Cheese Orphans!

Have you heard about cheese orphans? At Central Market you can browse through a barrel of miscellaneous pieces of leftover cheeses. The pieces are just enough to sample ranging from $1 - $2 each piece. The cheeses are very expensive per pound, so those of us on a budget can sample a little bit of greatness this way. I found a cheese that I hope we never have to live without in our house: Fini 26 Month Cave Finished Cheddar. The cost is $13.99 per pound. I bought almost half a pound before my surgery hoping I would get to have some of it soon after. Today I made myself a scrambled egg with this delicious cheese. It was all I could eat but I didn't leave behind one little shred. Next time you find yourself over by Central Market go take a look at what they have in the cheese orphan barrel.

Yesterday marked one week post -op. I went in for my checkup and I seem to be doing ok at the moment. The issues I am dealing with right now are: Thrush - I believe I picked it up at the Surgery Center, I kept thinking that my tongue looked funny but I thought it was due to all the medications I was taking but by last Friday evening it had gotten worse and I realized that's what it is, I am on medication for that now and I am taking a probiotic pill that I picked up while I was at Central Market. I am hoping this goes away in a few days. Also I am dealing with severe gas pains in the late afternoon under my rib cage. I actually have to take pain meds to get over it - it is a very horrible feeling, lots of pressure and pain. The nurse said I will be feeling better in a couple of weeks.

Today I weighed in at 205! That is a loss of 19 pounds! Very Exciting to see the weight just come off. I told my friend Hollie when I reach 199 I want to have a party. Being back in the 190's is going to be so great! I haven't seen that number in a few years. Speaking of parties we are going to Celebrate two very special birthdays this weekend. Our friends Trent & Hollie are celebrating their daughter's third birthday (Addyson Grace Sellers) & my dad's birthday is actually this Thursday but we will have all the family over to celebrate sometime this weekend, including James! Please pray James makes it in from Florida this Friday evening. James' brother & sister-in-law will also be here from Colorado this Friday. Lots of Celebrating going on this weekend - we cannot wait to see everyone!

Thank you friends for all of your prayers & support! Love you, Kelly

Day Three: I spent day three at home not feeling well. I had so many negative thoughts going through my head, such as why on earth would I volunteer to have this surgery? I was in alot of pain I won't lie about that. I don't think that any of my previous surgeries hurt this much! I felt pressure on my chest and it didn't seem as if I could  get anything down. I just rested and tried to sleep as much as possible. I did have my first shower and it took every bit of energy I had to get it done.

Day Four: It is time to leave the house - I had enough of sitting at home. I got up, took my shower, cleaned the kitchen, and my mom took me to see my grandma at Cityview Nursing Facility, then some shopping. I was feeling a little better. We stopped at Jason's Deli and I had the potato soup and an unsweet tea - My first meal out after surgery. The soup was delish! I could only eat about 1/4 cup of the soup. From there we went to Sam's and I bought a new coffee maker - it has a hot water side to it so I can make hot tea every morning. I am not allowed to have coffee yet, but I am supposed to have a hot beverage every morning to open up the throat to help the food go down easier. Later that night I felt really sick and felt as if something was stuck in my throat. Nothing I could do to make it come out. I was miserable. I took my nausea medicine and went to sleep!

Day Five: I have had enough of feeling bad, so I called the Dr. office and let them know what was going on, she said to hurry in and they would fix me. I had air and a small amount of fluid in my lap band and that was causing all of the pain I was having. Too much pressure right after surgery. I am feeling better, however I will say I am still in pain and I cannot wait for everything to heal. My friend that had her surgery three weeks ago had some of the same issues and she is feeling so much better now -she can eat all kinds of foods, only in small portions. I cannot wait to be where she is. Today I had broccoli cheese soup at Black Eyed Pea and all it seemed to be was melted velveeta with broccoli pieces thrown in. I didn't eat much of it. I was able to eat some lipton soup with three crackers in it tonight., very satisfying.

