Kathleen S.
<<<<< BEGINNING OF BLOG STARTS AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE >>>>> 12-5-09 I just looked in my profile and realized I have not posted since September. WOW has it been that long? Well I am doing GREAT. Well great for me. Work has been keeping me busy. My kids have kept me busy. The hysterectomy is all healed well. Hormones or lack there of is cranky but I am doing good. Well now the bad but not so bad. Had my neck surgery scheduled for 3 days ago but had to be re scheduled because I just spent the last 4 days in the hospital for an ammonia. Yea I have no cough and not even a sniffle but guess you can have one without being sick. Well back on the O2 right now but hopefully for only a week or two. I so hate carrying this thing around. I have another sleep study next week for many reasons and hopefully to get me off the o2 as well. My Pumologist does take real good care of me. My neck surgery is re scheduled for Jan4th. Hopefully all be be better and will not need to be re scheduled. After it I can permanently park the electric wheel chair. I am also Plato right now on my weight loss. I gain 10 ounces... loose 10 ounces. Depending if I pee and what I am wearing as well. I have been plato for almost 3 months now. It is getting real old for me right now. I was looking forward to getting into a regular gym working out to re start the weight loss. Well now it is post pond another month till I can get my neck fixed on the 4th. It is nuro surgery to remove 2 herniated disks put in cadaver bones and titanium plates. As soon as it is fixed I can start doing more physically out of a swimming pool. Anyway got to run. Happy weight loss dreams to all of you. minus 240lbs. 9-27-09 Well I have officially lost 235 pounds now!!! not bad!! I have not posted in a bit now and considering I have pissed and moaned for a year and half in here now about everything bad that has happened.How bout some good. Well of course the above. I am walking ALLOT now. Only in the wheel chair at home usually in the evenings when I am exhausted and hurting more. Many of my "pains" are gone now. Can you believe it, my tummy does not hurt anymore. But then it took a hysterectomy, knee replacement and a herniated intestine getting fixed to stop it. As well as I work part time for the County I live in. I pretty much make my own hours so yes I love my job it works around my medical issues and a great boss that understands. I have a desk at work but I can work from home and in bed, when ever I want to or need to. So guess I got the best of both worlds. If eve3r, it will still be several years before I might be able to work more than part time. But all is good. I will be having that spinal surgery sooner than I want to as well. Like in the next few weeks. I will find out in 2 weeks. But guess the good news is I am working again, belly pain ALL gone and I am finding that I LOVE to walk. I went to the mall 3 weeks ago and WALKED on my feet. no wheel chair for the first time in like 5 years now. WOW that was a biggy for me and to add the cream on top I bought an outfit in one of the shops at the Mall. YES I fit in regular clothing now. Well mostly I still got 75 pounds to loose. Still got crap wrong with me that will never go away no mater how much weight I loose. But with all the weight loss my Dr's are trying to help more actively and can test me to find out and fix what is wrong. Most that I work with has never seen me in a wheelchair. All GOOD things. As well as my disabled son got a permanent job at the Army Base around the corner from where we live. He will be working part time as well. Full is to much for him to handle and be able to comprehend. He is 20 and it will be real nice having him get out working a few days a week. I think it is good for both of us. Right now I can say I only have 75 more pounds to loose. It was not that long ago when I us to say I have had 313 pounds to loose. and never even had a hope of ever working again. I look in a mirror and I am starting to see the new me not the old one. And I sooo enjoy the new body. You should see the incredible cloths I have now. Several people at work as commented that I "Look GREAT" and they love my outfits. Most of them never saw me when I weighed 463 pounds. SO they do not realize how much it really does mean to me when they say it. As a madder of fact at work one of the directors on Friday "which did know me at 463 pounds" said he saw me walk in from the parking lot through the window and I did not even limp a little and that he though I looked great with all the changes in me. (He does not usually say much to most people). Anyway enough babbling. Just wanted to poke at my friend here and say HI!! Kathy 9-21-09 -236lb as of today!!!!!!! Well time again to add my 2 cents worth in an update. The body pain I have still sucks. Pain meds are still my best friend. I work on a regular basis for the county still. The job is going great. I make my won schedule and times. In can work form home when ever I want to though I do have a desk at the office. I feel really proud of this job. If someone would ever ask me what would my dream job be it would be the one I am doing now. It fits exactly who I am what what I am about in this world. And I do what I love. Helping people and getting payed to do it. Well I have not posted in a while now. Guess it is time. I had emergency surgery a couple weeks ago. The herniated intestine that University Hospital said I did not have, almost ruptured. Had to call an ambulance and all. University has been putting me off since last November on making a decision on what is wrong with me. NO one took accountability for my care and just kept bouncing me from Dr to Dr there. With no follow through or follow up whit me. If it was not for my Gastric Bypass surgeon Dr Tillquest and CJ his nurse I would have probably died. He took one look from a fax of the er tests and I was in surgery the next morning. University said for me to wait 3 or 4 weeks till they can FIT me into an appointment and that I had no herniation. When DR T went in he found it and fixed it. I could have died. ALLLLLLL the abdominal pain is gone now. Well almost all. Having a hysterectomy in 2 weeks. But all that gastric pain I have been complaining about for the last year is GONE!!!!! Thank God for Dr T. He has all ways been there for me and proved it yet again. For the last year I have reserved myself to just having pretty bad pain every time I eat. Well I now do not. Do not mean to just carry on but that horrible pain is gone now. I am down -220 pounds in 15 months. Yea WOWW I still can not believe it as well. I look in a mirror and do not see the new me still. I see what I us to be. Though it is getting better. I can go to a mall now and find something to fit me in just about any store I walk in. I can not remember the last time I was able to do that. And yet for