Since today is the day my surgery was originally scheduled for, I thought it appropriate to blog. First off, God blessed me by having the surgeon's office need to reschedule. Last week I was hit with a horrible cold. This week we have been battling a sometimes working air conditioner. Yesterday it hit 105 here. Everything is working now, but I can't imagine how stressed both my husband and I would be if I also was having surgery.
People keep telling me that I don't look heavy enough to have this surgery. I think it is partially because I am fit, but partially that we all compare ourselves to others. The surgeon told me that we don't know what normal looks like anymore. Teaching water aerobics means that I have a lot of muscle mass. Unfortunately, I also have a lot of fat on top of it.
The other question I get is how much weight do I want to lose or what is my goal weight. Honestly, I am not sure. It seems so far away to me right now to choose a number. Really, what I want is to get my body fat percentage down. A number on the scale doesn't take into account if those pounds are fat or muscle.
It's interesting to note that a lot of the focus is on how I look now and how I will look later. My goals are more based on health. My main reason for choosing surgery is get rid of diabetes and sleep apnea. The physical things I pray for are health and vitality. I want to have more energy. I want to not be afraid of physical activities. I want to be able to go up the stairs at a waterpark 10 times in a row and not have my blood sugar plummet (or have my knees creek, or have my thighs scream, or be huffing for breath). I feel like, my body will settle wherever is best for me. Looking good will be a bonus, but being thin is not my goal. My goal is to get this body strong and healthy.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
All for the best
I came home from vacation this Monday to a letter from my insurance company. Apparently the doctor's office and the insurance company had a misunderstanding of when my surgery could take place. The doctor's office can't even submit a request to insurance until July 10. Last time I checked, July 10 is AFTER June 28, so no surgery June 28. The doctor is already booked for July. My new date is August 2. Needless to say I was extremely disappointed. Was, you say? Well, a few hours after talking to the doctor's office, I started getting a tickle in my throat. Now it's turned into a full blown nasty cold. I have hopes I will be better next week, but I am sure it's probably better that I am not having surgery next week.
I truly believe that God has a plan that is better than mine. Even though I feel like my plan has less stress attached and it was a better time table, God has me covered. When I recover from this cold, I now get to call subs for my classes again (most are vacationing in August), work out arrangements for the girls (dance team kicks off the end of July), and figure out how to recover during the beginning of the school year; but I definitely feel it all happens the way it is supposed to.
I truly believe that God has a plan that is better than mine. Even though I feel like my plan has less stress attached and it was a better time table, God has me covered. When I recover from this cold, I now get to call subs for my classes again (most are vacationing in August), work out arrangements for the girls (dance team kicks off the end of July), and figure out how to recover during the beginning of the school year; but I definitely feel it all happens the way it is supposed to.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Firsts and lasts
First: My surgery is scheduled for Friday, June 28.
Last: I just bought hopefully the last refill on my diabetes medicine. I didn't even get a full month. The doctor is very confident that I won't be taking it when I leave the hospital.
Last: I just bought hopefully the last refill on my diabetes medicine. I didn't even get a full month. The doctor is very confident that I won't be taking it when I leave the hospital.
Three types of weight loss surgery - A lay person's perspective
Keep in mind that I am not in the medical profession and in fact am a bit squeamish. This is all from my perspective.
There are three common weight loss surgeries these days, lap band, gastric bypass, and gastric sleeve. Here is a brief description of each with pros and cons. If I was more blog literate, I could post illustrations, but let's face it, I'm not.
The lap band is basically a big rubber band that is filled with liquid that is inserted around your stomach. The more liquid, the tighter it squeezes your stomach. You can adjust depending on how much or little you want to be able to eat. I have heard of people abusing this by expanding their band so they can eat more on vacation. This surgery used to be very desirable, but a lot of surgeons don't do them anymore. There have been a lot of problems with the bands getting clogged up and/or slipping down the stomach and causing problems. Studies also show that lap band patients are actually hungrier than non-surgical people. So basically you are hungrier than before and can't eat much. A lot of band patients have their band removed for various reasons. The band patients average a loss of about 35% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Reversible, least invasive. Cons: Still hungry, problems, least weight loss success
In a gastric bypass, the doctors form a small pouch in your stomach and re-route part your intestines to the pouch. With a gastric bypass, part of the digestive process is bypassed. The part of the stomach that isn't being used contains hunger hormones so you aren't hungry. The pouch is small and can't hold much food. Some patients report that their tastes change. I think it has something to do with how the pouch goes straight to the intestines. Because the process of digesting sugar has changed, bypass patients can have what is called dumping syndrome. Basically if they eat a high sugar or high fat meal, they may get light headed and their heart may race. Then the food is "dumped", resulting in a very quick run to the bathroom. Because the way sugar is digested has changed, this surgery reverses diabetes in over 85% of patients. In fact, studies are being done to perform the surgery without the stomach pouch in normal weight patients to reverse diabetes. The way they do this surgery has changed from the early years. Apparently in the beginning, too much of the digestive process was bypassed resulting in malnutrition. The way this procedure is performed has changed. There is still malabsorption, but the surgery is much safer. Bypass patients can expect to lose 70% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Reversible, most weight loss, not hungry, can reverse diabetes. Cons: Most invasive, dumping syndrome, taste changes
The surgery I opted for is a gastric sleeve which is kind of in between the lap band and gastric bypass. Basically, doctors lop off 85% of the stomach and sew it back up. The stomach is then a small tube about the size of a banana. The digestive process is not disrupted. The sleeve started as a pre-surgery to the bypass in patients that were very large or too at risk for the bypass. The sleeve would help the patients lose enough weight so that the bypass surgery could then be done. Studies found that a lot of patients were so successful in losing weight with the sleeve that they opted not to have further surgery. The part of the stomach that is removed has the hunger hormones so you are not hungry. The stomach is small and can't hold much food. No studies have been done to see how many diabetics are in remission from this surgery, but it does cure diabetes in a lot of cases. This is thought to be due to weight loss and not the digestive process like it is for the bypass. Sleeve patients can expect to lose 60% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Not hungry, normal digestion, might reverse diabetes. Cons: Not reversible.
