Holly S.

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Finally had my first fill today, almost 2 months out from surgery and boy did i need it. I was eating everything in sight the last few days and didn't know if i could take not having restriction a day longer.
My appointment went well, my doc uses lidocaine to numb the area first, but i still felt a bit of pressure when he accessed my port. All in all it went well and he put in 3cc...which with any luck will give me the restriction i need.
Liquids today and tomorrow probably and then I'll start adding pureed stuff. Definately gonna take it slow, cause I don't want any nausea or vomiting. Wish me luck!

So, went to my Post-Op appointment with Dr. Garth today, and everything seems to be going good. I can start on mushies Wednesday, and unfortunately I can't get my first fill until the end of May (due to Dr.'s vacation).

So, after a stop at the market for more soup, I decided I needed to get back to the gym. Dr. Garth said I could start doing the eliptical again and walking on the treadmil, so as soon as I got home I started my membership with the new 24 Hour Fitness in my neighborhood.

Never have I been excited to go to the gym, but this is part of the new "leaf" i'm turning over in my life. And since I won't be able to get a fill unitl May 29th...I've got to do whatever I can to make sure I don't start gaining before then.

My other goal is to somehow manage to get in all my protein...once I start mushies, I think it will be easier, but we'll see!

So I had my surgery on April 2nd, a little later in the afternoon than I expected, due to other surgeries running a little long. To my surprise one of my OR nurses was a guy I was in nursing school with, and my OR room number was #3 which is my lucky number. All good signs! 

I woke up in recovery extremely tired and groggy, and very sore...apparently I fought the intubation tube when they were waking me up after surgery. The poor CRNA told me I was a hard patient (jokingly), but reassured me that everything went well.

In recovery I found out that I was going to have to stay overnight because the doctor wanted me to do an Upper GI, but it was already 7:00pm. So I was forced to stay overnight, but it wasn't so bad, cause Dr. Garth ordered Morphine for the pain, so I slept nicely. 

The next morning we waited for them to take me to do the GI series, and all results came back good. Dr. Garth said everything went well and the surgery was "easy"! (And I was worried about a few tortialla chips...lol)

Now I'm back at my house after recouping at Mom's for a couple days. Glad to be in my own house and will be taking it easy for the next week. Then back to work. Thanks everyone for all the support and well wishes!

Holly

So the day is finally here...it's hard to believe it! I've been waiting for this so long, and now it's becoming a reality. Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of my life. It's the start of the life I always wanted. 

I'm a little nervous, but I know everything will be fine, and I'll be glad when it's all over. My family and friends have been such a great support to me, and I know they will always be there for me. 

Hopefully I can get some sleep tonight, and I will update with my progress once I'm back home (staying at mom's for a couple days). 

Thanks to everyone for all the well wishes and support!

Love,
Holly

So first week of the pre-op liquid diet is down the hatch, and now I'm one week away from surgery. The first week was really hard, especially since I can only have Optifast shakes and water. 

After going to my pre-op appointment with Dr. Garth, the PA told me if I absoultely needed something to eat I could have 3oz of baked fish or chicken with no seasonings. That was good to hear, because my stomach was growling like crazy everyday at first. 

I ate the 3 oz. of chicken on Easter Sunday, because I thought my mom was going to start crying because I couldn't eat. She's a lovable and concerned mother and she hated seeing me not be able to eat like everyone else. That's when I realized a lot of the eating I have always done wasn't because I was hungry but because food was available and in a sense, "everyone else was doing it, so why not me?"

That was a reality check for both of us! Now she knows that I will have to adjust my diet for me, and may not be able to eat the same things as everyone else. I needed that moment for this whole thing to sink in, and now I have a new outlook on the future. I was so nervous about maintaing the diet after surgery, but the simple truth is, I have no choice. 

If I want to be successful and finally get rid of all my extra baggage, it's necessary to follow my diet to a "T". Don't ask me why it took so many years for that to be a fact to me, but it did. I guess it's one of those "Ah Ha" moments that Oprah talks about. 

I know I can survive one more week on Optifast and water, and I know I can be successful in my post-op diet. I'm focused and plan to stay that way for the rest of my life. This is a new beginning and I can't wait for the ride to start!!!

I start my liquid diet on Wednesday, 3/19/08 and I have to say I'm freaking out a bit. I have to be on liquids (basically the optifast shakes & water) for 2 weeks before surgery! 

I came home from work tonight and cleaned out my pantry to get rid of any temptation foods, and I'm taking them to work so everyone else can pick off them. I also have my pre-op visit with Dr. Davis on Thursday, so everything is really happening now.

I spent so much time waiting for this it's hard to believe it's almost here. I'm nervous, but so anxious to start this new adventurous life change! Everyone has been asking how I'm going to maintain the liquids for 2 weeks, but plain and simple, I don't have any other option. 

I've been learning to have more self-control over the last 6 months with the nutrition counseling, and now is the time to show if I have the willpower to do it....and I know I can.

My family is so great, and my friends are being so supportive! I'm am truly blessed and trying to keep a positive mind set in the wake of the nay-sayers!
I'll keep ya updated!

Something My Past Didn't See

© By Gaye D. Hight

Looking into the future
something my past didn't see.
The outcome of my experience
has allowed God to transform me.

Longing to be alive
for within I was dead.
Darkness was my company
and each day I dread.

Walking with a lost soul
Understanding nothing at hand
I once had a goal
My dreams turned to sand.

Seeking the face of comfort
To captivate my distressed mind.
can't give up on life
Hope, I must find.

Thank God I found hope
In the midst of the dark
Pursuing to find some light
Until it penetrates in my heart.

Now that I'm blessed with life
and has allowed God to transform me.
I'm excited about the future
Something my past didn't see