another goal I (HAD) I can fit quiet comfortably in a bathtub now. Before I could not even fit in one. As well as I am partially out of the wheel chair now. Started walking minimal in January this year. Lost enough weight then I could start. Had a knee replacement 3 and a half months ago. VERY hard recovery but then that is not new for me. ALL recovered now. I CAN WALK NOW!!!!! and with barley a gimp. That is only there when my other medical issues flair and the pain flairs. Which is quiet often but nothing like it us to be. I finally gave into my GP a couple months ago and agreed to take time released morphine. Well 15 mg 2 times a day has soooo made my pain levels more controllable. It does not dope me up in any way. Probably because I have been on pain meds for so long, I have a high tolerance to them now. But the end product is I am down 220 pounds and walking again. I am getting there step by step. And I thank Dr Tillquest for his awesome and professional care of me. For years I was turned down by all the gastric bypass surgeons here in the Springs because of all my medical issues. Right now I have no doubt I would have died by now if I did not get the bypass. I was sooo sick 15 months ago and could barley move. I was 463 pounds. Last night I went out with some friends to a club. Some old friends of mine from Denver that had not seen me in like 3 or 4 years was there as well. I stopped going to Denver when I got so big. One of them said WOWO you have lost a lot of weight. Well most of them did ;o) I had such a good time with them. I just might start going back to Denver to the clubs again. Someone I usto date a while ago was sooo hitting on me. But I know him too well and I have no interest in him. YES I am getting hit on again!!!! Not everything is roses but I am getting there one step at a time. I still need nuro surgery on my spine in my neck. I can walk now under the understanding that if I fall I can sever or damage my spinal cord. SO yes I still am in the electric wheelchair. I only walk, when I only walk a very short distance, then sit down where ever I am going. Pretty much glue my butt there till I leave :o) But the nuro surgery truly scares the crap out of me. I do not recover from surgery's well and if there is a small percentage of a complication I get them. Read all my profile and you will see. SO I only walk for certain things. BUT when I do walk I do not have the kind of pain I usto have. Between the knee replacement, weight loss and pain meds I walk quiet well now. Good with the bad, one day at a time. Wish me luck with the hysterectomy on the 20th. Enough rambling for now. Have a good day my friends with the same problems in life I have. As well as the same understanding OF life I have. Almost forgot. I US-TO be a 64F basically. And yes you can special order them that big. Well now I am a 42D and I am thinking I need a smaller one. They fall out the bottom of the braw now. And well the bad part is, without the braw they hang to the belly button. So guess there is no option there on wearing one. Guess that meas another surgery on the chalk board soon HEHEEE OOOOO and YET ANOTHER BIG ONE!!!! I am SOOOOOOO off the oxygen now (as of 10 days ago) as well as I am NOT needing a C-Pap anymore I am officially off that as of 4 days ago!! WEHOOOEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kathy BOOOOO...Hello my friends here is the new me. -215 pounds in 1 year and 1 month. Still got plenty to go though. The recovering from the knee replacement was a butt head. But doing real well now and even walking without a gimp now. Though I got an MRI on my neck every few months till they go in and fix that. My Nuro Surgeon says I can start walking more under the understanding that falling is the hazard for me not walking. SO YES I am OUT of the wheelchair when I have short distances to walk. I almost look like a normal person again. The kids do not gawk at me anymore either. I have a job now as well. Well part time and I make my own schedule as well as work from home when I am not up to it. Wayyyy less than part time but even the little I do there is wayy more than I can handle sometimes. I know to not push myself. Believe me I hear it from everyone. Yea still medical crap going on with me but I have just reserved myself that it is just going to always be there and I have made peace with it. At least for now. I work with parents of disabled children. Helping them navigate the disabled system. And connecting the dots for services. Well I just wanted to let everyone know I am still around and kicking (finally). As well as this huge backlog of Century Card requests are being filled tonight. So those of you that have been waiting they are on their way tonight. Go look in your e mail and you might have a nice surprise. Well best wishes my friends and I hope all is well for you. Luv ya ALL 4-18-09 Well everyone I am still alive and kicking. Well almost kicking ;o) The knee replacement went real well till the day after when took a full fall on my new knee. Not even a femoral block paralyzing my leg stopped the pain. Been battling that since. I sooo hate pain. I am almost off the morphine!! That is a good thing. Went to Sub Acute care for several days after released from the hospital. Been home a few days now. Still curled up in bed. I get PT at home 3 days a week as well as other help at home for a little while. The knee is doing well and moving well. I hobble quiet well with a walker now. One step closer to getting out of my wheelchair permanently. AND BTW my one year anniversary for my bypass is in a couple days. I am 2 pounds short of 200 lost!!!!!! I am dropping pretty fast since surgery and have no doubt I will make the 200 by the 21st!!!! Kathleen 4-6-09 Wish me luck I have my knee replacement in about 3 hours!!!!!! Well first off there IS NO bad new!!!!! Had the Angiogram on my heart yesterday and the outcome is that the stress test was a "False, Positive". That means my heart is just FINE!! EWWW I have been sooo freaking over this. Now my right knee replacement that is scheduled for April 6Th (in about 2 weeks) will continue as planned. I will walk soon or at least almost walk!!! One step closer to it. They still have to figure out why I am still passing out and light headed all the time. BUT it is not my heart, lungs, or blood sugar(normal). That is such a beautiful word!!! ALL those have been completely ruled out. I though I was either going to dye during this or at least end up with a heart bypass yesterday. WELL I have decided. For the first time in my life I am going to throw ME a party this weekend. I am going to call it my "New Beginnings". All my friends are invited. It is a pot luck BUT flowers are a requirement (FOR ME). This is to celebrate MY new life after Gastric Bypass and the beginning of MY future. All my friends are behind this and coming. Especially SueW here on OH. She was awesome yesterday. She was at my home at 5am to take me to the hospital and stayed with me every step of the way. I was pretty freaked and she never left my side. And when she brought me home stayed with me as well. Sue NEVER CHANGE you have a GREAT heart. I will be "standing" right next to you when you have your Gastric Bypass hunn!! PS in 10 more pounds will have lost 200 !!!!!!! 