candidawn

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And I'm just now finally finding it comfortable enough to sit at the computer.

Some pointers that come to mind at the moment.

Morning of surgery (8/12) I was 242lbs.    When I got home friday (8/15) I was 248.   As of yesterday morning I was back to orginial of 242 but then BAM!!! This morning I was at 235.  No idea what happened overnight, must have some major swelling that went down or somethinig..

I'm a little surprised at how much pain I'm still in.  I've always thought of myself as having a high tolerance for pain.  But WOOOOHHHH boy I still hurt.  I'm not even sure what it is from.  It's not near an incision or anything like that.. just a deep "stabbing" pain from within and it's more in my back than anything?? 

Having to sleep in a recliner because it's he!! getting up from laying down position, I'm a side sleeper and I find it very uncomfortable and hurtful to be on my side, and laying flat on my back.. well that's just not working either.    I'm wondering how long it will be that way??  Hopefully not too long.

I'm still having major GAS issues..  it just does not want to seem to come out.. I can feel it moving around and hear it gurgling around..  I actually think this is the major cause of my pain that the moment.  I've tried the milk of magnesia stuff that the nurse said to take, it help a little but but it seems like it just made room for more of it to develope because it does relieve it for a short time and then it seems worse than ever.

I've been doing well on getting the liquid in, although getting in all the protein is hard to get in at this point.   I really feel I'm doing the best I can do, but still lacking so it's a little frustrating.  I've been doing all liquids of course, trying for 3 small protein shake a day..  Looking at my diet list the surgeion provided (it gives week by week instructions with sample menus and list of foods we can have).. I noticed that we can have cream of ___ soups as long as we strain out any little pieced of chicken or whatnot from them.   I did a little bit of cream of broccolli for lunch and that was like the best thing i've ever tasted  :)  Well at least in the last 3 weeks since being on all liquid diet.   It sat very nicely

I'm surprised at how "nice" the incisions are already looking.  I just had this image of well umm  "gapping holes" but it's nothing like that and they are healing very nicely.. not the slightest bit red or anything.

Well think that is the main things that come to mind right now

Well I'm about half way through day 5 of the 2 week liquid diet.  When I started Tuesday I weighed myself and I told myself  I was only going to do it every Tuesday from here on out.  Well I just couldn't wait. I've been so faithful  sticking to just the liquids and the veggies that the diet allow..  I was just too curious not to weigh myself.  I thought I would be down a pound or maybe two.  From Tuesday morning till this morning (saturday) it was 6.5 pounds!!!  Wow!  Wasn't expecting that.

Only 9 more days to go after today.   Which means only 9 days till my surgery!!!

Yep.  Three more days of eatting "normal"..    On Tuesday I have to start the 2 week liquid diet.  My surgery is Tuesday 8/12/08.  

I have to say the timing could be much better.  Monday being my birthday.  I'll get to have one last "meal".   My older two kids are a few states away staying with family for about two weeks.   So hubby, I and little guy with just head out to our favorite family resturaunt.  I'll probably even have some ice-cream cake afterwards to celebrate turning 32.    Then that will be it.   Two weeks of liquid pre-op, and then the long weeks afterwards.   It'll be a long time before I will have any "real food".    For some reason, I thought that idea would bother me.  To be honest. it doesn't.   I'm looking forward to it as a matter of fact.

18 days and counting!!!

So I got the phone call from the surgeons office a few days ago.  My insurance was approved.  I guess it was a very quick turn around less than 24 hours from the time they submitted everything till the time they got the approval.    Honestly even though I knew I had a pretty good insurance I was still worried about approval.  I thought for sure it would come up that I need a 6 month supervised diet or that the fact i really had no diet history at all.   All I had was a list of the diets I have tried, but I didn't have a time frame or anything like that.. It was literally just a list.  

The coordinator told me the hospital schedular would be in touch with a date. She did say, I'm probalby looking at the first week of September.  Which just won't work for me.  My co-worker is out all that week and of course first day of school will be Wednesday of that week.   So hopefully they will be able to do it the following week.   So right now I"m looking at surgery to be about 7 weeks away..  That's really not that bad.   I'm excited!!

I had my 2nd appointment with Dr. M today.  It was actually pretty short.  Once again I just couldn't think of any questions to ask him.   I actually had to do this little test thing.   Was about 25 or so multiple choice and fill in the blank questions regarding the surgery.   I wasn't expecting that when I walked in. 

I have 3 more things I need to do.  I have to get the letter of support from my pcp.  I need to get a ultrasound done to check on the gallbladder to see if it will be coming out during surgery.  That is scheduled for next Wednesday.   I also have to have the ol' so lovey endoscopy, that office is suppose to call in next day or so to set that up.    For some reason the thought of this procedure really frightens me.  :(    I was hoping that I would somehow be able to get out of that.  

