islandgirl0223
8/14/2007 -Tomorrow is my surgery date. Wow! I'm so scared. There is alot of things running through my mine now. When I started this journey I knew something had to be done. I weighed too much for my height. I was very consious of it. I would not go out with friends and I hated going shopping for clothes, just hated it. I was overweight so long that shopping never came to mind when I had a little extra money. My question was "where can we go eat". I felt comfortable at restaurants because all sizes were there. But then my health started to decline because of my weight. I tried numerous diets and the final straw was the last diet where I spent an undisclosed amount of money on. I did not lose as fast or as much as others and regain all plus more after I stopped eating their food and my health was not much better. I know this surgery is very risky and there are alot of complications that goes with them. There is really no data for people who had this surgery 20 years from now and it concerns me because I'm still young and I want to live at least 20 years more, but I also know that weighing alot less, eating healthier outweighs the risk of this surgery.
8/15/2007 - Morning of the surgery! Argued with my husband because he is not supportive, wow what a way to start
Thank God for my mom, she's here! 
. Still very, very nervous. See you on the losing bench
8/16/2007 - Home, sweet home. I am in pain but will write for a little. My surgery went great according to my surgeon. I had two hernia which he repaired. The hospital stay was very good. My husband stayed in my room with me, he slept in a recliner. 
I had very good nurses and the director of nursing is a neighbor. I did not know this until they took me to my room. While in the hospital I saw two other patients who had the same surgery I did by the same doctor. One of them was not doing so well the night of the surgery. She was operated on right before me and I saw her in the recovering room and she was in alot of pain. That really scared me even more, but Thank God, when I came out from under, I was not in so much pain and I slept pretty well the night of the surgery. My doctor is awesome! Tonight I will sleep in the recliner!
8/17/2007 - Went to get my drain out this morning, yea! As soon as he removed the drain, the pain in my left shoulder disappeared instantly. The other two patients were there also! It was good to see them! Especially the one who was not doing so well. It's funny they had the same pain in their left shoulder like me and when they removed their drains the same thing happened - NO PAIN!. The assistant doctor ( my doctor is out of town), told me to do liquids 3 days, full liquids 3 days, puree 3 days and soft 3 days. My nutritionist gave me a different guide line. When I drink anything, my stomach rumbles and growls like no other and it's uncomfortable. Beginning weight 213.5. Surprising, I gained weight! Dr. says some people gain.
8/18/2007 - Third day of liquids. My mom is great! so caring, I'm very blessed! Can't wait to start full liquids. I have not weighed myself yet and I refuse. I don't want to get discourged. Losing weight for me has been very hard, I don't know what I would do if I gained.
8/19/2007 - Full liquids is a lot better! Water makes my stomach cramp, don't know why. Crystal Light is alot better on my stomach, but I want to get some water in. Do not understand how they expect you to get in 64 ozs of liquid when all you can drink at one time or the other is 4 ozs. Slept in my bed. No good, will sleep in the couch.
8/20/2007 - First day of school for my kids. I miss doing things for them, like I always do. I took pictures though. Noticed some numbing in my right leg. Didn't notice it before, but located in one area only, not the whole leg. I will call my doctor tomorrow! I did read about blood clots and numbness. I just hope this doesn't happen to me. I have been walking like I am suppose to do. Mom cooked chicken and rice for my kids. The smell was hard to tolerate, I had to go upstairs to get away from the food. Looking at it made me feel like I was missing a lot.
8/21/2007 - Numbness still in leg. I walked around the neighborhood, to see if it helps, but it didn't. I called my Dr. After answering some questions, he advised that it's probably due to the cuffs they placed on my legs, others have experienced it. It should go away a couple of days, if not go and see him. I will.
8/22/2007 - Leg still feel numb. I took pictures because I have veins in my legs which are dark and I had not had before. I will try to post a picture here. My mom seem not to be worried so she is calming me. I just don't want to have a blood clot and not know it. I got on the scale and lost 12 pounds! wow, that's fast. I'm following the NUT instructions and thank God, my food is staying down!
8/23/2007 - One of my incisions is hurting and red so I changed the bandage. It's not bleeding, just kind of sore.
8/24/2007 - My leg is still numb and my skin hurts when I touch it.
8/25/2007 - My leg is still the same. I'll call the doctor on Monday.
9/2/2007 - My leg still hurts, seem to be traveling up my leg. I don't think it's the muscle, everytime I touch my skin, my skin hurts. I weighed myself and I'm down 17 pounds! YEA!
9/21/2007 - My second appointment with Dr. De la Cruz. All went well. I weigh 189.5. I spoke to him about my leg andhe said it was because of the strap they used to keep me on the table because at some point they had me almost in a standing position. I'm so glad that I'm in the 180's!
6/08/08 - Wow! it's been 10 months since my surgery and alot has happened. First, I'm 30 pounds shy of my goal, yea! and I have had alot of "a ha" moments! A lot of compliments about my weight loss, people in the street actually looking at me and making eye contact. It's so surreal. Before, no one looked at me, but now they do. As I walk around a corner, some guy is looking at me. I don't know if it's because of my confidence level or what? I know that I look " alot better" than before as a lot of my co workers have said. and I feel A LOT better. Would I do this over again, I SURE WOULD! I know that I'm still at the beginning of my journey, but it feels so great. I also love to go shopping now. I find myself in JCPenny every week. I remember the first time I actually had to shop in the petite "normal" size section of the store. No longer was I going to the second floor, I was going to the first floor. What an accomplishment! I felt so good. Now I can't stay out of the store.