3-14-09 Almost forgot.. I FIT into size 2X pants (as of this morning) and 1-2X Shirts,, OMG A soo wohooooowwww. And with all the crap going on with me. Please everyone do not let it scare yo from getting a RNY. With everything I have gone through and knowing what I know now. If I had to make the choice to have a bypass again I would DO IT AGAIN IN A HEARTBEAT!!!! MY BUTT IS sooooooo much better now. They say it will take up to 5 days to get the full effect of the steroid. While they were in me they tested and found out my tailbone is severally malformed and dislocated. BUT the steroid has sooo helped. I have not had this "LESS" amount of pain in my ass in over 2 years now. I forgot what it is like to not have pain in my ass ;o) There is still some there but sooo reduced. Now the next ookkiieee is on Tuesday. Have to have the angiogram on my heart. Will not know the outcome on what is going to happen till I wake up. Either it is a false positive.. or I get stints in my heart or I get a heart bypass. They will not know till they are in there. I will not know till I wake up. Still can not get my head wrapped around this but at least I am not crying all the time now. I am just trying to think of everything that has to be done before I go in. Like Durable Power of Attorney, RE do my Will, Make arrangements for my disabled son if something goes wrong. You know the usual things you never want to think about. AND if everything goes well with the angiogram my knee replacement will not be canceled and I get that one the 6th of April. BUT on the 1st of April, one way or another, I have a appointment with the GI Surgeons in Denver to have the herniated intestine fixed. (known side effect of a gastric bypass.. which I have,, they finally figured out what is wrong with me on this subject) No clue on the date for that surgery till then. Yea, allot of crap going on. Crying is not feasible because of everything I have to do to get ready for the "worse" if it happens. I am just taking this one day at a time. I have no family to speak of but here in OH (and RL) Sue, and Suzette has been awesome in there support of me. Thank you girls you are awesome friends!!!!! I am not sure how I would be doing if it was not for Sue letting me talk her ear off and coming over to visit with me. Anyway, at least I stopped crying. I will keep ya guys posted. Kathleen PS. I am really trying to get this Gastric Bypass Social Group going here in Colorado Springs. We do not have very many people right now. IF any of you live near us or know someone that does please invite them to join us. 3-6-09 Well there is GOOD and Bad today.. which if not both it will be... There is NO complication with the staples of my bypass. But it looks I have a herniation in my small intestine. Seeing the surgeon to fix it pretty quick. I am requesting they fix it the same time they do my knee replacement surgery. I do not do well with anesthesia. NEXT: Well they know why I have been so exhausted for a while now. I found out 2 days ago and still can not stop crying every time I think about it. I have had a few tests now. And on the 17Th I am having a angiogram on my heart. Possible stunts in my heart or a possible heart bypass. I have a blockages in my heart. That is why I have been so tired, dizzy, nauseated, and the wonderful passing out. Yea I am being sarcastic. Had to call an ambulance a couple weeks ago. Well CRAP has always fallen, my direction why should it be any different now that I am trying so hard to be healthy. Yea, I also get to deal with all this by myself as well. Just fucking wonderful. 2-20-09 Well I DID IT. I soo did not think I could give up all those wonderful nice cloths I USETO wear but I did today. Took all my old stuff that was on good condition to a consignment store. They took over 30 peaces of my things wowow that was nice!!!. It broke my heart to loose a few of those peaces but they will go to people that can use them now instead of them sitting in my garage. And I get to sooo look forward to all the NEW stuff I can fit into now and in the future. As well I am also letting my nails grow again. Yea, I know kinda weird but I have not desired to have nails in over 10 years now. Always bit them. Well now I am getting nice strong fingernails in. I am feeling more like a woman again. I am going to a party at an old friends house this weekend. I have been out with a group of my old friends a few times now in the last 2 months. I sooo am having fun again. I still have the surgeries soon but right now I am just trying to find a life I enjoy again and I am doing it successfully. At least for now ;o) It is time to update. GUESS WHAT!!!! ?? !!! The antibiotics WORKED!!! NO more direah, nausea or vomiting!!!... WOW that only took 9 months post op to figure out. Still got the pain and the GI Doctors found a possible complication with some of my staples. They will let me know what is going to be done about that pretty soon. Probably surgery to fix them. Nothing major from what I understand so far. But my abdominal pain was most likely coming from that. Will find out more soon. .. Saw the Ortho Surgeon and have lost enough weight for a proper evaluation and consideration of "fixing" me without having my weight be the major factor for them to do nothing. I AM scheduled for April 6Th for a complete right knee replacement. . This is one more step to getting out of this wheelchair permanently.... Also saw the Nuro Surgeon.. Well 2 of them but that is tooo long of a story to go through. The first one I was not comfortable with so I asked for a different one. Well my neck IS pretty messed up. I have lost enough weight for them to be able to do proper tests and consideration of how to help me as well. No surgery to fix the neck scheduled yet. Kinda glad for that. I am not looking forward to spinal surgery. Still pending more tests on this subject. .. Also have scheduled for the Nuro to give me injections in my tailbone to see if that will help the horrible pain I have there. I know allot of crap going on with me now. Kinda, well really scary but the way I see it. Is I have been in a stagnate holding pattern for over 5 years now with no questions answered, getting worse, them unable to do any tests on me because of my weight, and no help but pain meds. NOW I CAN have help and to get rid of all this pain. I SOOOO do not want any surgery but it is what is necessary to fix me and give me a better life and future. I knew these surgery's would happen when I lost the weight so I just