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Today I went to have all my pre-admission testing done. It was simple and fairly quick. I spoke with a nurse who drew my blood and did an EKG. Then I spoke with a nurse practitioner from the anesthesia group...and finally a chest x-ray was done all in one hours time. Everyone was so nice and wished me luck for my surgery on Wednesday. While taking my medical history (which is pretty much non-existant) the nurse practitioner kept commenting on how 'easy' I was. "This is so easy", she kept saying. I knew what she meant and it made me feel good to know how low-risk I am for surgery and anesthesia. Now all I have to do is wait for the phone call the evening before surgery telling me what time to report to the surgical waiting area.
7 days...exactly one week from today my life will change forever. Time is actually going slowly because I'm literally counting down the days, but I can't help it. I've been doing really well following the Atkins diet. I've wanted to cheat many times but have refrained, knowing that it won't contribute to the overall goal...which is to change my lifestyle and eating habits. I'm also working on changing my thought process about food and positive thinking to go along with the physical changes.
Its not easy but nothing hard ever is, right?
I got the phone call this morning to schedule my pre-admission testing. Its a two hour appointment where I have my anesthesia consult, a physical and all the necessary testing done like blood work, EKG and chest x-ray. I knew that they wouldn't call to schedule this until a week before my surgery, but I've still been anxiously waiting for the call. This is just one more step closer to next week. Its only 8 days away!
I had strong cravings this afternoon. Cravings for all the restaurant foods that I love and that I so desperately want right now! I just kept thinking of all the places I love to go eat and how I won't be able to eat at those places for a very long time. I also reminded myself how silly it was to think that way because in time I will be able to enjoy most foods again, just in smaller amounts. I'm experiencing this thing called the 'Last Supper' phenomenon. I want to eat all I can right now and get those 'last meals' in before the surgery. Since I'm on Atkins pre-operatively I can't really eat any the foods I'm craving anyway, but that didn't stop the strong urge to eat them.
Without really thinking about it I distracted myself by playing with my daughter and watching Spongebob Squarepants with her for a few minutes and that actually distracted me from my cravings. I wasn't trying to distract myself but it happened and after a few minutes my strong cravings were gone! I'll have to remember that in the future cause this won't be the last time!
And thank god for my wonderful, supportive husband, who through email, reminded me that this was all in my head and that I have to be strong. He's the best!
I've been reading some books about weight loss surgery and one book in particular discusses trigger foods and how important it is to remove them from your home. Trigger foods are those foods we all gravitate towards when we do our 'emotional eating'. For me, that emotion is boredom. I eat when I am bored and I eat in front of the TV. Its bad, I know. My trigger foods are pretty much every type of junk food you could think of...chips, cookies, cakes, etc. I know what my trigger foods are and when I'm most likely to eat them, so my challenge is to keep them out of the house and occupy myself during the day when I'm most likely to get bored.
So...we had company over this weekend and I bought dessert for after dinner. I was hoping we would eat it all that night so there wouldn't be leftovers...well, I was wrong. This yummy dessert has been staring at me for two days now and I had a moment of weakness and had some. Even though I'm supposed to be on Atkins during this pre-op period I caved and had some of this forbidden fruit. So now this dessert has to go...it has to leave this house now so I won't be tempted anymore. I'm sorry for my husband who also loves this treat and will have to see it discarded half eaten, but in the end it will be good for him too. If it is in the house we will eat it, no question! So...its time to get it out of the house!
I received my approval letter in the mail from my insurance company today! The letter opens by saying that "the pre-approval request for the Laparoscopic Roux-En-Y Gastric Bypass, for the patient referenced above has been reviewed and has been determined to be medically appropriate." Everything that happens and everything that I read and do is just getting me one step closer to achieving my goal! Its only 11 days away!
A little less than 2 weeks to go. I've been doing just fine on the modified Atkins and haven't really missed the carbs. Eating meat, eggs, cheese and veggies hasn't been as painful as I thought it would be. I actually am enjoying it. Going out for breakfast this morning wasn't a big deal either. I didn't even miss the homefries or the toast. The large omelet and bacon was more than enough.
I'm doing everything I can to fully prepare myself for what lies ahead and I think I've done a good job so far. I read all I can...even spending time in the bookstore and practically finishing a book there so I don't have to buy it. I feel that I've educated myself and really know everything about what I'm about to do. I know the risks, the major dietary and lifestyle changes, the consequences, the emotional ups and downs, the concerns and worries, the negativity from other people...I know it all and I'm ready. All I need is the support from one person...my husband...and I have it so nothing else really matters.
