Last Friday, Friday the 13th no less, I had my psych exam. I arrived at the office and was escorted into the psychologist waiting room and handed a clipboard with paperwork to fill out. That paperwork was a series of 50 "complete the sentence" questions. The questions ranged from how is my marriage, to self esteem and self image. Once I was done writing my answers I went in and talked with the psychologist. He was a personable man and we chatted about what my expectations were, what my background was and what support I have for this process. All in all it appeared to be a good meeting. I found out that he was also a bariatric surgery patient and had his surgery about 11 years ago. He shared some insight of what to expect and reaffirmed that surgery is not the easy way out. It still takes work but it is a worthwhile tool.
Once the appointment was over I found out that it will take him about a week to get my report done and over to the Dr. group. Hopefully once they have it I will get a surgery date. If I don't hear from them by next Monday or Tuesday I will be calling to follow up and see where we are. I know that at my first appointment the coordinator said it would probably be about 2 months from that day, which puts us into the middle of March. As I've said before, if they say we have an opening for tomorrow I'm there!
Until then I'm starting to alter the way that I eat. I know that I practically inhale food when I eat. I am trying to be mindful to slow down, put my fork down between bites and chew my food completely. I also started sipping my water more. I need to start setting a timer as the goal is to consume about 1oz. of water every 15 minutes throughout the day. The other thing that I started yesterday is not drinking with my meals for at least 30 minutes before and after. That one is a challenge but I am going to continually work at it. One other thing that the psychologist suggested is to start exercising more now. I'm going to make a good effort to do that. Walking more is going to be my next goal.
Also I wanted to thank my wife Heather for her support. I know this isn't an easy process for her emotionally and eventually physically. She has been doing a blog posting every Wednesday with her point of view on the whole process. Her blog can be viewed at http://peanutandchicken.blogspot.com.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Anticipation
Well I am in a holding pattern now. I've gone through almost all of the steps to proceed with the surgery and have the last one to go this Friday. I'm hoping after doing the psych test that they will be able to get my surgery date scheduled.
I've already started to try and change my habits. Sipping water throughout the day is one of the biggest as well as trying not to drink 30 minutes before and after eating. The consumption of water is not hard for me. I have, ever since my kidney cancer, been drinking between 6 and 8 bottles of water a day. My goal after surgery is 64 ounces and I've been doing ~96. Only thing is I don't sip the water. Generally I'll open a bottle and down it! The other hard part will be the not drinking before/after. I haven't tried that yet but that will be my goal for next week.
I can't wait for the surgery. Heather, as well as other people, have asked me when I want to do it. I told them as soon as possible. If they tell me we'll do it tomorrow I'm there! With other commitments that Heather has, since she will need to stay with me a few days, I'm hoping that it will be either the beginning of or mid March.
One thing that I find interesting is arguments that I have heard from some of my family against having the surgery. The first was, do I realize how much my life will change. Yes, I am fully aware. The argument along with that is you won't be able to eat like you do now. I get that, it's the point. However, I've been reading up on what I can/cannot eat and found a wonderful blog (http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/) that has a plethora of recipes that I am going to try once I get out of the 5-6 week phase after surgery. Granted those first 3-4 weeks after surgery my diet will be very different, going to clear liquids, to liquids, to basically baby food but once that phase is done and I'm eating solid foods my options will be rather open. The biggest thing is that I have to get my protein first! That I do not think will be an issue for me. I love proteins. I'm not that big of a carb eater. Sure I like bread, but I don't have to have it with every meal. My biggest problem is the quantity of food that I eat. With a smaller stomach, that isn't going to be the problem.
The other argument, or solution I was given, is you know you're going to have to give up so much. Things like alcohol. Honestly that isn't a big deal for me. Sure I drink, but it is not that often. Heather and I love to go out on our patio after the kids go to bed and have a glass or two of wine and an cigar. We can still go out on the patio and sit and talk, the alcohol isn't mandatory. I can live without it. I was then told, OK, so you're willing to give that up, just do that now, why do you need the surgery? Well the biggest reason is like I stated above. I consume A LOT of food when I eat. Sure I could cut my portions, that's what a diet is, but due to the size of my stomach those cravings and the sensation of not feeling full is still there. With the smaller stomach it is going to take a lot less (3-4 ounces total) to fill my stomach. The cravings won't be there because I didn't consume enough food.
Ah well sometimes it's like talking to a wall. As I told this relative. My mind is made up. I've educated myself on this procedure, and continue to, and am steadfast that this surgery is going to help me lose weight and enable me to be around to grow old with my wife, watch my kids grow old and one day play with my grandchildren. Without this surgery I don't think that would happen.
