Featured

Welcome :)

Hello! So glad you decided to pop on over!

Have you ever heard people say that their life is FALLING APART? Have you ever felt that way yourself? I challenge you to change your thinking and wonder if, in fact, your life is FALLING TOGETHER!

Over the last few years, I have decided to make some small changes to get myself more “together.” In 2018, I got braces on my teeth just before my 40th birthday. My teeth were not “bad” or really “crooked,” but I had some functional issues that I needed to correct, including an old fixed bridge that needed to be replaced with an implant. Also, in 2018, I went back to school. In September of 2020, I successfully completed my Master’s Degree in Nursing Education! That was so exciting! Plus, I have made self-care a priority and turned into a skincare enthusiast!

However, there was one change that I had attempted many times, but was never successful at. Around 5 or 6 years ago, I tried a low-carb diet to lose some weight. I am only 5′ 3″ and weighed 263 pounds at my highest. I developed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and began using a CPAP machine at night. Yikes! I lost nearly 60 pounds, but did not sustain it. I love carbs! They started to creep back into my diet. Then about 3 years ago, I began counting calories with similar results. Lost about 50 pounds, but gained almost all of it back. I had tried again, and failed…again.

In the fall of 2019 I decided to explore medical weight loss with a team approach. Starting weight 246.4 pounds. My intention was to use the services of a dietician, psychologist, and bariatric physician to get me on the right track. I learned a lot about diet and nutrition, lost around 20 pounds. Gained it back. Again.

By the summer of 2020, during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, I decided that I needed more help. At that point I began all of the required pre-op testing for bariatric (weight loss) surgery. After discussing it with my doctor, I opted for a vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), a restrictive procedure. I chose this, instead of the more aggressive gastric bypass, which interferes with absorption of nutrients as well. My BMI was above 35 and I had at least one co-morbidity (sleep apnea), so insurance would cover the surgery. I just had to work with the team at the weight loss clinic for 6 months and show that I was attempting to lose weight.

Well, fast forward to 1 week ago. On March 24, 2021 I had my gastric sleeve procedure. I had to check in to the hospital at 5:15 AM. After following the 2-week liquid diet that included unlimited non-starchy vegetables I had lost about 8 pounds. My weight per home scale on the morning of surgery was 226.4 pounds.

Enjoy your stay in “Onederland” :)

Wow, what a journey this has been! This last Wednesday (June 9, 2021) was 11 weeks post-op. It was a good week for me and I am excited to share my successes!

Under 200 pounds! Onederland!

In the weight loss community, there is a term “onederland” that means you are finally under 200 pounds (one hundred something pounds). This is a goal for many of us trying to get healthier and change our lives. For me personally, I think it has been 20 years since I weighed under 200 pounds! This is a huge milestone that is definitely a cause for celebration!

Onederland achieved, 199.6 pounds

Wow. Just wow. I know that weight is still far too high for my 5’2.5″ frame, but at my highest weight I was approaching 300 pounds (263 to be exact). So, seeing that number brings a sense of pride, accomplishment, and feeling that I am finally taking care of my health and life.

I had my first set of post-op labs drawn this week to check my vitamin levels, iron, and many other things following my restrictive gastric sleeve surgery. All of my labs were PERFECT! Clearly I am getting enough nutrition through my food and my thyroid supplement is working as intended!

There are some other exciting things going on in my personal life, but that is not weight loss related…buuuttt, I might discuss it here soon 😉

6 weeks post-op

(Above photo credit: Anastasia Purl) Two days ago, I hit my 6 week mark after my surgery! I am feeling pretty good and as of today, I am officially on a REGULAR diet!! The volumes I can handle are still pretty small, but I can have whatever I want now (within reason, obviously). I am establishing a new relationship with food. The sweet cravings, unfortunately, are still there. But, I am doing my best to not sabotage myself. Allowing myself some grace to navigate this next chapter of my life 🙂

This week I have been discovering and enjoying new flavors (and revisiting some old standbys). I have been enjoying vegetarian meatballs, eggs, mushrooms and green bell peppers. I even tried some black bean spaghetti!

My incisions are healing beautifully! I know that they will fade some more. Pretty happy with how they look!

I am getting very close to “onderland,” meaning I am almost under 200 pounds for the first time in MANY years. I have lost 20 pounds since surgery, and 28 pounds since I started my pre-op diet! Wow!

4 weeks post-op

Well, it has been a minute since I posted. I figured 4 weeks since surgery was a good time to post an update! My incisions are healing well. No drainage, redness, or other signs of problems.

