The Poop Scoop

The results are in from the next test. No, I am not posting a picture from this test!

I do not have H.Pylori. (The stomach infection)
That means that I do not have to do the antibiotic regimen.



Now on to my neon YELLOW pee! Vitamins do wonderful things!

Here is a picture of my vitamin pill box. If I traveled with all of the bottles I would have to pay for an extra bag! So, I went the old lady route and bought the daily divider JUMBO size to fit them all in.

Food For Thought 2/19/09

Tonight Dennis and I attended the group meeting night with a Dietician from the hospital. I already knew or had heard quite a bit of the information before the meeting. Between going to Dr Dorow’s Dietician and starting to adjust some eating habits, speaking with people who had already gone through it and the initial meeting we attended, there was really no huge surprise. Dennis and I both agreed that the Dietician who led the group meeting made it quite depressing. I don’t think anyone was motivated when they left. I understand that it is serious and we need to be informed, I just think it was her presentation style.

So the food facts:

Currently: Have already started things like portion control, eating the right amounts of the food groups, and exercising. I have also started working on spending time chewing food more. This is more of mind work than anything else.

2 Weeks before Surgery: Liquid Protein Drinks and Water Only

2 Days before Surgery: Clear Liquids Only

1 Meal after Surgery: Clear Liquid

2 Weeks after Surgery: Full Liquid

Then as follows:

1 week of Pureed food

2 weeks of Mechanical Soft Food

Then… Balanced, low fat diet…. Life long

Like I said, we were not that surprised for we already knew the information. Just not very motivational. I guess once you read it … it is a hard subject to motivate people on. Maybe supportive would be good. I will look for that from all of you!
Blessings!

Posting of Comments

I did some investing and changed a setting so that anyone can post, not just Goggle members. If you continue to have problems, let me know. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something!

Part of the inhumanity of the computer is that, once it is competently programmed and working smoothly, it is completely honest."
--Isaac Asimov, Russian-born American author and biochemist


Went to see Wicked last night with 24 of my relatives! It was fabulous company, and of course Wicked was fantastic!!!

Relaxing Positive Photos

After that last post, I think I needed to post something relaxing!

I would love to be any of these places right now!

Vampire Results- 2/13/09

I have Vampires on my brain! I am reading the Twilight Vampire Books by Stephanie Meyer. I am on the final LARGE book--- Breaking Dawn.

Anyway, The Bariatric Institute called to tell me that I am vitamin deficient!

Here are the results…

Vitamin B12- was told normal range is 300-900.
Mine is 242.
Instructed to add 1000mcg per day

Vitamin D- was told normal range is 32-100.
Mine is 7.8
Instructed to add 1000 international units per day.

Iron- Ferrous Gluconate- was told normal is over 62.
Mine is 8
Instructed to take 27mg three times a day.
Do not take with calcium products including Theragran M. No dairy ½ hour before or after taking.

Vitamin C w/iron- add 500mg a day

H. Pylori test. (Helicobacter Pylori)
This is a specific bacteria that causes an infection in the stomach. Most people do not even know if they have it. They test for it before stomach surgery.
My test came back abnormal, of course why not.

It is amazing that I am alive!!

I am now on a new diet. The pill diet! I am taking so many pills there is NO ROOM for food!

This blood work up is a good thing. Part of my plan to have a healthy life!

Meeting with Dr Dorow's Dietician- Trish 2/12/09

I am trying to keep up with all of these appointments and documenting them! It is crazy!Today I went to a lunch time appointment with Trish, the Clinical Dietician with Dr Dorow's group. This is part of full filling the either 3 or 6 month for the insurance.

We talked about eating behaviors, suggestions and made a plan for our next visit of eating more fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Doing the basic plan. Divide your plate in half. The right side half is all vegetables. Two cups. Now divide the left hand side in half horizontally. The top fourth is lean meat, serving size the palm of your hand, or deck of cards. The lower fourth is your starch. Pasta, potatoes, rice. 3/4 of a cup. I have to keep a food diary for three days before our next visit in a month.

My husband and I also joined Anytime Fitness. Tonight was our first workout there. I walked for 1 mile on the tread mill, and biked for 2.5 miles. Another like changing step.....

Photography Hobby

I thought that I would try and brighten and lighten my blog by adding some of my favorite photos I have taken. Since it is a gloomy day in February in Wisconsin, I thought I would start with a few flowers.

Hope you enjoy them!

Blessings!

More Appointments -2/6/09

Today was another day of appointments. I started out the morning with a fasting blood draw. The vampire was not a very good stick! A little bit black and blue from that. Four vials were taken. Almost like donating blood! I do not believe that I have ever had a full blood work up before. Results should be interesting.
Next, on to the GP- Dr. Dorow. This visit is centered on insurance. I haven’t even begun to talk about insurance. The Bariatric Institute had called for the initial contact with the insurance agency. The group is out of network; however the hospital is in network. What that basically means is that the max for a year I will have to pay is $3,000. Next they require a Multidisciplinary surgical preparatory regimen. (Now that is a mouth full!) Basically they require either 3 months or 6 months of consultation with a dietitian, reduced calorie diet program supervised by a dietitian, exercise regimen, behavior modification program, and documentation of all this. The biggest question is do they want 3 or 6 months? They don’t want to commit. We are going to submit for approval after 3 months of good documentation. It is very interesting, because the Bariatric Institute requires all of this also before hand. Just not for 3 or 6 months.
Back to my day…. Dr Dorow is great. Of course we can document all of this during 3 or 6 months of visits. It is just prolonging the goal. See you next month. :)

The next appointment of the day was my yearly OB/GYN appointment. Since I am not having anymore babies, I made the decision last year to see the Nurse Practitioner. Her name is Karen Howard, and I had worked with her when she worked on the Mom/Baby floor at the hospital. When Karen walked in last year, I said that is your voice but not your body! It has now been two years since Karen had her gastric bypass surgery. We talked about me going for my surgery, and I asked her some questions that I had for someone going through it first hand. It was a very exciting appointment. Karen is so excited for me which is so sweet. She will be a great support person. Another day on the journey…