JULY 21, 2006
Well, I had my first appointment today and took that crazy psyc. test. I think the test took longer than the actual surgery will, and if I wasn't crazy before, I might be now! There were some very strange questions on that test, but I'm sure they all fit together to make a puzzle of the real me ( scarry), LOL!
I got my dates to see Dr. Bour, Dr. Russell, and the nutritionist, but due to my work schedule I had to have them changed, so what was to be August 1, is now August 7 and 21, and when I got home I realized that they forgot to reschedule the one for Dr. Bour, so I am waiting to see if I keep the original one and get off work early, or get it changed.
I have the feeling that the waiting is going to be the worse part of this. I just hope that the time goes by fast like it does everyother day. I am going Monday the 24th, to my first of six meetings that are required before surgery. I hope to get to meet some of you at the meetings, because right now, I need someone to talk to to ease my fears and answer my questions,so I don't worry so much over what is to come.
I haven't weighed in over a month so I will find out then what the grand total is. I know I am miserable and feel like I have gained more weight this past month, it's getting harder to bend over and tie my shoes without getting out of breath. I work a minimum of 12 hours a day, but I am usually there for 13-14 hours, on my feet and walking alot.Thank god it's only three days a week, I don't think I could handle any more than that right now.
I will keep this updated as things progress, plus it helps with the anxiety to write things down. So until the next time, take care and I hope I get to meet some of you soon!
JULY 26, 2006
Well, Lacey emailed me and said that Dr, Russell had a cancelation today at 11:00, so I got to move my date from August 21 to today. More good news, I'm NOT crazy! I only had to spend 30 minutes with Dr. Russell while he went over my evaluation and answered a few questions. He said I am a perfectionist and have a slight OCD problem ( who doesn't?), LOL! But, he did write that I am a good candidate for WLS, thank god for that!
My next step is on August 7, when I meet with Chris the nutritionist, then its the 16th for Dr. Bour. Wow, it's moving along and the butterflies are flying wild in my stomach, but pretty soon they won't have much room to fly around in there, LOL! I finally weighed in and felt sick after getting on the scale. I am now 242.4 pounds, the biggest I have ever been in my life. God I have to get this weight off before it kills me.
AUGUST 7,2006
I had my meeting with Chris today. We went over all the important issues about what I will and will not be eating in the future. I don't think going without sweets will be a problem, since I'm not a big sweet eater, but I am wondering how I will handle all those sweet protein drinks, since really sweet things make me gag now. He gave me some Optifast samples, so I will try them on one of my days off just in case it puts me in the bathroom. I might have a problem trying to get all my fluids in at work, I barely have enough time to go to the potty much less stop and drink frequently, but I will do what I have to do and hopefully it won't be to big of a problem.
AUGUST 10,2006
I just had a call from Carmen at BS, they have to change my appointment time next Wednesday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 AM. It's not a big deal other than it's hard to get someone to cover my shift at work. Hospitals are not very understanding when it comes to taking time off.I have someone who was willing to work half a day for me that day, so I am noping she will be willing to work the first half instead of the second half. She will have to go in at 5:00 AM so I don't know if she will be wanting to go in that early or not. Carmen said I can change it to Wed, the 23rd, but I'm not moving it up any further. I want to get on with this ASAP. Well, I guess things happen for a reason! OK, I just had to vent for a minute and now I feel better, lol. I hope the next post will be a better one.
AUGUST 17,2006
Well, I had my meeting with Dr. Bour yesterday. He sure helped make me feel better about everything. First thing he did was appologize to me for having to change my work schedule to come in earlier, I thought that was nice of him. Then he went over everything that will be happening and I asked my few questions that I had. I gained another pound since Monday, so that makes it five pounds up in less than 3 weeks. Pretty close to hitting the 250 mark. If I keep this up I will be 250 in another week or two. My blood pressure was high, heart rate was 125, but I'm hoping it was just nerves causing it. So after we got done talking we went to talk to Lacey so she could get my paper work ready for the insurance company. My insurance is suppose to give approval really quick according to them, but she said she has six others from St. Francis that have been sent out over 2 weeks ago and she hasn't heard back from them. Dr. Bour told her to get on the phone and get the ball rolling with BC/BS, that it shouldn't be taking this long. They are hoping to get approval this week or early next week. I'm getting really nervous and excited all at the same time. It could happen at the end of September, if I'm lucky.
Well, not much else to report, other than I turned 55 on the 15th, yeah HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me, lol! So take care and hopefully the next post will say, I'm APPROVED!
AUGUST 30, 2006
Woo Hoo! I got my approval today. It didn't take long at all, about 9 working days from the time it was submitted. Now, it's another waiting game, until that call comes with a surgery date. I do have my EGD date, which is Sept. 11. I am a little nervous about it, it's just the thought of having something shoved down my throat that makes me uneasy. As long as they put me in the twilight zone then I should be fine, lol!