I am hoping that my blog will help others in their decision of having weight loss surgery. It can be very helpful to know what patients are feeling after surgery. I have tried to be honest and accurate. Please let me know if you have questions -  I would be happy to share. This is definitely not a surgery for everyone, you better be strong......

Kelly

September 19, 2011 I had my weight loss surgery! The surgery went well it took Dr. Smith about an hour to do the procedure. I arrived at the Surgery Center at 6:00 am and was back home at 10:30 am. The surgery included lap band, gastric plication, and a hiatal hernia repair. Dr. Smith said the hernia was larger than he thought and that alone should help me feel better. Day one was spent sleeping and in between times I took my meds and walked around the house a few minutes each time. I had a total of one bottle of water & one bottle of apple juice.

Day Two: Today I am very sore. I was sleeping when it was time to to take my next dose of pain medication and when I woke up I was in alot of pain - I took my pain medication and something for nausea. Sleeping seems to be my thing today.  I have had a bottle of water, apple juice, jello, and some homemade organic chicken broth (Thanks mom).

At the surgery center I weighed in at 212 pounds, a total of 12 pounds lost before surgery. James is out of state working right now and he will be back in a couple of weeks - my mom & dad live next door & they along with Jessie have been taking good care of me. I am hoping when James returns I will be feeling really good and down another 12 pounds.

Please pray for a speedy recovery and for me to be pain free! I am also praying for my grandmother we had to put her in the hospital because she fell two weeks ago and fractured her lower lumbar. They moved my grandmother to a skilled nursing facility today for rehab, if she gets stronger she can come home in about six weeks. Thank you for all the phone calls, cards, and well wishes on facebook. Love, Kelly

Hi Friends, I sure have missed blogging! To catch everyone up I am on day twelve of my pre-op liquid diet. I have lost a total of ten pounds so far. I have felt really hungry the last two days and would love to dive into some food right about now. Yesterday I did not plan very well for my lunch at work so I drove over to Popeye's chicken and bought some beans & rice and considered that my soup for the day. It would have been ok if I didn't buy a large and eat the entire container. I gained back one pound and am sure that is why, lol. Also when I feel hungry I have been drinking Starbucks - alot! I order a tall sugar free light vanilla frap with light whip and caffeine. I am addicted to coffee right now, that is not good considering I cannot have any the first two weeks after my surgery. The coffee takes the edge off of the hunger though.

My reasons for having weight loss surgery is so I can live life to the fullest. All the extra weight is keeping me down. I can see myself hiking in Colorado, running in the Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving, having all day shopping marathons with Jessie, going to the beach in a regular bathing suit, and most of all not feeling pain in my knees, ankles, and feet. I love my family and they see all of my everyday struggles and I owe it to them to get to feeling better so we can get out there and just have fun with each other. James & Jessie mean the world to me. I love them dearly. God is in control of my situation and He will see me through until its time for me to be with Him. Until then I am going to make my life better. The surgery will not be a cure all, but it sure will help. I will have to work hard. I will give it my best shot!

Monday morning at 6 am I will be in Forth Worth at the Baylor Surgicare Center, my procedure will probably start around 7 am. I am anxious for it to be here already. The surgery is outpatient, we should be home by 10 am. I had a scope done at this facility a couple of months ago, I have never had such good treatment by hospital staff before. When I went this week for my EKG it was the same, just a really clean and loving atmosphere. Please be in prayer for me I hear the hardest part after the surgery are the gas pains in your shoulder, so I am praying to be pain free! My friend that had this same surgery two weeks ago had alot of the gas pains, she is doing great now and I am happy to hear it.

Thank you for the prayers! I will keep yall updated. Kelly

Weekend w/ Friends....

This weekend there were some challenges however I figured out how to work around it. Saturday we invited some friends for dinner we cooked meat & veggie skewers, couscous, and tortilla soup. I am allowed to eat soup once a day with anything in it. I took my tortilla soup added a small amount of couscous & a skewer of shrimp and chicken. This soup was so delicious. It felt as if I were cheating but the calories added up to around 350. Not bad. Cooking or watching others eat really hasn't bothered me. I just find a way to work around the situation and I feel satisfied with the results.

