Fat Frog Diary

I'll repeat this on LapBandTalk.com, but I'm guessing my bariatric surgeon, Dr. Michael Baptista, is getting more and more successful. He's moved from his partnership with another doctor and into his own spiffy new office MUCH more conveniently located for me, in Arlington right off 9A and Monument in the Brooks Rehab Building. Now, I'm not saying his former partner was a bad doctor-- not with that many awards-- but I didn't like the other doctor and that's the honest truth. I'm allowed my opinions, and my two experiences with the former partner were unpleasant. Now I feel much freer to help Dr. Baptista with his newer patients! I'm pleased to say Dr. Baptista asked me to start attending the monthly support group so I can provide cheerfulness and inspiration to a group that has recently begun to focus on negativity in his opinion. One subject he mentioned specifically I could help with was the low carb diet. Many have difficulty in going beyond what...

(Reprise from a post on LapBandTalk.com in one of the forums) I knew it was coming. I knew I hadn’t lost any weight, or not nearly enough to be pleasing to myself. Sure enough, I’d lost a mere 5 pounds in the past six weeks. Despite the reassurances of the nurse taking my weight that almost everyone had the same difficulties due to the weather being so cold, I knew I could do better. My appetite had been on the increase, and consequently, my caloric intake on my FitDay.com report showed a gradual increase. So, I went in today for my visit, determined to have maybe a couple of cc’s just to nip that trend toward weight gain in the bud. Nope! Once these pounds come off, they are not going back on by golly! See ya! Buh-bye! I’d only lost 5 pounds, but about 4.9 of those pounds was pure fat! Now, that’s a reason to celebrate. I might have lost more, but Dr. Baptista’s nifty machine said I had water weight issues. Yes, I did, mostly in a swollen left ankle from doing too much this past weeke...

This weekend was a "road test" for my new lifestyle. Friday I went with a local quilting guild to St. Simon's Island for a once-a-year event/sale on special quilting fabrics. Naturally of course, we had to sample the local restaurants. and this year was seafood! I was smart enough to choose an appetizer only, a 5 oz chunk crab cake with no naughty breading or fillings. I only ate half and asked for a box. It's still in the fridge. Then yesterday, I was a very naughty girl. Dante and I went to the Hoggestown Medieval Faire in Gainesville. We left early, but in a bit of a rush, so no breakfast. Dante insisted we stop at a McDonalds for a quick bite. (sigh) I should have ordered one of the "breakfasts" and eaten just the sausage and eggs. No, I was weak. I hadn't had an Egg McMuffin in years, and couldn't resist. (flogging myself for my crime) It took me close to an hour to eat the silly thing, but I did it. (Tsk! Tsk!) Now at the faire, I was better ou...

Yesterday, I went to see Dr. Baptista for a surgical follow-up visit. My first fill isn't until Feb 5. I'd been soldiering on despite the growing feeling of true hunger, and I'd begun to wonder if I'd make it until Saturday morning when I'd be allowed to eat soft foods according to the schedule provided by the doctor when I was released from the hospital after surgery. Dr. Baptista gave me a proverbial pat on the head, very pleased I'd actually lost body fat as opposed to pure water. He also let me know my internal swelling was going down so quickly, he'd understand if I started to feel real hunger and started soft foods very carefully. Okay, I admit it. I was starving to the point of desperation, so last night I had 1/2 cup of ricotta creme. I followed all the recommended procedures. Within an hour, at last, my hunger was down to a mere whimper instead of a roaring monster. I've got to be very, very careful. I almost ate too much at lunch, and it's ...

...Lena was doing her best not to eat the whole house. Okay, that's an exaggeration. Fact is, I'm okay with the extreme low-carb diet, even with the new instructions the doc included last I saw of him on the 22nd. When I saw Dr. Baptista on Monday (12-22-08) I'd hoped for a private session, and was disappointed to learn it would be another group session. Just how in the hell are you supposed to ask about your particular surgical situation in a group? However, they made it clear you could ask him for personal time afterwards, and I did. We negotiated and worked out a way to get around my particular problems with IV's and needles. Dr. B apparently doesn't care for PIC lines and specifically called them "lazy." He is concerned about infection, and in a case like mine where we must be concerned with not only my blood thinners but also my sleep apnea, a PIC line is not ideal. Instead, he would prefer a central line to be placed in my aorta or clavicle. Even his...