I will post again as soon as I get my date.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
Well, I had my EGD today. Everything went great, nothing like I was expecting. I never felt a thing and had no idea when he even did it, I was out like a light. Dr. Bour had an emergency, so he was running behind, it was 2:00 before they took me back and my appointment was for 1:00. But that's OK, I got some much needed rest. He found a large hiatal hernia, that I didn't know I had, so he did a biopsy on it to make sure everything is OK with that. I hope it's fine, again the fear of something keeping me from having the surgery hit me like a ton of bricks when he told me that. He said it won't cause a problem and he will fix it for me when he does my GB. He thinks that is what has been causing my reflux all these years, so hopefully he can fix it and I won't have a problem with it again.
I still haven't heard back from Carmen on my date, so I'm going to assume it will be the tentative date she gave me of October 31. I have emailed her, left voice mails and have got nothing back from her. I need to know so I can let my nurse manager get the new schedule done. Right now I will take what I can get, I just want it to hurry! So for now it's back to waiting and waiting.
SEPTEMBER 18,2006
Well, I officially got my date tonight and it's going to be a HAPPY HALLOWEEN for me! October 31 is the day I begin my life as a loser, lol! I start Optifast on October 4th, so I have to drink it the full four weeks. I'm not too happy about that, but it was expected from the begining, I was just hoping it would be a shorter time frame. So until the next exciting moment in my life, everyone take care.
OCTOBER 6,2006
I started the optifast on the 4th, and I actually like the stuff. The first day I had hunger pains at work, but I think it was because everyone was eating in front of me. Yesterday and today I have been on my two days off, so I didn't get hungry at all. Of course I still feel like double crap from this cold or whatever it is I have, so that might be why I'm not starving. I just hope the hunger doesn't come back. There is one drawback to the optifast for me, it's causing me to have severe constipation. I have never in my life had this problem and I had to use glycerine suppositories last night to help me go. They took almost 3 hours to work, even though the box said 15 minutes to 1 hour. But........ when it did work, it wasn't a pretty sight! I try to tell myself it's better than having the trots and running to the bathroom every few minutes, or worse yet, not making it to the bathroom, lol! I have been very dry and have cotton mouth, so I don't know if it's the cold or the optifast, but what ever it is I hope it goes away soon. OK I'm done complaining, so until the next post everyone take care!
OCTOBER 10, 2006
I went to my second optifast meeting tonight and I only lost 4.4 pounds from my highest weight of 247.8. I was a little discouraged, but I expected it,since I haven't been pooping much at all lately. I also keep reminding myself that any weight loss is good, no matter how much it is, so I will continue and hope for the best. I am just happy that I like the optifast and that my appetite has been almost non-existant. They told me to add fiber to my shakes to see if it might get the ball rolling, but fiber gives me really bad bloating and gas, so I don't know if I will add it or not. I know this much, I will never complain about my patients being so anal about their bowel habits again. I always thought they were just whiney when they didn't poop for a day, now I know how they feel. Live and learn, I guess thats the best way to understand something. Well, that's it for this time, I'm just counting down the days, only 18 more to go!
OCTOBER 17, 2006
Well, I had my third optifast meeting, and lost another 4 pounds for a total of 8.4 in two weeks. Chris went over all the steps in the post-op diet( CL, FL, pureed, etc.). He let us sample some things before we buy them, but as everyone who has already had the surgery knows, your taste changes, usually for the worse, so I didn't pay much attention to the ones that tasted good. Everyone wanted to try the Prostat. All I have to say about it is.........YUKKKKKKKK! That is the nastiest, foulest, tasting crap I have ever put in my mouth. It almost made me want to lick my own butt to get the taste out, LOL! Just kidding, but it was horrible tasting. It had a cherry and rotten meat taste, so I guess the rotten meat was the bovine (cow) protein that is in it. I still plan on buying some to keep here just incase I can't get in all my protein. I'll just hold my nose and swallow and hope it all stays down! Well, that's it for this week, bye until later!
OCTOBER 20,2006
Today I had my pre-assessment at the hospital. Everything went OK. I had my labs done and an EKG. I did happen to notice, on the papers that Dr. Bour sent over, he had written lap RNY and lap hiatal hernia (possible open). I sure hope that I don't have to have an open surgery because of the hernia being so big. The thought of being cut and having to be out of work longer sucks. I hope it's a routine thing for him to write that on everyones physical assessment. I guess I will find out when I wake up! Not much else to report this time. I will post again after Tuesdays weigh-in.
