2.4 more in 10 days

2.4 more in 10 days

335.6 = 2.4 more pounds off since Monday 10 days ago.

At day 7 I was basically "hollow" as nothing with any consistency had been in me for a week.

These last 10 days have seen me go from just clear liquids (Sugar Free Jell-o and Propel mostly) to 7 days of pureed foods and full liquids (runny mashed potatoes, creamed soups, then some pureed ham salad and tuna salad from the Kroger deli). SF Jell-O pudding with a scoop of protein powder and a scoop of dry milk has become a low calorie, high protein dessert favorite.  I was even able to go out to dinner twice last week and have Potatoe soup at two restaurants with friends, I just made sure to MASH it thoroughly.

As of this Monday I moved to a SOFT FOOD DIET. Dinner is now a scrambled egg with cheese, and a shot or three of my no calorie flavor sprays (see the recipe blog for details). Lunches have included Wendy's Chili and an assortment of deli Turkey Salad, Tuna Salad and Chicken Salad (that has not had to be pureed!)  I am also making my own lunch meat "Salad" items by using my Magic Bullet, 4 ounces of lunch meats and 2 tablespoons of Walden Farms Zero Calorie Bacon Ranch Salad dressing. I had tried making my own lunch salads with mayonnaise and it was OK, but at 90 calories per tablespoon of mayo that seemed to be a bit high. I tried again with fat free low cal "mayonnaise" and just threw that away it tasted so awful. Then I tried with Bubba's advice and Walden Farms comes to the rescue!

Snacks at work are a Light yogurt or a no sugar added tub of applesauce. And my nighttime snack is still the protein added SF Jell-O pudding. Those are solving my "sweets" fix.

But the main difference is that where before I was hollow with nothing in me, I am actually able to "Digest" the foods I am eating, not just drink them, and I WAS STILL ABLE TO LOSE. 

I've only felt hungry two times in the last 10 days.    Once before going to a friend's funeral, and that was due to just being sad at a horrible loss and not eating the day before, and then tonight, as I made sure I had my 6 ounces of meatballs for dinner AFTER getting weighed! ha ha.

My first "FILL" will now be Friday August 11th. I was going to do it on Monday the 7th but my nephews are coming up for a few days and a few Reds games. So, I'll do it a few days later than planned.

Keep wishing me luck and thanks to all, especially BUBBA and Rebecca and the ladies of Deaconess!

JC

 

 

 

No Calorie Flavor Sprays - The Review

Well folks,

Today my No Calorie Flavor Sprays came in the mail.
Since I am now on the PUREE part of post op, I'm NOT gonna skip the pureed
ham salad I am planning for dinner (oh, the small joys of life). But I
wanted to try them out. I tried them two ways, the bachelor version of just
shooting it in my mouth, and the refined version on a cracker. (I am hoping
I can actually eat those, but it seemed to have no problem- if I was bad,
Rebecca can spank me.)

To refresh your memory, they are $5.95 a TWO ounce bottle. I have no idea
how many shots would come in a bottle.

Shipping and handling was $ 6.95, which was not as big of a rip off as I
expected, as the postage was $4.02.


no-calorie flavor sprays - THE REVIEW

Caramelized Onions- Tasted somewhat like onions, and smelled like French
onion soup or perhaps what you might put on a pot roast or on top of a dog
at the ball park. Verdict- Good.

Memphis BBQ - Tastes dry and burnt- JUST LIKE MEMPHIS BBQ. I prefer sweet
and sour BBQ, as you can find at Walt's BBQ on Colerain Avenue. But in
combination with some other flavors this could be an interesting ingredient-
Verdict- A little better than OK. By it self- Yuch- which is what Memphis
BBQ tastes like, so this is a good simulation.

Smoked Bacon Spray- WOW. Tasty. Smells just like and tastes just like a good
smoky bacon. Almost good enough (but not quite) for me to consider changing
my dinner plans to Creamed Potatoe Soup to spray it on. I will do that
tomorrow. Verdict - TWO THUMBS UP.

----------

I had asked the company if there were any Cincinnati stores that sold this-
NOPE. But they say it is available at "Legourmet Chef" which the closest of
which is at the Jefferson Outlet Malls on I-71

http://www.legourmetchef.com/

Prime Outlets at Jeffersonville
((740) 948.0133
8650 Factory Shops Blvd.
Jeffersonville, OH 43128

There is another one near Indianapolis for you Hoosiers:

Edinburgh Premium Outlets
(812) 526-9770
11755 N.E. Executive Dr.
Suite I -70
Edinburgh, IN 46124

I will bring my three sprays and a box of crackers to NEXT Thursday's
"Adventures with the Deaconess Dieticioness-Rebecca Erdman" for a group
taste test.

