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So it’s Day 5 post op for me and I am doing better than I thought I would.  I am down 8 pounds since surgery day. I think it is solely due to the liquid diet. When I went pre-op to nutritionist and she told me two weeks liquids after surgery, my first thought was no way I cannot survive two weeks on just liquids!!!  

But here I am five days in and it really isn’t that bad. I am not hungry, and I have to remind myself to drink. I am supposed to drink an ounce every 15 minutes, but I forget or lose track. Yesterday I only got in 32 ounces, which is half what I should get. I am drinking water, water with crystal lite, broth, and pre-made protein shakes. 

So I was told to walk at least once every 3 hours. Not sure if I’m doing that or not, but I did get in over 4,000 steps yesterday.   I have had a little discomfort and pain around one of my scars on my right side of my stomach, which makes sitting & standing uncomfortable. But it is getting better and it might be better for those who can stomach the pain meds - I cannot and have not had since leaving hospital. 

I am so looking forward to the next stage where I can have thicker liquids! Prayerfully the pain & discomfort is gone by next Monday so I can go back to work. Because I have a desk job I was able to work a few hours each day from home, but I get tired afternoon do I log off and rest. 

This is not easy and I knew it wouldn’t be, but I know more than ever now that it is possible. I am on my way to a healthier life!!!

So... my surgery was Friday, July 20th. Doc says it went well, but during surgery they noticed an hiatal hernia which they went ahead and fixed. I had no clue what a hiatal hernia is, so I looked it up. It is where a small portion of your stomach pushes up through your diaphragm muscles; it can cause severe heart burn. 

I barely remember the hours after surgery, I was so groggy from the anesthesia and pain meds. I remember people/nurses talking to me but I don’t remember a word they said. Good thing my husband & parents were there. I did get up to walk at least 2x that first night but didn’t go very far. I walked more and further the next day, and they took me off the IV fluids once they saw I was tolerating liquids. They would bring me broth, water, popsicles, Powerade zero, jello. 

I was released on Sunday. I was keeping fluids down, but stopped the pain med because it made me extremely nauseated. The pain wasn’t too bad so I rather deal with pain than nausea. 

Now I’m home and the only issue is trying to get comfortable. Loaded up my bed with pillows to prop me up. Took a while but I found laying on my back slightly turned to the left was most comfortable. Most of the pain is on the right side of my belly, I think that is the incision they pulled my stomach out through. 

So far I am ok. No real regret. I do have moments where I stop and think did I really just do that to myself. But I will push through knowing the end is worth the journey!!!

Today was my pre op appointment. And I paid the remainder of my bill. This just got real !!!  My surgery is this Friday and I am so ready! I’m anxious and my mind is running through all I need to do in preparation. I am ready!

I started my pre-op diet on the wrong foot and I cheated on the 2nd & 3rd days while celebrating my daughter’s birthday. I was able to resist the cake at first but later that day I have in and had a piece of cake and I had another the next day. But after that I have been really good. As of yesterday there was still birthday cake at home but I was able to resist. And someone brought cake to work and now all my favorite chocolate candies are on display not far from my desk!! But I’ve been good and stuck to the diet. 

The struggle is real and I have 9 more days to surgery!  

For the past several weeks I have been back and forth about having this surgery.  My surgery date is already set for July 20th, but every other day something makes me second guess this choice.  Constantly, wondering if I really tried hard enough to lose weight without the surgery and being scared by reading stories of others who had bad experiences.  

So I sat down today after once again feeling like I am making a bad decision. I wrote down the pros and the cons of having the surger, and the pros and cons of not having the surgery.  After looking at the lists it was clear that the surgery is a good choice. When I looked at the list of items I was worried about giving up, I realized I did not really care as much for those things as I thought I did.  Then I looked at the things that were scaring me, such as the possible complications from surgery, and I realized if I did not have the surgery and kept going the way I have with my eating and lifestyle - I would eventually have far worse complications.  The pros of having the surgery outweigh the cons.  

One other thing I was worried about was negativity from others that think the surgery is a bad choice. I read stories of so many people receiving negative responses from their family and friends, and I did not want to deal with that.  For that reason, I have chosen to not tell anyone about the surgery except my husband and a friend which previously had weight loss surgery. Initially my husband did not approve of me having the surgery, but eventually he came around after a few months. When I made my pros and cons list I included the possible negativity from family and friends.  Then I realized that even if there is negativity, it will not last and I am not doing this to please others.  

My decision to have this surgery is based on my desire to be the best version of me, to be healthy and live long enough to see my children grow up and eventually see my grandkids.  I want to live my life, not sit on the sidelines watching my life drift by too tired to do anything.  I am making the best choice to live the life I was created to live. The End.