Linda L. Oestreich

I have become a Jelloholic. I have more flavors of Jell-O® in my fridge and cabinet than I knew existed. I’ve sent friends to the store for me (still am not driving post-surgery) and they have brought back delicious, colorful, new adventures. Some of them (the Jell-O®, not the friends) are pre-made and easy to grab and eat. Some of them are boxes of granules that gel when combined with boiling water, a bit of stirring, cold water, and time in the fridge.

I grew pretty tired of strawberry because that was the only flavor they had while I was in the hospital. But, I am now armed with cherry, orange, raspberry, strawberry-kiwi, black cherry, and my favorite (lime) is gelling right now! (Did you know that “The people of Salt Lake City consume more lime-flavored gelatin than any other city in the United States”? I certainly didn’t! But it’s kinda fun to wonder why…)

I’ve managed to make Jell-O® my magical treat, my decadent dessert, the fun part of every meal.  Of course, it doesn’t take much to give you fun at a meal when the rest of your meal is special sugar-free protein drinks, chicken broth, and water. It’s possible that I’ll be on this clear liquid diet for a couple of weeks, so I’m doing all I can to enjoy it!

And, since Jell-O® is now my close and personal BFF, I did a bit of googling: You, too, can learn about the history of Jell-O®, with one easy click!

Here’s my favorite, little-known fact about Jell-O®,

March 17, 1993, technicians at St. Jerome hospital in Batavia test a bowl of lime Jell-O with an EEG machine and confirm the earlier testing by Dr. Adrian Upton that a bowl of wiggly Jell-O has brain waves identical to those of adult men and women.

Smart as Jell-O?

And, I always thought that calling someone a Jell-O®-brain was an insult!

Can you tell I’m recuperating???? Keep calm and wiggle on! (stolen from an old Jell-O® ad)

Tags: gastric bypass, Jell-O®, liquid diet
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I am doing quite well, thank you! Turns out I needn’t have worried about telling too many folks about my surgery, because I write in this blog so seldom, many folks have stopped reading it. The Universe does operate in wondrous ways!

Well, in addition to the gastric bypass, I had a hiatal hernia and some issue with something being attached to my liver that my doctor explained to my daughter, but has not yet explained to me. Guess I need to figure that out. I am feeling strong enough to do my online teaching job today, although I still have a sore throat from the tubes they put down my throat and it’s tough to sit for long.  Standing and lying down are much easier on all my incisions!

Well, I’ve begun to be very fond of sugar-free Jello and my protein drink. The Metagenics drink I have that’s cappucino-flavored even works well warm, so I can pretend that I’m having morning coffee! And, I do prefer Swanson’s chicken broth over the generic brand from the grocery store!

Other than that, the big news is that it’s raining in San Diego! Can you imagine that?  Big rain…sort of (nothing in San Diego ever compares with big rain in Texas). And it’s nice to be inside, looking at it and listening to light thunder (another rare thing here in SD).

I will sign off now, realizing that this post is more for me than for you. It doesn’ have my usual wit and wisdoms, but it does give me a place to check back on as I move on down the road of this new lifestyle I’ve chosen!

Blessings,

Me

Tags: gastric bypass, Linda Oestreich, liquid diets, Metagenics, post-op, rain
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Have been hemming and hawing on whether to share this info or not…but I decided to go for it. I’m going to make this work and I have to be honest and open about it with all my friends.  Tomorrow, 19 September 2011, I am having a gastric bypass. My doctor (Dr. Alan Wittgrove)  is well-renowned and has an excellent track record of successful operations and successful weight losers! Some of you may remember that I already did this.  Yup.  In October 2000, I had a vertical-banded gastroplasty. Not the same operation, but it was intended to do the same thing…give me a tool so that I could lose the weight I’ve been carrying around for 50 of my 63 years. Well, the first operation helped me lose about 75 pounds over the first year…but I never did change my eating patterns and never gave up or properly controlled the carbs, fat, and sugars that I eat. So, here I am 11 years later and I’ve gained back all but 10 of those 75 pounds. So, now, I’m doing it again. This time, I believe that I am more committed, more ready, and maybe a little bit more scared… I’m older and the weight I carry affects me in ways it didn’t when I was younger. I want to be sure that my joints last a good long time…and that I can walk long distances and climb stairs without sounding like a locomotive.

So, that’s the story. I’ll be checking in at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla tomorrow at 5:30 AM PDT. Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 AM. It’s a 3- to 5-hour procedure–probably because it’s laparoscopic, and I’m sure that it’s slower working on my insides through little holes than it was when they just opened me up as they did the first time.

I’m healthy. I’m a good candidate, so I don’t expect any complications. I have friends and family here to help me post-surgery. And, I’ve been lucky enough to not be diabetic or even have high cholesterol! But, I sure will be happy to not have as much arthritis pain in my joints once I lose some kilos!

So, the word is out.  I’m still not comfortable putting the note on Facebook…but maybe I will note something there post-surgery. I’m excited. I’m ready (emotionally), even though I still have laundry, and house-cleaning, and dishes to do before I call it a day!

I guess that’s it. No wise words or witticisms…just doing what I think is right to protect my health and ensure that I’m here for a long, long time to come!

Love & hugs,

Me

Tags: Dr. Alan Wittgrove, gastric bypass, health, surgery, weight
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