Now, you want to know what my negative experiences were. First of all, you need to understand that I am an information whore, and my need for information goes beyond the support groups and into the medical journals. However, in the end, the personal experiences most certainly helped me decide what I did NOT want in my own surgical options. I was aware of the risks for this surgery and also aware that the sleeve gastrectomy was the new comer of bariatric choices at the time. I took the 6 months of monitored weight loss sessions to make a lot of changes in my life. I had closure to a lot of the poor habits that landed me where I was, at 330lbs. Those 6 months were a crucial part of my preparation toward surgery. Sure it would have been nice to wake up one day and decide I was ready to do this, schedule it and have it done the following month, but I don’t think I would have had the success that I have had, had I not taken those full six months to get there.

What were my bad experiences. I had to learn to eat again. This wasn’t bad, but it was a process. I struggled for a full year to get in over 800 calories a day. As a result of too few calories, I plateaued more often than I would have liked.
Trying bad foods… we all do it, we want to be normal and we all want to feel normal. A small ice cream cone once in a blue moon should be okay. This wasn’t the case for me initially. I ate a few licks of ice cream, 3 months after my surgery and I prayed for death.

It was the most unpleasant thing I had ever experienced.  Newly rearraingd guts don’t take well to fatty, sugary foods.  The further out I have gotten the more tolerable my stomach is. Yes, I continue to try. I want normal & I enjoy the indulgence from time to time.

What happened that I wasn’t prepared for? Well… I sort of swung to the other end of the spectrum where my relationship with food went. Just for a while, but long enough and it still screams in the back of my head. I went from never looking at a calorie or nutritional label, to being absolutely horrified at the sight of a snack that is 200 calories. Calorie counting became routine, first to try to reach 1000 calories, then to be sure to never step over 1000 calories. I wasn’t prepared to fear food. I love food. At the moment I think I’m in a good place, but I’m nearly two years out, and while I can squelch that frantic voice in my head that freaks the hell out at calories… it is still there.

Do I have regrets? NO! NO NO NO! I thought about this long and hard before I answered it. I chose surgery as means to weight loss, because my next step was a coffin. I wasn’t going to lead a long life at the weight I was at. I wasn’t keeping up with my kids, I wasn’t happy, I wasn’t living. I was a very unhappy woman and I loathed myself, because I allowed myself to get to that point, and my weight directly affected my children. Mommy didn’t want to go out, so the kids didn’t get to go out. It was horrible. NOW, Now we go out, we live, we laugh, we skip and dance. Now my husband has had the same surgery and together we smile at the beauty that is our family. We did this for our family and our family is thriving as a result. No, I have no regrets regarding the choice to have surgery.

My advice to you is this: If you are thinking about bariatric surgery, do your homework. Look beyond the news reports and the message forums, and search medical journals. Be prepared for your life to change in a big way. If you do not change your relationship with food, no amount of surgery will work for you. It doesn’t matter what you do. If you are going to eat like crap, you will feel like crap, you will not nourish your body and you will eventually wreck yourself in one way or another.

Finally, support really is important. Find a support group that fits you well. Be comfortable enough to ask questions with out feeling awkward, walk away feeling empowered and not drained. Support is a major key to success. I know that almost every post op will attest to this.

Our surgeon runs lab work on his patients 3 months after surgery to see how the patient is doing with their newly altered interior. Most people have a storage of nutrients in their body for some time, and while some numbers may show decline at 3 months, I believe a better view would be seen at six months. Who am I though? Just a patient. However, since my surgeon went to some length to discuss the importance of vitamin B in the gastric sleeve patient, I was alarmed that my husband’s 6 month lab sheet came requesting only 1 test. Vitamin D. You see, his D was low at his 3 month draw, so they decided it should be checked again. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had ANY labs drawn until 12 months post op.

