LucysJourney

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

So while I didn't lose a lot of pounds this past week, I looked back at my chart and see that in my first month after WLS I have lost 20 pounds and that equals 15.63% of what I need to lose...so I think I am doing really well.  If I look at my loss including pre-surgery...I have lost a total of 56 lbs and that works out to about 43.75% of what I need to lose....wow...it looks like I am almost half way there at just 5 weeks out....

I am hoping my Dr. will release me to do full exercising when I go in for my 6 week check up on the 26th.  In the meantime I will continue to walk and watch the pounds and inches melt away....

Just a reality check...this is not easy...I had to fight head hunger yesterday while snuggled under a blanket trying to keep warm...but....I CAN DO HARD THINGS....

These first two weeks have not been hard really...yes my stomach hurt where the incisions are...but overall not bad...I am eating pretty well on my first liquid diet...and then the new stage 2 pureed foods.  My favorite is FF refried beans, with plain greek yogurt and a small spoonful of salsa.

I am having trouble with constipation.  On Saturday evening I took a dose on MoM and it really rumbled but nothing happened until late Saturday night when I passed a huge turd...it ripped me open and my hemroids bled.  I was so sore the next day I had to go out and get some PrepH.  Today is Tuesday and I am feeling much better.  I still need to take MoM because I haven't moved my bowels since the hurtin day.

We to see Dr. Long today...he said I was doing really well.  The incisions looked great and all my vitals are great.  He told me to move up to stage 3 on my diet and the Nut will give me a call later this week to discuss.

He also released me to go back to work. No lifting over 15 lbs tho.  I really don't think that will be a problem...

Yea..I get to work tomorrow.

Monday 1/14/13 got to the hospital on time and things went really smoothly.  I was called back to pre-op to get prepped for surgery.  Buster had to wait in the waiting room until I was prepped then he could come back to see me.

I was in bay#2 so I had to wait my turn.  They took me back at 5:10 and my surgery was at 7:15.  The prep nurse didn't get to me until 6:40.  All this time I didn't get to see Buster...I kept waiting...waiting.  When she finally got to me she asked me if Buster was squeamish about needles because if she didn't call him back right then, he would not get to see me before surgery.  He was back to see me 5 minutes later.  So all the questions were asked and it was time to put in my IV....he had to look away...ooppss sorry Baby....(he's squeamish).  She stuck me in my right hand (it hurt) and a few minutes later I was kissing Buster and telling him I love him...see you in a few hours.  I was wheeled off by a nurse with a very colorful sleeve tattoo.  They took me to the OR which I thought was another stop before the OR.  But I was wrong...this room looked like an open office without the cubicles...the OR table was in the middle of the room and I scouched myself over onto it.  They strapped me on...I remember tattoo nurse made a joke about the table being one size fits no one...it was a really skinny table...lol...last thing I remember is my arms being stretched out to each side....the next thing I remember is waking up in recovery and asking for Buster.

I went back to sleep for awhile and when I woke up I asked for Buster again. Then back asleep and when I woke up I asked for him again...as it turned out...they forgot about him and I was stuck in post-op until 3:30 because there were no beds available.  Buster had to wait in the waiting room the whole time because no one told him he could come back. (bastards).

Next time I woke up I was in room 1098 and I was scouching onto my bed in my room.  Buster came in a few minutes later...and my recovery was started.  I started slurping was from the mouth moisturizing sponges to keep my mouth from sealing itself shut.  I sent Buster home around 5:30 because he was sleeping in the chair and I wanted to go to sleep myself.  So kiss kiss and off he went home and I went back to sleep. 

Around 7:30 I asked to get up to walk the halls, oh my goodness, that felt so good...I did I nice long slow lap and then back to bed and I slept till the next morning.  The nurses came and did their things but I barely noticed.  I think around 3 am the vampire showed up to take my blood.  I remember thinking I hope she doesn't have to poke me to many times...just once was all she needed and I nodded off again. 

Day two:  I woke around 6 am and called Buster while he was one his way to work.  We reconnected and decided he should come by after work to visit with me.  I then took a walk, well did my lap around the hall.  The transporter ( I love that term) came to get me to take my down to radiology to do my swallow test.  I am here to report that stuff was nasty...but I passed my test and they called the transporter to take me back to my room.  Mean while I had missed my doctor and the NUT.  My NUT left instructions that I could start my sipping and I was allowed two medicine cups of drink an hour.  That seemed like heaven to me so I started right away with water, then they brought lunch and it came with tea and lemonade so I switched up between the three, then I went back to sleep...  Mom and Dad came to visit around 12 or so and that was a weird visit.  Nice but weird. My IV blew out and it put a lot of solution into my hand and it swelled up.  Then I had a substitute male nurse who tried to stick me for a new IV...OMG he was SO ROUGH.  It took him two tries but he did finally get it in. They my favorite little Filipino nurse Theresa came in to remove the Foley (pee tube) that after noon and it was really nice to get up to pee (a hundred times lol).  So peeing, sipping, walking, sipping and sleeping the afternoon away until Buster got there around 3:45 then we started talking about stuff like we always do.  Next thing I know my two gal pals showed up.  Dianne and Becky.  The four of us had a great hour visit and then they left and it was just Buster and me.  We went for a walk in the hall and when we got back I was a bit whipped so I told him to go home...he left around 6:00 he stopped to pick up pizza for dinner and fed my little family at home.  I love him so much.  So I continued to sip, sip, sip, sip, then sleep...