This tortilla soup is the one I mentioned in a previous blog. The soup costs $9 at H.E.B. its ready to heat & serve. When we first discovered the soup they were giving samples along with the recipe for a different version of this Tortilla soup. This soup is so delicious! Here is the recipe:1 Jar Tortilla Soup, 8 ounces Velveeta, 8 ounces Heavy Cream, & 8 ounces Chicken Fajita Meat.Combine all the ingredients, heat slowly, & serve.I tweaked the recipe a bit for my new healthier way of eating. I used fat free half & half, 2% Velveeta, & grilled chicken pieces. The fat was cut way down to save some calories. This is an expensive meal, but its worth the splurge. Let me know if you decide to try it out! I would love to hear your feedback.

Sunday we headed over to Grapevine Mills Mall with our friends Trent & Hollie. James left for Florida to work & they didn't want Jess & I to be missing him so much so they invited us. They decided to go eat at the Rain Forest Cafe. Looking online I found out that they serve clam chowder or tomato basil soup. I don't eat clam chowder, never been a fan, so I chose the tomato basil. The soup was served in a little cast iron cauldron with about 1 1/2 cups of the soup & a healthy slice of an herb bread. Jessie ordered the rotisserie chicken. I added a few pieces of her chicken to my soup. Absolutely delish! There is always  a way to eat healthier if you decide to. Of course we wish James was with us Sunday but going to the mall kept us from laying on the couch all day missing him.    

So far I am down 9 pounds! Next Monday I will be having my surgery! The excitement is building. Please continue to pray for me - its what gets me through my days! Thanks friends, Kelly :)

Look At All This Food!!!

                        

Today I was looking at all the photos I have taken with my phone and realized I have just as many pictures of food as I do people - here is just a small sample of what was stored on my phone! I love food and its clear to me I have a real passion (some may call it an addiction) for food. I have to learn to love something else besides all of this good mess. It will be a challenge to learn a new way to live. Forty years of eating exactly what I wanted to. I am sure once all of the junk is out of my system and the cravings leave I will be able to resist this temptation. Question: Do the cravings ever really leave?

This is day five on my liquid diet and I think I am doing good. So far I am down 7 pounds.

 Here is how my day went:

7:00 am - Coffee w/ Splenda & Horizon Organic Vanilla Creamer

8:30 am - Premier Nutrition Chocolate Protein Drink

11:00 am - Stoneyfield Organic Vanilla Yogurt

1:00 pm - 2/3 Can Chunky Beef Tip Soup (yuk)

3:00 pm - Starbucks Light Mocha Coconut Sugar Free Frapp w/whip (tall)

6:45 pm - Pizza Soup

I am not drinking enough water, I just don't want it. I did have a Vitamin Water Zero (20 oz.) and I am drinking some water right now. I need to force myself to take in more, I know it will help flush out the fat. I may end up having another yogurt tonight or another protein drink, but I may not. I need to calculate my intake of calories for the day. I would love to keep it under 1,000. 

The pizza soup we had for dinner was good. It tasted more like a goulash to me. I don't know if I would make it again. My family really liked it. This weekend I have some new soup recipes to try out. There is one called Buffalo Chicken Soup, its sounds so good. I may go over to Central Market & see what they have already made over by the salad bar. If anyone sees a good soup out there let me know & I will check it out!

Thanks for checking out my blog, I am really enjoying it. Kelly :)

Doing Great!

I was told that I needed to make sure I get in my vitamins, the first vitamins I chose were a chew-able apple cinnamon flavor one that was a little chalky but tasted good. I had to put these aside because they contained Echinacea - I can't have any herbal products before my surgery. A 90 count bottle at Central Market costs $15. The next vitamins I found are the gummy vitamins for adults that I have pictured  here. I am so in love with these! They taste great. A 200 count bottle costs around $10 at Costco. I think it is a great deal. My protein shake has lots of vitamins too, so I should be in good health. Its a good habit to get into taking these everyday!