OCTOBER 26, 2006
We went to the pre-op group meeting this morning to listen to Katie and Dr. Bour talk about our surgery, hospital stay, everything that will happen, what to expect, and what they expect from us. So now it's just four more days to go and only three more on the optifast. I think I will get Sonny to take me out for my last favorite meal before Tuesday. I can't decide what I want, since I have several favorite foods and places that I want to go to. Nothing real fancy just my favorite one. It's either going to be Mexican or BBQ. I know, most people would pick steak or something like that, but I want something that I know I won't be having for a long time or maybe never again, just depends on what my little tummy can tolerate down the road.
I weighed in on Tuesdays optifast meeting and didn't lose a thing, I actually gained 6 ounces. But I weighed today and I was down by 3 pounds. I had on heavy shoes so I figure I lost around 4 at least, but I will only count what the scale showed.
OK, I'm going to go and start getting my stuff together for the hospital, pack all my meds ( need a bag just for them alone), change the filters on my C-PAP, even though he didn't sound like he wants us to use it for a few weeks, he still said to bring it with us, and all the other essentials that most females can't go without, lol.
For those wanting to know, Jennifer has volunteered to be my ANGEL! Also here is my hubby's cell phone number if you want to call to check on me 238-9096 or mine 238-9095. I will have my cell phone with me after I come back to earth and am able to talk, lol. I do plan on taking my laptop, so again, when I am feeling good enough to get on it, I will make a post.
OCTOBER 30, 2006
Well, this is my last day before surgery. I'm drinking my clear liquids and listening to my stomach rummble. I'm missing the optifast really bad, and I know, most people would say I'm nuts, but I actually loved drinking it. I hope the rest of my protein drinks taste as good and I am able to get all of my protein in. I made crystal light strawberry/kiwi popcicles with unjury, and black cherry sf jello with unjury, so it is all going to be waiting on me when I get home. I do plan on trying my hardest to get some of the NASTY prostat in. I have been trying to think of some ways to camoflauge the taste, but so far I haven't thought of anything, maybe cherry koolaid might help, who knows, I will try anything just to be able to tolerate it. I bought a brand of chicken boulion that I think taste almost as bad as the prostat. I guess I will be sending hubby out to buy the more popular brand. That's what I get for trying to save a penny, lol.
Well, I figured I would be nervous as heck, but so far, I'm calm and collected, but very excited. It felt like this day would never get here and now, I'm looking at just a few hours left before I'm in the world of losers. Wow, it will be so nice feeling good again and being able to go shopping in the regular size clothes. Just to be able to wear something that doesn't remind me of how old I am, will be great.
My last meals, yes meals, were Friday night, BBQ at a place in Anderson that I had never eaten at, called Old Country Smokehouse. Some friends from work invited us to go with them and we had a really good time. I ordered the combo plate with ribs, chicken, pork, baked potato and slaw. No, I didn't eat it all, infact I barely was able to eat 1/4 of it, so I brought the rest home. Saturday night we had my granddaughters birthday party to go to, and I did eat a small piece of her cake and some icecream, shame on me, but it's probably something I will never ba able to have again. Needless to say I enjoyed every bite. After the party we went to Don Pablos mexican resturaunt. It was Sonny's birthday so I let him pick it. He knew I wanted Mexican and the place we usually eat at was closing so Don Pablos was open late and we went there instead. I had the small chicken quesadillas appetizer, and again I ended up bringing most of it home with me. We finished most of it off Sunday, Sonny had the quesadillas and I had a little bit more of the BBQ. I still have the entire piece of chicken left ,so I guess he will finish it off tonight, while I sit and watch him eat it. Maybe I should go soak in the bathtub instead of watching him and wishing I could have just one more meal before tonight at midnight. Hope I don't have much head hunger, I hate that feeling knowing I can't eat again for a long time, but I keep reminding my self how I'm going to look after getting over 120 pound off my body. WOO HOO! that's half of me that will be gone.
So, I'm going to go finish drinking my liquids and peeing for the 10th time today. I hope to post on here as soon as I feel up to getting on my laptop, in the hospital. I want to thank everyone on here and those fabulous ladies and men in my support group for getting me to this point. I don't think I have ever had the pleasure of knowing such a great group of people as all of you have been. It's nice to feel accepted and supported and to know I will soon be on the losing side with all of you!
POST-OP
NOVEMBER 4, 2006
Well, I got home from the hospital around 7:30PM last night. I had to stay an extra day due to my O2 sats dropping down. Apparently they had dropped into the 40's during surgery and continued to drop into the 50's -70's range Wednesday through Friday. I am on home oxygen until they can get an appointment with a pulmonary doctor to find out what is causing it.
