Valarie L.

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

 Well I had it done.  I was sleeved yesterday around 12:30.  Being wheeled into surgery was one of the most scary moments in my life.  The next thing I know I was waking up with an elephant on my chest.  Ok so it wasn't an elephant but it was a whole lotta gas - I thought I was going to die.

Two hours after getting out of recovery I was walking the halls.  Everytime I had to use the restroom I would walk the halls and use my breathing machine.  By midnight I was feeling really good.

This morning I was more sore, not sure if it is the gas, muscular, or just the incisions.  Nothing intolerable.  Had my upper GI this morning and to be honest the stuff you have to drink tastes like thick nasty robitussin, but it felt nice to swallow something.

Test came back clear - no leaks. 

I was released and got home this afternoon.

So far - so good!

Had my pre-op appointment today. 

Drum roll please.........

I have lost 18 pounds since my consult appointment.  The doc was pretty happy with that, actually he seemed quite shocked and said that I am doing great and he expects great results for me.

I asked him what his goal for me is, he said I will lose 100 pounds from the surgery, anything beyond that I will have to work extra hard for.  100 pounds gone would be great, that would actually put me at the weight I was at when I joined the Navy eons ago.

I am super exctied and can't wait for Tuesday to get here!

5 days and a sleep to go  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I just completed my third day of the two week pre-op diet.

Let me just say this - protein shakes are straight up NASTY!!!

I finally made a decent one for lunch today (the first one that I wasn't gagging on).  I added some sugar free butterscotch pudding to a vanilla shake.  I can't say it was good, but it was better.

I haven't been too awfully hungry. Yesterday I didn't space out my shakes very well and I was shaking with hunger at around 4.  I ended up making one scrambled egg mixed with water not milk.  I didn't figure that was too bad of an addition, even though it was "off plan."

I have read that this is the hardest part of this process.  I honestly don't know if I can do this for 2 weeks

12 days to go... 

As the title states, my pre-op starts tomorrow.  I am to have two protein shakes (surgeon specified brand) and a sensible supper.  I am supposed to stay low or no carb.  I am ready.   I know I will be hungry and have carb withdrawal and I know that after the third or fourth day it will be easier. 

These message boards have been invaluable to helping me prepare for this surgery.

Tomorrow is the next step to beginning my new life.  I am ready.


As an off note: I looked in my fridge today and it is amazing the difference a month can make.  Before it was stocked with a couple cases of sodas, processed foods, junk food, ect. Today when I opened it I saw fruits and veggies, fresh meats, and cheese. 

Confession time: I have spent the last week saying goodbye to some of my favorite dishes and restaurants.  I was talking to my sister the other day about it, and she said - "You know you don't have to give up your favorite foods and restaurants forever."  To which I replied - "Yes I do.  I know that Carinos Chicken Alfredo with warm bread and olive oil dipping sauce is a weakness for me.  I know that the Cottage Pie and a local restaurant is a weakness for me.  If I have this surgery and continue to eat the way I do now, I will not get the results I want."  She kind of gauffed at me.   

Maybe what I said was wrong, but it feels right to me.  I know that I am going to have to make the best food choices possible for my body in order to optimize nutrition in the small portions I will be able to consume.  I am not going to have room for bread and dipping sauce, creamy fat laden sauces, mountains of mashed potatos and pastas.  It irritated me that she said that considering that she herself has had an unsuccessful wls.  I know I will face people that don't support my decision but I really thought she would be one that would understand.


Two weeks tomorrow!

   So as the title states, I am scared and flip-floppin.  I am scared of how this surgery will change my life and my relationships.  I am scared to pay almost $ 14,000 of my money (self-pay) only to do something that could potentially kill me or make me miserable.  Don't get me wrong - my surgeon has a wonderful record and I truly do trust him.  

That amount of money could do a lot of things - help pay off my husbands truck, start a down payment on a house, start retirement savings.  I'm a Dave Ramsey fan and I can almost hear him yelling at me to stay on track.  My husband will not give his opinion either way - kind of smart of him.  He says it is completely my decision but he will support whatever I choose.

I fear failure and misery.  Eating has become such a big part of my life and relationships that I don't know what I will have afterward.  I fear always being on the sidelines of all family get togethers (big eaters).

I read posts of people in pain, being sick all the time, not being able to keep anything down, ect., ect. and that too scares me.  Also, what is up with the heartburn I keep reading about.  Does that affect everyone?  I rarely get heartburn.