have to be patent and follow my Dr's rules to get through this in good condition. OOOO I have been getting an "itch" to do more things so I made an e-group in Yahoo yesterday for local Gastric bypass patents social group. So we can go out together and understand how each other feels about when we start going out after what we have been through. Had a decent response so far. I think there is allot of us out there in the same place as me so we might as well commiserate together. I have sooo many ideas for the group. We will see how it goes. I will keep ya posted ;o) BTW I am 285 Pounds NOW!!!.. and thank you Suzette for helping me figure out how to update a few things in my profile tonight!!! Be well my friends. Will post soon, K 1-30-09 !!!!!!!!!!!! I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE THE ANSWER TO ALL THE PROBLEMS.. wel some of them!!!!! Went to Unversity hospitol yesterday to se the GI Specialty surgons. Went through EVERYTHING that has been happening to me that ig tummy related. OMG it looks like it is a symple thing to fix!!!... VERY VERY FEW of us (bypass patents) can get bateria buildup in your intestins. When this happens yo get long term nausia, vomiting, gurgling constipation. As well as a few more thigns. OMG here this. Takes a 2 week treatment of a very special anti-botic. Very expensive from what they said (my inc will cover it) Take it for 2 weeks and poof all gone. Then will have to take it maby every 6 months for the rest of my life. It only works on this specific bacteria. Nothing else. And if this is not what is wron. It will do nothing. THe antibotics can not hurt me in any way. They say this comes from the reduces food through the intestins. Normal ppl have this bacteria as well. Well all humans do but when they eat it clears it out of the intestins with the food. Well we do not eat as much as "normal" stomachs. And I think the banger for me that did this was I have Cealic Desease. I am elergic to wheat and gluten. Bam. Take the meds once every 6 months and I should be good. Though there is a certain protene I have to get at a healthfood store that will keep the bateria in its place for up to 6 months. I AM SOOOO excited to stop this sidefeects. Over 9 months of them now. WOHOOO. THis still has nothing to do with my pain and many other things wrong with me. That is being delt with by other Dr's. I see a nurosurgen next weel about spinal surgery on my neck, knee replacement and getting my broken tailbone fixed. No, not all at the same time but hopefully I will have a better idea of what I am in store for in te future. and GUESS WHAT !!! I CAN WALK AGAIN!!!!. I still use the wheelchair because of the neck and knee but I soooo sneek out and try and do more stuff. I still can not do huge amounts of stuff out of the chair and pay for it in pain for several days after. BUT I CAN WALK AGAIN!!!!!! 3 steps before was almost impossible for me. BTW... pre op April 2008----463 pounds... TODAY 292!!!!!!!!!! 1-12-09 I FIT in those pants now!!!! The cold is finally gone. But when I look in the mirror now I really do not see ME in it. It is kinda getting worse on the subject not better. I do not know why. But It is kinda weird. I see a stranger in the mirror and really do not like looking in one lately. Kinda scary but I just kinda ignore it for now figuring it will just go away one day. My Pumologist said in a 4 more months he will start to consider taking me off the oxygen. As well as I am going in for a new sleep study on the 21st. To either lower the setting on the C-Pap or determine that I will not need it at all anymore. I am tending toward the not needing it because as it is right now it is useless for me to use because the setting is to high. And my some times other half in my bed at night says, when I sleep I have no problem breathing anymore. And that is a "YES" I am seeing someone now ;o) I still loose weight on a regular basis because I have learned a new way to eat and view life. These are good things but it is time for the next step. Hopefully it will not be an up hill battle like everything else has been in my life. OOO almost forgot. Last week I went out with a dozen of my old friends. I kinda pushed them away from me a couple years ago. Only kept a few close. Well they sooo remembered me and saw the HUGE weight loss. I was sooo happy seeing them again. I am going out with a few more when I go to University. I am making a weekend of it with some of my old friends. Already made arrangements for my son for the weekend so I think I am going to have a bit of fun finally. will keep a posted ;o) 12-18-08 Anyway, I wish everyone a very Happy Christmas. Hug your kids, scratch your pets and curl up with your mates in front of a nice Christmas Eave fire and bless God for everything you have. Kathleen 12-2-08 Still in much pain. Till have that old friend the big "D". Though the nausea has been in wonderful hiding for a bit now. But does show its head from time to time. Have an appointment at University but not for over yet another month. Loosing weight at a good rate still which is a good thing. My Endocrinologist, surgeon and GP keeping a good eye on me which is a real good thing. I am posting new pics of me after I post this update. I see the weight loss and somewhat feel it. Though not as much as other people do. That self prospective we all seem to have in this weight loss bypass way. I do PT 2 to 3 times a week. It is a pretty regular thing for me and I am sooo glad I can get back to working out. Good news is my Pumologist today said in 6 month he will start weaning me off the O2 I am on WOWO I will no longer have this D@m tether to my nose anymore another big WOHOOO... OOO the lumps I have been having well ANT NOT cancer. Went and had a Mammogram and a few other things done to me. Well confirmed that it is nothing dangerous. Another WOHOOO to be happy for!!! Something else I just have to get use to. "Lumps" LOL Anyway,hope all is well with all that read this, well heck, I hope all is well for everyone. Kathleen 10-26-08 I did start back to PT water therapy this week. That I am very happy for I consider that my time to feel good. The water helps with the neck and most of the things that hurt. Pain or not I will do all I can to not stop going again. I really like the water and need to get my legs stronger. Besides been taking more pain meds than usual and it has really helped with the pain levels and my activity. That is why I am back in PT finally. I do not like taking these dam things but they help allot. At least I got off the heaver ones and off the perocet and on Vicoden now. I have been on pain meds for what 4 or 5 years now. Before surgery the pain specialist and my GP were talking about putting me on morphine. I DID NOT want that and since my surg I begged to go down from the percocet and they did. My new tummy did not like them either. I hate the feeling of