beth75
JUly 21,2006
I've been approved for revision surgery. The insurance company approved me in just 4 days. Because I'm coming from out of state, I have to have an interview with a Physicians Assistant to review my history before they will give me a date. My appointment for the interview is Tuesday the 25th.
Beth
July 26,2006
I've had my talk with the PA, Jennifer, and everything is a go with the surgery. I'm scheduled for the 15th of August. I'm flying out to San Francisco with my sister on the 12th, a Saturday. We've already made the plane reservation. She's going to stay with me while I'm in the hospital, but I'll be in the hotel alone for a few days before my husband can come out. I guess as long as I have my liquids and pain medicine I should be ok. I have a few things to take care of before I leave and I still have two weeks of class to finish( I go to school online) so that should help the time pass.
Beth
July 29,2006
I'm getting nervous. I'm glad I don't have longer to wait than I do. I leave 2 weeks from today. I'm exercising and have lost some weight which will hopefully make it that much easier to lose after surgery. I'm too nervous to eat right now. I worry that the surgery won't work after the RNY didn't work. This surgery is costing us close to $15,000 out of pocket. My health is worth it if I lose the weight. I've got too much time to think. I'm having trouble concentrating on my class. Fortunately, I only have a week to go of class then I will take a leave of absence while I recover.
August 1,2006
I had a physical with my PCP today. She was very thorough. took tons of blood and did an EKG. Bad news, the EKG was abnormal. Now I have to have a cardiolite stress test tomorrow. Hopefully this will be normal. Everything is set up, I'll be very upset if something stops things now. I really don't think anything is wrong with my heart.
August 3,2006
The heart is fine. I'm registered with the hospital and have my appointment set for the pre-op lab. Everything seems to be a go. Nine days until I leave. And the countdown continues.
Beth
August, 6 2006
School begins for the kids in three days and ends for me tomorrow.This will give me time to get the house in order before I leave in just 5 days. I've already started packing things I won't be needing before I go but I don't want to forget. I've got all my tests done, everything has been sent out to CA. I've gotten my pre-op meds and I packed them but I think I'll put them in my carry-on since they will probably lose my luggage if I don't. My sister is flying out with me and she HATES to fly, so I really do appreciate her coming. She's never been to SF, so maybe she'll enjoy some site seeing. She'll be with me for the first ten days, then I'll be on my own for about four days before my hubby will be able to come out and stay with me and help me get home. I can fly ok, but the luggage will be the problem, I'm sure they will weigh over 20#.
I need to figure out how to spruce up this site. Others sites are so eye friendly. I also need to post pictures so I have my before shots. i'm very optimistic that this proceedure will work. So I will have after pictures this time.
Bye for now. The countdown continues...
August 9,2006
I can't figure out how to put my picture on the site. The instructions don't make any since to me. It's Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. and I can't sleep. I leave for SF on Saturday and only 6 days to surgery day. I sent my sleep study out to SF, so I think they now have everything. I hope everything is a go. My birthday is Friday, so I' start a new year with a new life. Next year I turn 50 with a whole new body. My husband has finally come on board with this, it is expensive and that has bothered hem and I thik he;s a little warrie after the failure of the RNY but I think he is convinced of the surgery now. Today is a busy day which will help it go fast the kids start to school and then after sdcool band and football. I'm gettin sleeping so I;m going to end for now The countdown continues....
august 10
Again its 3:30 A.M. AND i CAN'T SLEEP. SO MUCh FOR aMBIEN. I'm just so worried that I'm going to get out there and there is going to be something I 've forgotten and they'll cancel the surgery. As my husband keeps reminding me , my tickets are non-refundible. today I get my hair done and play Bunko tonight so that will help the day go by and /friday is my birthday and I'll have lunch with one friend, dessert with another and a cookout with my family including my father and his wife so that day will be very busy and Saturday I drive to Nashville and fly out of there to SF so the next three days should go by fast. I hope so . This waiting is getting really hard and these nights are long. I'm going to arrive out there exhusted. My baby started high school today and I'm turning 49. I guess my youth is officially gone. They use to say life begins at 40, but I guess for me life will begin at 50. Hopefully with this surgery, God willing and me doing my part, I'll have at least 30 years to enjoy the new me. I've met
dawn, another 'revision to the DS who is having surgery right after me at the same hospital and at the same hotel. I've enjoyed our correspondence and can't waait to meet her. thank goodness I found the switch forum. It has been a life saver. We both went to Dr. Husted and had to go to SF when we had originally planned on Nasville. But he is worth the travel and th wait. Especially since he joined the Rabkins. The staff out there has been very helpful and nice so I hope this is what we'll find when we get there. But for now, The countdown continues....
