I am copying my old profile here. 07/19 I have been approved for surgery my first time out and am very excited. My only concern is that I also have Multiple Sclerosis and that makes me tired. But with this surgery and very conscious effort I will loose enough weight so I can begin to exercise and then help "everything"
I HAVE a surgery date Sept 8th!!! No such luck - I had the date and I got very sick last week and the surgery has had to be postponed. Now my surgery is Oct 17th. I do truely hope that someone was able be moved up to my date so there surgery could have been a suprise and be sooner.
9/25/05 Wow I am getting more excited. My preop testing isn't until 10/10 and I have my last weigh in that day... as always I am terrifed about that already. I am no fan of the scales and to know that my surgery hangs on the findings makes me a neurotic mess already. Fortunately I am very accustomed to being a mess so... nothing new here (kidding).
10/10/05 Today was my pre-op visit and my last weigh in. I lost 10#'s so all is good. The rest of the pre-op stuff went without a hitch so we will see where it goes from here. 1 week and counting.
11/05/05 I am now almost 3 weeks post-op and I couldn't fell any better!! I bled a little too much during surgery and ended up staying for 5 days, but if I was going to bleed better to be in the hospital! I have advanced to full-liquids and am amazingly satisifed with them. I will be returning to work Thursday.
11/13/05 I have had a bad week. Wed I saw my internist and she put me bqack on my anti-depressant, capsule and all. BIG mistake it got stuck in my pouch vomiting and pain later I was better Thur, the day I went back to work 1/2 time. I feel really weird, not horrible but not good either. By 2-3 pm it is all I can do to get anything else in, I feel full or bloated or something. I am on full liquids and am getting my protein requirement in w/ my 2nd meal in case I get too full. I don't know I jsut know that it sucks. I have to admit I have had my first doubt. I know that I did the right thing in having the surgery but.... I just get scared. I feel like I may never to tolerate the liquid diet like "normal". Oh well what can I expect there is nothing normal about me. Maybe I am over thinking this... imagine that! I went out to dinner last night and was very comfortable. I just drank my crystal light and it was fine. We will see. I also took communion today, boy was I nervous, but I didn't know how not to. I took barely any bread then SOAKED it in grape juice then I chewed, chewed, chewed. Hey I think there might be something to this profile writing thing. I do feel a little better. On ward to another day. thanks for reading me.
11/14/05 today didn't get any better. I was so nasous I called MD who was not in. I was referred to the dietician who suggested clear liquids for 2 days then slowly re-introduce milk. No way can I do it today, I can barely get the crystal light down let alone add any protein to it. Maybe just giving my pouch a rest today will work a miracle. If not I'll need to call the MD tomorrow, and the last thing that I want is to have to go there. My surgeon is talented but the wait to see him is long and all I want to do is lay down. Oh well here's hoping that I wake up feeling fine tomorrow.
11/17/05 well I am still living so... I did call the MD on the 15th but was frustrated with my "treatment". After describing my symptoms I was told that it sounded like a dietary issue and recommended that I see the dietician 12/2. (ok) they want me to have blood work and a stool sample, ok... and want me to see them Tuesday 11/22. I am not really sure what the delay is about but since I am better mostly now I will just play along. I get frustrated being patted on the head and blah blah blah. Oh well I am keeping protein and fluid down and only smally nauseous. I am growing to hate liquids. I am not understanding why so many of the other people that have had this can eat real food 1 week out. I don't know, maybe it is time to up my anti-depressants I certainly am being bitc--. oh I don't know...... later
11/18/05 Imagine I am not nuts, hallucinating, nor making it up. I got a call from my MD this morning and I have C-diff. A nasty organism that attacks the colon causing the cramping, dirrhea, nausea etc. I started on the antibiotic that will kick it's butt. She told me that within 24 hours or so I'll begin to feel better. I can't wait. The great thing that I am now feeling is that I didn't make a mistake having this surgery, All I have is an uncomfortable set back. Once I get over this I should feel better enough to actively progress on my journey instead of just trying to choke down my liquids. I feel mentally better too.
11/21/05 day 4 of antibiotics and the nausea is out there. Right now I am concentrating on staying hydrated. If I get dehydrated my MS is screwed. I already am not steady on my feet and that is not a good thing. I had 1 protein drink yesterday and it was BAD. No more. there may not be a realationship between the protein and the dirrhea may not exsist but I am no longer going to experiment. I see the MD tomorrow and I am praying that he is not running as late as usual I am certainly not up to sitting there for 2 hours. Time will tell
11/22/05 saw the MD today, weight loss total 50#'s down to 253#'s. While that is good some is definitely fluid weight because I am dehydrated. They have given me phenegran to try to make the nauesea go away enough so that I can eat and drink enough. If I don't get more fluid in it is to the hosptial for me and that will not be attractiv as that is where this all began.
