Getting Ready

Well, I am in total shock!  I figured it would be a long time until I would have any page views on my blog and I assumed (you all know what they say about assuming, lol!) that I would only have views after I let my friends and relatives know I had a blog but I just logged on and had 23 views since I started yesterday.  Thank you, whoever you are, I am no longer just talking to myself!

I can't believe how nervous or anxious I have suddenly become.  That is just not me.  I think I am worried about being perfect with everything.  I am trying to get all the right vitamins.  The nurse said I really will want liquid vitamins for the first couple of weeks but I am gonna go ahead and try the chewable ones I already purchased and if the are a problem then I will spring for some liquid ones.  I had been stocking up on protein shakes to be ready for the liquid diet I am starting day after tomorrow.  I had bought mostly Atkins because they are the lowest in carbs but tons of people including the nurse (who by the way had the VSG surgery a year ago so she knows!) say they are terrible and that I should exchange them.  So my dear sweet hubby is off right now returning stuff and getting me new stuff. I had bought B-vitamins and then found out I need the sublingual B's and since I tend to see myself as pretty tough I figured I could swallow my Calcium Citrate and my D3 but got convinced to return those and get chewable ones.

Last night we had an outdoor movie night at my brother's.  They have been hosting them all summer, sometimes with the kids, sometimes just adults.  They got a big blow-up screen and a projector and hooked it up to their Bose system.  It is pretty awesome.  They purchased a ton of movie type candy, you know, like Junior Mints, Mike and Ike, etc. and most of the summer I have been partaking but last night I threw a protein bar in my purse.  When the candy got passed around I said, "No thanks, I brought a protein bar. " My sweet niece who was delivering candy said, "Well, good for you." So there I sat in the dark, watching the movie and slowly, with teeny bites and chewing well enjoyed my protein bar.  I had thrown 3 different ones in my purse so I could have a choice. Enter the monster, no, not on the movie screen, the one in my head.  It started saying, "Wouldn't you like to just have another protein bar? After all, you have 2 more in there." I fought with myself for a while and finally convinced myself that it was only the "old me" talking and I am creating a "new me" and there are going to be many, many times in my future when I am gonna want to eat something I shouldn't so I might as well start having victories over that monster now because he isn't going away!  I reminded myself of something I read somewhere recently and put on a sticky note on my computer.  I don't know where I saw it so I am sorry I can't properly attribute it but it is good and it is true!

  Just because you got the monkey off your back does not mean the circus has left town forever!

We have to be hypervigilant with ourselves, I guess forever. And some of you out there probably have a longer forever on this earth than I do so keep working on that self-talk in your head.  Keep it positive and don't beat yourself up! 

                             Beginning the Journey

A taste of eggnog for granddaughter, Lily!

Hi everyone!  My name is Colleen and in 11 days I am going to have the Roux-N-Y bypass.  I have been researching my surgery and what I need to do afterward for several months.  I have read many, many blogs and they have helped me so much!  But the one thing I have begun to notice is that all the bloggers I have found are significantly younger than my...ahem...63 years of age, lol!  I have even been on the hunt for older bloggers but to no avail so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and join you. 
Yesterday I had what my surgeon's office calls, a "binder class".  I was given a 3-ring binder filled with info at the beginning of this journey and yesterday I went to a class along with 4 other gals who are having the same surgery to go over everything in detail, meaning, when to stop meds, what to do for our pre-op diet, our post-op diet, long-term diet, etc., etc. OMGosh!  Anyone who ever tries to tell you that you are taking the easy way out by having surgery should be tarred and feathered!  This is not easy, it is not going to be easy and if it were easy, everyone who is obese would do it and they would all keep their weight off forever!
When I went for my 1st visit there were several recommendations I was given and since I tend to be just a wee bit OCD, I have followed them to the letter and the funny thing is that without changing very much else in my life I have lost 20 lbs. in the last 3 and 1/2 months.  I had been wanting to give up my diet soda for a while after reading some articles that convinced me aspartame is so bad for me but I couldn't seem to do it, I drank too much coffee and was always wishing I drank less of it and I am fairly disabled and don't get any exercise.  So what have I done you may be asking?  Well, my Dr. and his minions said, "No more carbonated drinks!" that was 4/29/13 and guess what?  I have had no carbonated drinks since 4/29/13. Did I say I may be a little OCD? :) The Doc said, "Cut out the caffeine!" That very day I began making my coffee 1/2 decaf and gradually moved to all decaf and now I rarely have more than 1 cup a day.  I stopped using straws, I stopped chewing gum, I stopped drinking 30 minutes before a meal, during a meal and 30 minutes after a meal.  I bought smaller plates and eating utensils (and I didn't just buy them I use them too!)  I began to chew, chew, chew my food. And...drumroll...I have started walking on my treadmill. The 1st week I could only walk a 1 minute but I kept it up and soon I could do 2 minutes, then 3, then 4.  I am all the way up to 10 minutes and for those of you who are thinking, "That is pathetic, I could do that in my sleep." Please remember, I am disabled, with nothing to hold on to I have to use a cane, I am on oxygen but I am doing it and someday I will be walking the 150 minutes a week my surgeon wants and who knows what else?!   All of these are things I will have to do after the surgery and so I figured I better get started, right?
Next Tuesday I start my pre-op protein shake/liquid diet, then Thursday I see the surgeon and go to the hospital for some pre-op stuff then the following Tuesday, August 27th is Surgery Day.  I wanted to get this blog started before surgery on the off chance that someday, someone who needs to hear someone who is pre-op talking will read this blog. I will be back tomorrow to continue the chronicles of my journey, meanwhile here's to a new and brighter future!!