Post Op Supplies

Post Op Supplies, a photo by NoEscape21 on Flickr. (IF YOU CLICK ON THE PHOTO YOU CAN SEE MY NOTES :P )

Went shopping tonight and got most of my post-op supplies at wal-mart. I ordered a cute turquoise jersey fabric robe online (12 bucks and only a couple bucks shipping).

I also contacted Syntrax and am getting 13 sample packets of Nectar protein for 13 bucks. Everything from Walmart came to a lil under 100 and aside from getting chicken broth cubes, jello and crystal light I will be ready to go and have most of what I need when I get home. YAY!

Still no Passport for Madi, but if it doesn't get here by Saturday the representative's office said to call them again to let them know. So far still doing pretty good with my pre-op diet. accidentally when slightly over my carb limit (by a few grams) but overall I am going strong.

Pre Op Diets, Dealing with family, and other fun updates

Here we go..

So Even though my surgery is 2 weeks from TOMORROW, I decided to start on my pre-op diet today. I just felt like it was time to truly buckle down. So far so good. Here is what is going on today.

Breakfast:
1 scoop of Body Fortress Chocolate Whey protein
1 cup 1% Milk
Total Carbs: 16
Total protien: 34

Lunch:
Atkin's Advantage Milk Chocolate Delight Shake
Total Carbs: 5
Total protien: 15

Dinner Plans:
8 oz Chicken breast (boneless skinless)
Can of spinach
Total Carbs: 8 (approx...gotta check when i get home)
Total protien: 46

Puts me well within my Carb limit of 40-50 Max (im at approx 29gms)
Protien total is 95gms
Calories are approx 862

Hoping to see a decent loss in the next 2 weeks as most my days will look just like this (maybe an egg added in here or there I think).

Not much else to report really, I'm boring right now :P

Sound the alarms

So one of my fears pre-op has happened. Most of my side of the family found out and are freaking out that I am going to Mexico for my surgery. They also keep confusing my surgery with both the lap band AND gastric bypass. (people do that ALLLL the time, just assume I am getting RNY... most of them don't even know what a gastric sleeve IS... including one of my aunts who is a nurse).

Then there was also lots of guilt trips. Like, that I didn't care enough about them to tell them I was going. One aunt keeps leaving voicemails asking if I thought it over, and why dont I just "eat apples instead of going for surgery"....yep. (she is not completely all there up top. but still always finds ways to offend me).

So I am doing my best to just grin and bear it and not really talk about the surgery at all around them because I don't want to keep hearing how stupid I am being.

One aunt tried to "sympathize" with me by telling me how much she wants a face lift and could get one cheaper in another country, but she doesn't feel the risk is a good idea.

Okay... not getting a facelift will not adversely effect your health. I had to stay home Friday because I had a really bad reaction to sushi rice that made me feel horrible all day (I even checked my blood sugar and it was FINE...so yeah idk). Maybe my diabetes might not go away from getting surgery but a lot of my other health risks will. I have other health issues that are all but cleared up with weight loss. To me... going to Mexico for this is worth the risk because I may end up in an early grave otherwise. So please, do not try and tell me that these wants are one in the same.

I spent nearly 45 minutes on the phone with this aunt, who while she said she wasn't trying to lecture me it was more or less that. She didn't think I was getting enough pre-op testing because in the USA you have to go see so many doctors before having the surgery (yes...because that gives insurance a better chance to deny you over something trivial). I explained to her the entire process and that I get down there and get pre-op testing, which includes, a physical, ekg, lots of bloodwork, etc. I also explained the surgery itself to her and how they test multiple times for a leak in my sleeve. She didn't really seem to listen and just said "well your mind is already made up, but I just hope you don't regret this or that something bad happens".

There is always the chance of something wrong possibly happening. Heck I know a girl that nearly died during the surgery for lapband (in the USA might I add) and SHE is even supportive of me.

Easter sunday was suprisingly uneventful with my family (the aunt from NY wasn't there and neither was the crazy one). My other aunt wasn't feeling too well (she is a poster child for just how horrible diabetes and obesity can make your life ...) . My brother did however ask a bit more about the surgery. I think he has gone from completely unsupportive to, interested but still worried about his little sister. I explained the surgery to him. The whole staples on my stomach thing scares him. But I think he is picturing like office staples because he asked what if they fall out? I explained how there are 3 rows of them as well as they sew over the staple line too.