You all are in charge of the breath mints.

JC

-------------------------------

no-calorie flavor sprays

Another option!

I ordered three- Smoked Bacon, Caramelized Onion and the Memphis BBQ
sprays.

We'll try them a few weeks after I'm banded July 10th.

------------------------

From a recent Mayberry Journal-

"WE TRIED IT"

Well, it sounds like it might work -- no-calorie flavor sprays that can
make a rice cake taste like cheesecake or celery like caramelized onions.
If it satisfied a craving for high-calorie food, think of all the weight
you could lose. Furthermore, Flavorspray liquid sprays carry the name of
David Burke, the well-known New York chef of davidburke and donatella.

The smoked bacon spray added an interesting flavor to scrambled eggs. The
teriyaki did a somewhat realistic imitation of the real thing when sprayed
on chicken. Best was the butter flavor on air-popped popcorn. But the
sprays certainly are not magic dust: Though the cheesecake spray gets
pretty close, a rice cake can never be a convincing cheesecake. Spraying
the sweet flavors directly in my mouth just made me hungry for the real
thing. $5.95 at www.flavorspraydiet.com.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060621/LIFE01/306210011/-1/all

31

Monday July 17
31

Yup, 7 days post op.
31 down.
88 to go.

Fun with Jell-o

Fun with Jell-o

Friday July 13, 2006
Day 4

Jell-o is the major food group.
I was getting sick of Jell-o until my god daughter, Erica, came over with some new Jell-o for me.

I hope you enjoy Jell-o now as much as I do.

JC

The scale

The scale

 

April 4        369    First meeting with Deaconess Hospital

June 23     363

July 1         I do not have a day 0 liquid diet weight.

July 7         356    Day 7 of liquid diet.

July 10     LapBand Day 

 

July 13       344

 

That would be TWENTY FIVE POUNDS.

25 down 105 to go.

 

12 pounds since last Friday.

 

While sore and pooped, seeing this number really made my day. I went to the support group meeting tonight, but I could not really be heard in the meeting and was really tired, so I came home early.

 

I want to thank BUBBA and to share the accomplishment with him, as without him, I could not, and probably would not, have done this.

 

-------

 

I made an appointment with Dr C to check my throat on Monday.  He said some folks have a tough time talking for a while-usually due to a tube in the throat during surgery. I do remember trying to yank it out when I was waking up and they had to restrain me. So, that might be it.

 

I've had a number of calls today and nobody could hear me.  Slightly aggravating, but at least we have email.

 

Wednesday - Day 3

Wednesday - Day 3

 

I'm still kicking!

 

Sadly my voice is not too loud yet, but it is much better than yesterday, so the phone is still not an option.

 

Yesterday I still felt like I got hit by a truck, today I am just sore. I can get up and down off the couch much easier today. Yesterday I had to get a pair of crutches out of the garage to help myself up with. Today, not needed. I just go slow.

 

I was able to drink 96 ounces of fluids yesterday- Propel, diluted cranberry and apple juice, one isopure and one profect. Today I am just at 36 ounces at 4 PM, it is taking longer to drink.

 

Today's major issues would be ITCHING and CRAMPING.

Itching- the belly hair is growing back already.

Cramping- I pulled my back getting up and now have a kink. The front of my left leg is numb. This used to happen when I fell asleep and when I rolled to my side it would wake up. Perhaps in a day or two I can sleep on my side.

 

In other news, Late Monday a hospital VP visited the drugged JC in his room to apologize for the $16,500 rant. Another hospital person called today. I just hope she does not do it again to someone one else.  Also since she was lecturing me in public, the person behind me heard that I was getting a LapBand- that is a violation of federal law. Patient confidentiality

 

All in all, I don't feel hungry, but do wander around the house, and where I used to find food and eat it, I now want to. But no actual FEELING of hunger. It has rained a lot here the last few days, so the one outside walk I tried, I went 50 feet and got poured on. Perhaps tomorrow. I am wearing a path in my carpet. Also tonight, I will try the basement steps.

 

I do feel 10 times better today. If the support group was tonight, I would not go, but I hope to go tomorrow night.

 

 

Monday 9 PM- JC home

Monday 9 PM- JC home

 

I made it home tonight at 9PM. The surgery was scheduled for 9AM, but the previous one went long.

 

They were successful in doing this arthroscopically. I have a 2" scar and 4  1/2 inch scars.

 

I do not have much voice.

 

I also feel like a truck ran over me and then backed up.

 

Thanks for all your thoughts prayers and concerns. I will be checking email, but not answering the phone. The voice is just too rough now to talk.