Hopefully my next post will be news of a surgery date! Wish me luck!
I've already started to try and change my habits. Sipping water throughout the day is one of the biggest as well as trying not to drink 30 minutes before and after eating. The consumption of water is not hard for me. I have, ever since my kidney cancer, been drinking between 6 and 8 bottles of water a day. My goal after surgery is 64 ounces and I've been doing ~96. Only thing is I don't sip the water. Generally I'll open a bottle and down it! The other hard part will be the not drinking before/after. I haven't tried that yet but that will be my goal for next week.
I can't wait for the surgery. Heather, as well as other people, have asked me when I want to do it. I told them as soon as possible. If they tell me we'll do it tomorrow I'm there! With other commitments that Heather has, since she will need to stay with me a few days, I'm hoping that it will be either the beginning of or mid March.
One thing that I find interesting is arguments that I have heard from some of my family against having the surgery. The first was, do I realize how much my life will change. Yes, I am fully aware. The argument along with that is you won't be able to eat like you do now. I get that, it's the point. However, I've been reading up on what I can/cannot eat and found a wonderful blog (http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/) that has a plethora of recipes that I am going to try once I get out of the 5-6 week phase after surgery. Granted those first 3-4 weeks after surgery my diet will be very different, going to clear liquids, to liquids, to basically baby food but once that phase is done and I'm eating solid foods my options will be rather open. The biggest thing is that I have to get my protein first! That I do not think will be an issue for me. I love proteins. I'm not that big of a carb eater. Sure I like bread, but I don't have to have it with every meal. My biggest problem is the quantity of food that I eat. With a smaller stomach, that isn't going to be the problem.
The other argument, or solution I was given, is you know you're going to have to give up so much. Things like alcohol. Honestly that isn't a big deal for me. Sure I drink, but it is not that often. Heather and I love to go out on our patio after the kids go to bed and have a glass or two of wine and an cigar. We can still go out on the patio and sit and talk, the alcohol isn't mandatory. I can live without it. I was then told, OK, so you're willing to give that up, just do that now, why do you need the surgery? Well the biggest reason is like I stated above. I consume A LOT of food when I eat. Sure I could cut my portions, that's what a diet is, but due to the size of my stomach those cravings and the sensation of not feeling full is still there. With the smaller stomach it is going to take a lot less (3-4 ounces total) to fill my stomach. The cravings won't be there because I didn't consume enough food.
Ah well sometimes it's like talking to a wall. As I told this relative. My mind is made up. I've educated myself on this procedure, and continue to, and am steadfast that this surgery is going to help me lose weight and enable me to be around to grow old with my wife, watch my kids grow old and one day play with my grandchildren. Without this surgery I don't think that would happen.
Hopefully my next post will be news of a surgery date! Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Rebirth
I originally started this blog due to a new found passion with cycling. At that time my wife was becoming a runner. My philosophy is cycling beats running, hence "It Beats Running".
I still have the passion for cycling, but have not had the free time, or the drive to actually go out and do it. I've become sedentary and more overweight.
The rebirth is that after many years of thought, prayer and research I have decided to go through gastric bypass surgery. It started several years ago after a co-worker had gone through the surgery that I started thinking about it. I mentioned it to my wife at that time and was not met with warm and fuzzy thoughts on it from her. Fast forward to Christmas 2014 when I was off on vacation and I decided to broach the subject again. Heather was receptive at this point so I started to research doctors in our area. I came across ALSA and their program. Their slogan of "This time will be different" struck a cord with me, I've been overweight most of my life. I started down the slippery slope the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade and it has gone downhill since then. I've been on and off diets for longer than I can remember. Sure they worked, but if you stray even a little bit, the tumble down the slippery slope happens again and generally with a weight gain higher than when you started.
January 3rd, 2015 was the start of my journey to go through bariatric surgery. After talking with Heather and her being open to the idea, I signed up for one of the seminars through the Fresno Heart Hospital and the Dr's of ALSA. Heather and I attended the seminar and learned quite a bit. Being obese is essentially a disease. Diets, 95% of the time failed (which I can attest to). Also that the stigma of having weight loss surgery is generally seen as being the easy way out, but honestly it is not. Once the surgery is done, your diet and the way you eat is DRASTICALLY changed. Your body chemistry is changed, all for the good.
After attending the seminar Heather and I talked more about this possible journey. I was 100% committed and she was behind me 100% as well. Monday morning I called to make my first consultation appointment!