On my diet, I am currently in the pureed phase. The good news about that is I can actually have things like scrambled eggs in addition to beans (black, pinto, etc.) as long as they are fully cooked. All of my vegetables must be cooked well, since my stomach is still healing.

I tried the other day to eat a tiny bit of bread, and I was so full that I was in pain! I guess my stomach is not ready for that! My biggest challenge continues to be getting in enough protein. It is a struggle! Most days I am still relying on protein shakes to get my 60 grams of protein in. Light string cheese and light Babybel cheese continue to be many of my meals. I am adding protein powder to pureed fruit and vegetables. I learned that adding a full scoop of protein powder to only 4 ounces of pureed fruits or vegetables are NOT a good idea! YUCK!

The chewable multivitamins do not taste very good. I have to break them in half and be sure I have eaten first, otherwise I get nauseated. That will likely be a struggle for a little while. It will be great when I can swallow them whole again!

2 weeks post-op (4/7/21)

Well, it has been 2 weeks since surgery. Ups and downs as I had expected.

The good: The steri-strips (little white bandages over my punctures) are now off. My pain is pretty much gone. AND, I am seeing good progress on the scale. I have also found an unflavored protein powder that does not leave an aftertaste or change the flavor of my soup! Yes!

The bad: my hunger has returned somewhat, and my sugar cravings a bit as well. All of the Easter candy…Reece’s peanut butter cups and eggs, Dove chocolate eggs, caramel-filled chocolate bunnies… are all calling my name! I am SO SICK of full liquids! Yogurt, soup with added protein powder, and protein shakes. Hoping on Friday that my surgeon will let me advance to pureed foods. Never thought I would be so excited to eat eggs (actual ones, not the chocolate or peanut butter kind).

The ugly: I have to take actigall (a medication to prevent gallstones) twice daily for 6 months. The powder tastes terrible! Right now, I have to open the capsules and put it in food or liquids… the aftertaste is awful! Also, as my wounds heal, my skin (the punctures and the healthy skin surrounding them as well) is so itchy!! I was a bit surprised by the severity of it. The punctures are also larger and darker in color than I had expected. I know that itchy incisions= healing. I also know that my new battle wounds will fade with time. These are just the things that are bothering me right now.

2 weeks post op

(photo credit: Anastasia Purl)

Post-op days 6-10

March 16, 2021 and March 30, 2021

(Photo credit: Anastasia Purl)

Already seeing some progress! Top row was taken on post-op day 6. Already down 15 pounds on that day since the start of my pre-op liquid diet.

This week was fairly uneventful in regards to my recovery. My pain has greatly improved, although today on day 10 post-op (April 3rd, Saturday) is the first day that I barely notice it. Even 2 days ago, the pain would catch me off guard sometimes.

My biggest issue the last couple of days is that I am SO SICK of protein shakes and yogurt! I can have soup, but I am supposed to add protein powder to it. I have not found one that tastes very good yet. In about a week, I will advance to the “pureed” stage, which will open up many more options for me! Unrelated to my surgery, on a positive note this week, I got my braces off after nearly 3 years!! Things are looking up 🙂

Post-op days 3, 4, and 5

On post-op day #3 (Saturday, 3/27/21) my vision had almost cleared up completely. In fact, by bedtime, it was 100% back to normal! That blurriness had me a bit worried, so I was glad to be on the mend! However, I was feeling a bit tired and “off” when I woke up. Still no hunger pangs. Pain continued to be the worst on my right side, especially the right upper quadrant (RUQ). I took oxycodone two times during the day. Another thing that happened on Saturday was I tried some soup with added protein powder (per dietician recommendations). Unflavored does NOT mean it has no taste! I added half of the recommended serving size to some soup and it was so AWFUL! Definitely will be on the lookout for a better unflavored protein powder!

Post-op day #4, Sunday (see above pic): Still in some pain, was able to wait until 5:30 PM to take oxycodone, but needed it again at bedtime. Consumed protein water (had to dilute it because it was WAY TOO SWEET), protein shakes, yogurt, and adding crystal light mix to my water to ensure I was drinking enough fluids. Weighed in at 223.6 pounds, stomach still gurgling a lot after eating and drinking, laughing was painful, felt very bloated. Took senna (a laxative) syrup because I had small, hard, marble-sized (sorry, TMI) stool at 10:00 PM. Constipation is a real issue with high protein diets. I am doing my best to get a minimum of 60 grams of protein per day. Guess it is my own fault for not taking preventative measures up until this point.