Sept.6,2006
I made it and I'm now three weeks out and 17# lighter. Here's my story:
I arrived in SF on the 13th with my sister and we spent the day sight seeing. On the 14th I got my preop lab work done and went to Dr. Husted's office where I had about a 4 hour appt. They are very thorough. I saw two videos on nutrition and the procedure and a nurse reviewed the diet with me. I met Dr. Rabkin, the PA and met with Dr. Husted who did a pre-op exam. Everone in the office was so nice and professional and even though it took most of the day, it was organized and well planned. That afternoon, the famous bowel prep began.YUK!
I was at the hospital the morning of the 15th at 6:00 a.m. with surgery scheduled at 7:45. There was a delay because my liver tests came back elevated but a recheck showed that they were returning towards normal. I had had wine the night before I had my labs drawn and it caused my liver enzymes to elevate. They almost cancelled my surgery because they thought I had hepatitis, so word to the wise, don't drink if you are having labs done the next day. You are not supposed to drink after a DS anyway or so my doctors told me which is why I was having my last glass of wine before surgery. Anyway, surgery went on as scheduled just a little late. They told me everything went ok, less scar tissue than they thought they would see, but getting the stomach opened up was tough,but no complications until post-op. i knew I had mild sleep apnea, but apparently it is worse than thought and they couldn't get me off the respirator so I spent the night in ICU on a ventilator. This was unexpected and when I woke up intubated in ICU it scared me. I didn't know what had gone wrong. The staff was kind and reassuring and later that morning they extubated me and that afternoon I went to a regular room. I went for a leak test that day so they could take out the NG tube because the CPAP mask would not fit with the NG tube in and there were no leaks so that got pulled the first day and I slept with my CPAP. I had a JP drain on the right and a feeding tube on the left and an incision from my breast to my belly button down the middle. Thank goodness for PCA pumps and morphine.
I started walking the halls on the first day, very important, though not too comfortable. I had a nice private room and they brought in a cot for my sister to sleep on. I will say this was a painful surgery.
I spent til Sunday in the hospital, the nurses were great and Dr. Husted and Dr.J Rabkin both have great bedside manners. They spent time with me, answering questions and making sure I was comfortable.
By Sunday I was on full liquids and tolerating them ok, they took out the JP drain (ouch!!) and D/C me. I had to stay in SF so back to the hotel I went with my sister. They left the feeding tube in.
The next day the feeding tube ( which is in the small intestine, in the bile channel) started draining like crazy and really hurting so I went to the office and had them check it. They said it was bile and some peoples drain a lot but it was fine.
Tuesday my sister had to go back to Nashville and I was alone in the hotel for the next 4 days. My feeding tube drained and hurt as well as the surgical pain and I mostly slept and cried. I was so lonely and depressed. The days were long and seemed to never end. My husband was in a training session and couldn't get away. My feeding tube kept draing getting all over everything, sheets, clothes and my body was reacting to the sutures, they were red and inflamed. On Friday I went back to the office to have them check it again and they put me on antibiotics, the redness went away and the drianage slowed down considerably.
My husband finally arrived on Sunday morning with a rental car and took me out on a ride around the SF area and across the Golden Gate bridge. It as sooo nice to get out of the hotel. On Monday I had my f/u with Dr. Husted. My weight was down 14# and everything was healing well and he told me I had to keep the feeding tube for 2 more weeks.
Tuesday the 29th I flew to Nashville and Wednesday the 30th Perry drove me home to Alabama. Finally home!!
Saw my PCP on the 5th and lost 3 more pounds. She made an appt. with the surgeon who took out my GB to take out the feeding tube next week. I can't wait to get rid of this thing. It doesn't drain and cause me as much pain as it did, but it still causes pain and interferes with clothes.
