I have been approved for surgery and have my date set!  Excited and nervous at the same time.  My surgery date is December 22, which is a Tuesday.  Everything is set for work.  I work at an attorney's office as the accountant/office manager.  I'm taking two weeks off.  I'm hoping that's enough time but if it's not I get three more weeks off after the first of the year.  I'm working on getting all of my ducks in a row.  Buying my vitamins, unflavored whey powder, bought a Nutribullet RX (giant machine!) for my smoothies and soups.  It actually heats the soup up!  Technology is wonderful!  I can remember when the first bullet came out.  We bought one and had some really good fruit smoothies. I forgot to mention that they are taking my gall bladder out too because I have gallstones and I've watched "My 500 lb. Life" and have seen them have to go back in and take the gall bladder out and I don't want to have two surgeries.

I go December 1 to talk to my doctor's nurse so she can give me instructions on what to do before surgery.  I go December 7 for a class on eating after surgery.  Then the next day I start my liquid diet. I have to admit that I'm not looking forward to liquids for two weeks.  I know the protein shakes will keep me full but....boring!  I know it's for the best - to shrink my liver and I plan on sticking to it.  I don't want anything to go wrong with the surgery.  I have too much living to do.  My daughter plans on taking me to one of the festivals she goes to.  I'm so excited to have a second chance at life.  I will not squander it or take advantage of my second chance.  I will follow everything the doctor tells me to do.  I love water so getting my daily quantity of water in shouldn't be a problem.  My only vice that I'm still trying to break is my addiction to diet cherry coke.  I love it!  And after surgery I won't be drinking any at all so I'm trying to limit myself to one a day.  I know I can do it.

My other daughter will be home for the entire two weeks I'll be off so after Christmas I plan on going down to where she lives, about an hour and a half away, to spend some time with her so she can take care of me.  She'll be leaving for Florida until April so I have to get as much time in with her as possible.

I have a son also who has two children.  The relationship is strained right now and I don't get to see my grandbabies and have only seen them once in 6 months which has been a big source of stress for me because my grandson, who is 5, and I were so close.  I've been there for him since he was born and love them so much.  Miscommunication and misunderstandings have been the source of the problems.  Hopefully after surgery I'll get to see them more.  I want to do more with them now that I'll be able to.

I've been buying smaller clothes, mostly shirts.  Not too much smaller but I don't want my clothes hanging off of me before I get a chance to buy new ones.  Argh!!  I don't know how this is going to go and how quickly I'm going to lose the weight so it's hard to prepare.  I do own a sewing machine and can take a lot of my clothes in, especially the ones I really like.  I get blood work done on Monday.  I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and I plan to eat as much turkey as I can especially since I can't have Christmas dinner.  One dinner is good enough for me.  Hopefully I'm out of the hospital by Christmas day but if I'm not my family will bring Christmas to me.  I'd like to get a little Christmas tree for my hospital room just to keep me cheery if I'm still there on Christmas day.

Nervous

As of Monday, the rest of the paperwork has been submitted to the insurance company.  Now we just play the waiting game.  Hopefully they don't take too long and I'll have a date soon.  I have IBS so it's really been playing hell with my system because of all the stress and worrying.  Yesterday and today it's only been broth and jello for me because I feel so crappy.  Hopefully once I get a date I can relax.  Our office Christmas party is on December 12th and I won't be able to eat anything because I'll be on the 2 week liquid diet. That's really going to suck because I enjoy our holiday party.  Then the next week my husband's family is getting together for their annual Christmas party.  I'll either close to surgery or already have had it (hopefully). This stress has to stop though.  At least I'll be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner!

Bariatric Gastric Sleeve

My journey started in May, 2015.  I'll admit I thought things would be different that what they have been.  Not that it's been bad.  I've had more doctors appointments in the last 6 months than I've had in my life.  I've learned how to eat healthier and I've learned to what limits I can push myself mentally.  Because of some family problems, my journey got off to a rocky start.  And I've shed more than a few tears.  At first I was going to have the gastric bypass done but in talking to my surgeon, who by the way studied at the Cleveland Clinic, we decided to go with the gastric sleeve.  Less invasive, less recuperating, and since I'm not diabetic it would be the best surgery for me.  

I am currently 257 lbs. with my highest weight at 262.  After my kids were born I'd always struggled with my weight but I'd usually kept it about 230 and didn't go over.  Unhappy marriage, depression, and life really took it's toll on my weight.  I'm not blaming anyone but myself because I chose to put the food in my mouth.  I'm not a binge eater, I just like food.  In 2012 I injured one of my knees then in 2013 the other knee went too.  Because of the knee pain I couldn't do the things I used to do so I've gained 30 more pounds.  It's beginning to take a toll on my health and joints.  Grocery shopping is the worst.  I dread going into the store because I know I'm going to come out in pain and I refuse to use one of those motorized scooters because (and I have to admit I'm one of these people) people stare at overweight people who use those.  I refused to be stared at.  

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure (I actually had to tell the doctor that I think I have high blood pressure because every time I went in for a visit my blood pressure was high).   Finally she put me on blood pressure medicine and I've been doing a lot better.  So I have arthritis in both knees and my hips are bad.  I have bone spurs.  I have insomnia and snore.  And two of my lower vertebrae are sliding against each other.  That's pretty much the extent of my health problems.  

On the positive side, I'm in relatively good health.  I had my pre-op appointment with my surgeon November 6th and they are submitting the paperwork to the insurance company.  Hopefully they approve the surgery soon.  I have to have blood work done a month before surgery then 2 weeks before surgery I have to go on a liquid diet.  That's going to be a tough one.  We are in holiday season so I love Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.  But losing weight is much more important to me.  

That's all for this morning.  I'll let you know when the surgery is approved and I have my date (hopefully before December 14 because my daughter is going to Florida for 4 months for work and I need to have her by my side).