Peace, Love, and Protein Shakes: Vanessa's Bariatric Blog

So, I went to my primary care doctor today for my monthly check-up. It took THREE HOURS  before I could have a 15 MINUTE  visit with him. Yeah. I love my primary care doctor. He's really nice and knowledgeable and respectful, but he takes FOREVER !!! There's some precious time I will never get back. Thank goodness that I have a more flexible and lenient schedule than most. And I was able to get a nap afterward, so there's that. Basically, I have to just tough things out. I'm seeing a gastroenterologist (stomach doctor) next week, so I'll see what they have to say. After that, then I may have a clearer idea on what to do. Yet temptation is everywhere!!!!! This is what I made Mom for dinner tonight. A big 'ol plate of Mac and Cheese. Fun. This is what I'm attempting to eat tonight. Less than 1/2 cup of Mac and Cheese, with a toddler fork. Yeah. This is what adulting feels like. I can't escape the real world. I can't escape food. Food is ...

Just received a very sobering phone call from a "Patient Advocate" with a bariatric specialist. The long and short of it: The doctor (who I will not name) thinks that I am a candidate for a revision surgery. Basically, I would have to go back into the ER, this time, in San Antonio, and make my stomach pouch even smaller. Whoa. Then she gave me the price. $20,000. Paid in full, before surgery, with NO financing options.  Seriously. She said it like it was nothing. Like she was just breathing. Like everyone has $20 K in their back pocket. Then she tried to reassure me that the surgery would be really simple, only three days tops. Yet I would have to spend at least two weeks recovering at home. I wouldn't need physical therapy or home health care either, she said. But what if I don't recover on that time table? What if there's another complication during surgery? What if I go into ANOTHER COMA?!? So yeah, I was pretty freaked. There's also 5...

I wrote this statement earlier, just as Valentine's Day 2017 was ending, and then I ended up having an intense discussion with my mother about the present situation and my frustration. I can't go into specifics, but basically we reached an agreement that while things may seem hard and bleak right now, it doesn't make sense for me to try to do things on my own (like travel) just yet. I need to give myself and my body time to adjust to surgery and heal. Because right now, I'm in survival mode. My body is fighting against me every day. It's constantly kicking my ass, and I'm trying to stay strong. But a person can only take so much. So I will just try to implement my coping strategies (including blogging!) and try to be patient. So, now, this is what I love about me: I love that I am strong, inside and out. After all the changes that have happened to me this year, I’ve realized that I am a lot tougher than I think I am. Even emotionally, surprisingly. I have f...

Hi. My name is Vanessa. I'm 29 years old. I'm a Black female living in South Texas, and I work as a home health care aide. It's hard sometimes, but I basically get paid to hang out with one of the most awesome people on Earth, and help them navigate through their daily life. Also, while I am facing many challenges, I am grateful to be alive. That is because I almost died  last year. In March 2016, I was in a medically induced coma for two weeks after complications from gastric bypass weight loss surgery. When I woke up, all I could see (after the blurriness wore off) was my grief-stricken mother, bursting into tears of joy because I could finally open my eyes and hold her hand. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her. Ever. No one ever told me how or why it happened to this day. Complications from weight loss surgery happen all the time.  This is from the Mayo Clinic.  It's why you sign a million forms the day you register for surgery (mine wa...

Hello. Welcome to Peace, Love, and Protein Shakes, my bariatric blog. My name is Vanessa and I am 29 years old. I had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass in March 2016. Why am I just starting to blog about this now? Well, for one, I've had a lot of complications. Two, I am still processing my feelings about this process and where I am in my weight loss journey. I have had so many ups and downs for over two decades with my weight loss, and my problems aren't going to go away overnight. At the end of the day, my surgery was a tool, and now I have to use it properly in order to maximize my weight loss and ensure my overall success. A bit of a disclaimer: I am NOT a weight loss expert. I am not advertising or endorsing any type of weight loss procedure or surgery in any way. I am not suggesting anything against having weight loss surgery either. This blog is mainly a narrative in which I will use from time to time to process and outline my weight loss journey, successes, and struggles. It...