of dating someone fat. I think that is about the dumbest thing to say. But, yes it is dangerous to be overweight. (to clarify I think it was more of social fear than my general health.) Cleary, I remembered that statement and the impact of those words.

So, on the road to being healthy and less "dangerous"..  This photo on the right was adoption day for John and I. I remember seeing these pictures and thinking I will put these pics on my wall with my wedding and honeymoon pictures- Happy and joyful times while being fat and really unhealthy (and dangerous). This will motivate me and remind me that yes, I was happy but, not healthy. Time for a change. A radical change!

One year motivated..  That's how I feel today. We are a few days away from my 3 month surgery anniversary. So, where am I?? I lost 15.2 pounds this month. whoa. WHAT??

Highest weight 353 +

Current Weight 278.4 (I triple checked it!)

TOTAL weight loss 74.6 pounds
BMI points lost  (since highest weight) 11.6

Total Inches Lost since 6/21/13 (Measuring fat is not easy!!)

• Chest 10 inches (3 inches last month!!!!!!)
• Arms 5 inches (In the beginning my left was smaller by 2  inches now they are about an inch apart)
• Bust  7.5 inches
• Hips 8 inches 
• Belly button region 9.5 inches (2.5 inches this month)
• Thighs 4 inches

Where I feel the most difference?  All over but, with clothes my butt and certain shoes. 

Goals for last month

Well, I had to make adjustments. Drinking more water but, not really keeping track. Being more proactive about adding veggies and fruit in my diet.  Working out 3-4 days a week is all my schedule allows right now. I am doing better with running but, I have not ran as much.. For the first time ever-- I am doing the elliptical for warm up. I have improved so much in my working out routines. Makes me feel proud because lots of folks only use an elliptical for working out and it's my warm up!!   Remember what I call county fair days at D1? (click here to read more about my first experience)?? (County fair is where you do mini station work outs for 30 seconds then move on- you can do anything for 30 seconds, right? Sometime, the coach changes the music every 30 seconds.. Intense and good for you!) I am going to say I almost rocked it this past week. I completed most of the challenges or stations and felt good. A great piece of advice from D1 was to eat a banana on my way to work out. Wow, I felt so much better!!!!  

I also had a goal to motivate others when I was given the opportunity. I appreciate all my friends who have shared this blog with their friends who complemtating weight loss surgery. I hope this helps them. When skinny or in shape strangers come up to me and tell me they read my blog, I get embarrassed and think why is that skinny person reading my blog.. Then I remember one day I will be healthy (and hopefully skinnier) and some overweight person will motivate me on why going to the gym is important. For now, I have my photos on my wall to remind me daily. 

Goals this month..  I want to continue making progress. When you look at the numbers and progress this month was incredible month. A dream come true. I saw my pcp the other day and I could tell by her response she was proud of my success. I am too- I have worked hard.  But, I also know there is a lot of people less fortunate than me and I know that I am blessed beyond measure... A second chance on life. 

The Post Op Review-unedited

I am not going to sugar coat this experience. Because I want people to know the real deal.

Communication about the exact time of surgery was not very clear. (I plan to report this through evalution). We were told Surgery was scheduled for 1pm and found out it was in fact scheduled for 3:55 and started at 5:45.  For several reasons you can imagine- it was not a fun day.. My momma and John stuck by with me! I had a bad headache all day(Monday).. So bad the bright lights and coolness in pre opt- made the headache worse and I was given Valium (twice) and finally post surgery it was gone. The anesthetic drug cocktail they gave me was super strong due to my family history of MH.. That made recover much rougher!! It was after 9 (I think) when I got to my room.. My mom is a caregiver by profession and as you can imagine she was not going  to let me stay alone. I was having some buyers remorse at that moment. I was so thirsty and my mouth was so dry-I was not prepared for that feeling. Morphine doesn't help the thirsty feeling. 

Lessons Learned:

• CALL the business day morning before surgery and confirm time. (I never got a confirmation call).
• Prepare for someone to stay with you the first night. If you don't need it then you can send them home. 
• Ask people to text before visiting. (That was so helpful for me!)
• Bring chapstick! (Thankfully, I was warned)

I woke up feel very un-rested today but, I feel so much better than last night except I was so thirsty. I finally received 1 oz out ice chips every 30 minutes at around 10am.  I also walked around the floor 6+ times. The doctor says I am doing great.  My night nurse says I get clear liquid sat 6 am tomorrow. I am super pumped about that! 