Other than that everything went great. I had some nausea after the surgery, but they kept it well under control, along with my pain, which fortunetly was minimal. I am not taking any pain meds at home and hope I don't have to use them at all. Yes, I'm sore, mainly around the drain, but that is expected, I have had horrible gas pains running all throught my upper chest, back and shoulders. It has finally moved down to my lower belly and seems to be almost gone. Of course I have had diarreah pretty bad, but again I think that is to be expected in the begining, and I hope it lets up soon. If not, as soon as all this gas is gone I will start taking immodium AD to keep it under control. I made the misstake of weighing when I got home and weighed 244.0 which was a gain of 8 pounds from when I weighed before going to the hospital. It's no wonder with all the fluid I had in me and the gas. They had to give me lasix to get some of the fluid off in hopes it might help my breathing. I peed 1800 cc in less than an hour, which is more than most people go in an enitire day. I weighed this morning and was down 4 pounds. So hopefully it will all come back off soon, and the real weight loss will begin. I'm not expecting much the first two weeks, so I'm not going to let it get me down if it doesn't drop. I have been trying hard to drink, drink, drink. I made up a pitcher of crystal light, jello, and popcicles all with unflavored unjury. It's not hard getting it down, it just all has that same funky taste, nothing exciting about it at all. I just made some boulion with the unjury and got it down. But strangest thing is, I poured out the serving of prostat, drank it down and it tasted better this time than it did the first time I tired it before surgery. So I think that is going to be the way I get most of my protein in. I would rather have one moment of the not so great tasting stuff, than have all day of everything not tasting too great. Two weeks of this is going to suck, but I will do my best to follow the Dr. orders.
Everyone at the hosptial was great, never had to wait for anything, they came as soon as I called. I really recommend St. Francis Womens and Family Hosptial to anyone thinking about using them.
Well, until next post, take care!
NOVEMBER 5, 2006
The diarreah continues! Tomorrow I will take immodium and see if it lets up any. I weighed again this morning and have lost back to my pre-surgery weight. On my scale it is 233.4, don't know what it is on Dr. Bours scale with clothes on. So I guess from now on it will be the real thing coming off. I am drinking the prostat with no problem, 3 oz./15 grams, 5 times a day. I can't eat or drink anything with the unjury in it right now, so maybe it will be better when I can actually add it to other things besides liquids, if not I will be giving it away at one of our meetings. Wish I hadn't bought so much of it until I new how I would like it, but live and learn. I thought the prostat would be the one I was bringing back to the meetings, lol. Funny how it taste different to me than it did the first time, and the unjury taste nasty now. I'm just looking so forward to the full liquids and then some real food.
OK enough thinking, lol, I'm making myself hungry!
NOVEMBER 9, 2006
Had my first appointment with Dr. Bour today. He was very happy with my weight loss, 15 pounds since my last weigh in at the optifast meeting and how I am doing on my sats. I had not used my O2 for two days, other than at night with my c-pap, and my sats were 99 when Katie checked them. My blood pressure is still sky high, so I'm hoping it drops back down, since I'm on my HCTZ again. I had actually lost more weight than they had recorded since my last weigh in at their office, which was on Tuesday, a week before my surgery. I had dropped down to 233 according to my scale at home. From now on I will be using my home scale weight on here to keep it from being so confusing. Dr. Bours scale is 4 pounds higher with my clothes and shoes on.
I had my first full liquid meal with Sonny at Duke Sandwich shop. I got the cream of brocolli soup, god it was so good. I got the small cup and was only able to eat 3 ounces of it before feeling full. I drank water about a hour after lunch. I went to the store and bought some SF pudding in the cups, yogurt, and some more cream soups. For my second meal I decided to try the pudding, not realizing because of my own stupidity, that it had sugar alcohols in it. Since I have never been able to tolerate them before the surgery, I should have been more careful and read the box they came in. Now I have experienced "dumping", and let me tell you, it's not pleasant at all. Nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, and the raging river of diarreah! Yeah, all over me and the bathroom floor, not good. I laid down at 5:20 pm and didn't get back up until 7:30 this morning ( yes I'm writing this on the 10th). I pray to god I don't have to experience that again. It almost makes you afraid to eat anything unless you are home to know what it will do to you. SUGAR ALCOHOLS BE DAMNED!
OK, so maybe I lost 3 pounds in the toilet, but I was down to 218.5 this morning, YEAH for me. That is almost a 30 pound loss from my highest weight. Hard to fathom that much in such a short time, it would have taken me almost a year of dieting to loose that much. I lost 50 pounds on Nutri-systems one time, and it took me 16 months to do it. As soon as they started me on the maintainence part, I started gaining it back faster than I took it off and within 4 months I had gained 50+ pounds. I spent double on their program than what Dr. Bours fee was.
