NikkiL2015

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So tomorrow (Monday Aug. 24, 2015) will mark my 7 weeks since surgery.  Today, I have hit the 50 pounds lost mark! I also have moved down a bracket in BMI numbers!!! I am no longer in the 70's.  I am 69.6 as of today!!! I'm so excited to hit these milestones.  I have so much more work to do, but I was starting to worry that I was going to fail and that this was not going to be "real"!  I'm sure as I have been told that everyone has worries and concerns, all part of the process.  I have to travel an hour an half to my surgeon's office tomorrow to have a check up, I am hoping they will be super pleased with the work I have put in since surgery!!! I think for my reward, I'm going to get my extremely long hair cut, colored, and styled this week!!! Yay me!!!!

Today was awesome! I was able to get back to my routine of Aqua-size and Aqua-Zumba! Two back to back classes, a total of 2 hours of exercise!  It was great to get back in to the water.  I was so happy and felt amazing after the workout.  It was awesome to go through the entire time being able to BREATHE!  So, something good came out of the respiratory failure, because of it I had to have all that pulmonary rehab which made it possible for me to be able to breathe normal.  I will be able to do my normal routine of 3 days a week! This should surely boost my weight loss and road to a healthier me!  I'm already 36 pounds down!!!

I had my two week post op appt today.  Everything looked good considering all the problems I had.  I have been advanced to a puree diet (I believe I might have over done it today though cause I'm still stuffed after my very small dinner) This is definitely a learning process!  I am 30 pounds down from the start of my pre-op diet.  I have had a few melt downs already of wondering if this was the right choice, simply because of the respiratory failure and 5 days in ICU I experienced.  It's going to take some time I believe.  I remember being so excited, and not to be unsure.... it's all just so surreal.  

It's absolutely blowing my mind watching the scale move down so quickly! It's like the weight just melts off over night or something!!! I know I'm just beginning and there is a lot of work to go, but I am going to enjoy this small victory as I have had a very rough time getting to this point!!

With being in ICU for 4 days after surgery due to Respiratory Failure, I am unable to keep up with the bills.  The surgery and initial night stay was all prepaid, the unexpected complications were not and the co-pays are beyond this single mamma's realm!! My parent's have been a God sent, but they can't cover everything.  We have started a fund, but more than anything prayers are requested!!!  I am now on ongoing oxygen at home, 24/7! 

So it's been a week since surgery, and I didn't think I would make it home!  Surgery came out ok, however recovery did not.  I ended up in respiratory failure.  I was in ICU for 4 days and then a regular room for 2 days!  It was a huge added stress and expense that I was not prepared for.  I have a long road ahead of me to getting stronger lungs.  

It's 12:30am, I have to check in to the hospital at 5:30am which is about an hour an a half away. Oh ya, and I hear, most of the roads in the town that I'm headed to is flooded! My luck, right?  As if I'm not nervous enough.  I'm anxious to get this surgery part all over and move on to the next chapter of this journey and my life!

Dr. office called today! My gall bladder was good, so I will only be having the VSG on Monday!  That's a bit of relief.  I was also given a time to be at the hospital, 5:30 AM!!!! May seem like average and no big deal, but lol the hospital is about and hour and a half away!  That's going to make for one really early morning, or one really late night! I think I like the idea of having the surgery early in the day, less time to think and stress about it!  I think I am going to make one more phone call to the Dr office tomorrow though, just to double check on what meds I can and can not take the  morning of and where exactly to check in and all that good stuff..... I went today to get my post-op diet food and vitamins. Trying to get the house all settled so my recovery will be nice and smooth.... oh wow so much to think about.   It is exciting and scary.  This is not only a life changing surgery, this is also my very 1st surgery in my life!!!!  I have had two children, and I was told the other day that if I can handle childbirth, I can handle this with no problems.  We shall see!!!!!

So, I have 4 days left till surgery!  I'm getting excited, frustrated, and anxious all at the same time!!! I have lost 5 pounds from the Pre-Op diet.  I kinda thought I would have lost more than that, but I'm not going to let that get me down.  I am a little worried about this "gas" that they are going to pump into me.  I haven't been called from the doctor's office yet to know if they are going to take my gall bladder as well... Hmmm so many things on my mind right now!  Everyone says to just hang in there until surgery and it will be life changing.... But I just can't help but wonder how one day, one surgery, can be life changing... I truly can't wait for the next turn in this journey!

The day can't get here soon enough! I find this is all I think about day and night!  I feel obsessed with WLS and Food Logs.  I read a post that said this is normal and just go with it, as you will get back to your normal life after you have focused on WL.  I have taken a huge break from this so called "Life" to have this surgery and this journey.  The first struggle was going on disability as the doctors said I couldn't work any more, then this gave me the medical coverage to afford the surgery.  Then there was the finding the right facility and surgeon, being switched half way thru from Medicaid to Medicare having to find another facility/surgeon for the new pay source.  Then, the actual process of being cleared for surgery.... that part actually didn't take so long, all the rest of this has taken a few years.  Since January of 2012 for part of it, just researching and making the final ok yes decision, this is what I want, goes back as far as 2009.  Anyway, here it is 2015, and I am preparing to have surgery in just 8 days.... I can't believe it's here! I still kind of have that "I won't believe it, till it happens" attitude, which the therapist says is bad, he says I'm a pessimist in that aspect, I told him I'm a realist with all the road blocks I've been up against.  I only mentioned paperwork issues basically, but on top of all that there was the pre weight loss requirements and testing and so forth.... Thank God for Dr. Christopher Edwards in Springfield, MO.  He told me, a month ago, when I asked him how much I had to lose before he would do the surgery, "that's why I'm doing the surgery". Told me not to stress and worry about things I would be fine, and to just follow his instructions on the 2 week pre-op diet we would be great!  He did my mother's sleeve last year, she feels and looks amazing!  I just can't wait for that to be me!!!!  I feel I have no patience right now! Hmmm Sorry for such a long post.

 All words of encouragement are welcome and wanted!!!!

Nikki L.