11/25/05 Ithink that I am out of the woods now. I am still slightly dehydrated but I am getting better. The phenagran for the nausea really helps. I was told that I could eat cottage cheese, egg, and yogurt at until my belly settles down. I had about 1/8 of a scrambled egg w/ mozz in it Wed and last night (yes Thanksgiving) I had 2oz of cottage cheese w/ 1/4 tsp of italian dressing on it and 2oz of yogurt. I am liking the food thing. I have little soubt that this will get old but for now I'll take it.
11/25/05 Ithink that I am out of the woods now. I am still slightly dehydrated but I am getting better. The phenagran for the nausea really helps. I was told that I could eat cottage cheese, egg, and yogurt at until my belly settles down. I had about 1/8 of a scrambled egg w/ mozz in it Wed and last night (yes Thanksgiving) I had 2oz of cottage cheese w/ 1/4 tsp of italian dressing on it and 2oz of yogurt. I am liking the food thing. I have little soubt that this will get old but for now I'll take it.
12/27/05 Wow it has been a very long time since I updated this. I was cured of the C-dif and that was good. I continue on in my pureed diet. It isn't so bad, I just have to keep in mind that I like flavor and add that and cookwith it. My big problem now is my iron. When checked in Nov it was 15 w/ normal being 33 and higher. I have just begun to get IV iron because the liquid makes me throw-up and the chewable ones that I ordered are only 5 mg and I would need to take 1/2 the bottle every dxay. I have 8 more Iron treatments and then I'll have to see if I can find a chewable that has enough iron and one that I can tolerate. I can't wait for the iron to "kick" in because my energy level sucks. My MS is a barrier to my energy but this is different. I need the kickof energy so I can start to exercise. I know that I need to but I am xoing well to get through a day. Enough whining because it is all good.
01/10/06 wow my 3 month check up amazing I am down to 236# 68# loss. I am thrilled. I can eat regular food now just chew, chew, chew the thing that I wanted and had was a baby carrot - it was great. I was walking to the exam room and Dr. Galvin looked then again and said I almost didn't recognize you!! WOW. I can have regular food, introducing 1 at a time, I can take pills now - nothing bigger than a M&M, he didn't specify calories just told me to keep doing what I am doing becauwse it is working great, 2 quarts of water, he wants me to stay away from carbs they will inhibit weight loss. The MS is back, I am very tired and myt hands are numb and weak but hopefully this too shall pass. It is hard to type butI think that it is good for me. I MIGHT have to go back on steroids but we'll see, I would hate that weight gain (YES I am that vain). ALL is definitely great with my world today.
2/11/06 I saw my PCP yesterday and according to her scales I am stll loosing. That is what is vital. My weight loss hasdefinetly slowed down. I've been working 11-13 hour days so. Ok I also hate exercise and still haven't started yet. My Iron count is normal. I am not thrilled - my liver enzymes are still up, actually a little bit higher than they were a month ago. This is not good, but at least my PCP is keeping on top of it. We had to have our "old lady" dog put to sleep last weekend - I cried like a baby. I also went out today and picked out a new one. He is a 3 year old golden retrevier mix and mello. I can't wait to pick him up. Our daughter is 18 tomorrow so there are 12 or 13 teeneger/ adults in my living room right now! Oh well it could be a lot worse they could be e lsewhere doing who knows what. This entry certainly reflexes my frame of mind scattered. I have had a cold and the doc gave me some drugs for the cough - she wasn't thrilled with that with my MS but oh well. later
5/25/06 How could I forget to update here. I am in ONEDERLAND and a member of the CENTURY CLUB too. I saw my PCP yesterday and got on her scales and sure enough I am 198#. wuuuuhoooo.
My MS sucks right now, but what are yougoing to do. I had a
nearfall Tuesday, if I had just gone down I probably wouldn't be achy. I had to see my PCP anyway and she sent me right over to PT and the therapist was cool. He set our goals to work on some of the MS long term crap too. I think that is kind of cool. It will be nice to have some hand strength and dexterity back and to be able to do stretches so when the cramping starts I can help it without drugs. I also see the stretching as a way to begin a safe exercise program for me with thgis surgery. Not so bad. This has been mostly about the MS but that is huge as to why I had surgery.
6/5/06 I haven't updated in a shor tbit but once again I'm going off topic instead of sticking to weight loss. today is my 43 birthday and they authorized the medication that I have been waiting for for my MS treatment Tysabri. Now not only am I in onderland but on a cloud too..