Post-op day #5, Monday: Decided to be safe and take senna syrup again, which resulted in a similar “result” as the day before, just more of it (sorry, TMI again). Started getting hiccups frequently, which really hurt if I was not bracing my abdomen at the time. On the plus side liquid Tylenol was controlling my pain. My stomach was still gurgling loudly and frequently, worst after I ate or drank anything. I felt really run down and tired, even after 9 hours of sleep. That evening I had (sorry, TMI again) an urgent need to go #2… afterwards, I felt much better and it definitely helped my bloating!

First full day at home (Post-op day 2): 3/26/21

Battle wounds

I actually took this picture just before I left the hospital (1 day post-op). This picture makes me feel very vulnerable. You can see my stretch marks, my obese belly, my six puncture marks from surgery. As you look at this picture, the biggest puncture is the 2nd one from the right side. That puncture is the biggest, most painful, and the one that would give me the most trouble in next few days. Taking regular Tylenol, along with a narcotic (oxycodone) regularly, helped me to manage my pain.

At two days post-op, my vision was still blurry. I was beginning to worry about permanent eye damage (luckily that was not the case). Good news is I was beginning to “pass gas” or in medical terms, have flatus. I know, I know, TMI, but it is an important part of the recovery process. It means that my gut had successfully woken up from anesthesia.

By the end of post-op day 2, I was tolerating about 4 ounces of protein shake in one sitting (over 15-30 minutes) and about 3 ounces of 98% fat-free creamy soup. This also had to be stretched out over 15-30 minutes to avoid excessive gurgling and pain from the volume of liquid that I was consuming.

So, heading into the weekend, I felt pretty good. My pain was manageable and I was tolerating my full liquid diet. For the next two weeks, this would be my “job.” I needed to stay hydrated by consuming a full liquid diet with protein shakes, soup, and yogurt.

Surgery day: 3/24/2021

IV for surgery- only 1 stick!

I had to be at the hospital at 5:15 in the morning, which means I was up at 4:15 AM. We live 30 minutes from the hospital, and I had to do a shower with special soap before we left for the hospital. I did not sleep well. However, my biggest anxiety was not about the surgery itself, but about the IV stick. Luckily for me, the nurse got my IV on the first try! She put it on the outside of my elbow. When I woke up from surgery, I had an additional IV in my forearm. I also had a bruise on each hand, because apparently they tried to start it in each hand first.

My surgery started at 7:15 AM, and I remember waking up in the recovery room by around 9:30 AM. I was in pain, nauseated, and my mouth and throat were so dry! At one point, a medical student came around asking if I was nauseous…suddenly I was the most nauseated that I had been! I started “dry heaving” but did not vomit because I had only eaten ice chips (too many of them). I learned very quickly that my new stomach could not accommodate large volumes of liquids!

I stayed in recovery for a long time. Apparently, they were waiting for my room to be ready. I got to my room around 3:00 PM. The floor nurse got my pain and nausea under control and I felt pretty good! I actually felt good enough to walk the halls with assistance at 5:00 PM! The most painful puncture was the “big” one that had to be opened up for my stomach to be removed.

I continued to get nausea medicine and pain medication on a regular basis overnight. I also got heparin (a blood thinner) in the subcutaneous tissue (just under the skin) every 8 hours. That was PAINFUL! OUCH! The blood thinner is given to prevent blood clots after surgery. It definitely works. When my forearm IV went bad the next morning and had to be pulled, blood ran down my arm and I needed a pressure dressing for awhile after removal.

The surgery resident (I was in a teaching hospital) made rounds at about 7:30 AM, and I had discharge orders by 10:00 AM! My husband and daughter picked me up around 1:30 PM, so I was home by 2:30 PM.

My job at home was to drink an ounce of fluid (water or another sugar-free beverage) every 10 minutes. After every 3rd time, I was to drink an ounce of protein shake. I was at very high risk for dehydration, and I also needed calories. So, that is what I had to do. If I tried to drink too much at a time, my new smaller stomach would let me know! OUCH!

I was even having some blurry vision, possibly because I rubbed my eyes too much in recovery and scratched my corneas a bit. I was needing narcotic pain medication (oxycodone) every 4 hours at home. I was not passing gas yet, so my gut was still “asleep” after surgery.

One really distressing thing that I did not expect was that I kept getting hiccups which were painful, I was burping a lot, and my stomach was constantly gurgling. The gurgling happened frequently, and even more after I had something to drink. The loud “sink drain” of gurgling was obnoxious, though not uncomfortable.