Dinner was good, as I realized that was the last piece of my aunts' lasagna I would have in a long time, I totally savored it, and had some honey baked ham, and one red velvet cupcake. Most of the day over there I spent outside in the pool with my niece and nephews. We brought my dog over too but she just ran around the yard and steered clear of us while we were in the pool since she is scared of it.

I am ready to get these next two weeks over with. Maybe everyone will feel better once I am back in one piece.

Hurr and Bento

So I had decided to cut my hair. short. I have always wanted it really short, in a pixie style. Because of my weight I have just been letting it grow. But I figured that with the surgery and my commitment to this change why not go for it now? Besides it will be less to deal with post-op while I'm in the hospital etc. Madi decided she was going to cut off her hair with me (though not as short) so I booked us appointments at one of the best salons in Orlando. They are well-known for funky fun cuts. Exactly what I was looking for. My hair inspiration was none other than P!nk! Fitting I think as lately her songs have seemed to be my own personal anthems. Madi also had a P!nk style in mind too lol. What can I say, great minds think alike!

Madi's hair inspiration

Her results:

My hair inspiration:

My results!

Finally... my next bento meal for Tuesday!

• Hard-boiled eggs with cheese stars and turkey cheese rolls
• Chunk white tuna with cheese stars
• Iceberg lettuce with cherry tomatoes and Raspberry Vinaigrette

(I plan to put the tuna in with the salad)

I started utilizing Myfitnesspal.com to track my daily food. My pre-op diet's main restriction is on carbs. No more than 40-50 grams of carbs per day. Right now I am over that but still within healthy ranges according to myfitnesspal. I am gradually working this week to get my diet within the pre-op standards (with meals like above). Hoping to see at least a little loss this week, but am still not doing great on water intake.

That's all for now.

Culinary Adventures with Jenn

Yesterday was quite the shopping and cooking success! I not only packed a beautifully delicious and healthy lunch to combat it being the start of the work week, but I also made a dinner that was a hit! Warning...food porn ahead :)

How can anybody be grumpy about it being Monday when they have an adorably packed lunch with a strawberry Ramune waiting for them come lunch time?

Below is all three bento compartments, the bigger one has 2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half with sliced turkey and kraft cheese star cut outs and spirals. There were originally more spirals but Ms. Lainey Dog stole 4 while my back was turned...bad doggy. The square container is holding a salad with cherry tomatoes and small apple chunks, and lite raspberry vinaigrette

A close up of my delicious protein.. OM NOM NOM NOM!

A close up of the squar container...because its adorable :)

Finally, a picture of dinner. Black bean burgers that I baked, added cheese and put on whole grain bread. Baked sweet potato fries made with olive oil, sea salt, and dried rosemary.

I also made iced ginger peach tea, but it is not done just yet... fending off the soda pop :) It feels somewhat relaxing to have healthy food planned out for the week and to know that I am also contributing to others eating yummy but healthier food than we have been eating lately. I also want my hubby and my bestie to be healthy as I become healthy.

Shopping and Lunch!

I am going to start cooking again! Yep...hold the phone...Jenn is using her kitchen again!
So today Madi and I headed to the farmer's market and loaded up on veggies (mainly) and fruit. Got a HUGE amount for 30 bucks.

Next was the Asian Market where I got some random stuff I needed for the week. I bought a couple more Japanese Soda's for Madi, Robert, and me, since lets face it I won't be touching it til at least maintenance...though 70 calories for those is WAY better than reg soda :)...so those can be a treat every now and then.

Then I finally ventured to Aldi....my friend Andrea had been bugging me telling me to go shop there so I finally did. Got quite a bit for 50 bucks and only needed a couple other things which we got at WalMart.

Behold our spoils of the day!



This week I am planning to do dinner for all of us, including

Stuffed bell peppers
Tomato, Mozzerella & Avocado Salad
Tomato, Artichoke, & bean salad
Vegetarian sushi
Black bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries (baked with olive oil , sea salt, and Rosemary)

My lunches are going to be packed in my bento and mainly will probably have eggs and cheese with maybe an apple and one of the tomato salads from the above list.

Breakfast is just going to be a protien shake for now.

And since I realized I hadn't eaten all day when we got home, I decided to try out making a bento!

I bought some pre made tofu and sliced it up and made shiritaki noodles with some soy sauce and seasoning that I tried out. in the bottom part of the bento I sliced up strawberries and put black seedless grapes in there.



