ObesityHelp

10-2-04
OK! I'm back and 5 days post op! Let me tell you how it was. I know that when I was pre-op I wanted to know this. I was pretty nervous the day of surgery. My DH and MOM came with me. We had to report to the hospital at 10 am and I was very anxious to get there. After checking in at the main desk we went to the short procedure unit to get prepped for surgery. Mandy, Dr. Koren's surgical coordinator, met me there. I was very nervous and she talked me through the whole process. She even started my IV for me as she is a registered nurse and she did a fine job! That is one of the parts I was most nervous about. Well, they got me processed pretty quickly and before I knew it I was off to the surgical holding area. Time to say goodbye.
In the surgical holding area I met the Anesthesialogist(sp?). He came in to ask questions and look down my throat (he smelled like he just came in from a quick smoke by the way). Again lots of people asking me the same questions and then I was hooked up to the monitors. Now all we had to do was wait for DR. Koren to arrive. Now I was really nervous!! I felt like I wanted to get up and RUN! Mandy was a real angel now. She sat right next to me and rubbed my hand and talked to me. It was very comforting having her there. Suddenly in came the doc and I was wheeled off to the operating room.
It was very cold in the operating room and I was transfered onto a VERY narrow table. Now even a normal sized person would have trouble fitting on this but a person who is morbidly obese? Come ON !!! My arms were stretched out on special tables on each side and I was strapped down to the table (Thank Gawd cause I was sure I would fall off that skinny table during the operation!)By the way, the whole time this is going on, the operating staff is talking to you very soothingly so I wasn't as scared as I thought I would be. Next the anethesiaologist placed an oxygen mask over my mouth and told me he was going to start to put me to sleep. About 1 second later I was off. I do not remember anything of the surgery and I do not remember dreaming. What seemed like a second later the nurse was saying "Nanette wake up surgery is over" and I remember feeling myself being moved onto a stretcher. I also remember still feeling something in my throat but I drifted back to sleep before I could worry about it. I don't have any recollection of being in the recovery room. The next thing I new I was being wheeled into my hospital room and my family was there waiting for me. My throat was a little sore and my mouth was very dry.
The rest of that day was very long. I would fall asleep for about an hour and then be up for a little while. I was so thirsty and was only allowed ONE ICE CHIP AN HOUR!!! Also my back was killing me from laying on my back for so long. About 9pm I got out of brd and sat in a chair for about 15 minutes. It hurt ALOT to move but I knew it was important. I went back to bed and stayed there for the rest of the night. It was a very long night. I was up most of it and I was glad that I didn't have a roommate because I kept the TV on the whole night. At 6 in the morning they removed my catheter and at 8 am Mandy came in and removed my IV. YEAH!!!!!! Then Doctor Koren came in and took me himself to the xray dept where I had my leak test.
For this test I had to stand up in front of an xray machine and drink a glass of contrast solution. Everybody I know said it's the worse stuff you've ever drank. I gotta tell ya though that I was so thirsty that it really didn't bother me all that bad. It kinda reminded me of the go lightly stuff. Ok so test was done. LOOK MA! NO LEAKS! and I was taken back to my room where I could start sipping water. HOORAY!!!!!
The rest of the day was spent trying to lay comfortably in the bed and taking walks around the floor. It is absolutrely true what they say about walking. It really helps you to feel better. It helped the soreness in my back and it helped the anesthesia to get out of my system and it helps you to pass gas which you really want to do. I never wanted to fart so badly in my life and I was so happy to let 'em rip once it started (another good reason there was no roommate!) I slept for longer periods that night.
The next day was more of the same, my drain was removed which made geting in and out of bed much easier and I was able to walk more upright. Dr. Koren was not sure if he was going to send me home that day. I was having a lot of trouble getting rid of the gas and it was very uncomfortble. He came back after 3pm and by then things had started moving (or should I say exploding) and I was feeling much better so he said I could go home. DH came by on his way home from work and off we went.
Since I've been home, I am resting and walking, and sipping. I had a lot of very watery stools for a day or two but that seems to have subsided. My incisions are itchy(a sign of healing) and I am feeling a little stronger each day. Would I do it over again? I am not sure right now as the weight loss is just starting and I don't like being restricted but check back with me in a month and I'll let you know.

Nov. 18, 2004. It's been 7 weeks now and I am down 52 lbs. I am starting to feel better. I have my energy back for the most part but once a week or so I have a day where I spend most of it sleeping. My hubby is down 67lbs and between the two of us we have lost a whole person!! Eating is hard sometimes. I miss food and being able to gorge myself but am working on replacing those behaviors with others. I am out of the Women's department and into a Misses 18. Feels great! We went to our support group meeting last night and it was an interesting discussion by a psychologist on behavior changes. It was very hard to hear him speak because of all the side conversations going on around us. Next time we'll get there early and sit in the front!

12-16-04 Almost 2 months and down 71 lbs. I feel great. I definately would do this again in a heartbeat. i don't even care about food anymore and I always was thinking about food before that! I would eat breakfast and be thinking about lunch. The only downside to this is that I rarely have dinner planned. I feel bad for my kids but it doesn't seem to bother them.

1-10-05 Weighed in tonight and am finally under 200lbs. It's been years (12 in fact) since I've been there. I am so glad I had this surgery and would do it again and again.

2-28-05. Five months since my surgery and I am officially down 100 pounds! I feel terrific! I still get tired in the afternoon and sometimes take a nap but I have always been that way. I guess I naturally have low afternoon energy or maybe staying up late to watch TV has something to do with it. What I find to be different in a most of the time good way but sometimes depressing way is that food doesn't do anything for me anymore. I find that it looks and smells great but doesn't taste as great. Also, I physically can not eat a lot and sometimes that is what I want to do so it can be a let down. However, I am sooo grateful that I can no longer eat a lot because the weight is falling off and otherwise I would be gaining. Funny thing happened to me yesterday (funny now but not then!) I am PMSing it pretty bad and was dying for chocolate. So I ate 6 sugarfree peppermint patties. Took care of the craving but gave me terrible diahrea! Guess I won't do that again! When I told my DH he just looked at me and laughed! I always have been the kind of person who had to learn things the hard way!

6-28-05 Nine months ago today I had my WLS. I am down 115lbs. I feel great! My hair has started to grow back in and I am sporting a new short hairstyle. I never want to go back to where I was. I enjoy life and feel like an active participant in it.

Koren Bariatric and Surgical Services Specializing in Weight Loss Surgery.

Obesity is not just a concern of a morbidly obese person. The problems affect society as a whole since obesity contributes to the incidence of chronic disease. According to the Surgeon General "Obesity, with it's rank among the top ten diseases, may be America's number-one contributor to health care costs.

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