Two Down, Four to Go

Yesterday was a super busy day. It began first thing in the morning with a trip to the lab as soon as I dropped the girls off at school. I had to have my 90 day blood draw to see how everything is functioning, plus have my A1C checked. As soon as I was finished there, I ran back home and picked up my paperwork for my appointment with Dr. Monk. He is the surgeon who will be doing my gastric-bypass surgery. Today was my first appointment with him for my upcoming *procedure*...

The meeting went very well. Following a complete and thorough intake and medical history, Dr. Monk did a physical exam. He determined that if all goes well, he will be able to do a Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y Surgery.

I was given a packet filled with information to read as well as instructions on what I have to do to prepare for the surgery. I have a lot of *leg work* I have to do on my own. That is good though, it will keep me busy these next few months.

Click on picture to enlarge.

He also gave me a lab order which has to be done before I see him the next time. I was SO bummed since I had been at the lab 2 hours earlier. Now I have to have another blood draw... and this one is a biggie. Look at how many items are highlighted. They will be checking 13 different things. Yikes!

Following my appointment with Dr. Monk, I headed over to my second class. I was joined by my *support* person, Angie. She will be helping me as I go through this transition. After signing in I was weighed. I lost 2 pounds and my B/P was 110/68... YAY!!

The topic covered this month was about how do we (Bariatric Patients) gain control over food rather than food controlling us. What do I need to do to conquer my addiction to food? I totally admit that I use food to *self-medicate* when I'm happy, sad, depressed, celebrating, angry, frustrated, excited, etc. I love food and at the same time I hate food. It's my friend and my enemy.

We were also given a paper to complete about the specific reasons why we want to lose weight and how important each reason is to us. It's meant to encourage us to think deeper about our motivations. Some of my reasons are...

• I'll be in better health
• I'll feel better physically
• I'll have more energy
• I'll like myself more
• I'll feel more control
• I'll have more confidence
• I'll feel I've accomplished something important
• I'LL LIVE LONGER
  

There was a lot of emphasis on *mindful eating*.. in other words, why are we eating when we're eating? We are instructed to...

• Eat in one area only
• Do nothing while eating other than eat
• Think about why we're eating (hunger, stress, boredom, etc)
• Take smaller bites and chew thoroughly
• Actually take time to taste the food we're eating
• Slow down (each meal should take 20-30 min to consume)
  

In another packet we received, "Coping Skills and Stress Management," we are asked to do an inventory of pre-weight loss coping skills. I've got to say, I have to really work on this one. I'm NOT doing so well in this area... not just in eating but also in other behaviors. It's amazing what seeing things in black and white does. Thus the reason for these classes, right? Here are some of my current coping *skills*...

• Yelling/screaming
• Eating more
• Crying
• Sleeping too much/not enough
• Worrying
• Isolating from others
• Avoiding responsibilities
• Overspending
• Becoming depressed or anxious
• Being irritable
• Inactivity

Just lovely, isn't it???? This is really painful to admit. Again, this is part of the journey and I must remind myself that these are the steps to becoming the healthy person (obviously physically and emotionally) I want to be for the rest of my life. If it were easy it wouldn't last.

And finally, this months goals...

• Practice mindful eating at least 1 meal a day
• Decrease 1 fast food/restaurant meal
• Take a multi-vitamin each day