Today is my pre-op visit at the hospital. Am I scared? You bet your bippy. I had a long talk with the representative of the anesthesia department. She called to verify information and fill out her paperwork with a pile of questions. Here are some of the highlights of that conversation in no particular order:' She strongly suggests I talk to the doc about having a pic line established because I'm such a hard stick for IVs and blood draws. Being a violent needle phobic, I'll agree to just about anything that keeps me away from the lab rats. It's not their fault I'm a hard stick and they're not trained for that. Only problem with a pic line is the timing. I'm supposed to arrive for surgery prep at 0-dark-five-thirty (The O stands for Oh MY GOD it's early!) the day after a holiday. Do I want a hungover anesthetist who gets called in after only an hour or two of sleep to put a tube in my veins? Uh, no. The alternative is for me to come in one day early on New...

My lap band surgery will take place on January 2!! Yes, I'm thrilled. The round of doctor and lab visits has already begun, with happy results. If ever there was a case for getting a new bathroom scale, yesterday was it. My bathroom scale says I weigh 280 lbs in the morning. Yesterday at my pulmonologist's office --I'll go into why I was there in a minute-- I used their fancy calibrated scale and it read 2 75 lbs in the afternoon! Who am I to argue with that??? I've lost 11 pounds! My own diet, which I call The Goldilocks Zone diet, is working for me. It's hell on earth and very restrictive, but it works where all else has failed. I'll chatter more about it when I get time to type on Sunday. Why was I at my pulmonologist's? Because of the surgery. I'll take blood thinners for the rest of my unnatural life because I have the genetic predisposition to DVT. This means to have any surgery, I have to stop the Warfarin pills and use a subcutaneous shot in my...

Where am I in this journey? Somewhere between the circus poodle still jumping through hoops (Arf!) and the dysfunctional machine laying on the gurney for repairs. I saw the shrink yesterday. Nice woman. That marks the end of my visiting specialists. My appointment with the surgeon for a group session is next week. If I understand the process (doubtful) then they'll submit the packet detailing how my weight affects my health for final approval from my insurance. This will be the third approval from the insurance. I have visions of some bean counter at the insurance office typing up a fax saying, "Yes, I'm sure!! Geez, you're worse than my computer!" Just like HysterSisters, everyone tells me the waiting is the worst part. I don't think it's the waiting so much as the long time span from decision to doing it. This is especially true since I learned how few daily carbs I was allowed, and that I needed to start that diet immediately. The fact that it would be ...

What I learned today? Quite a bit actually. I learned that Xenical is a fat-affecting weight loss drug. I learned that I will be on two days of the liquid diet just before my surgery and it will be all clearly liquids including bouillon. I can use the carb counter book that I already have to determine that I do not exceed 30 carbohydrates-excuse me, non vegetable-carbohydrates. Strangely enough, these non-vegetable carbohydrates include corn, peas, cheese, fruit, and dairy. The dietitian did give a wonderful piece of advice that I have already begun to employ called "eat across the plate" which is to eat your protein first, your vegetables second, and anything that might contain carbohydrates dead last. This technique works! Because the only thing on my plate originally was my pork chops, I consumed them first and was less hungry by the time I started working on my vegetables, which did contain some minor amounts of carbohydrates. I also learned where I was making my m...

(sigh) Warning: This is a rant as well as a report on my latest visit to the surgeon. Lately, I began to resent the weeks or months of time I spend jumping through hoops like a circus poodle. ("Arf! Jump through the fiery hoop? Arf! Are you nuts? Arf? Okay, okay! Arf! Arf! Shit! My tail's on fire again!") Today was another doctor visit with the surgeon's office on the other side of town at 10:30 AM. Thank goodness I'd already gone through the hassle of finding out they moved so I had the correct address this time. Yes, I'm still pissed off about them forgetting the new patients' seminar folks. Made me feel oh-so-very-unwanted. Today wasn't much better. I filled out the paperwork in the waiting room. Good name, waiting room, but wasting room would be better. Waste of time is more like it. I did balk at the idea of their using my photos for their website. Yes, I object to that. Gimme a break. If I don't like the way I look so much I'm willing to ...

The bariatric surgeon's office finally called on Friday afternoon. Yes, I've been approved for surgery. Now there are four -plus hoops to jump, and some will not be pleasant. My next step is to visit the surgeon on the 15th of October. I'll sign medical releases, get Rx's for blood and x-rays, and I have to turn in a list of medications I take and surgeries I've had. There will be a diet history sheet to fill out, and a letter to my insurance stating why I feel the surgery will benefit me. (Yeah, like the bean counters care how the surgery will benefit me.) Oh, and I have to fork out $200 and my co-pay of $12. (No plastic, please. Cash or check only.) At that point, I'll be allowed to make my next appointment to see the shrink. This ought to be interesting. LOL!