Concerned about his other labs, I asked my husband to go to the office and talk to somebody there. Surely there was a mistake. When he went, it was after most of the staff had left, and he seemed to have been placated with a “yes, yes. Come back tomorrow for another sheet.”. Since he works unusually long hours, I went to the office on his behalf. When I requested a new lab form, I was stonewalled by the office staff. “No, we don’t do labs at six months.” To which I inquired, but why not? If my beloved surgeon requires seeing my husband, surely he needs labs to tell how he is doing. Yes? NO! No? No. “Dr, wants to see him to see how he is doing, but he doesn’t require any labs, unless he was low at his 3 month draw.

Please excuse my snark here, but seriously? He wants to visually lay eyes upon my husband, but he doesn’t require the labs that could actually tell if he is nutritionally deficient, following a bariatric procedure. Am I understanding this correctly? I asked this, over and over again. I needed clarification. Hell, I wanted somebody to hold my hand and make me understand.

Now, I really LIKE my surgeon. I got a great feeling from him through out all of the pre-op meetings we had, and even during my post op follow ups. But you see, as I had another surgery very shortly after my gastric sleeve, and as a result, my labs fell into the hands of other doctors. My follow up fell into the hands of a great many, and I felt incredibly secure and loved.

Despite the amount of warm feelings I have had for the surgeon, his office staff left me feeling cold and dismayed. They refused to simply fill out a lab form for a patient who was looking to be pro-active with his health, and suggested that if he wanted more labs done, he should see his GP. His GP, who is not a bariatric specialist.

So I go back to the question, why does the surgeon need to lay eyes on my husband at six months, if there will be no labs done to see what is happening internally? Does he have a third eye? A magic wand? A crystal ball?

While we may giggle about the clairvoyance of our doctors, the lack of a standard of care for the post op patient is really starting to hit close to home for me.

We have Bariatric Centers of Excellence, which require statics from the hospitals and the surgeon’s five years out. This means that the surgeons are EXPECTED to follow their patients for at least five years. It shouldn’t fall to the general practitioner to run labs for the bariatric population. If a surgeon’s group, hospital and support center are to yield this honor of excellence, shouldn’t the most pressing part of that fall upon the shoulders of the doctors?

Should the OFFICE staff be the voice of the center of excellence? Shouldn’t labs and appointments go hand in hand? As time goes on and the surgeries performed are understood better and better, why is it falling to us, the patients to have to demand that our health be followed up upon correctly? Why is it that I had to argue, and still leave that office empty handed? Where is the EXCELLENCE in that?

My Super groovy surgeon wasn’t there the day that I went in, requesting a lab form for my husband. He was over at the hospital, rearranging the insides of new bariatric patients. I can’t point my finger quite as snidely at him as I felt initially, simply because I’m sure he is unaware to some extent, of the stonewalling that goes on. However, it IS up to him, to request the labs, and so my question of why do you need to lay eyes upon a patient, with out having their labs drawn first… goes directly to him as well as to the ASMBS.

WHY WHY WHY…. are we having to FIGHT to be PRO-ACTIVE with OUR HEALTH? I do not UNDERSTAND!! I’m angry and I’m sad. How can we change the wrongs with in this system?

After TJ’s last rheumo appointment, when we came home with methotrexate and needles in hand, I told him we were going to Fresh Market to get mommy some blood oranges and TJ a big ass cupcake. We happily skipped into the store when I nearly had a meltdown. There were no blood oranges. Honestly, I was welling up with tears. This was going to be the thing that broke me! I needed those oranges! I was going to make a DRINK with them! While I was asking the sweet, unsuspecting gentlemen just why the hell nobody has blood oranges RIGHT NOW… when they had them LAST WEEK… TJ came over to me with a carton of Blood Orange Juice. GASP! JUICE? OF A BLOOD ORANGE? STFU! I was gobsmacked! I have never seen this. EVER. My son on the other hand broke it to me gently… “DUH MOM! Its and ORANGE! UH, IT HAS JUICE?!” <insert my mother must be a moron stink eye here>

On with it then… I went home with my quart of blood orange juice and some goodies for the kids and then I made my drink. After a few tweeks, here is how I have perfected my lovely cocktail: RULE #1 We don’t use triple sec!

