arkman54

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Well been a long time since I posted on here.  Things have been going well.  Next month will be a year.  How time passes.  170 lbs so far, and the sickness has finally, for the most part, gone away.  Had a bout with the foamies last week, but the first time in a long time.  Posted this tonight on the Oklahoma forum:

10 TOP THINGS I'VE DISCOVERED SINCE WLS:

10. Able to buckle my seat belt with out an extension and not have the steering wheel rub my stomach when I drive. Haven’t driven into one ditch lately, compared to before, trying to turn a corner as I sucked in my gut as much as I could, and figure how to turn the steering wheel with my stomach in the way. Gez, that can get a guy confused, trying to do all that at the same time, then it can make you dizzy, trying to suck all that in! Those ditches really jump up at ya! 9. Am able to actually sit in a booth. It is weird because I would have to make my family wait for a table to open up. People looked at me strange that first time I tried a booth and fit because I kind of was bouncing up and down a little in the seat of this booth (the seats are softer than the wooden chairs at the tables), had a huge grin on my face, just looking around. When I locked eyes with someone, I mouthed to them, “I’m sitting in a booth!” They didn’t seem as excited about that as I did. PEOPLE! Who can figure them out.   8. Am able to walk without feeling like I am about to drop dead of a heart attack, and able to walk without falling because my legs would just give out on me, then taking 10 minutes to try and get up off the floor. One time when I fell, I landed on my back and rocked myself asleep trying to get up! 7. Am able to see these things at the end of my legs while I am standing. Been so long that I have actually seen my feet in “action” (i.e. moving).  I forgot how awesome it is. Used to only see the puffed up things when I was sitting. In relation I found out I have “ankles” right above the feet. I saw them one time in a book, but thought I had missed out. 6. Boomer (my Boston Terrier) is able to lay on me when I sit. There is room! I have had to look it up, because I don’t have long term memory anymore, and I found out the medical name is a “LAP”. I’ll be darn, I have one now. Used to be my stomach just touched my knees when I sat, so this new found “LAP” thing is amazing! 5. My dreams have gone from what I can stuff down my throat next, and how to get out of “moving”, to going to an amusement park, walking around, and being able to ride the rides, especially a roller coaster. Now recently, I’m wanting to parachute out of an airplane. Amazing since the last time I tried to fly, the wheels wouldn’t turn and we couldn’t take off.   It was really strange, because they worked after I got off! 4.    Having a belt that is shorter than I am tall. Anybody hold up their belt even with the top of your head, and it drags the floor?    3. Able to save a year’s salary on clothes. Big man shops are HUGELY expensive (pardon the pun), and a shirt costs more than a small car because of it taking a BOLT of material to make the darn thing.    I love that I can now buy clothes at Wally World, and even cooler, I was able to find some shirts at a thrift store dirt cheap. Love dirt cheap!   2. In relation to #3, I can get more sleep, because I don’t have to get up an extra hour early to iron my clothes! Takes a lot of time to iron the same amount of material they make a family tent out of! One time my wife found an ad from a woman who ironed clothes. She tried her out, but when we picked up the first patch, she said she was going to have to charge DOUBLE for my clothes because of the massiveness! Told her , “FINE, don’t need you, I can iron my own tents”.  1.   And the No. 1 thing I’ve found out during my year since WLS, is, what I thought was a big downside to WLS. I had discovered these “hard” things all over my body under my skin. I started to panic, and got on the net to do some medical research on them. I found out that they weren’t a cause of WLS, but supposedly had them all the time! It’s these things called BONES! Who’d thunk! Again that lack of long term memory had caused me, I guess, to forget about these bone things.  All I could feel before was “softness”.  Found some of these things right along my shoulders. That one is called a collar bone. Down just a little further, was a bunch of them lined up. Found out those are called ribs. Just goes on and on all the way down to my feet. Also during the research, I found out the long thin “bluish worms” on my hands and arms are called veins.   Didn’t know I had those either. At first I thought I had been swimming in some nasty river in Africa and picked up something.   Isn’t the body an awesome thing?