 

Thankyaverymuch

 

JC

LapBand minus TWO and 1/2 HOURS

LapBand minus TWO and 1/2 HOURS

Monday July 10, just before 6:30AM.

We are leaving for the hospital in a few minutes. LapBand minus Two and 1/2 hours. I am as ready as I'll ever be. My only regret is that during my "Last Meals" that I forgot to have a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich. I ate out so much that week, I forgot to have a PB&J! Oh well. Perhaps down the road.

To deal with both my fears and my $16,500 rant aggravation, I have physically exhausted myself. I worked in the yard Friday night past dark, I worked at my rental property most of Saturday, with a 45 minute break where a friend who does not I'm getting a LapBand called me to tell me that if I lost 50-100 pounds I would "have more luck with the ladies". I'll talk about that someday down the road.  Yesterday I worked at the finish line of the MS 150 and grilled 500 + hamburgers for the riders, I came home smelling like a giant hamburger and survived. So, I guess I dealt OK with being around food.

I weighed myself last night on my home scale that widely fluctuates. I lost between 13 and 20 pounds on it during my 10 days of liquid. I took 7 measurements and all came up in that range. So, I know that something happened. We will see in a few hours if it was good enough or not.

Well, wish me luck. I'm of to the Wonderful World of LapBands!

JC

 

RANT- $16,500 complaint

RANT- $16,500 complaint

A rant, with only ONE Non Baptist Word (Mary Lou is coming up for my surgery, so I am practicing behaving)

--------------



I had my pre surgery tests today and then went to pay my $16,500. For those of you who were self pay, you know the feeling. I am paying $16,500 because I got myself into this position, while at the same time being scared to death of the future and quite a few other emotions.

After leaving the office, I went to meet with Tynetta the cashier to pay my $16,500 for the LapBand Surgery.

I have met with Tynetta the cashier three times now, and each time she tells me that I should have just gone to a personal trainer because it is cheaper. She even noted at our first meeting that she has lost 20 pounds because of her use of a trainer. She always has multiple follow up questions as to why you aren't using a personal trainer and then tells you that you should try. "You could do this if you really tried." Followed by "Go get a personal
trainer and exercise aggressively."

I want to yell "Gee, I NEVER THOUGHT OF DIET AND EXERCISE BEFORE!"

Well, yes I have thought of that. But since I have been such a failure and gotten myself into this, I am using this tool and its potential to get me to where I can go exercise aggressively, and ride my bike again, and enjoy my
life again. As a matter of fact, thinking about right now as I rant, none of my goals is to "Exercise aggressively". I would rather just ENJOY MY FREAKIN LIFE AGAIN. And part of that is bicycling, While bicycling is technically
exercise, I bike for many more reasons than exercise. If anyone sees me bicycling aggressively, they have permission to mock me.

But I digressed.

Today again, as I am ACTUALLY PAYING THE $16,500 because my insurance won't,she again says "Gee, if you just went to a personal trainer you wouldn't need to do this." "If you tried you could really do it."

It took all my will power to not walk around the desk and throttle her. I'm still aggravated. There are so many emotions right now that when I'm not happy about spending $16,500 that I don't need the woman physically taking my money to treat me (or anyone else) that way.

AARRGGGHHH.

Please note that I used no non Baptist words that I would not use in front of  my mother. (I'm practicing for next week)

So, I am trying to form this rant into a coherent complaint. I'm not happy I need this LapBand. I'm worried, scared to death and aggravated at myself all at the same time.

I must again Rant - AND THEN THE PERSON PHYSICALLY TAKING MY MONEY TELLS ME THAT IF I JUST USED A FREAKIN PERSONAL TRAINER I WOULD NOT BE DOING THIS!  GRRRR.

When taking my money, I think all she should say is "Thank you" and perhaps "I hope things go well".

AARRRGHH

Oh well, I went home and made myself some soup then went  to go work in the yard to de aggravate myself! BUT I'M STILL AGGRAVATED.

Ok, I'm done now.

Thanks for letting me rant. I now return you to your usual blog reading.

JC

The Deaconess Dieticioness Approved Post Surgery Diet

The Deaconess Dieticioness Approved Post Surgery Diet

Post Op - Week one diet

Mornings- to start the day with my BP Medicine - Cranberry juice or apple juice. 1/2 water.

Lunch/Dinners:

Broth - Beef

Broth - Chicken

Sugar Free Jell-O (no Cool whip?)

Sugar Free Popsicles

 

That's about it. Rotate Beef and Chicken, Rotate Green Jell-O with Red, with blue, etc.

 

Beverages will be:

 

Propel and PowerAde Option.

Cranberry Juice-1/2 water

Apple Juice – ½ water

Isopure large clear protein drinks from GNC 16 ounces = 30 grams of protein.

