1 month update

Dec 03, 2016

Surgery update 1 month.

I just want to say every surgeon and every patient is different, follow your surgeon’s protocols. This is my story.

So my prep started on Monday 24th (I went to work)I had light soft foods, yogurt n fruit for breakfast, 2 boiled eggs for lunch, and salmon and green beans for dinner, h20 all day. At 10pm I had to put a nausea patch behind my ear, you wear gloves to put it on and wash your hands really well after.

Tuesday the 25th (I went to work) I had yogurt n fruit for breakfast and broth for lunch, broth for dinner, h20 all day. Nothing after midnight.

After work I packed my bag (I took the nurses advice in the pre op class when she said pack light the 2 days go quick. Take your favorite slippers n robe, I used the 2 gowns front back, didn't take a robe, and a loose fitting knit dress to go home. I had what they said from online pillow you will need to put on tummy hold to cough and in between you and seat belt, chapstick and gas x strips, well the nurse said no to the gas x strips anyway so I didn’t use them...I didn’t really need them.)

and I cleaned up, washed clothes. I wanted nothing to do when I got back, and to leave my husband with a clean house so he could just keep it up, yall know what I mean!

So I had my surgery on 10/26/2016 on my Angel Mom's birthday. It was weird not being with my sisters because we always celebrate her with a small gift to each other and dinner. But I got the blessing of the day! Next year I hope to fly home and see my sisters. (Last year, I moved to west coast…my family is in the cold east coast.) The morning of surgery I had a sip of water and the pills that the surgeon said I could take. I brushed my teeth, showered, took a pic and my husband and I headed out to the hospital.

I checked in, put on a gown, had to take pregnancy test (no no) got an IV put in they pushed two bags of saline so I went to the bathroom 3x’s, because my surgeon doesn’t do catheters. (YEAH)

My hospital stay went pretty quick after surgery, let’s see Wednesday when I woke up from surgery I was in slight pain, and that was my biggest fear to wake up to great pain and it was just slight (YEAH). After I got to my room, I went to the bathroom and walk one lap around the nurses station had a few sips of h20 and then it was bed time. At 6am Thursday morning the nurse came in and said it’s time to get moving for the day, so I washed up and took off the band aids, there is a pic. Don’t mind my stretch mark map, I had two kids; they needed to know how to get here!! So the hospital has you stay up in the recliner chair all day til bedtime at 10pm wearing the Sequential Compression Device to prevent blood clots and using the Incentive Spirometer hourly to expand the lungs. I was on broth, jello, h20, decaf black tea or decaf black coffee. I can get in 48oz of h20 and my Dr is happy with that at this time and I should just work up to the 64oz. This day my pain was about 5 or 6 of 10 and I could have 2 Percocet every 4 hours but I only needed 1 every 4 hours. Once an hour you need to walk 2 laps around nurse’s station.

Discharged day Friday October 28^th mid-day…but it was same as yesterday, also when you walk it allows the gas to pass I was not too bloated, tummy is sore, my throat hurts a little from when the tube was down my throat, but I’m feeling ok. (YEAH). I used pain pills Saturday and Sunday and then I was done. The incision that was used to insert the camera in is a little sorer than the others, but again tolerable. My supportive husband was off work for the first week with me making sure I was ok, I oh so appreciate him! He’s all over everything, Did you get your h20 in? Did you take your vitamins? Did you walk? Coach Young is all over me.lol

Post Op education class was on Tuesday, Nov 1^st there were 10 of us in this class and we all had surgery in the last week, we reviewed important information and we had our first monitored meal. You could pick from a variety of protein, a boiled egg, tofu, cottage cheese and there was fruit blackberries and blueberries. So we follow the 30-20-30 rule and 3 to 1, so no h20 30 min prior to eating, you eat for 20 min max and you chew the dime size amount of food thoroughly and rest/ and or put the fork down between bites; once you are done you can have h20 after 30 min. Now the 3 to 1 is 3 bites protein to 1 bite fruit or vegetable. I had 1 bite boiled egg, 1 bite cottage cheese, 1 bite boiled egg and 2 blueberries and I was done. So for my 1^st week I pretty much had 4 bites at breakfast lunch and dinner. The 2^nd and 3^rd week went to 8 bites so I did 3 protein and then vegetable (1 long green bean) and then 3 bites and a fruit (2 blueberries or 2 raspberries or 2 blackberries)

At this point my tummy (I don’t like pouch, I’m not a kangaroo!) is the size of an egg and will get to the size of an orange. Again this is my protocol and from now until December 27^th my next appointment. So I can have breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner. The snack can only be ½ protein shake. I use premier protein since its 30 grams of protein. My snacks will change once I hit 2mos out. I usually get fancy and have ½ chocolate at the 1^st snack and ½ vanilla at the next snack. Lol. My breakfast proteins can be 1 of the following:

I have 1 scrambled egg with a sprinkle of fat free mozzarella cheese or

I have a half container of the Dannon 80 cal vanilla greek yogurt with 3 blackberries in it or

a half an egg and half a turkey circle patty sausage or

½ protein shake but I usually don’t do this because it’s what I have for the snack. But if you need to get out the door and you want to keep on schedule this is what you do.