Mama Rho and Lauren

Pretty excited about the new life! No pain- no gain!

Tomorrow we should head home! Super big hugs to all texted, facebook, call or stop by. YOU made the day fly by. Mama Rho is very tired and I will blame the mistakes on the morphine. 

My favorite simple Coffee Protein Shake

For those who missed it... Here it is again..

4 ounces of decaf coffee

4 ounces of skim milk or water

2 sugar substitute packets

1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder (lots of people say chocolate is delish too)

5 ice cubes (more if you like a thicker consistency) 

Blend and drink!

Day One- Pre Op Diet

Ahhh! I made it! We have 13 days to go. Day 1 was what I called a success. And I didn't have to apologize to any of my friends for my unkind words. I had a physical this morning. Just happen to be scheduled. My doctor is Dr. Robertson. She came in and sat down and listened. She is so happy for me. So supportive.. Speaking of support - I had a lot of friends call, text, email, message me... You have no idea how much that means to me. I worked from 11a-530p today. So, I think I did okay. I felt great. My headache started around 7 and I think it's just bed time. No exercise today but, mentally I kicked butt. So, again we will try tomorrow. 

So, here we are by the numbers.
I had 57 grams of Protein
I had 51 ounces of water
I had 930 Calories
I am not a person who shares the numbers of my weight.. But, it's time because we are going to say good bye to each set of the next digits.  When I decided to make a change in my life I weighted 350 pounds. <<<not going back up>>> I have lost 15 pounds since I decided to start this journey. So, yeah, I needed to desperately make a change in my life!  

So not a bad first day. I had 3 protein drinks, bowl of tomato soup and some yummy sugar free jello. 

Best thing I had was: AdvantaEdge Carb Control Strawberry Cream Protien Drink
Worst thing: sugar free Strawberry Shaved Ice (threw it away)
My secret Power: Sugar Free Gum! 

Tomorrow's goal: Drink 70 ounces of water. 60 grams of protein. 30 minutes of walking

We did it friends. We made it through the first day and no one got hurt. Again, love you and thanks for rooting for me! 

The last meal...

Wow. I was not prepared. I had no idea the day I opened up about my journey to my friends that I would get my surgery date. I also had no idea that once I found out about my surgery date I would be overwhelmed with this feeling.. It's life changing.. But, it's more mental than that... Like --well this is my last time to come to this restaurant so I better enjoy it.  Four times. Four times I have said that since Friday. I realized this last night after I was reading on some other forums and websites.. I am suffering from the last meal feeling.. Obviously-I do have a love for food. I am pretty nervous about the pre opt diet too. 

I spent 30 minutes on forums and blogs last night and dreamed all sorts of crazy stuff. I need to get a grip. Say a prayer for me and my anxiety. 

And don't worry, I called my therapist Patti- we are going to visit weekly for a while. :)

Educating your friends and family about bariatric surgery

Lots of people advise you to keep your weight loss surgery hush hush. Now, I have over 100+ pounds to lose. (Don't worry photos and actual weight # will be revealed later) I am not going to fool you folks into thinking that I just woke up one day and "lost all this weight". According to my research it will happen quickly. My friends and family are way smarter than that. So, I want to help educate others about my surgery. So, education about my journey begins now. 

What type of surgery will I have??  

We have not had our final decision appointment but, with the information I know- I plan to have Gastric Sleeve (also called sleeve gastrectomy) procedure. A sleeve gastrectomy is a restrictive surgical weight loss procedure that limits the amount of food you can eat and helps you feel full sooner. In this procedure, a thin, vertical sleeve of stomach is created and the rest of the stomach is removed. The sleeve or stomach will be about the size of a banana. You can read some good information here. The majority of weight loss sleeve gastrectomies performed today use a laparoscopic technique, which is considered minimally invasive.  As far as weight loss goes, most people who have gastric sleeve surgery lose 50 to 80 percent of their excess body weight over the first six months to one year after surgery. There is lots of information out there

When is my surgery?  