My consult appointment was scheduled for January 20, 2015. Heather and I both attended the appointment and met with Dr. Higa and one of the fellows with the practice. Dr. Higa is the doctor that was the presenter at the seminar that we went to as well. After meeting with him personally I was very impressed with his credentials, and his compassion. I think he truly cares about his patients and what is best for them. After talking with the Dr. it was confirmed that I am a good candidate for the surgery. My BMI is over 50, I am a kidney cancer survivor with only one kidney left, I am pre-diabetic and am on high blood pressure medication (honestly not for high blood pressure but to alleviate stress on my remaining kidney) and I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Higa recommended a Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery. This was a shock to me, as I thought I would be more suited for a Roux-En-Y gastric bypass. Dr. Higa stated that the sleeve would be a better option for me as there is a lesser chance of developing ulcers. The Sleeve Gastrectomy actually removes a good portion of the stomach. It is less invasive than the bypass as the only thing that is done is the removal of the stomach, no re-routing of the intestines is done. After further research I have done, the sleeve is starting to become the standard surgery.
Once it was decided I was a candidate we started the next steps. First stop was to one of the coordinators to schedule the various tests that are required before the surgery is done. There were a total of 5 things that I had to get accomplished before we could start the scheduling process.
1. Find out if the insurance was going to cover the procedure. I called our insurance company, which is through Heather's work to find out. Heather works for the Diocese of Fresno which is self insured. The first call was to the company that administers the plan for the Diocese. After talking with them I was crushed. I asked if the procedure was covered and was given a solid "NO". Knowing that the company was only an administrator of the plan, I then contacted the Diocese benefits administrator. After a conversation with him, my spirits were lifted again as I found out that yes, it could be covered, as long as the Dr. stated that it was medically necessary. After going over some of my health issues with the administrator I was assured that as long as the Dr. stated it was necessary we were in the clear.
2. Wait for the call from the testing center for a Manometry test. This is not a fun test. I'm glad that I did not know what this entailed before I actually showed up and was back in the room for the procedure. I was told it was a swallow test, and technically it was. What they didn't tell me is that they would be numbing my sinuses with lidocane gel, then shoving a catheter in through my nostril, through my sinuses and into my esophagus. NOT FUN! But as I told the technician doing the test, it was a means to an end and I would gladly do it!
3. Attend a nutrition class. This actually came quickly. I received the call the Thursday after my consultation and was told there was a class that night, or I would have to wait until the end of February to attend. I signed up immediately. Heather and I both attended the class and it was enlightening. I found out what Dr. Higa meant by having this surgery was done was not the easy way out. The first 6 weeks following the surgery were going to be a major lifestyle change. The first week is nothing but clear fluids and most meals would consist of a total of 3 ounces. In explaining that to my boys, I told them "You know the little medicine cups that we use to give you your liquid medicines (allergy)?" They both nodded yes, I then said, "3 of those filled up will be my meals!". They were astonished.
4. Wait for the scheduling of an endoscopy. I received the call for that on January 27th and we scheduled the procedure for Feb 2nd . That procedure was not too bad. The nurses were friendly and it so happened that both the prep nurse and the recovery nurse had both had the surgeries done as well. Thankfully for this procedure I was knocked out. The last thing I remember is the nurse anesthetist telling me he had given me what he coined a morning margarita, and waking up to Terry the recovery nurse and my wife. The only bad thing about the procedure is that I apparently bit my lip rather hard during the procedure so it was swollen. Two days later it still is.
5. Attend and take a psych test. That test we scheduled the same day as the consultation. I have this last step to take before hopefully getting the surgery scheduled. That appointment is on February 13th!
So to wrap up this long post. The blog was originally a jab at my wife that cycling beats running, but now it has a rebirth in that having the surgery beats running from death. Something that I am sure would have come sooner than later if I don't have this surgery!
I will be chronicling my journey through this here on this blog. I'm sure that cycling will come back into the fold as without exercise the surgery would be pointless!
I still have the passion for cycling, but have not had the free time, or the drive to actually go out and do it. I've become sedentary and more overweight.
The rebirth is that after many years of thought, prayer and research I have decided to go through gastric bypass surgery. It started several years ago after a co-worker had gone through the surgery that I started thinking about it. I mentioned it to my wife at that time and was not met with warm and fuzzy thoughts on it from her. Fast forward to Christmas 2014 when I was off on vacation and I decided to broach the subject again. Heather was receptive at this point so I started to research doctors in our area. I came across ALSA and their program. Their slogan of "This time will be different" struck a cord with me, I've been overweight most of my life. I started down the slippery slope the summer between 2nd and 3rd grade and it has gone downhill since then. I've been on and off diets for longer than I can remember. Sure they worked, but if you stray even a little bit, the tumble down the slippery slope happens again and generally with a weight gain higher than when you started.