There are three common weight loss surgeries these days, lap band, gastric bypass, and gastric sleeve. Here is a brief description of each with pros and cons. If I was more blog literate, I could post illustrations, but let's face it, I'm not.
The lap band is basically a big rubber band that is filled with liquid that is inserted around your stomach. The more liquid, the tighter it squeezes your stomach. You can adjust depending on how much or little you want to be able to eat. I have heard of people abusing this by expanding their band so they can eat more on vacation. This surgery used to be very desirable, but a lot of surgeons don't do them anymore. There have been a lot of problems with the bands getting clogged up and/or slipping down the stomach and causing problems. Studies also show that lap band patients are actually hungrier than non-surgical people. So basically you are hungrier than before and can't eat much. A lot of band patients have their band removed for various reasons. The band patients average a loss of about 35% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Reversible, least invasive. Cons: Still hungry, problems, least weight loss success
In a gastric bypass, the doctors form a small pouch in your stomach and re-route part your intestines to the pouch. With a gastric bypass, part of the digestive process is bypassed. The part of the stomach that isn't being used contains hunger hormones so you aren't hungry. The pouch is small and can't hold much food. Some patients report that their tastes change. I think it has something to do with how the pouch goes straight to the intestines. Because the process of digesting sugar has changed, bypass patients can have what is called dumping syndrome. Basically if they eat a high sugar or high fat meal, they may get light headed and their heart may race. Then the food is "dumped", resulting in a very quick run to the bathroom. Because the way sugar is digested has changed, this surgery reverses diabetes in over 85% of patients. In fact, studies are being done to perform the surgery without the stomach pouch in normal weight patients to reverse diabetes. The way they do this surgery has changed from the early years. Apparently in the beginning, too much of the digestive process was bypassed resulting in malnutrition. The way this procedure is performed has changed. There is still malabsorption, but the surgery is much safer. Bypass patients can expect to lose 70% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Reversible, most weight loss, not hungry, can reverse diabetes. Cons: Most invasive, dumping syndrome, taste changes
The surgery I opted for is a gastric sleeve which is kind of in between the lap band and gastric bypass. Basically, doctors lop off 85% of the stomach and sew it back up. The stomach is then a small tube about the size of a banana. The digestive process is not disrupted. The sleeve started as a pre-surgery to the bypass in patients that were very large or too at risk for the bypass. The sleeve would help the patients lose enough weight so that the bypass surgery could then be done. Studies found that a lot of patients were so successful in losing weight with the sleeve that they opted not to have further surgery. The part of the stomach that is removed has the hunger hormones so you are not hungry. The stomach is small and can't hold much food. No studies have been done to see how many diabetics are in remission from this surgery, but it does cure diabetes in a lot of cases. This is thought to be due to weight loss and not the digestive process like it is for the bypass. Sleeve patients can expect to lose 60% of their extra weight in the first year. Vitamins should be taken because of limited food intake.
Pros: Not hungry, normal digestion, might reverse diabetes. Cons: Not reversible.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Choosing bariatric surgery
After many, many years of eating healthy eating, exercising, and trying every diet plan in history, I've decided to have a bariatric sleeve operation. I was always hesitant to do surgery. I fully supported other people choosing to have the surgery, but for me it felt like admitting defeat. It felt like I would be saying that I don't have enough willpower or knowledge. If only I tried harder, I would find the perfect combination to losing weight.
A few months ago, I was talking to my endocrinologist (I have diabetes, an under active thyroid, and a gluten allergy) about having trouble losing weight. I told them that I really didn't want to have surgery. They told me that they were having great success in the surgery putting diabetes in remission. A few weeks after that, I was seeing a new primary care physician. We were having a similar conversation and she told me that losing weight would be very difficult for me with my conditions and that if I ever did decide on surgery, one of the best surgeons in the country is in my suburb. So... The journey started.
My surgeon is very strict. There are a bunch of diet and exercise classes and support groups you must attend along with a psychiatric evaluation and extensive bloodwork. You also need to lose 5% of your body weight to make the surgery and recovery easier. This process has helped me learn a lot about myself.
While at a bookstore today, I learned that there really aren't any guides for this out there. A quick internet search only came up with a couple of blogs. Hopefully, I can help other people by sharing my journey. Buckle up and join me as I share my thoughts, recipes, and other musings.
A few months ago, I was talking to my endocrinologist (I have diabetes, an under active thyroid, and a gluten allergy) about having trouble losing weight. I told them that I really didn't want to have surgery. They told me that they were having great success in the surgery putting diabetes in remission. A few weeks after that, I was seeing a new primary care physician. We were having a similar conversation and she told me that losing weight would be very difficult for me with my conditions and that if I ever did decide on surgery, one of the best surgeons in the country is in my suburb. So... The journey started.
My surgeon is very strict. There are a bunch of diet and exercise classes and support groups you must attend along with a psychiatric evaluation and extensive bloodwork. You also need to lose 5% of your body weight to make the surgery and recovery easier. This process has helped me learn a lot about myself.
While at a bookstore today, I learned that there really aren't any guides for this out there. A quick internet search only came up with a couple of blogs. Hopefully, I can help other people by sharing my journey. Buckle up and join me as I share my thoughts, recipes, and other musings.
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