Yesterday, I went to my pulmonologist with a chip on my shoulder. I was tired of trying to lose weight without eating green vegetables -- a nearly impossible task, let me tell you! I was determined to get her to agree to up my Coumadin dose to compensate for my new Atkins diet, since the bariatric surgeon ordered it. As usual, doc was late. I expect to spend time in the waiting room and more time in that exam room every time I visit. This time wasn't so bad. She was only about 30-45 minutes late. I've waited twice that in those claustrophobic rooms. After the usual preliminaries by the nurse, doc finally arrived. She was very pleased with me. My CPAP machine for my sleep apnea reports I have no incidents while using the machine, making me a model apnea patient. I sing the praises of a CPAP machine to anyone and everyone who'll listen, so this is no surprise. The big shocker came when I explained the conflict between all my doctors and the need for green veggies. Doc nodded ...

We forgot to check the mail on Saturday, so this afternoon I went to the mailbox. Inside was the long-awaited referral from my insurance. The letter gives me permission to call the bariatric surgeon, and I'm trying to be grateful that he's on Beach Blvd instead of in Ocala or Gainesville. Beach Blvd is across the river from here, and I've not been to that area of town since I was a girl of 21. Mapquest says it's a mere ten miles from my place. I'll call this another challenge-test of my resolve. Can I get in the car and drive all the way to a place I've never been in a town that is increasingly unfamiliar? This once was my hometown, but I swear it's morphed and changed into unrecognizable. Ironically, I grew up on that other side of town. My father lives there. The doctor's office is only a few blocks from Baptist Medical Center where I was born, and where I spent most of my childhood while my maternal grandmother slowly wasted away from cancer. Perhaps ...

Hooray!! When I stepped on the scale at the doc's, I've lost 5 pounds since July 3. I still have a BMI of 40+, but anything I can do to be healthier is worth the trouble. All I've done is keep walking with my friend Karen and drink more water. I'm trying to stick to my old tried and true Food Mover but I'm not beating myself up when I have an extra ounce of meat. The Food Mover was the *only* weight loss plan where I lost more than 50 pounds, so that's the plan that worked for me. (More on that tomorrow.) At last, my doc has ordered the referral to a bariatric surgeon. (Happy Dance) First set of hoop jumping completed. What a relief. Now I know I'll have to jump through the surgeon's hoops. It's understandable that he'd want me to see a shrink to make sure my head is screwed on straight, that I'm committed, and he won't have a failure if he can help it. I get that. I'll play along. At least I possibly won't have to have another fr...

...So why am I surprised the medical folks lied again? Why do I keep this wrong-headed belief that there are upstanding and truthful professionals in scrubs somewhere out there? When my PCP's assistant ordered a CAT scan of my belly to ascertain the reason for my intermittent stomach pains, I asked specifically, "Is this the CAT scan where they use a needle?" (Hah! I've been suckered before, haven't I?) I referred to the iodine injection used in conjunction with the barium. The two different persons both threw up their hands in the classic gesture of innocence and said, "Oh, no! This is just the circular array taking pictures of your stomach with barium in it. Here's the berry smoothie flavored barium. Just follow directions." I followed directions and swallowed the barium as ordered. I'll even give the berry flavor a kudo for being much more palatable than the old banana flavored crap they used to sucker you into drinking. At least I didn't ...

Okay, riddle me this Batman -- Why does the insurance industry refuse to cover known and proven diet medication but yet covers the results of obesity like cholesterol treatments, high blood pressure medications, diabetes treatments, etc? Is someone not paying attention? Because it's part of the rules of making sure the bean counters of my insurance company know I *tried* to lose weight, I researched recommended diet medications and asked my doctor about Meridia. That particular drug is known to reduce appetite, increase energy, and was developed for weight loss specifically. My doctor's PA agreed it was a great idea, and wrote me the prescription. I just tried --note the word, tried-- to pick up my new bottle of Meridia at the drugstore. The girl at the window informed me it was ready, but my insurance wouldn't cover the cost. So, the bill was --get this!-- a whopping $120 for one month's supply! That's my entire grocery budget for three adults. Uh...no! I told her...

You wouldn't think making appointments would be stressful, would you? Sometimes they aren't. Sometimes they are. For instance --if you put aside my deserved needle phobia-- the recommended bloodwork lab I have used before has a website where you can schedule your appointment in advance. This is really helpful when you're going to get a fasting blood test at 6:45 AM with no coffee allowed. I don't have the brains God gave badly retarded rocks at that hour without caffeine. However, I'm happy to say I got an appointment at that ungodly hour for that reason, and on a day I'd have to be in that part of town anyway at a later and more decent hour. There will be plenty of time to fuel up on caffeine at a coffee shop before I shoot over to the next destination. Best of all, I got the appointment on a day my DH usually has off. He'll be able to come with me, because I will have to be forcibly propelled through the door of the lab. Can't be helped. I don't fi...