This made me happy, tasted good and was quite a healthy lil meal :)

WLS VLOG PreOp # 4

So yeah... I am going to be working on making bariatric friendly bento meals :) I think I will eventually put them all on one page on my blog here !

Time's a Tickin

About 3 and a half weeks to go! The Seattle trip made time fly by. Heck I even found myself not thinking about surgery at least a handful of times on vacation.

Now I am back though and with less than a month to go I am getting back down to business.
I am going to be doing a vlog probably tonight because I have something I would like to share with my fellow WLS peeps :)

In other news... still no passport for Madi just yet...and no news to report from the passport agency either. Once we hit 14 days away we can start making more noise but I am hoping it comes before then. If not though... plan B is still in effect and I will be going solo.

Now that surgery is inching closer and closer I find myself getting even more nervous...

The other night I found myself thinking...isn't this a little insane? Going out of the country and having surgery? I suppose it is... I have multiple times wondered (as many others do) will I really be able to see how it feels to have a size on that isn't double digits? Will I reach my goals? Or am I being stupid. I want this...I know I do, but I am still a bit afraid of the unknown. Reading other's experiences on the Loser's bench does help....maybe I should go blog and vlog hopping again :) You guys always seem to help!

In Seattle

Just popping on to say Hi real quick! I am up in Seattle right now, until this Wednesday, then it is back to the rat race for one more month...then AHHHHH surgery! It's really coming up.

I am having a great time out here visiting with my brother-in-law and his boyfriend. They are absolutely amazing. I have been trying foods I have never tried before, and doing lots of walking around the city. So far I haven't lost weight, but I also haven't gained anything either, hehe.

I feel like this really is my tummy's last hurrah, with all the cool stuff and all the delicious Seattle coffee that I have been trying. Despite the fact that I wished I was tinier before we came here I am still going to cherish all the memories, pics and vids we've taken here.

I told Robert that they will also make great before pics too hehe. Maybe after goal we can come back here to visit again. Despite all the damn hills and inclines (they really give your calves a workout!) I would totally love to move out here one day. Definitely wouldn't happen any time soon...but maybe one day. It's a beautiful city. I included a pic in front of Pike's Market. I had some amazing clam chowder from there! Can you believe I have never had clam chowder before? hehe. By the way, that is my hubby in the grey hoodie.

Identify Yourself!!!!!!!

This week has been long and crazy. I suppose anytime you have any stretch of vacation coming up it feels that way...but seriously.

So last Friday, things were looking peachy keen. That is until I got home from work and we received a packet addressed to Madi from the passport agency. One would have been excited except for the fact that the envelope I had received my new pass card in DID NOT look like that envelope. Oh no! It was not her pass card at all. She had recieved a letter from them with an enclosed packet.

"Unfortunately the information you have provided is not sufficient for passport purposes."

The packet was an information packet she would now have to fill out and send into them along with at least 5 documents from a period of time to prove her identity. I'll be honest I cried for a good thirty minutes after the first time we called the passport agency to figure out exactly what had triggered this as she HAD sent the necessary info to recieve her passport in time. The first guy we talked to was completely apathetic to our plight. We had sent her stuff in early enough to allow for processing etc but now a month and a half before we leave this happens?!

I am guessing Madi's lack of a past was what may have helped trigger things. She has not really worked before, but honestly that isn't completely weird for an 18 year old to not have held a job and paid employment taxes before. *shrugs* We called back to find out if worst case scenario we need to drive to Miami to deal with this as one of the passport processing facilities is down there. This woman was much more helpful and also gave us a list of other secondary documentation that we can use to prove Madi's identity.

So after taking Saturday and Sunday to chill out and not really stress about it, we tackled the packet and scrounged together anything and everything we could to prove her identity (I think we sent nearly 10 things lol). I also emailed our local state representative for assistance too (after this was suggested on OH). The next day we got a call from the Representative's office and sure enough the are willing to try and help us get her passport in time! We sent the packet 2 day Fedex Express so they should have all of it tomorrow morning. So while it is looking good that she will still be able to go with, keep us in your thoughts that everything that needs to happen does and she is able to come with me. I did call Beliteweight to ask them about traveling alone as I know others have. And how about my coordinator (Joanne) called me back on Saturday NIGHT! I found that just awesome how they will respond to you even late on the weekend. She put my mind at ease regardless of what the outcome is...so either way I am going.