I won today’s battle with the evil little voice. I’m not going to get cocky, though. I know from long experience that that voice is powerful and can stage an uprising at any time.
I have my first appointments set up at the Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute in preparation for gastric bypass surgery (I’ve decided on the full bypass rather than the lap band). I’ll be attending one group nutrition class each month for 3 months. During the first month, I will also have a one-on-one consultation with a registered dietician. Those appointments are already set. In month four, I will have an appointment with a nurse practitioner and will also start 3 sessions of life skills classes. In month five, I will have an appointment with a clinical psychologist and another brief appointment with the dietician. In month six, I will have an appointment with an endocrinologist, who is the Institute’s bariatric specialist. During this time, but probably not before month three, I will also schedule a complete cardiac evaluation and a complete pulmonary evaluation. By the way, the 6-month program is required by my insurance; that’s why everything is stretched out. But, as I said last night, I’ve been waiting this long, I can wait a few more months.
There are two main reasons that I’ve decided on gastric bypass surgery rather than lap band surgery. Reason #1 – I already weigh over 400 pounds and all studies have shown that gastric bypass patients lose more weight than lap band patients. Reason #2 – Studies have shown that, in some patients, Barrett’s Esophagus is completely reversed after gastric bypass surgery, and Barrett’s is one of the problems I have. Normally, about 2 percent of Barrett’s patients end up getting esophagal cancer. That being said, I’m not getting the surgery to help with my Barrett’s, I’m getting the surgery to lose weight. It’s just one of my reasons for choosing the full bypass surgery. So, here I go!
I did some stretching exercises and went out for a short walk tonight. My back, hip and leg are definitely feeling better, but still a long ways from 100%. Patience, patience. Here is my food log for today. I think I had one too many afternoon snacks (the teryaki beef snack stick was a spur of the moment purchase when I had to buy dishwasher detergent), but I still came in within the 1800-2000 calorie range. I suppose I’ll find out during the nutrition classes or the appointment with the dietician whether or not this is a proper range for me. That’s the range that my family doctor has said, so I’m going with that for now.