That is the magic question. Everything moves quickly once certain decisions are made and my team knows I am ready. We are hoping that it will happen in the next 3 weeks so, I am recovered when school starts. 

After much reading they say to help those who are "worried" for me- that I need to take time to educate you specifically about this: 

How did you make this decision? 

I encourage you to read my blog. I have been blogging along the way. But, I went to Baptist Health for my seminar. It was so helpful. The information was very helpful and honestly- if you want to learn more about weight loss surgery- you should go. But, don't delay- go now. It actually changed my whole opinion on weight loss surgery. It's free. Check out the website here. You might ask- what exactly changed your opinion: The doctor was very upfront- he took questions- For example: I assumed I would have the lap-band  Come to find out- in order to be successful - the lap-band isn't my best option. For women who need to lose over 80 lbs studies show that it's not as successful. Also, I learned that attending a support group is part of the success. The information was plentiful. 

Have I prepared for this? I feel so overwhelmed with this question. Get Ready:

• I started with the seminar. 

• Then I had 8 monthly appointments with my PCP and we created a weight loss plan. This included medication.

•  I also met with my chiropractor.

• Made an appointment with my OB/GYN. Lots of women end up pregnant in the middle of this journey. While it's not immediate failure- It's not healthy. We decided a long term birth control so, I could spend the next 3 years on being healthy and ready to have a baby if I choose. (Don't worry- they are aware of my age- my weight is more of an issue than my age). Plus while motherhood is a dream of mine- I never dreamed I was pregnant. So, I feel good about this decision. 

• Meet with a nutritionist. She was awesome. We did a couples appointment. She told me the reality- what to expect during the liquid phase. We also discuss what the transition would be like. My husband is such a rockstar. 

• Therapy. At first this was just to say "I am okay for surgery". But, turns out- I needed it for more. Part of behavior modification is finding out your food issues.. they also work on your problem areas. Caffeine was my biggest challenge. My staff will tell you- I was on edge, mean and hateful for the first month. If I knew my husband would let me - I would have started smoking. It was rough. Come to find out- I wasn't honest about my addiction. I will do a whole post on saying good bye to caffeine. Sonic was one of my problem areas. Also, learning to drink a glass of water before every meal. Also, avoid using straws- can't have them with surgery anyhow-  I also had to figure out how to keep my friendships alive without going to lunch. I was already working on this before- Dave Ramsey helped me saving money. My free friend Sarah is my favorite lunch friend and I know we are going to be okay. She is super supportive and our friendship is going to only get stronger. My cousin had weight loss surgery and she warned me about how she really "missed eating out". I am so glad I talked with her because I had not realize that could be an issue.  I have come a long ways on all this. This is somewhat personal and I am happy to share more with you.

• Had a sleep study and met with a Pulmonary doctor.  I do have sleep apnena. I hate my sleep machine. I am not following what the doctor says on this. I struggle with it. But, I also learn something else-

• Meet with ENT. I was over the whole 2 strep throats plus I was having issues in the middle of the night. Yeah, I have early symptoms of GERD. They looks like middle of the night panic attacks where I take off my sleep mask and nearly throw up from choking. We are working on this and we hope surgery will change this.

I also have 3 other doctors on my team. But, I am prepared for weight loss surgery. 

Will your insurance pay for this?

Insurance is a red tape process that is very slow when working with a doctor's office. Getting approval took around 2 weeks. My weight loss nurse actually knows her stuff. She knows exactly what they want and need. It takes her probably 4-6 to put together your information. 

Then we work on financial stuff. (This is where we are right now). I have already spoke with insurance but, they get this in writing and then the doctor's office and I work out a plan. Insurance says if you used a "Center for Excellence" and they are in network they pay 90%. Due to Maddie's hospitalization we have met our deductible  So, insurance has told me that me they will pay 100%. 

Another concern: Have I thought about the lifelong lifestyle changes you have to make and how will you maintain weight-loss?

My biggest challenge will being able to eat the right amount of protein and drink water each day. I need 60 to 80 grams of quality protein per day.  They say it will take me weeks to be able to meet this goal. More about the protein below. 

Numerous websites and experts have told me this about protein:

What is insufficient protein? 

The first sign of lack of protein is often fatigue or weakness. Not just the feeling that I didn't get enough sleep last night, but deep fatigue….or weakness you know where it’s hard to get through the day. 