being drugged up and ONLY take enough to take the peak off the extreme pain. So I always live with pain but they help reduce it when it is bad. It never goes away. Something else I have just reserved myself I have to live with. I figure I got myself to where I am now. And it will only be me in the end to get this weight off me and the other issues I will need a little help after I have done my part. Anyway, I will post soon.. K 9- 28-08 Well time for an update. I most defiantly DO NOT have Addison's Disease thankfully. I was scared %^&*'less all last week. Saw the Endocrinologist a few days ago and she is AWESOME. She is getting me off these steroids that I was put on as well and explained allot. Many things made more sense as well as still many questions need answers. Still do not know what is wrong and back to square one now. I still have diareah, vomiting, major fatigue and allot of pain. As well as a few other odd things. I am suppose to go to University Hospital for them to have a look at me. I wait for the referrals now. I sit here and read what I wrote while I was in the hospital last week. Man was I out of it. I will not change any of the posts because it kinda shows the condition I was in. The worst of it all right now is the abdominal pain. Constant and getting worse. Sometimes I just curl up in bed and it is hard to move. Pain meds are my friend again. I sooo hate taking them. I thought when I lost some of this weight I could get off them. Guess not, at least for now. I am at 334 today. I started at 463 - 5 months ago. I still look in a mirror and do not see any difference though the clothes are absolutely changing. Right now to be honest I look in a mirror and do not even see "me" right now. I still can not get use to the hair I guess. I just kind avoid looking in them anymore. I tried to go to my first gastric support group in my town on Friday (2 nights ago). The class was OK but was not very comfortable with one of the people there and how they talked down to me as well as pretty insulting toward me. I will not be going back to there. It is not a good place at least in my opinion. It is also really getting to me not doing my physical therapy. I love working out in the water I kinda view it as "me" time and it makes me feel good. As well as it takes the pressure off some of the painfully parts of me. I do not have a clue when I will be able to start again. Anyway, just posting a quick update. I can not get to sleep tonight. 9-23-08 As for what they are doing I have had more blood work than I can count. MRI's CT Scans, Cortisol levels, and many tests. Right now they think I have Addison's Disease. Only one out of every 100,000 people get it. Not much fun but they have a direction to go now that makes seance with all my symptoms and test results. Have allot more that is going to happen still. From the reading I have done on it looks like either my Lupis caused it or I have a malignant tumor somewhere in my body. From all my reading those are the only 2 ways I could have gotten it. SO mush more still to happen and have no idea what most of it is going to be. But at least there is a clue now. Yea i am scared out of my mind. I still feel like crap and probably going to end up in the er before the night is over though I am trying my damdest not to go. Anyway, I got to go pee again for like the 100 time today and need to try and sleep. Hopefully I will get more than what I got last night getting up peeing like I have been. I will post soon ;o) Well my 4 month anniversary is today and exactly at 100 pounds lost as of today!!!! Well I still do not see it but the scale does not lie or at least can not. Getting kinda depressed because my long hair is gone now. This is worse than the actual bypass surgery for me to handle. Kinda over coating the loss of 100 pounds for me right now. Saw my new PT two days ago. I am real excited to start working out there. Starts next week. I have many aches in my muscles and joints that are new for me. My Dr says it is the firbermialga acting up. But my over all pain level is wayyyyy down from before. Last week as well my Dr reduced the kind of pain meds I have been on for the last 4 years. ANOTHER WOHOOOO!!!! Though I did try to not take them but my pain level was so high my blood pressure was going tooo high. Now that I am taking them and the pain level is less my BP is back to normal. I hope one day soon I will not have to take them anymore. Loosing this weight will be the key to it. I am well on my way. Took new pictures the other day and posted them here as well. I keep looking at them and do not see much difference but everyone that knows me says it is a major difference. I will refer to them and the scale on my judgment of the loss right now. 7-21-08 6-25-08 Went into the PT office today for the first time. Had a good workout in the pool. Will Well just saw the Dr. Down to 405 now WOHOOOO One more B12 shot as well. I am
Well anyway, I am out of the wheel chair walking and driving more than I use the chair. It usually gets my attention in late afternoons and evenings when I am completely existed. And my weight loss has Plato for the last 3 and half weeks. 2 ounces up and 2 ounces down. I have been going back the PT for help with my neck. I have been feeling SO much better. Well I took it to far and actually gave in and try ed to do my own laundry. I threw my neck out SO bad it locked in place and I could not move it. Landed back into the er. Plenty pain meds and muscle relaxers and I was sent home. I still have side effects now but I can move again. I just got a new MRI 2 days ago. It scares the crap out of me when I look at it. I am just having a feeling that surgery will be coming sooner than I prefer to. But better when I am healthy that when i can not move my neck. Herniated disks and swelling just do not mix well. Go figure.
I will stop babbling now. I still hurt.. life sucks medically for me like usual. Though work is going great and i love being needed again. BTW the Hysterectomy was text book and I have all healed up nice and good. Not though a complication or two but that is expected considering it is me being cut into. I never do anything the easy way.
2-15-09
Still not doing well but saw my GP today. He is helping ;o) as well as my weight has finally stabilized from all the IV's. 341 today ;o)
9-22-08
Well I am home from the hospital yesterday after 6 days. They got a fairly good idea what is going on with me or at least a better direction to go in but still far from over I am thinking. This is feeling like one of those TV HOUSE episodes. The good news is what is wrong with me have NOTHING to do with my bypass. That part of me is perfectly healthy. Even got the beautiful , pink, healthy pictures from the endoscope to prove it. My surgeon is still taken VERY good care of me even when it is not related to the bypass. Dr T and CJ YOU ARE AWESOME!!!...