So right now and for a couple of days now, I have decided to postpone, keep forging ahead, cancel plans altogether, and feeling impatient for the next three weeks to pass - hence the flip-flopping.  I know this is a decision nobody but me can make.

   3weeks to go as of yesterday

So I started exercising.  I bought a treadmill, dusted off the weight machine and rowing machine, and have been working out until I feel like I could fall over.  I have also been eating less and making better choices (not perfect - but much better).  So tell me why my scale won't move.  Oh yeah - it's because that's what my body does...  It's one reason I am getting this surgery, because I could kill myself working out and eat nothing and would still not lose an ounce. 

I quit consuming cokes over a month ago.  Going from drinking an extra 700 calories (5 cans of reg. Coke) to not drinking any calories.  I am drinking half my weigh in ounces of water each day, yet I don't lose anything.  It is frustrating. 

I have decided that I will not look at the scale except on the 1st and 15th of each month.  Otherwise I will drive myself crazy and back into depression.

Three and half weeks to go...

 So in preparation for my new life I have been introducing some changes in my household.

We -  including my husband and children are becoming avid label readers.  Ok not so much the kids but they are starting to look at them.  But my husband compares lables in the grocery store with me.

We are no longer keeping stacks and stacks of sodas in the house.  In fact we are done buying them  for the house at all.  Instead I am keeping a pitcher of Crystal Light in the fridge and everyone seems to be taking that change better than I expected.

I am surprised by my family and so very proud of them.

I'm not losing much weight yet at this point.  I have probably lost about 10 pounds since my consultation appointment, but I don't know that my belt is now on the smallest hole - so I have made some progress.

Tired of waiting already! Come on October 2nd.

The appointment with the counselor was a waste of time, but I got cleared and now I have my surgery date.

   October 2, 2012  

I wish it was sooner, but this gives me more time to get into good habits like exercising and watching what I eat.

I have now been off of Coke for 12 days.... Woo hoo!!!

I am drinking a ton of water and have been walking several times over the last week.

My mom said she wants to be here for my surgery. Not sure how I feel about that.  Don't get me wrong, I love my mother and would love for her to be here, but the surgery won't last that long and I should be released the next day according to the surgeon.  So it seems silly for her to drive all the way from Michigan just for that.  I know she feels that she needs to be here because I was there for her when Dad had his accident but I don't want her to feel forced to come.

Oh yeah,  I went into the consultation thinking for sure that I wanted the RNY.  But the doc. says I can get the results I want with the sleeve and it has less complications.  I agreed but have been second guessing that decision. I fear having this surgery and not ever getting below 200 pounds.  In my opinion it would be a waste to go through this surgery and still weight over 200 pounds. 

I have set my goal at 175, but in my dreams I would be lighter still.

Went to my primary doctor yesterday and told him I wanted to have weight loss surgery.  He was totally behind the decision and suggested that I look more into the sleeve rather than the bypass.  He also ordered an ultrasound of my gallbladder which is scheduled for Friday.

Had my first visit with the surgeon today.  I was inpressed and glad that I chose him rather than going somewhere else.  He was very easy to talk to and was clear in his descriptions.  He also suggested with my medical history and current weight that the bypass may be a bit too extreme and that the sleeve will work very nicely for me.  He gave me the reassurances that I needed and now onto the next step.

Next Tuesday I have an appointment with the counselor, after which I will be able to get scheduled for surgery. 

Then next Friday I have to meet with the dietician.

I sure hope they can get me scheduled before too long. Super excited!!!

 I am going to have WLS before the end of the year. 

I am trying to choose a surgeon and surgery at this point.  I am leaning toward the iBand, but am worried about the lack of information as it is a new surgery combining the lapband and a gastric sleeve plication.  I have considered the lapband but want faster long term results and I am not sure that I could lose enough of my extra weight to please me.  The other surgery I am considerig is the RNY, but there are so many negative side effects that it scares me.

The surgeon I am probably going to go to is located about 3 hours from home and the distance frightens me.  I don't know how people can go to Mexico to get this surgery done, I would die of fear that something would go wrong.  The other surgeon I am considering doens't offer the iBand and the other surgeries are several thousand dollars more expensive. 

I am a self-pay person.  I have insurance but they very specifically decline coverage of any weight loss surgery.

So that's me and what I am facing at this time.