Cathrine J.

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Wahoo!  I reached my first ever mini goal today.  My goal was 239 and the scale read 237.    In all the years I've dieted I've never set a mini goal.  I may have told myself not to focus on how much I needed to lose and that I'd be happy if I lost 5 or 10 pounds but I've never written down a number and worked towards it.  Using the Health Tracker I did and today I reached my goal.  I want to acknowledge it here because, of course, I immediately set another mini goal. 

Now that I'm down 20 since my appointment with my surgeon I'm thinking of booking my next appointment with him sooner than the six month mark.  Maybe if he sees that I'm making progress he can do something to get my 'scopes booked.  Something to think about anyway.

A quick note to report I've kept up with charting my food intake.  I've consistently been using the stairs at work and have gone on some 30 minute walks.  Each day I keep track of my water intake as well.  At this point I've lost just over 20 lbs and I'm within a couple of pounds of making it into the 230's.  I haven't seen those in years and years.

I'm scheduled to attend a week long conference at the very end of October and want to have lost some more weight by then.  Hopefully another 10 lbs.  I need to increase my walking and be consistent with walking every other day.  I'll need to walk to and from the hotel to the conference site and want to be less self conscious at the conference.  Participants will come from all across Canada.  I'm looking forward to it.  :)

Yesterday I met with Dr. Malik for my follow up.  About a month or 6 weeks after my January appointment with him I got off track and never got back on.  I lost three pounds which was probably just water weight.  I gave him some excuses (bad heartburn recently, pain in my ankle, my boyfriend adopting a rescue dog).  From what he said it was clear he felt I was wasting his time and there was no need for me to come back unless I worked the plan he prescribed.  I do not want to live like this so I will.

This time I have a friend who will work her own eating better/exercise plan and this will help.  I'm going to start out by using the stairs at work, increasing my water intake, getting some new walking shoes, and making better food choices (more veggies & protein, less grain carbs and dairy).  I'll have my boyfriend take my measurements.  I'll get a few photos printed that were taken a couple of months ago and use them on a vision board I'll create and I'll chart my food and water intake.   Lastly I'll set some mini goals to keep me on track.  I've never set goals before except the ultimate "I want to lose X weight."  That's too daunting obviously and like 99% of other people I get frustrated and give up.

This time is going to be different.  I look forward to surprising Dr. Malik in six months by how much progress I've made.  I'm not doing it for him though but myself.  Yes... finally for myself.

My surgeon, like most I expect, has numerous tests that must be completed before he'll schedule the surgery.  In late December I did the full blood panel including lipids as well as the urinalysis.   In early January I had the chest x-ray done and blood tests measuring potassium, sodium and chloride.  Those are electrolytes I think. I've been scheduled for the overnight oximetry clinic and pulmonary function tests at the end of February.  Once those are done the only ones left are the scopes (top down and bottom up).  There is quite a waiting list for the scopes (a year in some cases) so I know it will be some time before those are scheduled. 

I was very happy to meet my surgeon today:  Dr. Samaad Malik.  He was pleasant and approachable.  He didn't say anything I wasn't expecting as I have a friend who has seen him for a WLS consult already.  He'd like me to lose weight before I see him again in six months.  I was pleased to find his office scale weighs me 4.6 lbs lighter than my new one at home.    I said I was worried I might lose too much and be below the '100 pounds overweight' that qualifies me for medical plan surgery.  He said not to worry because only 10% can keep it off anyway.  I also need to start exercising and unless I'm walking 10,000 steps a day, which he estimates will take 4 hours, I need to be doing cardio.  
So, my next challenge will be to create a food plan and exercise schedule.  Then start it and work it until I see him again in July.
I still have a few tests to be done as well:  an oximetry and both scopes (top down and bottom up).  I imagine it will be some time before I'm booked for the scopes.

Hi.  I turned 48 in November and after finding out there is another specialist/surgeon in town that does WLS I decided to ask my doctor (general practitioner) for a referral to him.  I saw my GP late December and will see the specialist/surgeon on Jan. 20th.  I'm quite excited but nervous too because what if I don't qualify for the surgery.  Here in British Columbia you don't get the surgery covered by the medical plan unless you qualify.  Even if you qualify you have a few appointments with the specialist and must have certain tests and do other things (see a psychologist, lose some weight pre-surgery) before they'll book the surgery.  I'm told the waitlist for the surgery can be up to 5 years so I figured I better 'get in line'. 
~ Cathrine