4 0z vodka (Rule #2, use good vodka)

1 oz cointreau
1 wedge of lime, squeezed
3 oz blood orange juice (or one fresh blood orange juiced)

Fill your martini shaker with ice, and combine all ingredients. Shake the hell out of them. Go ahead, let out your frustrations, it sounds good, it feels good and when you’re done it tastes good.  Then pour into your favorite martini glass, wine glass, coffee cup, paper cup… we’re not picky, we’re frustrated stressed out women. Got a straw? Stick it int he martini shaker. I don’t care. LOL

Here is how mine turn out:

WARNING: drinking after WLS is not the same as drinking before WLS. If you have not had a drink since your weight loss surgery, let your first drink be in the comfort of your own home, with the people you love.. and TAKE IT SLOW.
ALSO: MANY MANY MANY people do not agree with drinking post weight loss surgery. Do your research, ask your doctors, don’t just assume that its okay for you.
VSGMOM is 1.5 years post op and enjoys the occasional drink. This one is my favorite.

I wrote to her, and what I said to her, sort of settled with me and I had an “ah ha” or perhaps a “duh” or even just a “hmm?” moment. The following is where my tangent with her went:

The world is filled with quality people, similar to how a department store is filled with quality clothing. I believe that most people start every day with the intent to do their best, be their best, and put forth their best. Regardless of what happens between the start of the day and the end of the day, each person’s quality or value can really only go up. We live, we learn, right?

So, If the world is a department store and the people are quality products, we know that there are different styles, sizes, shades and price ranges. Just because we shop in this department store, filled with the most wonderful products, doesn’t mean we take home one of each and every thing. While we browse, try on, handle and appreciate many, we go home with few. We take home what fits us. That is not to say that the others were poor quality. Sometimes, we take home something that isn’t a good fit, and we have to “return” or let it go. Its sad, right? Because you really loved that product. Its quality hasn’t changed, the fit just wasn’t right.

Of course, life isn’t as cut and dry as a department store, and people aren’t products. We have feelings, emotions, souls. My point however, is that there doesn’t need to be a love or hate between people or groups. There doesn’t need to be such strong or harsh words put out when speaking of somebody who isn’t your fit. We, as adults, as humans, as women, know that we begin each day with the goal of bettering ourselves in some way. Nurturing our loved ones, healing our wounds, loving our families, betting our today, setting goals for our tomorrow.

In trying to help my niece find comfort and peace in who she is, while keeping in mind that the people around her do their best as well, I found myself reflecting upon this past year in my own life. There has been a whirlwind of change, emotionally charged, fun times and sad times, angry times and scary times. There is a profound need for peace in my own little corner of the world, and I know that I’ve somehow glazed over the part where I find peace, I know that maybe other people could use a reminder too.

So, today, this is my wish for you….. I wish you peace that touches your soul. I wish you an eased heart and a quiet mind. I wish you quality with in your life, and perfect fits, if only a few, because that is all it takes.

I bet you do it too. You do don’t you? Think about it…. I’ll wait. The two of you that said no, stand up right now and take a bow! The rest of you, sit your ass down right now and get to reading! This is from Amy Pedersen of Slimpressions, and she is talking to you and to me and to women everywhere!

This is the CHALLENGE!

Yes, I’ll share the study with you, but not before I chime in here…

I understand why some people prefer to keep their decision to have WLS secret. I know that SO MANY people think that it is “the easy way out” or that it is just simply lazy. I know that dealing with ignorant people is INFURIATING! And, in understanding that emotion, I DO understand your desires to keep your surgery to yourself. HOWEVER…. If we don’t raise our voices and educate the ignorant people about just how much of a journey WLS is, then the taboo label will never go away. And that just doesn’t sit well with me.