Lunch and Dinner

I usually choose chicken, salmon, firm tofu with teriyaki sauce, ground turkey with red sauce, my vegetable of choice is fresh long green beans, fruit is blue berries, blackberries, raspberries, pineapple, cantaloupe, melon or kiwi. That’s all Ive tried so far and I make sure I only try new things on a Saturday since going back to work I don’t want to be sick at work.

Speaking of schedules, I plotted mine out so I wouldn’t get frustrated with the new way of life, and some may have started prior to surgery but I didn’t, so her is my day:

7am breakfast

7:15 Multi vitamin/pills (2 hb pressure pills, biotin, allergy med, pill to prevent gall stones will take for 6 mos , and acid reflux pill will take for 3 mos)

9:30am calcium chew

10:15 snack

11:45 calcium chew

1pm Lunch

2pm calcium chew

4pm snack

6:15 workout walk 1-2 miles (I may do this at 5:45am…) I work 8:30a-5p

7pm Dinner

8:30pm Multivitamin/pills. (biotin, and pill to prevent gall stones)

H20 ALL DAY (not before, during or after eating of course, remember 30-20-30 rule!)

Appointment with Surgeon November 10, 2016 I seen the Surgeon today and he said I was healing nicely, (since surgery I could only wash and pat dry) I can now put lotion on my tummy (YEAH!).… remember on 10/26 surgery date I said I took the meds my Surgeon told me to take, well that consisted of my high blood pressure meds not my 2 diabetic meds, so from 10/25 until today I have not taken any diabetic meds and the Dr confirmed I’m no longer a diabetic!!!! Praise God. My blood pressure meds have been decreased from 3 to 2 pills and one of those have been cut in half, so exciting.

1month Post Op November 16, 2016 yes it’s a little early by 10days but I had to take this one because I have a 3 day business trip, during the next class. It was a group class and the nurse did body compositions and answered any questions and reviewed important information, very informative. I’ve been ok, I had 2 boughts of constipation and she suggested Smooth Move Tea that is sold at Walgreens. I bought some that night, but never opened it due to not having the issue again. I’m glad I have it though. So let’s back up and talk about what happened the first constipation bought. A little bit of my background, I went to LPN school and I’m now the Manager of Health Care Clinicians, so I know how to disimpact, but never have I done it to myself. I was getting weak and I thought should I call my husband and tell him and ask him to do it but then we would have to get a divorce or I’d have to kill him.lol! Then I thought I should call the nurse who I’m really cool with, but that’s taking our friendship to the 10^th level. So, I locked the door just in case I passed out, gloved up and helped myself. I was so weak and tired after that I laid down for about half hour! I told my husband and text the nurse about my dilemma. He said, no divorce, but I’m glad it worked out. The nurse said no, I would have come over and call me anytime. J

Off work time. The Dr gives 3 weeks for RNY surgery

I was off Oct 26 until Nov 21^st I went back into the office. I was able to work from home starting Friday October 11^th and then from home Mon-Fri 14-18^th. I only had 10 days of PTO, and I’m grateful my boss let me work from home, because the bills don’t take a break!!

This 1^st week back, yes I’m tired I have a 50min commute so my day is 10hours…yikes! I made it thru, and this weekend I’m just resting. At least the week I went back to 4 days, had Thanksgiving off only. The holiday was fine, I had turkey and greens and a half teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Of course I wanted a roll and a piece of pie, but I didn’t do it!!

Healing

I have 6 incisions like half inch in size and they healed, they are all closed and I’m using co-co butter on them, I also use scar gel and Vaseline firming lotion. I’m trying to keep my skin tight. I used the firming lotion prior to and after 2 weeks you can feel the difference. I have one incision that is really sore due to the Dr had to do a hernia repair and the incision is up high until its done hurting I have to wear a soft bra or non-underwire and I had a few sport bras because the underwire bra it’s where the underwire would hit. Each week gets better and better but the tummy is sore but just slightly, like after a hard workout, it’s tolerable.

Weight loss

10/26 290 surgery day Day of surgery 18w black pants and 2x blue n white top.

10/28 293 leaving the hospital h20 weight

11/02 278 week 1

11/09 274 week 2

11/16 269 week 3

11/23 264 week 4

11/26 263.. I month post op -27lbs!! I’m in my 16w pants! (I have clothes from 14w-18w)

I have that “work out” body some loose 30lbs and go down a few dress sizes, I have to loose this much for 1 size. I’m grateful for such progress. Praise God. It’s funny because I cut my hair short and because I can wear clothes that fit since I have the sizes, everyone is like you look great, that haircut is wonderful. ***Don’t wear baggy clothes, I don’t care if it’s the same 5 outfits, all stores have sales, take a sewing course get creative… don’t look sloppy, it takes away from weight loss, just my opinion. I’m doing pretty good and I do use the app Baritastic, Weight tracker, and I have a Fitbit courtesy of my daughter from last Mother’s Day! I do want to say with me, the first 2 weeks any bottled h20 was ok, then for a week I could only drink h20 with lemon slices in it, an now this week I can only drink alkaline h20. I will try using my h20 bottle with the diffuser and putting fruit in it, also the nurse said to use natural enhanced drops; I’ll look into this. My new life!

My son’s wedding 4 weeks prior to surgery.