A second sign is weight loss plateau. When we don’t get enough protein, there is increasing evidence that the body tries to store calories rather than burning them.  I have heard those who focus on protein intake are successful in reaching their weight loss goal. 

A third sign is hair loss, which is preventable - they say. While one cause of hair loss following the surgery is the “shock” of the surgery to the body, another reason of hair loss in weight loss surgery patients is insufficient intake of protein. 

My nutritionist also said  after the surgery, if your protein status is low, your body will heal more slowly, sometimes very slowly. 

Another challenge- keeping this loose skin under control. Chances are I will need a breast reduction after the weight loss. A lot of unknowns.. But, as soon as I am cleared I plan to be very focused on working out and being proactive. This is one reason why I am a fan of Rodan and Fields. I am wanting my face to stay firm and healthy. Check out my R+F. The exercise will be very intense for 6-8 months- so my results will be optimal. Also, I am learning to eat my veggies FIRST at every meal. I also will meet with a nutritionist and my therapist often in helping coach me through my next phase of life. It's not a diet- it's a lifestyle change. 

Thanks for reading about my weight loss journey. I am happy  to allow others to reuse or share my content, as long as link it to my blog and give me credit. -Mama Rho 

Decision Day Drama

Mondays are my day to go escape to my office and get work done. I get a call at lunch from my PCP saying my weight loss surgery doctor was requesting records from 2011- I wasn't seeing her in 2011. So, I sit down and send my doctor's nurse an email stating what doctor's I had seen in the past 10 years. Ended the email with Let me know if you need anything.  On my way home- I call her- leave a message. (Yes, I am crazy).

At 4:31 she emails that insurance is needing my weight from a medical professional in 2011. Oh and they need it by 5pm to re-review. Panic sits in. Have you ever called a dr's office after 4pm? Well, in 2011 I saw my gyn and I went to a walk in clinic. So, I start working phone and email. Hoping to get release papers to these folks in time so they will fax documentation. I was totally worn out by 5pm. I email my Dr's nurse "Ok. Just frustrating. Had I known I could have helped you with this. I just spoke to Kathryn and she is sending records from Feb and Dec 2011.  The Sherwood walk in office will only take release of information if its on their paperwork. So, getting to Sherwood (from Cabot) and to you by 5 would be impossible. You should have it in a few minutes. I am happy to help anytime if I know you need something."  <meanwhile, I was near Sherwood (25 minutes from my house- 9 minutes from my office) all day!!!>

She emails me back at 5:14 "The insurance company just called me back…. APPROVED!!"

Finally. 10 months. We have made it through decision day. 

Fat. Overweight. Morbid Obese. Fleshy. Portly. Stout. Pudgy. Rotund. Plump. Chubby. Big Boned. Voluptuous. Curvy. Full Figured Woman

Being Fat. Overweight. Morbid Obesity. Those are all phrases I am used to hearing. My weight hasn't really kept me from living life. I have lived a great life all while being fat.  Most of my family is overweight. It’s part of who I am. The term “morbid obesity” is what doctors call my condition. That’s right- insurance and all doctor’s office’s code me with those words. Ouch!!!!  Over the summer of 2012- I injured my back/neck for the second time since meeting John. I could hardly walk without excruciating pain. I went to see several doctors and it was determine that since I was blessed with a large chest- I was suffering from degeneration of the bones or joints of the cervical spine, causing disc herniation or bone spurs to form on my neck vertebrae. I was asked- why haven’t you had breast reduction surgery. I said well because I am somewhat proportionate with them. He said he could help me physical therapy but, it was time for a change or pain could get worse. That lead me to talk with John about our options to help me lose weight. We checked out a number of ideas (shakes, weight watchers, working out, fad diets and weight lose surgery). I finally went to my PCP to ask for help. She asked if I was planning on having kids. I told her that weren't stopping it from happen. And then before my eyes- I saw a look of terror. And she said in her most pleasant doctor’s voice: “Rhonda, I support you growing your family. But, you must lose weight first!” We talked about our options and she supported weight lose surgery. In my mind I thought Okay, maybe over Christmas break- I will do this.  

So, the journey began. 

Wow, I had no idea what I just decided to do.