Today, I completed the 4th day without getting sick.  Sorry, this is gross, but 9 times out of 10, I would eat a little and then my chest would start hurting, my mouth would salivate alot and would get sicker and sicker.  I would throw up, but never the food -- always a clear mugus.  Guess it was the foamies.   At my 6 week check up, Dr. Walton said if it got any worse to call him, because I could have a stricture.  I kept getting sick, but put off calling him.  (I know).  I could only eat like canned chicken meat with SF bar-b-q sauce all over it, or a slice of velveeta melted on it, or grind up some baked chicken in the food processor, or have some of the soft foods.  But, even then, I would sometimes get sick -- I just never knew.   This weekend my wife cooked some chicken breasts, and actually had a few bites and didn't get sick.  Have eaten on these for several days and so far, so good.  I am so happy to have adult food.  Peace, Michael

Had my 6 week check up with my surgeon.  Appointment went well.  I weighed 326 on my scales, which, with the advice of people on the forums, I am going with because weight on the WeightWise scale was 341.  I am still have problems with regular meat, such as chicken on the bone.  Even if I cook a thigh in the crock pot with lots of liquids, it still hurts to eat it.  I get the foamies really bad.  I still have to chop up the chicken in the food processor or eat canned chicken or tuna.  Talked this over with my surgeon and he is not really worried yet about a stricture, but if I start having trouble with soft foods or even liquids, I have to call him.  Even though I am having this small problem, I am so happy that I had the surgery.  My surgeon, Foundation Bariatric Hospital, its staff and WeightWise are the absolute best.  Peace, Michael 

Got a card from my brother-in-law a couple of days ago.  He said, "I can't express how proud I am of you for making a difference in your life -- which, in turn, makes a difference in ours." 
That really struck me.  You see the pain an alchoholic or drug addict causes to the people around them.  At our highest weight, how much pain and worry did we cause to the people who loves us?  Never really considered it, but I guess from this card, quite a bit.  This makes me even more happy I have made this decision and the desire to be successful with my new tool, not only for me, but for those around me who care.  Makes you go hmmmmm.  Peace, Michael

It's been 17 days and I am feeling really good.  Still need to be walking more than I am, but I am slowly trying to change that.  The "little one" though is confusing me.  I am still trying to figure the little bugger out.  Some meals, I feel full with the small amount, some meals, it takes more food.  I am definately able to eat more that 2 bites my nut talked about or other people talk about.  Some talk about they can only do 2 tablespoons.  I do more than that.  Plus, I don't feel the "fullness" or satisfaction feeling until around 30 minutes later.  I get afraid that I'm not doing it right.  Why can some eat less and some more?  Posted this on the RNY forum, and people said it is normal.  Gee, me normal, what a hoot!  Per the hospital scales, like I posted last time, I lost 13 lbs in 11 days.  But, according to my scales, I weighed the day after I got home from surgery and weighed yesterday and I have lost 23 lbs.  I take 23!!!!   Peace till next time, Michael 

Had my first post-op appointment on Friday, 9/26.  Had to go to the 2 week nutrition class.  Get to start mushies this Monday.  OMG! I can't wait!  After the class, we weighed, and I lost 13 lbs since surgery (11 days).  I'm satisfied.  Feeling better each day.  Peace, Michael

8 days into the liquid stage, and for the past 3 nights, I have had dreams about food!  First night I had like 3 sandwiches, 2nd night I was at a movie and ate the large sack of popcorn, then last night, I was at an Italian restaraunt and ordered a bowl of just pasta sauce (I thought I could have just that and would be better than the pasta), but they brought out a large basket of bread.  Before I knew it I had eaten the whole basket, sopping the up the pasta sauce.  Each time, I downed the food without realizing and when I finished, I paniced because it wasn't until then that I remembered I had the surgery.  The dreams were the "real" kind, so I woke up in a panic.  I will be glad when the mushies are here.  Also, forgot to post this, but I was on insulin prior to surgery.  My blood sugar has gotten better with the pre-op diet.  They took my blood sugar several times during the day while I was in the hospital, and was around 114.  Before all this, it ran around 250 to 325.  My surgeon took me off all insulin.  I have been checking every morning and is running 110 or slightly lower.  I weighed on my scale last Friday when I got home and was 373.  Weighed this morning (Tuesday) and was 361.  Gez.  Peace, Michael 

Haven't posted, but had my lap RNY on Monday, 9/15/08.  Everything went well.  I was nervous about being put under, as I have never had surgery before, and was afraid I was going to be able to fight being put under.  I got into the operating room and was looking around until I saw my surgeon going thru the instruments.  I turned my head because I didn't want to see want he was going to jab in me.   Well, they adjusted me on the table, put some rolled towels under my shoulders and he then said he was going to put a mask over my face.  He said, "Don't worry, it's just oxygen."  I said OK, and that is the last thing I remember.  I don't even remember getting drousy!  Recovery went well also, and I was back in my room.  The hospital staff was absolutely the best.  This hospital is solely for bariatric patients, so there are only 14 large rooms.  Monday night I got a SF popsicle and ate it like I normally would, not realizing.  About a 1/2 hour later it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I felt like I had eaten 3 back to back Thanksgiving meals.  I was so miserable.  My wife said I turned white as a sheet.  I gagged several times, but nothing came up.  They gave me some anti-nausea medicine and felt better after a few minutes.  Lesson One learned!  All during my stay and all week, I didn't know what the heck I was feeling.  Was it bloating, hunger, fullness, pain?  I really couldn't distinqush between them.  That was really frustrating.  I was thinking all week, if this is what it feels like from now on, I have made a serious mistake!  Finally today, after 6 days, the immense bloating feeling has eased tremendously.  Have a total of 2 weeks of liquid only, which has been hard this week, only because nothing has tasted that good to me and it has been virtually impossible to get in the liquids they told me to get in.  Things are settling better today.  Have an appointment at the end of the 2 weeks to go over the mushies stage.  Am really looking forward to that.  Peace, Michael