January 3rd, 2015 was the start of my journey to go through bariatric surgery. After talking with Heather and her being open to the idea, I signed up for one of the seminars through the Fresno Heart Hospital and the Dr's of ALSA. Heather and I attended the seminar and learned quite a bit. Being obese is essentially a disease. Diets, 95% of the time failed (which I can attest to). Also that the stigma of having weight loss surgery is generally seen as being the easy way out, but honestly it is not. Once the surgery is done, your diet and the way you eat is DRASTICALLY changed. Your body chemistry is changed, all for the good.
After attending the seminar Heather and I talked more about this possible journey. I was 100% committed and she was behind me 100% as well. Monday morning I called to make my first consultation appointment!
My consult appointment was scheduled for January 20, 2015. Heather and I both attended the appointment and met with Dr. Higa and one of the fellows with the practice. Dr. Higa is the doctor that was the presenter at the seminar that we went to as well. After meeting with him personally I was very impressed with his credentials, and his compassion. I think he truly cares about his patients and what is best for them. After talking with the Dr. it was confirmed that I am a good candidate for the surgery. My BMI is over 50, I am a kidney cancer survivor with only one kidney left, I am pre-diabetic and am on high blood pressure medication (honestly not for high blood pressure but to alleviate stress on my remaining kidney) and I have severe obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Higa recommended a Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery. This was a shock to me, as I thought I would be more suited for a Roux-En-Y gastric bypass. Dr. Higa stated that the sleeve would be a better option for me as there is a lesser chance of developing ulcers. The Sleeve Gastrectomy actually removes a good portion of the stomach. It is less invasive than the bypass as the only thing that is done is the removal of the stomach, no re-routing of the intestines is done. After further research I have done, the sleeve is starting to become the standard surgery.
Once it was decided I was a candidate we started the next steps. First stop was to one of the coordinators to schedule the various tests that are required before the surgery is done. There were a total of 5 things that I had to get accomplished before we could start the scheduling process.
1. Find out if the insurance was going to cover the procedure. I called our insurance company, which is through Heather's work to find out. Heather works for the Diocese of Fresno which is self insured. The first call was to the company that administers the plan for the Diocese. After talking with them I was crushed. I asked if the procedure was covered and was given a solid "NO". Knowing that the company was only an administrator of the plan, I then contacted the Diocese benefits administrator. After a conversation with him, my spirits were lifted again as I found out that yes, it could be covered, as long as the Dr. stated that it was medically necessary. After going over some of my health issues with the administrator I was assured that as long as the Dr. stated it was necessary we were in the clear.
2. Wait for the call from the testing center for a Manometry test. This is not a fun test. I'm glad that I did not know what this entailed before I actually showed up and was back in the room for the procedure. I was told it was a swallow test, and technically it was. What they didn't tell me is that they would be numbing my sinuses with lidocane gel, then shoving a catheter in through my nostril, through my sinuses and into my esophagus. NOT FUN! But as I told the technician doing the test, it was a means to an end and I would gladly do it!
3. Attend a nutrition class. This actually came quickly. I received the call the Thursday after my consultation and was told there was a class that night, or I would have to wait until the end of February to attend. I signed up immediately. Heather and I both attended the class and it was enlightening. I found out what Dr. Higa meant by having this surgery was done was not the easy way out. The first 6 weeks following the surgery were going to be a major lifestyle change. The first week is nothing but clear fluids and most meals would consist of a total of 3 ounces. In explaining that to my boys, I told them "You know the little medicine cups that we use to give you your liquid medicines (allergy)?" They both nodded yes, I then said, "3 of those filled up will be my meals!". They were astonished.
4. Wait for the scheduling of an endoscopy. I received the call for that on January 27th and we scheduled the procedure for Feb 2nd . That procedure was not too bad. The nurses were friendly and it so happened that both the prep nurse and the recovery nurse had both had the surgeries done as well. Thankfully for this procedure I was knocked out. The last thing I remember is the nurse anesthetist telling me he had given me what he coined a morning margarita, and waking up to Terry the recovery nurse and my wife. The only bad thing about the procedure is that I apparently bit my lip rather hard during the procedure so it was swollen. Two days later it still is.
5. Attend and take a psych test. That test we scheduled the same day as the consultation. I have this last step to take before hopefully getting the surgery scheduled. That appointment is on February 13th!
So to wrap up this long post. The blog was originally a jab at my wife that cycling beats running, but now it has a rebirth in that having the surgery beats running from death. Something that I am sure would have come sooner than later if I don't have this surgery!
I will be chronicling my journey through this here on this blog. I'm sure that cycling will come back into the fold as without exercise the surgery would be pointless!
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