Still in the hospitol right now. They have been taking very good care of me. Good news is all the tests so far as come out clear and healthy. The bypass is in perfict condition as well. But the bad news is we still do not know what is causing all the problems with me. They even did a CT and MRI on my brain to make sure I had not been having mini strokes or leasions on my brain. Nothing there WHEWWWW>>> BUt we still do not have a clue what IS causing all my problems. Looks like I will be discharged tomorrow. No answers but then allot of the bad things we deffinatley KNOW I do not have them. So GOOD NEWS I guess.
9-15-8
I am off to the hospitol tomorrow. I wil post when I get home.
9-14-08
Still feeling crappy. The gastro Dr wants me to wate another month before he has "time" to do the p[rocedure on me. THat means another month of getting weaker and being this way. I am horrible with anastesia and in a month I will be allot more weaker and the risk is higher. Thankfully my Surgon is not willing to risk me and wate. I will know for sure tomorrow but it looks like he is going to do a direct admission of me to his hospitol and order the tests to be done while I am there. We are looking at Tuesday (2 days from now). I will keep you posted.
9-5-08
Another new thing as well that may be to graphic for some SRY. My period is over 3 weeks late NO I am not pregnant. It started 4 days ago and lasted for 2 days. I bled enough to be the equivalent of 8 or 9 periods or more. All in the span of 2 days. It was like a water fountain. That was pretty horrible. I am pretty weak now. Oh yea, also having a problem with my lungs. Been doing several tests and seeing my Pumologist several times in the last week. I will get into this another time. This is on top of all the fatigue and vomiting and diarrhea. BOY AM I HAVING FUN HERE. (sarcasm) But the bottom line is knowing all this could be possible side affects of a bypass and knowing this, I still would make the decision again to do the procedure. I would have not lived much longer like I was. I will just take one problem at a time and deal with it as they come. Hopefully sooner rather than later they will stop. I have been wanting to go to the bypass support group at Penrose but I am either to busy or to exhausted to get there. I know excuses, but I would be there if I truly could get there. I know I need it. Between my 19 yr old Autistic son with the capacity of a 7-10 yr old (who is also ADHD, BiPolar and has several other major medical problems), my almost 18 yr old son (in 5 days) who is a but head and a half and all my medical things I am just tooo busy and tired from being so busy and doing it all by myself. I am almost to the point I can not handle things anymore. The support group would be great but i just can not get to it. I know I am singing a violin right now. I just feel like crap sry. Hopefully I will feel better next time I post ;o)8-21-08
3 month anniversary it today!!!!!
Well I have not posted in a bit now. Just living life day to day. Nothing incredibly
special has happened. Just trying to get through all this one day at a time. I still do
not "feel" the weight loss emotionally. I still look in a mirror and see me as I "was".
Been going to PT 3 days a week as well as working out in the pool where I live. As of a
couple days ago I stopped going to Physical Therapy because the therapist was not
doing anything for me but sitting there watching me do the water exercises I have been
doing in my pool for over 2 months now. I was not learning anything from him and he was
just exhausting my insurance for the year on the PT option. I was not getting anything
out of it except maby the first day that I learned 2 new stretches. That was it. I
figure I was doing the same things way before I started with him I can keep doing it
and do not need him staring at me taking about movies while I am doing it. I am very
motivated myself anyway. Just do not have access to a decent weight scale anymore so
I do not have a clue how much I have lost in the last 2 and a half weeks. Could be 5
pounds or 25. As I said I look in the mirror and still see my old me. I know I am close
to a loss of 100 pounds now. WOWO did I really say that?? Anyway, I still battle my
"tummy" every day. It is a very cranky thing. And very hard to get along with
sometimes. I can vomit for no reason and it does it when ever the hell it wants to. For
over a week now I have been vomiting about every morning when I get up. NO I am
NOT pregnant. It would be one of those immaculate things if I was. Not sure why I
vomit it is not from eating something because my tummy is empty. But it definitely
vomits when ever the hell it wants to for no reason. I guess it is just something you
have to get use to. As little as I eat now I never worry about calories anymore. My
biggest worry is getting in enough food acceptable to my tummy every day. I drink
water like a fish and take my vitamins. Those were a pain in the butt to find some that
my tummy would accept as well. But I have as well found that the Vitamin B12 shots
are like energy on steroids and I love them. I get one a month. Makes a major
difference on my energy level as well. God bless my surgeon for giving those. Hum what
else as happened.... my oldest son turned 19 and had a big BBQ for him. I did soo well
at the party I did not even have an urge to eat Though the few peaces of cake I
brought back from it for him to eat did tempt me but I did not even have a nibble. I
was proud of myself. I have as well found out i do not get dumping syndrome. I know
with all this vomiting you might think I have it but I can eat peanut butter and vomit, I
eat nothing I vomit and I have tried a couple surgery things and nothing happens. So I
just NEVER buy or keep anything in the house that is junk food. Not even a crumb.
That has helps sooo much. The biggest sweet I get is a handful of my son's Berry
Cheerios. WOW it is actually pretty good when I have a sweet tooth. That or a few
slices organic sliced peaches. These things I do keep in stock. I can keep to a diet real
good as long as I do not even take a bite of anything. I know myself well enough to
know that even one bite can really screw up a diet for me. So I have been trying sooo
hard not to even thing about food I can not have. That and I just think how cranky my
stomach gets now when I give it new things.
Enough babbling. I will post sooner than this next time ;o)
Well I am 386 today. I have been averaging a loss of a pound a day for a while now ;o)
be going 3 days a week for a little while. I did more in that pool today that I thought
I would have been able to do. NICEEEEE I see the scale loosing weight but I still do
not "feel" the loss when I look in a mirror yet. I see it in the cloths I ware and soon
not to ware. But I still have yet to feel it inside of my emotions. All things will come in
their right time I guess.