Tea (decaf is all I have left in house)

SF Kool-Aid

 

When I go out, I will be taking Diet Green Tea and Propel, but no soft drinks.

 

Post Op - Week Two diet

 

My plans are to work 1/2 days during this week, perhaps going to full time, but I've not decided on that yet.

 --------------------

Mornings- to start the day with my BP Medicine - Cranberry juice or apple juice. 1/2 water.

 

Protein shakes (at home)

Slim fast (at work)

 

Lunches / Dinners would be:

Creamed soup

Tuna Salad- go to Kroger salad bar and buy, then put in Magic Bullet to puree

Ham Salad- go to Kroger salad bar and buy, then put it in Magic Bullet to puree

SF Applesauce- I bought a jar, plus two sets of tubs, one plain, one cinnamon

Arby's Roast Beef (toss the bun, but puree the meat).

 

Snacks would be:

SF Jell-O

SF Jell-O pudding (with protein powder added)

Lite Kroger Yogurt

ACTIVIA PRUNE YOGURT

 

Beverages would be:

Propel

PowerAde Option

Diet Green Tea

Decaf Tea

SF Kool-Aid

 

When not in my house, I would be mostly Propel or PowerAde Option as they come in bottles.

 

Bubba honors me!

Bubba honors me!

From Bubba-

 

113.5 pounds as of today. 

 

Seven month mark Wednesday.  Exciting part is I am .2 points from no longer being obese.  For me, that will be a very happy day.

 

To honor my friend, Big John, I will wait until July 10 to re-weigh which should put me "officially" below the obese name tag the same day he gets banded.

 

John, I am very excited for you and here to help in whatever  way I can.

 

------

Bubba- I say Thankyaverymuch.

 

As you Exit Obesity, I will be entering the Exit to Obesity!

LapBand Day is Monday July 10, 2006

LapBand Day is Monday July 10, 2006

I met with Dr. Curry last Friday, June 23rd, and he was able to set my surgery for Monday July 10 at 9 AM.

He noted that my file was the thickest he had ever seen for a "new patient" ever. But with most of the pre op tests and research done, he had quite a bit to review. He immediately noted that with Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal that he could have told me at the first meeting that I would NEVER get them to pay for a LapBand. He apologized for all the delays caused by the previous surgeon and staff.

Good news- he believes the hiatal hernia can easily be fixed when the LapBand is installed. This will just add a few minutes to the surgery. The tears in the esophagus will be easily fixed as well he believes. They will just double check with an endoscopy at the same time. Also, when the LapBand is installed, much natural healing will occur in the first two months.

---

While I am glad to no longer be in limbo, I am still scared, concerned an most of all aggravated at myself for letting myself get to this point. But at least I am using this tool to hopefully save my life. It is good to hear from other folks how much better their lives are, and amazingly all say they would do it again, and quite a few said they would do it again every year if it was that kind of recurring surgery.

In the last few days, I've not posted. I've just been "processing" that this is really going to happen. But I am glad to start seeing that in a few months that I will no longer be on the sideline and start actually being in life.

---

The last few days have been a number of "LAST MEALS".

I had a medium LaRosa's Pepperoni and Sausage pizza. I used to be able to eat most of a whole pizza, but since I've been trying to shrink, it took me three meals to eat one medium. I guess that will be eight meals in a few months (that is if I can eat pizza- a friend could not and had to get an "unfill" this week due to pizza)

Last Taco Bell- Taco, Soft Taco and a Bean Burrito- but many folks say they can eat this quite easily after the LapBand, but just not the really huge Taco Bell stuff. I usually just get the above three and am a happy camper anyway. I do plan on having their bean dip as it is quite yummy and protein filled.

Yesterday, my coworkers took me to HOOTERS for my LAST LUNCH. I just had 13 wings, where it used to be 25-30. None of the four ladies had ever been there, but amazingly they all loved the food and enjoyed looking at all the men! I've still not told them any more than throat and esophagus surgery. Perhaps someday I will, but not now.

Last night was a simple cheeseburger with two friends. I do love my cheeseburgers. I just have to learn how to make a smaller one, keep it moist and eat it slow!

Today's official LAST MEAL will be Skyline Chili. A three way made with Black Beans and rice, and a cheese coney and a mett cheese coney (available for a limited time, and will not still be here once real food starts again).

Hopefully, I will be keeping the black beans and rice in the future diets, just omitting the spaghetti. With some cheese on top, it will make for a high protein meal that I like. Perhaps once I figure out the meals and diet steps, it will be something nice.

But more on the 4 steps of diets in another post.

Oh well, 10 days to go!

Wish me luck!

JC