Until next time...Beth
Sept. 8,2006
Today started out really bad. I woke up in pain and depressed. I took my daily medicine on an empty stomach, that doesn't usually bother me, but then I took my vitamin and some ibuprofen and got really nauseated. I can't get passed the feeling that this surgery won't work either and I'll never lose the weight. i wound up calling my husband crying and asking him to come home. He couldn't and I took some compazine and rested. By afternoon I felt better. I've been having some mood swings since surgery. I wonder if this is normal? Perry called several times to make sure I was ok and I told him I was. Tomorrow, we are going to the movies. It will be good to get out. It seems like time is standing still and I'll never get my energy back. I'm not sorry I had the surgery, that has never crossed my mind, I just wish I could hurry up and feel normal again. Just four more days until I get my feeding tube out! I vomited up my dinner, I hope that doesn't keep happening because I don't want any reason not to get this darn tube out. Til next time...Beth
Sept. 10, 2006
I'm still sleeping poorly and waking up depressed and crying every morning. I feel better as the day progresses and the pain from the feeding tube is turning in to more soreness than pain and the incision doesn't really hurt anymore, just general soreness in my abdomen, like I've done about 100 situps. I'm pretty much off pain meds except maybe one in the evening,if I've been really active. My energy improves every day. I tried a low fat bean burrito, but didn't keep most of it down. Perry has gone out of town for the week, so I'm on my own with the kids but they are teens and pretty self sufficient. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist on Friday. Maybe he'll have some insight into my morning depression. I don't know if it is due to the surgery or my medication. I talked to Dawn H. ( Starry 1st) today. She is 10 days behind me from surgery and is doing great. She too worries that she won't lose weight from the surgery so maybe my fear is unfounded and normal. She sounded great and it really lifted my spirits to talk to her.
Beth
Sept. 12, 2006
Saw the general surgeon today that took out my gallbladder so many years ago and he actually remembered me. I know this cecause he remembered who I worked for back then. My friend Nancy took me to the office because I was so scared about getting the j-tube out, thinking it would really hurt like the j-p drain did in the hospital, but to my relief it didn't hurt at all. It feels so good to have that out and I finally feel like I can really start to move on from the surgery to the healing, from being the patient to being the actively healing and continuing with my life as opposed to the pause that the surgery caused. Of course, I still have to take it easy and watch what I lift but my energy is improving everyday. I'm still having problems with morning depression, but it seems to be getting better, not so much crying just depressed. today I showered and went back to sleep for about 3 hours and then felt better. I wish I knew what this was about.
Beth
September18,2006
I saw Dr. Sharp on the 15th and discussed my antidepresssant with him. I think it is not being absorbed properly because I'm now having symptoms of it being out of my system in less than 24 hours so he is going to have me take it twice a day which I started on Friday and I think I'm doing better already.
Went to Nashville on Saturday to a support group that Dr. Husted was at and he did a group post-op visit which was kind of strange but very informative. They went around the room and discussed weight loss, labs and concerns each person may have. It gave a chance for all of us to learn from each other. there was a chance to talk to him in private at the end, but it still wasn't really private like a visit at the office. I did find out I can start exercising which is good. I thought I had to wait at least until 6 weeks, and some other informative things. I feel like I made a fool of myself whining about how I'm worried about the surgery not working, totally unfounded I know. I talked to Dana about it today. She is my therapist. I think once I get my medicine and moods straightenend out, I will quit worrying so much and learn to trust the surgery and my body.
Beth
September 20, 2006
Saw my PCP today and I've lost 24#. I'm happy with that weight loss and I've started back to Curves although I can't work out at the level I was at pre-op. At just 5 weeks post-op I guess that is understandable. I'm just 25# away from being in onederland. I haven't seen the 100's in 18 years, and that is my first big goal! I hope to make that by my next PCP visit in 6 weeks.
September 29,2006
I've lost nothing since my five week check. I'm getting despondent. The people I "talk " to online are great and tell me that a plateau at this point is not unusual, but as I look at the losses of others who've had surgery in the weeks or months around when I had my surgery, I see such great responses to the surgery. It's not the surgery I don't trust, it is my body. I've been told to quit weighing every day, but that is so hard. Tuesday is my surgery day, so that is the day thay I really count as the weight loss, so I have 3 more days to lose before I officially go on record as not losing for 2 weeks. I know that revisions can lose slower, but I was so hoping that since I never lost much in the first place with the RNY, that I would lose closer to the first timer, but even a small loss would be better that nothing. I'm exercising and eating protein and drinking my fluids, mainly crystal lite, no sugar or carbs...not even one bite of bread and yet nothing is happening. I will say, I'm in smaller clothes and my face is smaller so there have been changes, but I'm a long way from goal. My husband has been very supportive and tells me to be patient and I'm trying. This surgery works, it works , it works. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
Beth