Well I am getting over a nasty cold for the last few days. Saw my GP today I am
"officially" under 400 pounds now!!!!!! 394 to be accurate. Got a referral today for PT
office. Will start learning more exercises in the water that will not hurt me. And
another biggie today. I walked up 5 steps today all by myself. No wheelchair!!! I have
not dun that in almost 2 years now. Guess all the exercising in the pool for the last
couple of months has been making good differences!!! Only good thing to come in the
future!
Today was a good day.
6-11-08
I just need to concentrate on my vitamins and not do to much.THINGS ARE GOOD
RIGHT NOW. NO HOSPITALS IN SIGHT THIS WEEK ;O)
learning to love them!!!!! I see my Remutoligist tomorrow. All is good and well right now.
Though;Had a bad time a few days ago. Was vomiting for like 3 hours every few minutes. Nothing came out. Was not fun and would not stop no madder what I tried. I did not eat anything new. I think it was from a late night swim I had and got pretty cold in the water. Could not figure out why I got cold since it was a warm night and the
pool was heated. But what is just is. I just learned not to swim at night ;o)
6-8-08
I am still kicking. Have not been able to weight myself since my last posted weight.
This Wed I will go to the surgeons office for my monthly checkup and B12 shot. I
know I am loosing weight things are starting to get real different with my body. I am
very curious on how much right now. I think I am still having a problem with my
kidneys. And these vitamins are sooo many it is real hard to get all of them down in
one day. I am getting in all my water every day though. It is kinda a habit now. I
have more energy anymore than I have had in many years. I am still limited on many
things due to other medical Issues I have. Of those I see my Rumotoligist this
Thursday. Not sure what her response is going to b yet.
5-28-08
Well I am 5 weeks and 2 days post op and finally feeling back to normal. I was
admitted to the hospital almost 2 weeks ago for 3 days. They had to stabilize
several things and take me off most of my meds. They said the meds were over dosing
me because I have lost so much weight I did not need them anymore. GOOD THINGS!!!!
Less meds!!! And sooo glad I am feeling better. For a bit there I was not sure if I
was going to so south. It was pretty scary. I am now working out in the pool where I
live daily. I have more energy now than I can remember in the last several years. I
am still real careful not to push myself to hard. I still have other medical problems that
can hurt me real fast as well. But I am doing better right now than I though I would
be. I even got out of my wheel chair and was able to walk across my living room for
the first time in almost a year!!!! It has been a HARD thing this surgery to recover
from and learn to live with but I would most definitely make the decision to do it again.
I will start PT at the physical Therapists office in 2 weeks. He will give me more things
to do when I work out in the pool. Not sure what my weight lose is right now because
I do not have access to a scale that will work for me. The one I have at home I need
to be under 350 for it to work. Real soon I hope. I also have been learning that my
"new" stomach has a will and brain all it's own and very separate from anything it usto
resemble. I am looking for a name for it. Nothing has stuck so far. As I introduce
food to it again "it" tells me what it will and will not accept. I have learned one of the
things I "usto" love it will most definitely WILL NOT accept under no uncertain terms.
I am going to sooo miss sea food especially shrimp. "IT" has made it very clear that it
is an un acceptable food. Among many others. I know I am all over the board on this
post. Many things going on right now. Since I am feeling better now sooo many things
are coming fast and happening fast. I will post when I am a bit more focused. Kathy
5-22-08
Doing allot better today!!!!. Saw my GP yesterday and had some labs taken. Hopefully
will get a call tomorrow with the results. I am feeling better right now than I have
since the surgery. Got the release from my GP to work out in the pool again. Today was
a very good day. Spent it relaxing and cleaning house. Tomorrow I have to go out for a
bit but not for to long. Eating is something I have to remember to do lately. Woke up
at 8am this morning but did not even think to eat till almost noon. I am finding I do not
get hungry much but I will feel weak if I do not eat. Still fighting every day to drink
enough water as well. The Dr at the hospital wanted me to take in Gatorade for a week
or so to keep my numbers up in my blood. Every time I go to take a drink of one I
keep hearing in the back of my head "do not drink your calories"!!! If you took the same
nutrition class I did you would know that it means and laugh. Anyway, overall I am
doing allot better right now. Pain in the tummy is all but gone. A buss ride irritates it
but kills the tailbone. But no buss ride today thankfully!!!!!! Be well my Friends. Kathy
5-16-08
Well I am just having a wonderful week. Just got out of the hospital today. Was
admitted 3 days ago. Ringing in my ears, blotches in my eyes, dizzy, vomiting and
passing out here and there for a bit now is not a fun thing. Was in my plumologiest
office for a checkup and almost passed out. Went directly downstairs to the er. They
admitted me. My blood came out showing possible blood clots, elevated kidney function.
