Jeanette_B
2 Weeks Post Op
Oct 17, 2007
I am feeling wonderful now.. no pain, my incisions are healing, I'm up and about and I'm not light headed anymore.. I haven't had an episode yet, but I am now starting to experiment with what I can and cannot eat.
So have I lost weight? Yes, I have.. actually, let me go weigh myself right now and see what I'm down to... be right back..
Yay! I'm down 12 pounds in 2 weeks.. Isn't that fabulous? I'm noticing my face is slimming down, my clothes are fitting well and some are loose now. It's a really good feeling.. Best of all, I'm not hungry and munching all the time...
But I have noticed an interesting fact about all of this that some of you may experience when you are first going through this.. I am a lot more emotional now..
The other day when I was having a stressful morning because of work, nothing I couldn't handle before - but you know, just everyone coming at you all at one time --- well, I used to handle that by eating. Now I can't handle that by eating and so my frustration builds and I ended up a blubbering mess.. I absolutely lost it.. which is so not typical of me. I thought, what is going on here? Why am I crying?
I think it was because there was no other way to handle my stress. Maybe this is how normal weighted people handle it - by crying and breaking down?? I don't know, but I couldn't take it anymore.
So what an experience. I'm now defensless and wearing my heart on my sleeve.. It kind of makes me feel out of control, but maybe it is forcing me to deal with my emotions now instead of eating them away.
So outside of the physical changes, there are quite a bit of emotional and mental changes I am going through. And now the journey begins.
Until next time - take care everyone!
3 Days Post Op
Oct 06, 2007
I'm getting a little confused now because I feel fullness or pressure in my chest but my stomach is growling and hungry. What does that mean? I feel hungry - but the pressure will not allow me to eat anymore. Is this the fullness sensation that everyone is talking about? I still have to figure that out.
And yes - commercials are really difficult to watch.. It's hard for me to watch pizza or fried chicken commercials. Yum. And I'm noticing the emotional battle that is now taking place. My long lost friend, aka food, is no longer there to comfort me. It's just so strange because you still have the urge to eat food, but you know you can't. This is something you need to definitely be mentally prepared for. My advice is to be strong. You made this decision and it is healthier for you in the long run and will add 10 years to your life. It's worth the interim struggle. Have failth everyone, it is all worth it. I must say, though, that my thick and creamy yogurt this morning was absolutely delicious!
As far as pain, I have still a little gas in my shoulder - nothing that kills me.. I also found that if you lay down the gas moves away from the shoulder and comes out in other areas - but so far that has helped me. My incisions are healing well and I'm about to hop in the shower, get ready to do some shopping because I didn't end up going yesterday.
So far so good everyone. I will keep you posted as to my progress.. Oh the last thing I wanted to mention was that I took Tums for acid reflux last night before I went to bed so that I wouldn't experience it this morning and it worked fine - I didn't get any.. just something to keep in mind.
Toodaloo!
2 Days Post Op
Oct 05, 2007
My stomach is sore, but on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most painful thing I've ever experienced, I'm at about a 5 or 6. It comes down every day though.. I actually have a business trip in Chicago in 3 days so I need to get better quickly! I will go out today to go shopping for groceries and do some other small errands to see how far I can get.
So one of the things that is confusing me right now is that my stomach IS growling, but I really don't know if I'm hungry or not. I'm still trying to figure that out. And if I am hungry, am I supposed to be? The other thing too is that pills are hard to swallow for me so I have to break them in half or crush them up. It's like they get stuck in my throat or something. I hate that.
Anyway - the saddest thing for me right now is that I cannot pick up my son... I want to hold him so bad in my arms and it is just not possible right now. Perhaps soon.
I will keep everyone posted. I've know I shouldn't weigh myself, but I think I'm going to hop on the scale in a little bit... oh and take a shower too..
p.s. Yes, Auntie Flow visited yesterday.. just my luck, eh?
The Day after Surgery!
Oct 04, 2007
First of all, I'm not in excruciating pain. This is nothing like my c-section - but I am in pain. My stomach aches - I think I can almost feel the band around my stomach, and I do have gas!
But here is my whole story:
So I went to the hospital 2 hours early and they got me ready, in a gown, in bed with warm blankets. They then tried to hook the IV to me and couldn't find a vein. There were 2 nurses who tried 5 different times - and they poked the crap out of my arms. Then the anesthesiolist came and scolded them for trying more than twice. He tried once and got it hooked correctly - FINALLY! I was so irritated... Anyway, I relaxed, managed to get a cat nap and waited until 9:30 am, which was my surgery time. They didn't come to get me until 10:30.. As they strolled me into the operating room, it was freezing - they got me set up, gave me some oxygen and before I knew it, the anesthesiologist said that I would be falling asleep very shortly. I fell asleep right after he said that - completely out!