Clearly, I am not one of the secretive ones. I tell people quite openly at times (when the situation calls for it) that I have had weight loss surgery. I have had people say to me “Oh, well that’s still okay.” “Not everybody is cut out for the gym.” (<—-seriously!!!) and “Really? Did your family know?” (Nope, they thought I went on a vacation for a day, in a hospital, with an IV and sutures in my gut???) Each time I have smiled (with effort) and explained to the people that weight loss surgery isn’t an easy process, and it certainly is not a walk in the park. Lets face it folks, we deserve every stinking accolade that we get, for every damn ounce we lose… because look at where we started and look at where we are NOW! My life speaks for itself.

My point is this….  Weight loss surgery has its risks. The life after weight loss surgery is not magical, its real. You have to still work to be healthy. You still have to invest some time and some pride in yourself.  While you won’t be obese, you will have loose skin. You will face the possibility of other surgeries because of that. There is no magical moment. But there is this….. With out weight loss surgery, you will struggle more, and fight harder to get healthy. No, not everybody should have weight loss surgery, BUT… if it can save a life? BY ALL MEANS do your homework!

With no further Ado…. here is the press release :

https://weightloss.clevelandclinic.org/images/file/STAMPEDE/STAMPEDE_Press_Release.pdf

Overweight, diabetic patients who underwent bariatric surgery achieved significant improvement or remission of their diabetes, according to new research from Cleveland Clinic.
In a randomized, controlled trial, some weight loss surgery patients achieved normal blood sugar levels without use of any diabetes medications. In others, the need for insulin to control blood sugar was eliminated. Recent observational studies had demonstrated that bariatric surgical procedures reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes and lead to substantial improvement for many patients with pre-existing disease.
“After one year, patients who underwent gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy lost more weight and were significantly more successful at controlling their diabetes, compared to those who simply took medications,” said lead investigator Philip Schauer, M.D., Director of the Cleveland Clinic Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. “We believe that bariatric surgery represents a potentially valuable strategy for control of diabetes that should be considered in more patients who do not respond to conventional treatment.”
Results of the STAMPEDE (Surgical Therapy And Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently) trial were published today in The New England Journal of Medicine and presented today at the Annual Scientific Sessions of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.
The STAMPEDE trial involved 150 patients with obesity and poorly controlled diabetes. The patients were divided into three groups of 50: those who received intensive medical therapy of their diabetes, those who received intensive medical therapy plus gastric bypass surgery, and those who received intensive medical therapy plus sleeve gastrectomy.
“This trial demonstrates that bariatric surgery can eliminate the need for diabetes medications in many obese patients whose diabetes is poorly controlled,” Schauer said. “Furthermore, the surgical patients showed major improvements in other measures of heart health, including reduced need for high blood pressure and cholesterol medications, while significantly boosting HDL – the so-called ‘good’ – cholesterol.”
Effectiveness was gauged by the percentage of patients who achieved an average blood sugar within the normal range 12 months after treatment (measured using the hemoglobin A1c – HbA1c – a standard laboratory test that reflects average blood sugar over three months).
After 12 months, a normal HbA1c (less than 6.0) was achieved in 42.6 percent of patients who underwent gastric bypass and 36.7 percent of patients who underwent sleeve surgery, but just 12.2 percent of medically treated patients. The HbA1c of less than six is a more aggressive target than the American Diabetes Association guidelines.
Participants entered the study taking an average of three medications each for diabetes. In all of the gastric bypass patients who achieved the target level, the normal blood sugar was attained without use of any diabetic medications. Seventy-two percent of sleeve patients who reached normal blood sugar also did so without the use of any diabetic medications. In surgically-treated patients who continued to require drugs, researchers observed a substantial reduction in the need for diabetic medications.
As expected, the patients who received bariatric surgery lost more weight during the 12-month study, averaging 64.7 pounds for patients who received gastric bypass, 55.2 pounds for patients who had stomach reduction surgery, and 11.9 pounds for patients treated with medications.
The study authors reported some complications of surgery, but most were not serious. However, four patients did require a second operation. The study authors caution that the favorable results were observed after a relatively short follow-up period (12 months) and that long-term studies are needed to determine the durability of the findings. The authors will continue to follow these patients for four years to attempt to answer these questions.
More information on the clinical trial can be found at clevelandclinic.org/stampede.
This study was funded by Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, which is a company that designs and manufactures medical devices and surgical instruments.