low potassium and way lo blood pressure. They checked everywhere for clots and could
not find one thankfully, got my potassium up and allot of fluids to get my kidney function
back to normal. Still dizzy, ringing, bloches, BP is still to dam low and vomiting but
they released me. They alsso removed about 80% of the meds I was taking. Guess lost
enough weight that I did not need them anymore ;o) I see my GP on Tuesday but if
anything gets worse I am to go directly back to the er. This hospital stay went very
well the nurses at Penrose were great in caring for me. Got home today and the second
I laied in my own bed I feel asleep for 3 hours. It felt good to be in my own bed. I
am now at 417 that is down something like 39 pounds in 3 1/2 weeks. I do not in any
way regret having the surgery. I knew it was going to be a hard recovery for me and
anything could happen. But in the long run it will save my life and extend it in the long
term. I just need to baby my body. I feel real weird 3 trips on the buss and one
Jacquie for 5 min is still too much for me to handle. It is killing me looking at the pool
every day and not being able to get in it and exercises. Not exercising might give me a
blood clot and exercising in it will give me an infection. I am kinda stuck between a rock
and hard place right now. The exercises the PT is giving me to do in bed are obviously
not enough. And I am sooo sick of spending all day every day in bed it is driving me
nuts. But if I do anything I most definitely have a bad response from my body. I hope
this vitamin B12 shot they gave me in the hospital will help with the energy level. But
right now all I am suppose to do is just rest and do nothing. This is killing me. My head
wants to be like I was before surgery and do what I did then but my body is telling
me it will not let me so far. Yes, do not worry I am listening to my body. Guess it just
needs some more sleep right now. I will do as much of that this weekend as I can and
have my labs re checked on Tuesday. We will see what happens next. I will keep ya
posted ;o)
5-9-08
Well it has been a hard week or at least soar one. I took the metro handy cap buss 2
days ago (took my autistic son to a Dr apmt) and still recovering from that one. Not
again for a long time!!!! Set me back a bit. It feels like someone put my tummy in a
blender and just shook for hours. Never never again! I am healing better from the
antibiotics. Still have one open wound but it is starting to look pretty good. CJ has
been soooo AWESOME. She makes me feel very welcome even if I just need to have
someone hear me and what is wrong. Her and Dr T are staying on top of everything
and even a small concern is very much cared for. Still curled up in bed with a heating
pad now. NEVER take the buss this close to post op!!!! ya gunna pay for it if ya do!
Blenders are not fun things. My PT came over today. Went well and he has suce great
ideas for streching I would have never though of. Still beeing careful do not worry.
5-6-08
Well I spent the night in the er on iv fluids and iv antibiotics. The tummy was not doing
well. That was 2 days ago. I am doing allot better now and the incisions are healing
real good now. Had PT at my home again today. He is really helping me find ways to
exercise around my other medical problems. But my neck is killing me today after he
left. Hazards of having 2 herniated disks was not his fault. I just need to be more
careful. I can get injured real easy. I can not exercise now for the next day or two till
the neck is better. That can go south real fast if I am not careful. The good news is
I am down 31 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. WOWO is all I got to say. Eating is still a hard
thing and I have to really watch I take in enough water properly. I am ranging loosing
2 pounds a day since surgery. I hope it stays that way for a while. I relay need to
loose allot. Talk soon. K
5-3-08
11 days post op. Dr T released me to get in the pool and Jacuzzi 3 days ago.
Yesterday I went in the Jacuzzi. After about 5 min one of my incisions started oozing
puss. Immediately got out and called Dr T's office and talked to CJ. She called back
and they put me on antibiotics as a precaution. No more water for me for a bit again.
That 5 min felt sooo good. But I need to be careful of the incision. Today when I
changed the bandage the incision has opened up. Does not look very good but then it is
not horribly bad either. I will give till Monday for the antibiotics to work. If it gets
any worse or is not better by Monday I will call Dr T's office again. My first trip out
after my surgery was 3 days ago when I went to go see Dr T. It took everything I
had out of me by the time I got home I was just exhausted. Slept till yesterday when
I had to go to the grocery store and get a few things for my son. A little over and
hour there and I was sooo exhausted by the time I got home I slept till 9am this
morning. Anyway, I "feel" fine. Just get tired easy is all. Eating is hard as hell or
should I say the lack of eating. I am down 23 pounds since surgery as of 3 days ago!!!!!
wohooooo!!!!!
4-30-08
Well it is 8 days post op and they say I am not suppose to be feeling hunger but I
am. I drink my 8 oz of milk in 2 oz increments, 3 times a day with the protean shake
stuff in it. I take my children's vitamins, I drink my water like I am suppose to but
have found my stomach aching for a more. No not my head, it is physical my stomach.
So what i have done is take a can of hearty tomato soup and strain everything but the
juice out. I take 2 oz of the juice. Drink 1 1/2 of water with eating 1/2 oz of the
soup. That has seemed to help allot. Not sure if I am suppose to but I will see my
surgeon tomorrow and ask him what am I to do and if it was OK.
4-28-08 Well first of all WOOOOHHOOOO it is over and all done. I truly did not
know how this was going to come out. Second an INCREDIBLE THANK YOU to Dr
Tillquist!!!!! You did an awesome job on my surgery. The only good part of this experience
was your ability's and care of me. To be direct there was a pretty horrible experience
in the hospital by the nursing staff but that is not reflective at all on Dr Tillquiest.
The hospital issues will be dealt with in other ways but had nothing to do with him. I
am now 7 days post opp and healing incredibly well. Everything is exactly what I
expected from the procedure. I am feeling a little lonely for my "food" but I was
expecting that as well and that is a mental issue I have to grow through. That will
take time and allot of agony on my part. But the hardest part is over. Yes the
anesthesia was the worst part but the anesthesiologist talked me through everything
the night before and the A, B and C if there were complications after surgery. She
"the anesthesiologist" did great. I got in the operating room and was starting to really
get nervous. Then the next thing I knew I was being woken up and it was all over.
With no tube in my throat to boot. Dr T has let me have a little extra help at home
for a week or so to get me back to my usual (insurance is paying for). With all my
other medical issues if I go to fast I could really hurt myself. This will end pretty
much at the end of this week. Though the Physical Therapist wants it to continue and
extra week or two so I can get more working knowledge to help build up my muscles in
my legs and not hurt myself as I loose weight. I want out of this dam wheelchair as
soon as I can. Dr T will hopefully release me at the end of this week to get back in
the pool and hot tub so I can start working out in there as well. I have had a work out
regiment in there myself for a very long time now. The Physical Therapist wants to
teach me a bit more I can do safely in the water after I can get in it. Yes, as
everyone can tell I am excited and want to start now. I know pace myself. My almost
5 year track to get this surgery is over. I am sure everyone before me has felt
exactly what I do right now and everyone after me will as well