6/14/06 I hav nothing earth shattering to say but here goes anyway. I am really struggling against myself and wanting something in my face. Last night I had to go to the kitchen after I'd already gone to bed but I decided that I had to have a protein ball. NO I certainly didn't need it and I probabley didn't even REALLY want it but she as hell I ate it anyway. I am also screwed in a way because I love fruit and hate veggies. I am now finding out that I really need to find a way to Love veggies and hate fruit. Who would have thought fruit has all of those carbs in them. I just adore strawberries, applesauce, cherries (fresh from our cherry tree), the peach tree should have a great yield this year and the plums too. About the only fruti that we grow that I don't like is the concord grapes. oh well I just have to make choices and so far I have always taken my pills in applesauce and could surely give that up. But the fresh picked strawberries are just too good to say no to. Wow what whiner I am being tonight. I guess i am just worked up a little becasue yesterday I had to have a MRI of my brain and neck to see how much the Multiple Sclerosis has progressed this time... oh boy I can hardley wait. Enough pissing and moaning. I am really grateful that I am maintaining my onderland status. I even thought that I might have lost another few pounds. SO I am going to take that happy thought and read the message boards.
6/25/06I haven't been back to talk about the fun and games of almost a week ago. Let me start by saying our daughter was gradutating from high school on Friday with Baccalaurate on Wed night. This was truly my focus. Last Tues I started having belly pain around my belly button, and the nausea was climbing this started about 1 pm. I decided to ignore it, what a suprise it kept getting worse. I sifted the details through my nurse like brain and came up with the conclusion that it was likely a hernia. I was hoping that it would slip back in, but the pain continued. Brian and I had some grad presents to buy on the way home. We had 9 grad parties this weekend to go to. We got the stuff and went home. I had left over pain med from my surgery so I took it and went to bed, hoping that it would just stop. Liz had a soccer game so she and Brian went. He came home around 9 pm, and I told him I was fine. He came to bed and my nausea just escalated. I puked once. I went back to bed and curled up into a ball and cried. About 1 pm I puked again, this time my noise woke Brian up. We argued about calling the MD, because I knew that it was a hernia and he was going to make me go the the ER. I lost and Dr. Galvin told Brian that it was likely a hernia and to get me into the ER, the staff was great. What a suprise not - the CT scan showed a large hernia - not strangulated yet but definitely out there. A surgeon covering for Dr. G came in and asked me if I wanted to wait for Dr. G or if I wanted him to do it. I told him - Dr. Richardson that I just wanted it done so I could get to Bacculerate that night. I guess surgery went well except that they forgot to tell Brian that I was out of surgery and fine, he happenened upon us going up to my room and came up with us. The staff was great. I got out of bed with Brian and one of the nurses. After that I just kept getting up and walking. I also decided that there was no way I could go home. Brian called my best friend Tracy who came up and hung put with me while they were at Baccalerate. It was great to chat with her big time and we walked too. The doc''s kept looking at me like I was a looney toon when I kept telling them that I wanted to go back to my desk job Monday. One of the md's Dr. Kim said you know Ann many people take a week off after this type of surgery and then with the MS. But agreed to do what I felt was ok. My roommate was a sweetie I do hope that she is ok. I went home Thur morning and just hung out. I thought I had a laproscopic hernia repair - in the shower I saw that NO it was an open repair -duh!! Now I know why they kept asking me if I was sure, but live and learn. I did go to work 4 hours a day for this week so I should be ok. So today I did some work and then crawled into bed.
7/11/06 Amazing I saw Dr. Galvin today for my 9 month check up and I have lost a total of 117#'s, I am down to 184#'s. I am completely thrilled. Of course did I ask him anyhting that I needed to Like how many carbs a day or how many calories total a day. But Oh well I figure that I'll just keep on keeping on and see what happens. I am also the same size as my wedding gown - 16, actually I had size 16 slacks on today and if I cont to loose weight even a few pounds I'll need to go to a 14. The top that I wore was a 14 today. I really felt the difference today. I haven't been able to say that often, but today it is completely heart felt. DH was funny we were teasing today about something and he said "oh you are just a big fat whiner, no you are a skinny whiner!!!". How cool is that. I am coming to realize that I did have major abdominal surgery 2 few weeks ago, but I just need to suck it up and move on. I just need to get the MS medication going and my life will be even more golden than it already is. I'll write again soon.
7/22/06 Today was a tiring day but fun. My daughter and I ran around and got all the stuff for her high school graduation party. I am not following my diet but is is ok with me. I am making the choices to have this junk. I am afraid tomorrow is not likely any better, but again I will need to make choices and stay away from the scales for a decade or so!!!
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