Shake it Off

As my musical guilty pleasure, Taylor Swift, likes to sing, sometimes you just have to shake it off. Whether it's the players, haters or the nay-sayers, getting rid of the negativity in your life is a step in the right direction. As I do research on the different bariatric surgeries available to my mom and I, I've come to realize the majority of blogs and video journals focus on the bad effects of going through with surgery, rather than the positive impacts on their life. I'd like to look at the surgery from a different point of view and list the positive impacts I'm looking forward to.

1. Reclaiming the three years that experts say obesity snips from my lifespan.
2. Shopping in an actual mall for outfits that don't include the term 'plus'. I don't see myself in a bikini right after surgery, but I'd be happy with just looking healthy!
3. Flying without a seat belt extender or, worse, the sneers from the poor soul sitting between us on a flight.
4. Swimming, snorkeling and all other outdoor activity that has been limited, thanks to my extra weight
5. Sleeping without sounding like a large grizzly/train. Also--cutting off the concern of sleep apnea before it even begins. No matter how much I'd joke and call myself "Maverick", a CPAP sleep mask will never be sexy.
6. Dancing like crazy without worrying that my ass is going to launch a skinny chick through a side window if she gets too close. I'll just go ahead and say I'm looking forward to feeling more confident in general. 
7. Walking, skipping, jogging or whatever else I'd like to do without feeling like an out of breath elephant. I can't wait for the day that I can go shopping in Wal-Mart without having to pause in the candle aisle to catch my breath as I walk from the grocery side to get dog food. Even though I'm the only one that knows what I'm thinking, it's humiliating none-the-less.
8. Seeing all of my friends that I haven't seen in a while to show them my success.
9. Starting my new career without my weight holding me back in any way, shape or form. 
10. Having a normal dating life without the inhibitions associated with being the girl 'chubby chasing' guys go after. 

Off to the Races

Early this week, I received a phone call from Vanderbilt about my blood work that left me worried and Googling. I'm not sure about everyone else, but Googling medical results never ends up in a positive direction. Don't do it.

 Basically, the lab tech told me that I was severely anemic and that my white count was on the high side. I know...I tend to overreact, but I've gotten those results every time I've ever been to the doctor my entire life. I'm always anemic and I've always got a slightly higher white count than normal. According to Google, I could be facing a large list of auto-immune diseases, cancer or something as simple as arthritis. Time to see the hematologist? Maybe. Luckily for me, the tech gave me a list of new blood tests needed from my primary care physician to see what's going on. I LOVE needles! (Sikeee)

Today was our first monthly appointment with our doctor to set up a weight loss regime and to meet the insurance guidelines needed prior to our surgery in six months. My blood pressure was through the roof to the point that I was placed on medication to lower it. Fat surgeons refer to high blood pressure as a 'comorbidity'. In other words, 'Side Effects of Fat'. Mom's blood pressure was also extremely high, so hopefully starting on this plan will help us get on the healthy track.

The doctor recommended that we ditch out attempts to count calories and stick to a low-carb diet. The plan was nothing new to either of us and went hand in hand with the post-surgery diet, so we're set to begin as soon as possible (aka--on Monday lol). The lab tech took two gallons of blood for the new iron deficiency tests and we're hoping and praying that everything comes back normal. The surgeon won't proceed with surgery if my anemia doesn't improve, so wish me luck!