The good new is once those three things are done.  Then the packet goes to insurance for approval.    Woohoo, from what I've been told, it's not usual to get approval within 24 hours or so.   :)  

I'm on my way!!!

I had my psych eval today.  It really wasn't at all what I thought it would be.  First thing I had to do was take a "test".  Was 255 true false questions.   Once I was in he had a list of question we ran down, which I am sure are the same ones everyone is asked.. "have you binged and vomited" "have you staved yourself" "have you considered suicide" We talked about rather or not I knew the risks involved.  It went by pretty quickly.     

He said he would give my surgeon the go ahead.     He went on to say that he feels I have some issues with social anxiety that he feels I should speak to someone about.    Nothing really new to me, I have always been the quiet, shy type, but not sure I would classify it as social anxiety.. 

So now I have to wait.   The surgery said to give him a week or so once he receieves the evals from the nut and the psych, then the office will call to set up another appointment with him at which time we will set up a surgery date.

I do have to get two support group visits in.  (although, I do plan on going to more than the required two), and one more visit with the Nut. once I get my surgery date.   

I can't believe how quickly things are moving.  Although I am very excited!!

So I had my first appointment with the Nut.  I thought I would be intimidated on the appointment.   Turns out that once again I felt very at ease with her.  She went over what I normally eat during the day and I was surprised she didn't just "tear into me" about all the bad things I normally eat.   LOL  even my almost daily  morning McD egg mcmuffin..  she said I may want to start taking the ham off it.. No "you can't eat that" like I thought I was going to get..  Of course I know I need to cut them out and I actually planning on doing so. 

I was a little surprised because once again I get this feeling that things are going much quicker than I thought they would.     She said she would like to see me once more closer to my surgery.   When I went out she walked out to the reception area also, asked when I'm going to see Dr. M again.  I said that he was waiting for her eval and the psych one.  (I have that next week).. then his office will call for the appointment, which should be about 2 weeks from now.. (a week after the psych eval).   She said when I get that appointment, to get her office a call and see if can set up the second appointment with her then so that way I can make one trip down (it's about a 45 min drive) for two appointments..   It was just funny how she said she would see me again closer to my surgery and it ends up being about 2 weeks from now.    

I guess I better get started on that long letter that Dr. M wants done.    At this rate that will be the last thing that needs to be done before getting a surgery date!!

I had my first appointment with Dr.M.  I have to say I was very impressed with him.  I am so glad that I decided to go with his office.  He had set up this PowerPoint presentation on the laptop and went over the surgery in detail.  I felt very comfortable with him.

I have to say I had the impression that this was going to be a very long drawn out thing.  To hear him talk it made it sound like it would be pretty quick thing.    I already have my Nut and psy appointments set up.   April 21^st and May 2.    Dr. M said to give him time to get the reports from them, around a week or so and his office will call to set up the 2^nd appointment with him and if the nut and psy evaluations are good we will submit for approval and talk about a tentative surgery date.   I was a little surprised that he actually made it sound like it’s going to be a pretty quick thing.    Of course I have prepared myself for a drawn out process, so I won’t be disappointed should it take longer than he made me feel it would be.   

He requires a letter from each patient, there is a long list of things they want to see that you have an understanding of.    In the directions for the letter it actually says…  “Patients who are not able to understand enough to write a letter detailing the benefits and risks of the operation will be poor candidates for surgery”  

 The letter must contain understand of:

Clinically severe obesity
Risks of obesity
Expected benefits of Surgery
Possible risks of surgery
How the operation is performed
Why the operation is performed
Alternative to surgery
Postoperative diet changes
Possible depression after surgery
Need for long-term follow-up
Need for lifelong nutritional supplements
 
That really is quite a long list that I have to write about.  Hehe it will probably take me longer to get the letter done than to get all the pre-op stuff done.

A few weeks ago I had scheduled a appointment with   Dr. John Mecenas in Ithaca.  I had forgotten about it until I got the reminder call yesterday.

Just for the heck of it (and knowing my insurance allows 3 consultation appointments) I decided to go to it.

I have to say I am sooooo glad that I did.   I thought I was happy with Upstate but I have to say that the diffrence between the two offices is soo major.  As good as they are at upstate, they are having a huge number of people going through.  I honestly felt more like a "number" there.   The Ithaca office was so small and intimate and very personal.    There is no doubt that I will be going through them for my surgery. 

It's that time of month and of course I'm such a water retainer during this week or so.   So my weight was up enough to put my BMI right at 40.   Granted with my Diabetes, I don't think it would have been much of a problem.   But now I don't even have to worry about having co-morbs to qualify.