I woke up a little disoriented in Recovery - that was it! I guess it took them 30 minutes to do the surgery -and I was in recovery by 11am. I woke up at 11:30 and started coughing because of the tube they had down my throat. My throat hurt and I kept coughing for a little while - I was so thristy! The recovery nurse got me some hot tea and it was so delicious! Right then after I sipped my tea a little she asked me to get up slowly and go to the restroom .. I felt the pain and the incisions then. I was drugged up though so it wasn't bad at all. I successfully went to the bathroom and then came back - I wanted to lay back down, but she wouldn't let me - I was feeling a little nasea by this time and just wanted to sit down.. she got me a wheel chair and helped me put my clothes on.. I was walking myself to the waiting room at 12:30 where my husband was waiting for me. He took me home (about an hour away) and I got a little nasea on the way home again.. I just wanted to get in bed and go to sleep! The anesthesia hadn't totally worn off.. So I was ok, but I was walking very, very slowly and held my stomach as to avoid the jiggle.. I slept for a few hours and had my water and tea for the rest of the day/night. I took meds every couple hours, but felt the pain this morning when all of them had worn off. Took another med again and I'm feeling a little better.
This morning I am feeling a lot better than yesterday. I still have gas and it's coming out in all directions. My shoulder hurts a little, but not like everyone said it would.. It will all come out, I'm sure.. The highlight this morning was that I could have some chicken broth. I never knew broth could taste so good.!! So I'm back on the computer and I'm hoping to heal quickly - I will keep you all posted.....
I will try and walk a little more today.. Gosh - what is this taste in my mouth that I cannot get rid of????
Oh - one last thing - my back is so sore!!! I think it's because of laying in bed all day and night - but I seriously could not walk all that they wanted me to.. I'm going to use a heating pad tonight!
Do I regret it? No...
Does it hurt? Yes.. somewhat..
Is it worth it? Yes - for any of you that has suffered emotionally because of your weight, just remember all those tears and days you felt left out.. One day of surgery and some pain is worth it...
I lost 7 pounds! Yay!!
My Surgery Date
Sep 27, 2007
Surgery Scheduled!
Sep 27, 2007
So what am I feeling? I'm feeling somewhat strange because i know there is something big coming but can't fathom how it will be.. I guess I have to go through it to know what it's like! I'm excited at the same time. I've got to get some before pictures taken just by myself. It's strange that these days I never take pics of myself like I used to... something to think about.
I'm Considering...
Sep 18, 2007
I must say that I've been considering weight loss surgery for some time now. I have thought about this for a long time and have struggled with admitting to myself that I really do have a problem that I need help with. There are so many reasons why I want this, but the 2 main reasons are to live a longer life and be healthy for my son, and also because I want to get out of this prison! I feel like I've been imprisoned in my body for quite some time now.. I would try diet after diet.. of course I would lose a little weight, but it came right back on. The story of my life. I feel more like a failure each time I try, and it's almost like I feel hopeless now.
I wanted to get all my sappy feelings out now so that once I have the lapband I can look back and know I made the right decision. I can't wait to go on this journey.. I'm just hoping it won't be painful. I've read many postings and am excited and scared at the same time. All natural feelings, I'm sure. I also want others who are thinking about having this procedure done for themselves to see what the experience is like and be able to relate to my feelings. It is so important to know that others have gone through this before you and that although everyone's experience will be different; that there was someone who walked down somewhat of the same path before you.
So what I would like to achieve from my WLS (some of this may sound silly but have been things I dream of):
I want to achieve:
cross my legs comfortably
sit down on the ground without hunching over
get up from the ground without rolling my entire body over
walk up the stairs without hurting
go a day without backpain
bend over without having to hold my breath
eat without wondering what people are thinking about me
not have to sit slowly on someone's chair/couch so it doesn't squeek
get in a bathing suit in front of others
hike
take ballet classes
hold my son for long periods of time
run a mile without stopping
wear shorts without feeling embarassed
look smaller than my husband
be sexy and slim
reduce hypertension
go through an easy pregnancy
wear nice clothes
stand for a long time without my feet aching
sit on an airplane without feeling like I'm imposing on someone else's space
go somewhere without feeling like I'm the biggest person in the room
buy shoes that do not start with "W"
wear clothes that do not contain "W"
go to stores and not have to look in the "W" section
wear a g-string without looking like my butt has eaten it up
not be associated with any stigmas
have people pay attention to what I'm saying
not have people question why I'm eating something
demonstrate control
I'm sure there are plenty more, but these are just a few reasons.
I have an appointment set this Friday 9/22/07 for my consultation. I'm excited. I may get to set a surgery date if everything works out.
I'm glad that my husband supports me. It's hard because he is not really into surgeries and thinks I can lose weight on my own. My answer to him was that if I could, I would've already done it... and maintained it... He now backs me up but has a few concerns, still. But at least I have his support which was crucial for me.