I am very pleased to announce that I am down six pounds already! This is day four of my liquid meal plan. I am excited to see where I will be at the end of this first two weeks. I can feel the prayers from my family & friends working because its going really smoothly for me. I haven't had any more low blood sugar episodes & I am feeling much better. I have hiatal hernia so everyday was a struggle with reflux, nausea, & heartburn. The liquid meals have really taken that away from me. I also don't feel that 3:00 sluggish feeling I was having everyday. Please keep the prayers coming my way, I am praising God for my improved health!

Okay today my co-workers were talking about getting some pizza & after their conversation I really was craving a slice. Of course I didn't get any but I wish I had a slice of meat lovers right now. My friend from work told me about a website called One Year of Slow Cooking, I went on there and found some great soup ideas. Do you know what I found on there?? A recipe for Pizza soup!! I am so excited. I went straight to the grocery after work & bought everything to make it - we will get it in the slow cooker in the morning and it will be waiting for me after work tomorrow night. I can have soup once a day with anything in it, however I should be mindful of getting in the protein & stick with fewer carbs. I will let yall know how it turns out - I may even post the recipe.

It is getting late for me and this is the second time I have typed this blog, the first time it was deleted somehow. I am done for tonight but I want to leave yall with this verse:

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. Isaiah 58:11

Liquids Day Two

Today was day two of my pre-op liquid diet. I did not have a low blood sugar episode today, thank you for the prayers! Praise God that I was able to work all day without feeling any hunger pains, probably because I made sure to have something every couple of hours. My food/liquid intake went almost like yesterday with one exception. My co workers decided to go to Braum's for a shake, I asked them to see if there was a sugar free shake they could make with skim milk, and there was a low carb option so they brought me back a small vanilla shake. When I took my first drink of the shake it tasted to good to be true but eventually I could taste an artificial sweetener in there so I drank the whole thing. Big mistake, it was about an hour later my stomach started gurgling and I really wanted to get to the restroom however there is only one in the branch I was working at & I really didn't want to go in there & embarrass myself so I held it till I got home and I have been sick ever since! Sorry I know probably too much information, lol. I won't be having any more shakes! I am finally able to eat a bowl of homemade organic chicken noodle soup my mom made - minus the crackers you see in the photo. I was told no crackers are to be added into the soup that I eat everyday. I have enough soup leftover for four more of my liquid meals. The next batch of soup we have will be some tortilla soup that they sell in a jar, you can get it at Central Market or HEB and it costs around $9 but it is soooo good! I will post a picture of it when I get over there to buy some. My friend had her surgery today & is doing great! Prayers work! I believe in them & so does she. I will continue to pray for no complications, no pain, and comfort as she re-cooperates. I want to use this blog to support anyone that is thinking about having a weight loss surgery. I want to make sure God receive's all the glory & praise for getting us through all of this. Please if there are any questions that you want to ask I will do my best to answer your questions. I believe I may be led to start a support group, I am still praying about it, meanwhile I will blog about my progress. Thanks friends! Kelly

Liquids Day One:

Today was my first day of liquids. I think that it went okay. I was scared of the protein drink that was suggested by my Dr. it has 30g protein, 160 calories, 3g fat, 1g sugar, 3g fiber, & lots of vitamins. It is chocolate flavored and I was surprised that I really liked the taste - so yummy! The drink is made by Premier Nutrition and you can buy a 12 pack at Sam's for $18 or an 18 pack at Costco for $24 so it totals less than $1.50 per drink.

Here is what I had today.
9:00 am coffee with Splenda & Horizon vanilla organic creamer
10:30 am Premier protein drink
12:30 pm Stoneyfield organic strawberry yogurt
2:00 pm Premier protein drink
5:15 pm Bowl of Chicken Tortilla Soup from On The Border
7:30 pm Stoneyfield organic vanilla yogurt

Total I had 96g protein, 101g carbs, 32.5g fat, & 985 calories. The protein and calories I am happy with, however the fat and carbs need to be reduced. I probably need to be making homemade soups. My mom said she would make some homemade chicken noodle soup tomorrow night. I bought two organic whole chickens to put in the freezer so I guess I need to get one thawed out overnight in the fridge.