OK, until the next exciting moment in my life, take care!
NOVEMBER 16, 2006
Got my drain out today, yeah! What a relief. Not thrilled with the big hole left in my side that looks like a shotgun wound, lol, but I know it will eventually close up. I lost 4 pounds since last Thursdays visit, not much loss, but hey, it could have been a 4 pound gain like I was use to in the past. Funny how I don't dread getting on the scale now, I know it will continue to go down and not up. I have been stuck at 217.5 for three days now, but the inches are coming off. I put a blouse on today that four weeks ago wouldnt button at the bottom and was tight across the chest. Today it was baggy!! According to the tape measure I have lost 2 inches in each calf, 3 inches in my waist, 6 in my hips, 2 in each thigh, and two in each arm. I even lost a 1/2 in my wrist and neck. So even when the scale is stuck the inches are dropping off. I can really tell just by trying on clothes that wouldnt fit before my surgery, and I did go through all of my closet and tried on every pair of pants I have in there, nothing fit, even the stretch pants looked like I had been melted and poured in them, now I can get everything on and they aren't even tight. What a good feeling!!
I start back to work Saturday the 18th I'm going to try to make it the full 12 hours and on Sunday, too. My boss said to call if I don't think I can make it all day, she is so sweet, she doesn't want me to over do it my first days back. But I'm tough and hopefully will have help since I can't lift anything over 25 pounds for 2 weeks. Well, enough said this time, stay tuned for my next hurdle!
DECEMBER 10,2006
OK, I'm back to vent again. It's been 10 days and I am stuck at 211 pounds. I know, I know, it's going to happen, but 10 days? What the heck is going on? Now I am feeling like it's back to the same old crap, lose some then it stops, never to move again other than going up. It started as soon as I started eating regular food. I'm getting in the protein, the water and it still won't budge. I'm really getting depressed and I know I shouldn't, but damn, I just don't see how I can not be losing when I'm only eating 4 ounces of food at each meal and doing everything I'm suppose to be doing. Is it just the fat person coming out again, the one who wants the weight gone yesterday? Maybe so, but I never thought it would slow down and stop this early after my surgery. I'm seeing people losing 100 pounds in 5 months, that will never happen to me at this rate. My inches have stopped coming off too, so that worries me more. At least with the last stall I kept losing inches, this time nothing. Well, I don't guess complaining is going to make it come off any faster, so I might as well shut up and wait till it gets ready to make a move again, hopefully it will be soon.
I have been having strange cravings, like wanting to eat lemons and other citrus fruits. I can't stand sweets so maybe its making up for that with the other cravings. I also had my first experience with my food sticking while going down. I was eating a scrambled egg yesterday and this morning and both times it got stuck and hurt like a SOB! Thought I swallowed a watermelon as bad as it hurt. Lucky for me I still haven't gotten sick off anything else other than the sugar alcohols and Splenda. All artificial sweeteners taste nasty to me, so I just drink water for the most part. Coffee and tea still taste nasty and the crystal lite is not much better.
I need to get my butt in gear and start wrapping Christmas presents, Ugh! Christmas is not my favorite time of the year, I wish it was. I can't get into the shopping and decorating and wrapping gifts like I use to when I was younger. Maybe it just reminds me that another year has come and is going and I'm going to be another year older with more white hair and wrinkles. I'm not into aging gracefully, I can't get my mind to catch up with my old body, it's still stuck at age 18, my body just took off and left my mind behind. Bah Humbug! I'm sounding like Scrooge, maybe I need to go double up on my chill pill and get over this depressed feeling. OK, now that I have wrote a short book, I'm going to drag all of my wrapping stuff out and wrap myself up and mail me to Hawaii for the holiday's, LOL! Ha Ha I wish.
Hopefully the next post will be more positive, so for now.........
Byeeee!
DECEMBER 26, 2006
Well, made it through Christmas, again. I had to work from 5 A-1P, which wasn't too bad. We went to my daughters house to eat and take the grandkids their gifts. We had a good time, it was strange not being able to eat a lot of food this year. I usually went back for seconds and dessert, but this year I just had a small spoonfull of brown rice, greenbeans, mac and cheese, and a small piece of ham. I did try a bite of sweetpotato casserole, but, it didn't seem to like me too much and made my tummy hurt. I guess it will be a no no for me from now on. I ate a little off of a cheese ball with two crackers about 2 hours before we ate supper. I passed up pumpkin pie with cool whip, and I didn't even miss having it. Actually food isn't that exciting anymore and I can get by on eating what I need to eat to keep me losing and for getting in my protein. It's nice not having food rule your life anymore. Now I can sit back and watch other people making pigs of themselves, and it's amazing how much people eat at one meal, almost makes you feel sick watching them. I was hoping to get below 200 by Christmas, but that sure didn't happen, now I doubt 8 more pounds will come off by New Years. I will settle for another 2-3 pounds this week, and hope it doesn't stall on me again. I'm still not use to the stalls, but I'm going to deal with them a lot better than I have in the past. I plan on starting a good exercise program soon, and would love to join the Y to do water arobics, I just don't know if I will have the extra money or not. I have lots of exercise tapes here at home and a tread mill, so I will start on those and try to get out and walk when the weather is better.
