March 28,  2008: Begin OJW Tina M: BMI 27 (ht. 5'5"; wt. 162) Goal 128.  Occupation: Student Rhode Island:

Dear Tina: (SEE TINA'S LETTER BELOW)

 
 I thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experience with me.
 
I re-paragraphed your letter it so that it would be easier (more meaningful)  when others read about your experience.
 
It is letters like this one that encourage me to continue my efforts in providing the OJW service.
 
Moreover, I know I will have succeeded nobly in my goals when other would-be-OJW patients can find a provider in every city and town in the  USA. 
 
 "It's hard being green" as Kermit the frog use to say.
 
Finally, when every insurance company incorporates the procedure into its schedule of services and it (OJW) has been assigned an identification number I will dance with you in the streets :-)
 
I am really moved by the passion of your efforts to prevail over your struggle to regain control of your out-of-control appetite. Your courage and determination are just the exact qualities that will assure that you achieve your goal weight.  
 
 With great care and concern for your success.   Thank you, Dr. Ted 
 
Re: Everything is going smoothly, thank you. :)
 
In a message dated 3/28/2008 5:24:29 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Diana_Morales@brown.edu writes:
Hi Dr. Ted,

I wanted to thank you for doing an excellent job with this excellent strategy, OJW, for controlling compulsive eating!
So far everything is going smoothly. :)
I was a tad frustrated the other day which was the day after the procedure, but that wasn't too bad. Normally, I will eat at this time (4:30 am).
However, at the present moment, I don't even feel the need to go to the kitchen and consume something. Maybe it is a little too soon to make this conjecture (the third day) about my the procedure but I definitely feel like my intake is much more controlled, thought out, and reduced. I feel more motivated and encouraged to lose weight because I feel this procedure will guarantee definite results if I am drinking healthy liquids and not exceeding 900 calories/day.

I thought I would be uncomfortable with having my jaws wired but everything is perfectly fine. I am comfortable with the amount of room, 1.5 mm, that I am permitted to move my teeth/jaw in all directions. It is an apt amount.
 
The wire on my left side of my mouth got undone the day after the procedure and it took me at least 90 minutes to try to put it back on because, like you mentioned, it's a tad difficult to get #3 on simply because, from my attempts, it is right above #2 and #2 gets undone if it isn't I guess wrapped around the bracket suitably so that it  (#2) will remain tied around while you reach up the wire to #3.

On the second day, I tried to drink some carrot ginger soup I got at Whole Foods. It is 70 calories per cup, with roughly 350mg of sodium. If I'm not mistaken, as long a serving of soup, or any food in general, does not exceed 550mg of sodium (per serving) then it is not considered high sodium. Normally, I would not drink or eat something with 350mg of sodium if I'm watching my weight but since it is nearly constitutes the most filling intake I can consume or acquire, it is totally fine for me to drink it or so I believe.
 
Then again, I practically could not go through with eating an entire cup of carrot ginger soup simply because it is slightly difficult to consume it, or actually get it passed my wired jaw.
 
 I think this is partly in by because I might have tied my wire a tad too tight, although you advised me to be weary of tying the wire too tight in plan A methodology. I will attempt to re-wire my left brackets as soon as I get frustrated enough with it and feel up to attempt to re-wire myself and have the 1.5 mm movement I originally had when I went to get "wired". I'm just having some trouble leaving a little bit of extra wire between #1 & #2 because when I reach for #3, #2 will get unwired. I'm sure this will come with some more practice though.

Basically, I've been consuming about one 12-14 oz of non-concentrated orange juice (roughly 170 calories) for breakfast, limited diet Snapples (because I feel that adulterated water or soft drinks will slow metabolism because it takes the body more time to process it and extract the water that is in it, I'm not sure if this is held true but I believe it through some little tests I did with my weight in the past plus sometimes I feel sugar-free soft drinks will sometimes increase my appetite because the artificial sweetener will "trick" my body into believing I am having something with sugar in it and then when my body receives 0 calories, my body will then desire some calorie-laden, or any form of calories, with sugar), water, limited 0 calorie diet soft drinks, sugar-free jell-o, a low-sodium v-8, 60 calorie Dannon smoothies, and I attempted some low-sodium, low calorie, low carb soup. I don't like applesauce much or fat-free, sugar-free pudding.
 
I am not crazy about milk. I have not tried Ensure, Slim Fast, or Atkins diet products but I don't think I am going to ever try those to be very honest. I think they are semi-high in fat, sodium, and carbs. I am striving to get liquids that are less than 10-12g of sugar per serving, low-calorie, low-carb, and low-sodium less than 550mg per serving.
 
Also, the juices must be non-concentrated as opposed to from concentrate. From concentrate, in my opinion, is basically a bunch of a sugar and water and a mimic of the actual juice from the fruit. I wanted to purchase some grits but I think it might get stuck in back of my teeth so I won't even attempt.
 
I also purchased some vitamin-enriched powder at Whole Foods for $40 that has Alfalfa grass, barley grass, wheat grass, parsley powder, beet juice powder, royal jelly powder, carrot root powder, green bean powder, spinach powder, vitamin E, lechitin, brocoli sprout powder, flaxseed, ginkgo biloba extract, green tea extract, grape seed extract, adaptogens, immune support, probiotic blends enzyme complex (lipase, cellulase, protease, ect), phyto-minerals, tonics (ginger root & cayenne pepper powder), and palatability factors (mango powder).
 
The name of this product is Green Vibrance.
 
It is very intersting at least to me it is. They had it mixed with some apple juice at Whole Foods and when I got a look at the nutrition facts, I was astonished! But... I am certain that this will help me meet my vitamin, and supplementary needs to remain healthy and have a healthy immune system while I'm on a liquid diet.

There are moments in which I get upset because I'm hungry, but... I feel that so far everything is going fine because I have actually made it to day 3. I was uncertain as to whether I would make it passed day 2 but... I actually feel that I have a standing chance on remaining wired and achieving my goal.
 
It was so funny, in my opinion, because yesterday I was so hungry after I did 1/2 hr walking inclined on the treadmill, and I wanted to eat something so bad. I rummaged through the fridge, and started slurping some untouched sugar-free jell-o that I hadn't eaten in like 3 weeks (it's the pre-made jell-o that are in small, 4 oz plastic containers). Never had I thought that six 4oz cups would taste so amazing!
 
 My mom is being very supportive.
 
She brought some enticing  chicken that I love so much from Boston Market and she went to eat it else where as opposed to in front of me. Ugh... I hugged my teacup Yorkie, Petrouchka, yesterday and I could not help but be envious that she could eat chicken.
 
I could smell the chicken on her beard.
 
 I did not allow her to sleep right by me this past night because it was just making me hungrier. She had to sleep on the other side of the bed instead of right next to me.

In either case, thanks very much. Dr. Ted!
 
I look forward to overcoming obsessive eating, binge eating, midnight snacking, and gaining my life back by losing the weight I gained through  obsessive eating due to the stress I felt once I entered the university this past fall of 2007.
 
 Hopefully I'll get back to my old weight. :) I'll try to do at least 1/2 hour of cardio as often as my schedule permits because... I know that this might potentially expedite my results/weight loss. :)
 
 I am very confident of this procedure and I am feeling very motivated and invigorated from the sense of control I am having. :)

"Tina" Morales '11
Diana_Morales@brown.edu
Providence, RI 02903