Save the Date!

It's official, everyone....

I have a surgery date!

   I will be having my surgery on October 30th, which gives me exactly 29 days to make all of my final preparations at home and at work. Now I have an enormous sense of relief and can finally get a good night of sleep.

Sleep Study

   On Monday night I did end up having my sleep study and I think that it went much better than my previous experience through Beverly Hills Physicians. I definitely knew what I was in for this time and had my comfy blanket ready to go.

 

I'll know more about my results by next Monday and hopefully schedule my surgery by then. Here's to hoping! I have stopped getting excited about things related to scheduling a date because every time I'm given a date, another road block seems to come up. It has definitely been something that has caused stress and I've started manifesting it physically. My blood pressure is extremely elevated right now and I have a bad sore throat.

Adventures in Research Land!

   Now that my surgery is right around the corner, I am beginning to focus more on my post-op care and nutrition guidelines. I have spent the last week looking online to see if there were any recipes books for Sleeve patients and I found several claiming to be of help. But in actuality I was able to narrow it down to 2 amazing books:

Eating Well After Weight Loss Surgery

&

Weight Loss Surgery Cookbook for Dummies

   By far the "Dummies" book is my favorite. Not only does it provide you with healthy recipes, but it also tells you what to stock in your pantry and give you ideas for substituting things you used to use and eat everyday for healthy choices. Another thing I loved about it was that some of the recipes were even for protein shakes and the "mushy" food phase. It also explains the science behind your new diet and how to use food as fuel. Awesome!

 

 

This book was also pretty good, but it isn't going to be of much use until 4-6 months post-op when you can eat normally again. I decided to order the "Dummies" book first because it was going to be the best immediate option.

Me and my book hunting buddy!

 

What a Week It Will Be...

   This is going to be one crazy week for me, but also a very important week! Here is how it's going to play out:

MONDAY- I will be having my class about pre-op and post-op care. I am definitely going to be taking my husband with me so that he'll know how to care for me the first couple of days, just in case I'm completely out of it. Later that night I'll be heading back to the doctor's office to take part in a sleep study to test me for sleep apnea.

WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY- I will be SCHEDULING MY SURGERY!!!! That's right folks... I will be getting my surgery date this week, which means all of the final preparations will begin.

                                                       PREPARATION #1

 

I must get this shirt to wear to the hospital, as well as when I leave the hospital.

 

 

PREPARATION #2

 

I will be having a Nacho Libre themed party as a way to celebrate this new chapter in my life and to sort of be a last hoorah before the big day.

 

 

 

 

The Protein Experiment

   So now that my surgery is finally within my grasp I have really begun to buckle down and make sure that I have this protein "thing" figured out. Protein is by far one of my biggest concerns when it comes to post-op care. Anyone who has done a moderate amount of VSG (vertical sleeve gastrectomy) research knows that one of the risks of the surgery is experiencing hair loss. This is an unfortunate side-effect that occurs from people getting insufficient amounts of protein. I've read several theories blaming the hair loss on anesthesia, but it just doesn't make any logical sense.

   When I asked my nutritionist about it, she said it actually happens from the traumatic experience that your body is undergoing post-op. That makes perfect sense to me! Your body is literally in shock/survival mode. From what I've read and heard from other people it's also something you can't avoid altogether. However, you can make it minimal by giving your body the protein it needs and sticking to your multi-vitamin. For the most part people say that the only people who will notice your hair loss are going to be you and your hair-dresser. I can deal with that!

   In my quest to make sure that I'm getting the protein I need, I've been trying to amount an arsenal of protein supplements and products that I can use as tools in my weight loss. I absolutely love the whey protein powder from Trader Joe's, but I need to be able to have some instant options for those days I'm running late to school and don't have the time to make a protein shake. So today I started looking for protein drinks and stumbled upon the answer to my prayers on the first try!

BEHOLD!

Bolthouse Farms Chocolate Protein Plus

 

This protein drink is amazing! It tastes like melted down chocolate ice cream, and the best part is that it doesn't leave that chalky texture in your mouth when you are done drinking it. I have to admit that my tendency is to drink protein drinks that are fruity because, from previous experiences with diets products, "chocolate" flavors never taste like real chocolate. However I can say that I am so glad I grabbed this instead of my usual strawberry/banana option. It will be a great dessert replacement. I feel like my sweet tooth has been curbed and I don't feel bad because I just put 30 grams of protein in my body and only 210 calories for my entire meal.

 

In the words of Squirt and Crush....

 

"Sweet."

"Totally!"

These are the nutrition facts.

 

And this is my attempt at taking a better picture of the bottle. However, every time I moved my kitty would come get in the picture too. She loves any liquid in a bottle and always thinks it's for her, since we always give her bottled water. Silly girl!!!