OK, I'm going to go finish the laundry, and hopefully I will be posting soon that I am in onederland!
JANUARY 8, 2007
Well, I'm not in "onederland" yet. Getting close though. I'm just bored and decided to waste time and write something here. I have been having problems with my food sticking. Sometimes it just happens and it isn't picky about what food gets stuck either. It just takes spells and I can be tooling along eating just fine, then WHAM! I'm having to puke it all back up. It doesn't budge at all, and is very painful. I guess I'm still not chewing my food good enough. It takes practice after 55 years of woofing it down like it's going to jump off my plate if I don't eat it fast. Damn, no one said it was going to be this hard having to retrain myself on how to eat. I still feel like some days I can eat more than the 4 ounces at one meal, but other days, I can barely get it in. I still have the feelings like I'm going about this all wrong and the weight is going to stop coming off. When it does drop, I think there is something wrong with the scale and if it doesn't drop I think there is something wrong with the scale, lol. Will this feeling ever change?I know my clothes are getting looser, but, I still haven't dropped but two pant sizes. I see people posting that weigh more than I do and wear a much smaller size than I can get into right now, so what's up with that, other than they are taller than me, maybe? Oh well, why am I racking my brain trying to figure this all out, when I should just realize that what will happen will all happen in due time. OK, I'm done being bored now, I will hopefully be posting within the next week that I am in ONEDERLAND!
JANUARY 29, 2007
Well I finally made it to onederland today! Two days short of my 3 month post-op anniversary. Now I'm aiming for 190 by Easter, I'm giving myself a lot of time since it has been so slow for me. If I drop more, I will be on top of the world, but I don't want to get depressed if I don't. So, I will do what I can to get it off faster in the next couple of months.
I went to West Virginia for 4 days, eating out everyday, and I still lost weight, hard to fathom, but it happened. Normally I would have gained several pounds, so it makes me so happy that I can enjoy myself and still lose weight. OK, I'm going to make this a short one, so everyone take care until next post, which might be Thursday after my 3 month post-op meeting with Dr. Bour.
Bye for now!
FEBRUARY 26, 2007
Well, I never did post after my 3 month meeting with Dr. B, so I guess I will do that now.
I left his office feeling a little depressed, he said I haven't lost enough weight at 3 months post-op, that I should be 10 pounds less than I am. It's hard enough on my head as it is, knowing my weight loss has been slow, then have the doctor rub salt in your wounds to make it worse. I know I haven't been exercising, but I work 12-14 hours, on my feet, non stop at the hospital. I'm bending, lifting, stooping, making beds, and walking all day with just a 30 minute lunch break. I might be lucky to sit down a total of one hour a day, and thats TOTAL adding it all together. I'm exhausted when I get home and have just enough time to take a shower and eat before it's time to go to bed again. I get up at 2:30 AM to get ready for work, and get home anywhere from 6:30 -8:00 PM. I admit I don't do a whole lot on my first day off work, other than washing clothes and cleaning up around the house. My second day off I usually get out of the house and go walking around stores for several hours. Lately my fibromyalgia has been really bad along with my torn rotator cuff in my left arm, so that makes it harder to get motivated or to do additional exercising. I'm not making excuses , I'm just being honest with how I feel and what my body is capable of withstanding. I would love to use the weights that we have here at home, but some days I can hardly lift my hairdryer to do my hair, much less weights.
I have upped my protein intake hoping it will help speed things up, but so far it hasn't made much difference in my weight loss. It seems like this is going to be like everything else in the past that I have done to lose weight. I struggled with every diet and now I am struggling with this. I hope no one ever says to me that I "took the easy way out" by having this surgery, that is the furthest thing from the truth and I am afraid I would knock their head off without thinking. Don't get me wrong, if I had it to do over again I would do it a million times over. It's the best thing I have ever done for myself. It might be slow but at least it is coming off and not going up. OK, until next post everyone take care!
JULY 15, 2007
Well, as I was changing my avatar I noticed that a lot of my post are missing. I have no clue what happened, but I do know I can not remember what I had wrote, so I guess there will just have to be a big gap in my post. I don't think there was too many interesting things missing other than things I was feeling at the time I wrote. My 6th month appointment with Dr. Bour, which went OK, labs were great, weight loss was low again. Other than that, nothing I can remember to write to make up for the few months missing.