Day three:  feeling really good and ready to go home.  My morning was really uneventful...my NUT came back to visit with more diet instructions.  I sipped, walked, sipped, sipped and then napped till Buster got there around noon. Dr. Long came to visit and checked me over told me how well I have done and that I will get to go home.  My nurse Katy came in and removed to IV tower from me so I could be free to walk and pee when I wanted to without assistants.  It was 1 o'clock and Buster and I started betting on what time I would actually get out of there...I said 4 and he said 5.  Ha...I was packed and out of there by 1:30.  The transporter came to pick me up in a big plastic wheel chair that reminded me of what little kids drive around at the stores in...only adult sized.

The transporter took me to the front door and there was Buster waiting for me...such a sweetie...we drove home and I was resting in my recliner by 2:30.  I had to sleep cause I took a Loratab liquid that made me feel yucky and I only wanted to sleep it off.  So drinking or sipping I mean, sipping, sipping, walking around, going potty, sipping sipping then take my shower and call it a night at about 9PM...man was I tired.

Day four:  I am on my own...Buster has gone to work and my son has gone to school.  We so I am sipping, walking, sipping, potty break.  Now to set myself up with my Vitamin ritual...yuck can do those with just water...that made me feel really gross...will try again later with applesauce or pudding or something....

Gonna stop for now...will add later when something different happens..

I was pretty sure I wasn't going to break the 230 mark...but when I stepped on the scale this AM is registered 229...yea me...I have not seen 229 in at least 3-5 years...I can't even remember when...  so happy about this today...

Wow...this has been hard...I am glad that I can eat at least one sensible meal a day...or I would be totally cheating...as it is...I must just shut down the hunger pains...tell my self why I am doing this...then ignore all food thoughts....

Don't Trade what you want most, for what you want at the moment...I must keep telling myself this...

I Can do this...

ok...day two...

Day one was New Years Day...I did really well...no cheating at all.  I did go to bed with my stomach growling...and

woke up on day two with my stomach growling..very difficult to ignore....not impossible...just hard to do...BUT...

I CAN DO HARD THINGS

So now it is day two and I have had my coffee (I will start adding protein to it) and have walked one mile.  After my shower I started to feel shaky so I ate a cheese stick...(and logged it).  That helped a bunch.  Now I am at work and drinking my first (of two) slim fast shakes for the day.

I still feel a bit shaky...but not light headed...so I think I will be ok.  I also have an Orange standing by...and another cheese stick in my lunch box if I need it.

So good luck Lucy and remember...YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS...and Don't trade what you want most (to be at a healthy weight)...for what you want at the moment (any type of food).

I finally got approved and my surgery date is Jan 14, 2013.  I am so happy and so scared at the same time.  Please let me come through this ok.

My Reality check:  The issue of my life was I always saw myself as the curvy 30 year old (the last time I weighed 135)...

Now I am heavy: HW 263 current wt 240 and I am 5'3" and will be 52 this July.  I never cared what size the tag said on my clothes...well not until I was looking at 22/24. 

I see myself get dressed every morning...and what I see in the mirror is the person I was when I was in my early 30's but I understand now it is a total mirage...

Like most of us we try to avoid the camera at all costs...

When I turned 50 the girls at the office threw me a party and when I looked at those pictures of myself...WOW...that's when I asked myself...who is that fat lady and where did she come from....OH NOOOOOOOO...it's ME...

...OMG....I did some research and looked back at older pictures of myself...and I literally could see the weight packing on year by year...I think I remember starting to seriously try to lose weight after my divorce...and did...then as soon as I reached my goal weight I got pregnant with my son at age 35 and I have been fighting the pounds ever since his birth...

I have gained and lost, I know 100's of lbs....I would be successful and then for some unknown reason I would fall off the ride...and next thing I know I have regained plus extra....I did this over and over again...each time my lowest weight loss would always be higher than the last time...

I remember being so upset when I past 200...that I didn't stop until I reached 225....put the brakes on and got back down under 200...couldn't maintain it though...

For 20 years I have fought and lost the war of the pounds....

It is my turn to win now....I WANT MY SURGERY....I am ready to change my life....I have already started to change my life....

Thanks goodness I was able to walk this AM.  I seem to always have much more energy and a better outlook after I get my morning exercise in. 

I love myself and I can't wait to see the Dr on Dec 4th.  Please...Please...Please...let me be approved for surgery.

I am feeling a bit anxious this AM...could be because I didn't get to walk this AM.  My Daughter was home from college and didn't leave until I did...my treadmill is in the spare bedroom with her and I didn't want to wake her.. So I am reading some posts and I am wishing to speed things up to get a surgery date...oh wait that is called...umm....no patience...well I have got myself this far...I can hold some more.