My mom & dad just returned from Michigan and while they were there my mom went to an Amish grocery store & brought back some homemade noodles, I can't wait to try them out. Mom also brought back a huge jar of maple syrup for me ( I will try that out in a few months after the surgery), also she bought me a huge Wagner Ware dutch oven/roaster she bought for $5 at a yard sale. I love this pan - I have wanted one for years! Thanks Mom!

Okay I want to go ahead and get it out there my starting weight. I weighed 224 lbs with my pj's on this morning. I hope after all these liquids that I will drop around 15 lbs before my surgery. The purpose of the liquid diet is to shrink my liver so that it will not be in the way during surgery. There was a man in his 50's that I met in the office that had lost 40 lbs during his two weeks of liquids - that is amazing! I am jealous that men can lose it faster than us women.

I will be praying for a friend tomorrow that is having her surgery, she is a little nervous....please take time to pray with me for her. My one other prayer request is that I will not have an episode of low blood sugar - I had one today at 4:00 and I felt horrible for about an hour. Thanks friends!

Kelly

Getting Prepared

There are so many different weight loss surgeries out there to choose from. I went back and forth between a few and I decided on the Banded Plication. This procedure combines two different surgeries into one. The lap band & Gastric Plication. Here is a small ideal of what the surgery is about:

Banded Plication

The Banded Gastric Plication is a promising new procedure that combines the benefits of the Laparoscopic Gastric Plication with that of the Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band (also know as Lap-Band®).  Both procedures by themselves are known for their effectiveness while achieving significant and durable weight loss.  Neither procedure involves cutting, stapling or re-routing of the intestinal tract.

In theory, combining the two procedures may accomplish weight loss above that of either of the two procedures alone. Combining the plication procedure with the Adjustable LAP-BAND® may significantly reduce the number of adjustments needed for the LAP-BAND® portion of the surgery.

While there is limited data on this new weight loss procedure, there continues to be a high level of expectation that the Laparoscopic Banded Plication will become a permanent solution in surgical therapy for weight loss.

The internet can provide more information if anyone is interested in learning more. My Surgeon is Dr. Adam Smith of Fort Worth Lap Band. I believe he is one of the best, he also has a Lap Band and can relate to his patients better because he has had the procedure done. There are also several staff members at Fort Worth Lap Band that have been banded. I really like the office and staff, I believe I made a great decision going with Dr. Smith.

Tomorrow I begin two weeks of a liquid diet. This weekend I have been gathering up my meal replacements. I will blog more about it tomorrow and let you know how rough it is on the first day. Today I drink my last soda. For lunch we had Fresco's Mexican food. It was good but I am ready for a new beginning! Out with all the junk and in with the healthier stuff. I cant wait to begin.

Kelly

This is a picture of my husband James and I at my 40th Birthday party! I praise God that He gave me a very supportive husband & family. I made the decision in July 2011 to go forward with weight loss surgery. I have spent alot of time researching different surgeries along with all the positive and negative things associated with each one. I have been approved for the surgery since November 2010. I have spent time praying and seeking an answer from God. In July I felt a peace about the surgery and all my fears have left me. The last 25 years I have had a problem with my weight. I have tried many different approaches to loosing the weight but nothing has been a long term solution. There are no guarantees that this surgery is going to work either. I will still have to work hard at getting the weight off - this is NOT the easy way out. I will use my surgery as a tool to help me get to a healthier size.

On another note I want to give some praise to James - he has lost around 28 lbs since I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery. He is working hard at eating smaller portions. Our daughter Jessie has lost 8 lbs and has chosen to eat healthier whole foods. Jessie takes her lunch everyday to school. Most of the time she takes a salad w/ tomatoes, cheese, & low fat dressing, a fruit, bottle of water, good carbs, and a lean meat. I am so proud of both of them!

I love my family & friends, I hope you choose to support me on this journey.