I did go clothes shopping and can now wear a 14, down from a 22-24, and I even bought a couple of things in the junior department, yeah, an old lady wearing something made for teens, lol. So what, it was just the fact I could wear the clothes and they don't look like they are made for just youngins'. Hopefully a size 12 will be in my picture soon!
AUGUST 3, 2007
I had my 9 month check-up at Dr. Bours' today and it went great again. I still didn't lose the 14 pounds he wanted me to, but I was down 10, so he was happy with that. He upped my goal weight from 130 to 145, so that is another great thing for me. Of course I will still try my hardest to get lower than that but right now I will strive for 145. He also approved it for me to have plastics. I don't have to wait the year like he tells everyone, since he thinks having a TT will bring me close to my goal. I'm so excited, but scared to death about it at the same time, almost like I felt before having my RNY. I will have to keep thinking positive that it will all work out for me and I pray that my insurance will cover it. I will update as soon as I find out more about my plastics.
SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
Thought I would make a post and update on my plastics. I am scheduled for October 25 at 8:30 AM, at Upstate Plastic Surgery, Dr. Lovett will be doing mine. I hope I get excellent results and that this will take care of all the hanging body parts, lol. I am having a lower body lift or belt lipectomy and a breast lift without augmentaion, I don't want them any bigger just lifted up. I am more nervous about this than I was about my RNY, I'm not too fond of having my body cut 360 degrees around because I know the pain will not be fun. I will have 4 JP drains to contend with also. I just keep telling myself that the end results will be more than worth any pain I may go through.
Also, my BMI is now 29.9, which is just considered over weight and I would no longer qualify for WLS, lol. I hope this surgery will lower it more even though I am not too concerned with the actual weight loss as much as I am about having my inches reduced in my midsection and waist. I hope this will put me in a size 10. Wow, I haven't been a 10 in years, so it will be wonderful to get there again. Before I go I want to wish my baby girl a very happy and wonderful 35th birthday today. Even if she was the one who stretched my body out and made things flop, I still love her more than life, LOL!
Everyone take care and I'm sure the next post will be after my surgery.
OCTOBER 27, 2007
OK, I made it through my lower body and breast lift just fine. I had the surgery Thursday the 25th, it took 8 1/2 hours. I was there from 7:00 AM till 6:30 PM. I don't remember much of the recovery time, but I do know that I didn't get sick from the anesthesia this time so that is a real plus.
Dr. Lovett and his staff are wonderful, he went out of his way to make us feel comfortable throughout the whole thing. He even wheeled me out to my car even though his nurse and Sonny was there, so I thought that was very nice of him to stay and do that. He also called later that evening and the next morning to check on how I was doing. I have never had a doctor personally call me back, so he is tops in my book. He said he took off 11 pounds, so that should put me within 8 pounds of my goal weight. I know I have a lot of swelling because I weighed this morning and was still 169, lol. I can tell I am swollen because my feet, legs, hands, arms and face are retaining fluid too. The pain is not fun, even though it is more of a buring sensation that actuall pain, kind of like the muscles stretching and pulling. I can't stand up straight yet, so I am walking all hunched over. Feels like I have had a mule kick me in the abdomen. Of course everything is sore on me today, including my neck. I'm keeping up with my pain meds so it doesn't get too out of control. I feel better when I get up and move around so I took a walk outside to enjoy the beautiful day.
I can't wait to see the end results, and I want to take a peak under my bandages and body suit but I can't mess with them unti he takes them off Tuesday to change the dressings. The worst part is not being able to take a shower, lol. I can't stand not having one and washing my hair every day, but I guess I will live.
OK, I'm done, so I think I will go lay down and rest for a while. Everyone take care!
OCTOBER 30, 2007
Well, today is day 5 post-op, and I'm feeling pretty darn good. I was finally able to have a BM today, actually two, so I feel a lot better just from that. I am still experiencing a lot of swelling since the scale hasn't moved at all, so needless to say I have at least 11 pounds of fluid weight still hanging on. The past two days has been the worse for swelling because my lower legs under the compression suit looked bigger than they ever have since my GB. I go to the doctor today at 3:00PM so I might have more news to report later. I doubt that the drains will come out today, since they are still pulling a lot of yucky fluid out of the incisions. The drainage is making a mess of the compression suit so I plan on washing it when I get home this afternoon. Not having a shower and having the nasty damp suit on makes me feel so gross. I can imagine how that first shower is going to feel, I just hope it isn't another week without one. OK, I am going to go get my bird bath and wash my greasy hair, since it will take longer than normal, I'm starting early, lol.
Take care!
