adistacke

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

On the positive, i'm down 49.5 pounds and it hasn't even been 2 months post op! 

On the negative, I have elevated AST and ALT (liver enzymes) and spent the day in the ER to find i have fatty liver.  I went to see hepatology on Monday who gave several ideas on the elevation (auto immune, virus, meds, etc) but didn't seem to think a fatty liver and fast weight loss was plausible.  My ALT dropped about 10% but he didn't think that was enough and wants to do a biopsy.  As a nurse, i'm familiar with the complications and procedure so not interested.  I talked to my surgeon today who feels this is related to surgery and to remain calm.  He agrees the biopsy should be a last step and lets monitor as long as they keep dropping.  Repeat labs on Wed 7/5.  I could use any positive thoughts or prayers to see a drop.  I'm stopping compazine and zofran to see if they might have something to do with it.  

As of today, I had surgery 1 month ago.  Over the past week, things have changed dramatically for me.  I have been eating consistently with few protein shakes.  I can't eat much about 1-1.5 ounces.  I had my first feeling of real fullness on Saturday with scrambled eggs.  The sensation was similar to the lap band where i felt it in my chest and kept burping.  My instinct was to grab a glass of water but i stopped myself.  That often times made things worse with the lap band.  I haven't had anything to drink with meals which i could never stop with the lap band...in 2 more weeks it will actually be a habit to not drink with meals.  I still find the fluid and proteins goals to be touch and am lucky to get in the 40s-50s with protein and 50s with fluids.  I quit drinking coffee and am drinking hot tea with equal.  Because of the stomach burning and nausea, I quit taking vitamins but am thinking about resuming them with food.  I am on soft food until the second week of August so looking forward to the summer passing along without any issues.  There is a lot to look forward to this fall from my best friends wedding (maid of honor) to a few concerts.

Yesterday I had 1Liter of fluids in my surgeon's office...think i could've done 2 liters.  It didn't really impact the nausea because it was getting better yesterday.  I am up 0.8 pounds which i know is the fluids but never the less slightly sad.  Today I went back to soft food and felt a bit nauseated after yogurt.  I've had a piece of cheese and am eating cottage cheese right now...so far so good.  Everyone at work has been beyond nice.  It's great to hear they can see I've lost weight.  My parents have also been super supportive.  I was crying at the drop of a hat and that also seems to have subsided a bit the past 3 days.  Here's hoping I'm gettting over the magical hump everyone keeps talking about with nausea and food.  

I had surgery on the 16th and it has been quite the roller coaster!  After a week post op, I went home (5 hour drive) and did great while there on full liquids.  I came home on Tueday for my post op appt on Wed the 31st where i was transitioned to soft food.  By Wed, I was back to having severe stomach burning and nausea.  After increasing protonix to twice a day and continuing carafate, the burning subsided and now i just have constand nausea.  My surgeon and I actually talked on Sunday because i was having such intense gas pains that morning that i was crying.  Back to full liquids for a few days and am starting to feel better.  I'm still taking zofran and grade it a 5/10.  The surgeon just called in compazine so we'll see what that does.  Having the benefit of working where i had surgery, i talked to the nurse manager of the surgeon's office today. They give fluid boluses in the office so might get a liter tomorrow and see how that does.  I just want to feel better...33 pounds down since preop.  I came back to work today and have a slow week so it should be a good transition.  My mantra right now is one day at a day. 

I'm feeling so much better than those first 3 days!  I'm getting close to the fluid and protein goals and walking around 7000 steps a day.  Today is the first day I've had about 70cc's of water do helping that is a plus!  I'm down around 25 pounds since starting the preop diet.  My post op appt is the 31st where I'll get started on soft foods...can't wait!

im already feeling this was such a good decision.  Lastly I'm trying to get a therapy appt thinking that can't hurt anything right?

That week was tough!  I was having issues with leg cramps...assuming cause I'm on diuretics and a full liquid diet.  I quit taking the diuretics and went up 3 pounds but also started a mag supplement.  I decided to email my surgeon who said take in more calories and get back on my meds.  He said he wasn't that worried about weight loss and more worried about extra fluids and electrolyte imbalances.  Looking forward to the 16th when i'm having surgery!  

I had my preop visit last week and was told my surgeon would be out of town the day after my surgery.  After finding out who was covering for him (i'm a nurse at the hospital where i'm having sugery), I moved up my date to May 16th (45th bday is the 18th so thought this would be a good present for me to change my life)!

I'm a bit nervous and hoping i won't be so nauseated that i can't go home the following day.  Also not looking forward to the liquid diet but what doesn't kill us right?  I can't wait to start losing and feel better!  Looking forward to the 16th!

I'mback at work today and the pain has been tolerable...only one narcotic yesterday to sleep and none today.  The previous port site where suturing to the muscle was done still hurts quite a bit...during the night it would pinch when i moved.  I'm also starting to feel hungrier which i was hoping wouldn't happen after being on full liquids for about 10 days.  Overall the removal process has been much harder than the insertion as far as pain goes.  I have been walking a lot so hoping i'm not overdoing it.  Hit 7500 plus steps the last few days cause I'm walking the dog.  I also had the lap band for 11 years to surgery on a 33 year old body compared to a 44 year old seems to make a big difference!

I've had the lap band for 11 years.  At most, I've lost about 50 pounds with the band.  I'm currently about 20 pounds below having the band and have taken the past 2 years to think about next steps.  AFter a lot of soul searching, I decided to have the band removed and go to the sleeve.  Band removal is scheduled for 2/17 and the sleeve is 5/19/17 (day after my 45th birthday).  I was asked to start a full liquid diet 2 weeks before band removal but i am starting a few days late with this being my first day!  As it is getting later in the afternoon (when i am more hungry), I'm not sure I can make the rest of the day. Here's hoping i can drop 10-15 pounds on protein shakes!