When we hit the dairy section, the boy was drawn immediately to those little ITTY BITTY six packs of drinkable yogurt. Each little bottle is about 3 ounces of yogurt. They are packaged to grab the attention of the kids, with cartoon characters and Disney stars on them. And sure enough, their marketing did what I couldn’t do. They got the boy to eat (drink) breakfast.

This was wonderful, and my husband and I were high fiving each other the first few days. Until we realized that the other 3 kids wanted those fun little bottles of yogurt too. And at $4+ a pack it was costing us an arm and a leg. Seriously, 1 3oz bottle hardly held anybody over for more than an hour or two. So breakfast quickly became 2 bottles of yogurt drink x 4 kids = 1.5 packs in the morning, then TJ would have the other 2 bottles for snack when he got home from school as a snack. 2 packs a day x 7 days a week and we were spending $60 on yogurt!!!! SAY WHAT? STOP THE INSANITY!

What does a frugal mom of 4 do? I cheat and make my own! Want to know how? I’ll show ya!

We will make 1 gallon at a time. So here it goes…..

Purchase 2 32oz containers of blended yogurt in a flavor your kids will enjoy. I happily purchased Dannon Pure Strawberry. There are no ugly artificial colors in this. It has only 9 ingredients including natural fruit and vegetable juices. Best of all, its affordable!

Then I purchase 1 half gallon of fruit juice. I buy 100% white grape juice.

I mix all three into a 1 gallon container, cover and give a good shake! And WHOLA!

You have yourself 1 gallon of drinkable yogurt for under $8.00. How about that for savings?

First of all, let me just say that quinoa is a great substitute for rice. Really it is. Actually, you cook it JUST LIKE RICE! Can’t get easier than that now, can ya? NOPE! Now, quinoa on its own is sort of like rice, in that it doesn’t pack a whole lot of punch on its own, but it lends itself to being doctored up anyway you can imagine! If you have favorite herbs and spices, throw them in and have a go at it! You really can’t go wrong!

If you’re wondering Whats the deal with quinoa? Take a look at that link for a great breakdown and explanation! Since the homework was already done, I’m going to jump right on over to cooking with it.

***********

When I left physical therapy today I knew that quinoa was on the menu for the night. I ran over to the super market and grabbed one of their rotisserie chickens. Yep, I cheated. Then I got down to the nitty gritty. I grabbed Spinach, vadalia onions, sundried tomatoes, garlic,  goat cheese, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. I had quinoa at home already.

When I got home I threw my garlic in some olive oil and tossed it in a small pan in the oven at 350 degrees and let it roast to a nice golden color. Meanwhile I got to cleaning and dicing my onions, and washing my spinach. I threw a pot on one burner and a deep pan on the other.

In the pan I added a little olive oil (I prefer light olive oil, it is not as intense as extra virgin olive oil) and let it heat up, then I added my diced onions.  Let them cook till they start to get translucent, then add in my sundried tomatoes, a little salt and my fresh spinach. Give it a good toss, lower the heat, put the lid on and let the spinach wilt.

Meanwhile in my pot I have put four cups of water and two cups of quinoa on the burner. I bring that to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

I grabbed my garlic from the oven, nice and gold and smooshy soft. I smash it with a fork and dump it into my spinach and onions. Then I take my quiona and add that to the pan with the spinach, and I give it all a good mix and a toss. Now I add in some goat cheese. How much is up to you. I like to use just a little for the creaminess factor.

Finally it makes its way to the table, where it is served with chicken and the kids like to shake some Parmesan cheese on it.

A meal made for all! And its good for you too! YAY!

DID I MENTION THAT ITS GOOD FOR YOU TOO?

I’m saving my pennies and my calories to get myself an extra special one when I reach a special number! WOOHOO!

http://divatauniablog.com/category/friday-five/

The link is right up there.