NOVEMBER 2, 2007
Well, I made it through my first week. I'm sore in the abdominal area and the drains are itching and getting irritated and hanging on everything. I was suppose to go to the doctor today and have them removed, but he said to cancel if they are putting off more than 30 cc a day. Drains 1-3 are barely over 30 cc but drain 4 is still putting off over 100cc a day. I rescheduled for Monday at 3:30, so I'm hoping it has stopped or maybe he can take 1-3 out. Now I have blisters all over from the tape DH used last night, even though it is paper it still breaks me out,and now I have to put something on that so it doesn't get worse. The fluid retention is not any better, my legs and feet are puffy and the scale is stuck at 166. Even though I am taking my fluid pill, I must not be drinking enough water. cause I haven't been peeing much. God I want to take a nice, long hot shower so bad. Even though I am sponging off and washing my hair everyday, I still feel nasty and my hair looks like I washed it in oil. Well, some of the brusing is finally fading and everything looks great. He did a wonderful job on the incisions especially the ones on my breast, you can't even tell where he re-attached the nipples. My tummy incission is real low all the way around starting at the pubic hair line, curving up slightly and then coming down and to an end at my butt crack, lol. I will be so glad when all the swelling is gone so I can can tell more about what it will look like and what size I will be. All I know is my size 8 panties are falling off of me so I will have to figure out what size to buy now. I'm sure it will be a size 6 from the way these are so big. Well, I can't think of anything else to write about, just counting down the days until I am free of the JP drains.So till next time, have a great day!
NOVEMBER 6, 2007
I went back to the doctor yesterday, unfortunetly they only took out drains #1 and 3. #2 and 4 were still putting off too much fluid. I have to go back next Monday so I pray those two will come out then.
He said everything looked great and all the swelling should be gone in a few more weeks. I still have a small opening right at the top of my butt crack where the two incisions come together. He said he doesn't connect the two incisions and sometimes a pocket of fluid will form there, so the opening showed up and is draining, we have to keep saline soaked gauze in the hole and it should close up soon. I think it's harder to heal because I have to sit on it all the time and it keeps opening back up when I sit.
I weighed this morning and was down to 162, it feels like it did at the begining of my WLS watching the scale move a little every few days. Today is day 12 after surgery and I went from 169 to 162, even though I know it's not weight loss from my by-pass and it's from what the PS cut off. But hey, I will take the loss anyway I can get it, lol. I am worried I won't fit into the clothes I bought for next summer, since my waist is still the same size as it was before surgery and I am hoping that it's still caused from the swelling in my back area. If not then I will take them back and get store credit and buy something else. I know I need to start an exercise program as soon as I am able to do so. I need to get back into the swing of things and get the last few pounds off and keep them off. I will post again next week and hopefully will be saying I have all the drains out.
Bye for now!
JUNE 8, 2008
Wow, it's been a long time since I have updated. Another year has gone by and it sure went by fast. Not much has changed on my end since November. My weight is holding fairly steady at 20 months out and only flucuates by a couple of pounds. I would love to lose more, but it just doesn't seem to come off now. I will be happy if it remains the same as that means I haven't gained like I always fear will happen.
I have been having problems with a lump that comes up on my lower left side near my hip, but I had a CT and it didn't show a hernia like Dr. Bour thought it was. He says it still can be one even though it didn't show up. I am scheduled for a colonoscopy in July and might be having surgery to correct an old problem from 35 years ago after having my daughter. Hopefully all of that will go good.
I need to update my picture soon, since all of the ones on here are outdated and I no longer have all the swelling from the plastics.
Take care everyone and have a wonderful summer.
OCTOBER 31,2008
Well, once again I have become slack at updating. The time just seems to fly by and I always seem to be too busy to sit down and update this thing. Anyway, everything is still good on my end. My two year check up was good, gained two pounds since last visit but my thyroid was really off, 10.8 and should have been half that. But other than that all is well. I still take my iron meds to keep my blood level up and I still have that "hernia" but Dr. Bour says to leave it alone until it starts to bother me where I can't stand it. I never did get the other surgery to correct some old issues after having my daughter, the doc said he didn't think surgery would help much, so I still have issues with that. Again, I never had any new pics made,(slack azz), and I think it stems from the past of hating to have my pic taken. Funny how after two years I still feel I look fat and even though I know I'm still considered overweight according to the weight tables I don't consider a size 10 to be too bad. I just wish I could convence my head of that when I look in the mirror. Strange how our minds work and now I can see why people get anorexia, you see fat no matter what size you get to be.
OK, I will try to update more often and not be so slack at it. Everyone take care!
IF WE WEREN'T ALL CRAZY WE WOULD GO INSANE!
Jimmy Buffett
