A little bit of good news

So on Monday I called the bariatric nurse. I just had some questions about this darn sleep study. I still believe that I DONT have sleep apnea. So I left a message, and now just to wait.
So the phone rings yesterday, (Tuesday), it was Christina, the bariatric nurse. I said hello and she immediately addressed my concerns....I like her! I started by saying I was upset with my results and that I just cant believe I have sleep apnea. So she asked me what my rate was...I told her, and she put my mind at ease instantly. She said they don't worry about anything over a 5 and mine was .2. Woooooo! So that means I dont have to have a repeat sleep study, and I am cleared for surgery as far as that goes. I told her I had one more required test, the Upper GI, and I would be done. I go in tomorrow for that and then I am D-O-N-E with my pre-op requirements and I can get my surgery date.
In the meantime, I have been reading, reading, and reading about what to expect. There is ssssooooo much more to it than surgery and having a smaller stomach. There is learning how to eat and what to take to make sure I have a healthy recovery and maximize my weight loss. I have been researching websites that offer food and drinks created just for bariatric patience. The amount of protein that I am suppose to consume is ridiculous. haha. But I WILL do everything that I can to be successful. I have been reading the book "Before and After", and in it she repeats the phrase "nothing taste as good as thin feels".....AMEN! I am ready to feel better. Anyone that has never had to deal with being overweight, has no idea how it affects your body, your bones, your joints. But anway, no pitty party for me. I am making a change, and no I am not waiting till after my surgery date to start changing my life. I am taking some of the simple things that I can do now to help me later on. Did you know I can never drink from a straw again??? No more caffeine, very very little sugar and carbs. Now some of this is already a part of my life. I am not a big carb eater anyway. But I am starting to give up on the caffeine and watching my sugar ingredients. I use Splenda for sweetening things, but now I have to watch how much sugar is in everything I eat. YIKES! I am also ordering samples of things from sites like Bariatriceating.com. They have sample packs to see what you like. To me its better to start now, instead of struggling to figure out what I like after. I am also starting to shop for the right vitamins, and the big struggle for me is finally trying some seafood since most fish carries large amounts of protein. YUK. Well I shouldn't say yuk. I am one of those that snarls my nose before trying it. I have always been turned off to any type of seafood because of the smell. That is one more change I am just going to make, its for my own good. I am going to stay optimistic about all of this. After all, to me, nothing could be worse than being FAT, and that's all that I am saying!!!