Went to my appt on 8/14 to see Dr. Walton.  First I weighed and lost 15 lbs since my last appointment, which put me within 1 lb. of my required weight loss.  Was happy with the weight loss, but was still sweatin' bullets at what Dr. Walton was going to say  --  about how much more weight would I have to lose due to my report, or was he just going to cancel the surgery.  The unknown has been driving me crazy.  My wife is in a cast and can't walk on her foot for 6 weeks, so she couldn't go.  My mom went with me instead, and she was wringing her hands, with her fingers crossed.  He started off saying he was very happy with the weight loss, how ya doing, yadda, yadda, yadda.  Then all of a sudden he said he was just going to turn this into a pre-op appointment!  OMG!  Is that what I think it means?  I didn't want to jump up just yet until I fully understand what he meant.  Then, he said what I have been waiting for months to hear:  "Let's set your date today".  Oh, gez, I couldn't believe it.  I was so excited, but then confused because he didn't mention anything about my cardiology report.  Didn't want to press the issue though.  He is such a good doctor and I have absolute confidence in him, that I know if he felt there was something to be truely worried about, he definately would have said something.  He did say he wanted me to keep doing what I'm doing, diet wise, until the surgery.  They set the surgery for 9/15/08.  So very good.  So far, I am not the least bit nervous, even though I have never had surgery before.  We'll see if that changes some on the way down from Cloud 9.  Be blessed, Michael

Last week my PCP called (or rather her nurse) and said that I had a 37% blockage in my left ventricle and wanted to know if I wanted them to call the cardiologist and make another appt. for me.  I told her I was confused because the cardiologist said I didn't have any blockages, so I said I would think about it and let them know.  I called the cardiologist the next day, and he wanted me to come in and talk with him face to face -- said he didn't want to talk to me over the phone.  Welllll, was I bummed!  They don't call you in to give you good news!  This doctor sat me down and said he wanted to explain my test to me again, but wanted to make sure I understood the results.  Informed me that when the heart contracts, it pumps out 55% of the blood in the heart -- that is the normal percentage.  Mine is pumping 37% of the blood when it contracts.  He said the PCP and nurse didn't read the test completely right.  Wonderful!!!! My arteries are clear though.  He would send another note to the PCP and my surgeon to explain more fully.  I was really impressed that he took the time (on his dime) to see me and make sure I understood everything.  Well, I was good to go!  Been drinking mainly Adkins Advantage Low Carb shakes and the their bars for snacks.  Eating about one meal per day to try and get this last 16 lbs off before 8/13 so my surgery could be scheduled.  Well I weighed this morning and I was down to about 3 lbs. within what I believe I need to be per my scale.  Was so excited!  Well this afternoon, Brandy from my surgeon's office called and Dr. Walton had been looking at my cardiology report.  I was suppose to see his nurse practitioner at my next appointment on 8/13, but due to the report he wants to see me.  He will be out of the office for a few days, but will be back on 8/14.  I asked Brandy why and she said that he wants to talk about the report, that he might "want me to lose more than the required 10%" (which is 42 lbs). ARRGGHHH!!!!  I was so pumped up because I KNEW I would meet the goal and maybe even exceed it a little for the appointment.  Now, my mind is racing and I wondering how much more frickin weight he is wanting me to lose or is he just going to cancel the surgery all together?  GEZ!  I have 2 weeks before the dang appointment and my mind is already taking off.  Will be so disappointed and pissed if he makes me lose an extra 50 lbs or something.   Don't know how much longer I can keep up this shake thing.  It's definately not a long term weight loss option!  My cardiologists said he thinks my condition would get better with weight loss, soooo.............lets get the frickin surgery done, so I can get the weight off, so I can have a chance to improve my heart!  Am really trying hard to get into a positive frame of mind, a faith-filled frame of mind, but will take me a few days to come out of this funk.  Post later, Michael