Jaime L.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

Ok so tomorrow will be 4 months out and I gotta tell you, this is not easy. After my 2nd fill in early May, I have definitely had my restriction. Maybe even too much. I think I'm mostly to blame. I haven't been listening to my stomach telling me to STOP eating and I don't take small enough bites. I know this, YET I keep doing it. Stupid me still doesn't think the portions are enough, when I know damn well they are. Still working on it. 

So to the good stuff: Being out 4 months, I was really hoping to be done about 40 pounds. My goal is 10 a month. But, hell I'm down 33 POUNDS! That is so freakin awesome and less than I've been in so long I don't even remember. I put a little back on when I started eating real food again so I had to lose that twice plus more. I really need to work harder and go to the gym cause I've been bad about that. Another think I'M doing to mess this up. I'm moving this weekend so I'll need to find a new gym or work out at my new apt complex. We'll see what happens..

So it's been 4 days since surgery. The actually surgery went great and apparently the surgeons were really happy with my liver size and the amount of fat around it. Apparently the liquid diet really does work.

On the day of surgery, mom came and picked me up and took me to the hospital at about 5:45am. We sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes before they called us back. When we were there all the nurses and surgeons and anathesiologists came back and saw me. Then they needed a urine "specimen" which was really hard cause I hadn't had anything to drink since 10 the night before. So after trying, they gave me the IV to help. So I tried again...and no luck. ahh! So then the nurse said she would give me a cathader  and I said "no way!" and so I tried again after a few minutes and was able to go. yippee!! So then it was time to go. One of the docs gave me something to make me comfortable or in his words "a 12 pack of beer." Then I remember moving over to the OR table and then nothing until I woke up in recovery about 3 hours later. 
I had a little problem with my breathing though. I kept stopping when I would doze off so they finally had to give me oxygen in my nose until I got to go to my room. When I got up to the room, I had to go to the bathroom so bad! All those fluids they gave me before and during surgery. So after I got up to the room and was able to go to the bathroom the nurse made me sit in a chair instead of the bed. I was able to change into my regular clothes so I was pretty comfortable. My mom and sister got there and I got to talk to them and pretty much dozed for a while. Then I got to get back in bed and take a little nap. I ended up staying in the bed for a few hours and then had to go back to the chair for the rest of the night until bedtime. 

Some sweet friends came and visited me and it was hard to stay awake. I got up and walked a few times and remember the hallway carpet looking crazy because of the morphine. My nurse for the night, Carlos, got to walk around with me. Plus even though he was going to let me sleep, I woke up every hour to go to the bathroom, so he had to come help me. He was real sweet about it though and didn't mind. Plus he was cute..  so I didn't mind seeing him every hour. So the next morning I did my barium swallow and everything looked good so I was discharged. 

On the way home mom and I stopped at walmart to get my prescription and I way over did it. I was in pain all that night. They only gave me liquid tylenol and it wasn't cutting it. The next morning I called the doc and got some hydrocodone. So now I'm just resting and trying to walk when I can. I haven't really gotten all my liquids and stuff in, but I'll worry about that when I feel better.

Today is day 4 of my liquid diet...not so much fun, but alot easier than I thought! I've been drinking broth, crystal lite, protein shakes, and tons of water for the last 4 days and staying at about 450 calories a day. And I go to the bathroom every 30 minutes!!  I also take 4 vitamins, 3 calciums, 2 potassiums, and a partridge in a pear tree...

Only 9 more days to go until surgery! 

Tomorrow starts my 2 week liq/high protein diet..woohoo! 

and a bit about myself ...

Well guys, it's been a long, long journey but here I am. After fighting with Blue Cross of Michigan for over a year, my insurance changed to Blue Cross of Minnesota on Jan 1, 2008. I received my approval for surgery on Jan 23, 3 days after they received my paperwork. YAY BCBS MN!! 

So after talking to the scheduler at my doc's office yesterday, he was able to get me a surgery date way sooner than I expected!! FEB 25, 2008! I am so excited. There aren't even words to describe it. I can't wait to be a LOSER!!

Some upcoming dates for me to remember - 

Feb 12th - Nutritionist class (beginning of liquid diet?)
Feb 20th - meeting w/surgeon~video~blood tests~EKG~ and so on.
FEB 25TH - 8 AM - SURGERY DAY!!
Mar 12th - First post-op appt.
Mar 18th - Nutritionist appt to change diet.

mandatory diet is almost over!! only one more month and it will all go to insurance for approval! yay!

The insurance guy at the Doc's office says I must complete 6 months medically supervised diet before I can have the surgery. grrr...My first visit with that Doc is Dec 20th. Also, my endocrinologist says I may have another problem that is causing me to keep my weight. If that's the problem, I may not have to have surgery. We'll see after tests!

and it's almost my birthday..in 7 days (25th birthday!)

My consult was yesterday and now all I need is insurance approval! Y'all please pray for me!! I really want to have this surgery before the end of the year!

I'm so excited! I decided to go to an information meeting next tuesday and then that Friday the 27th, I have my consult with Dr. Watson! I can't wait!!