Patricia S.

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Feeling great.  I started back teaching piano lessons this week. I will head back to work next Tuesday.

Saturday Clarke and I went hiking / geocaching.  I had no issues with the walking, except for some of the larger hills.  

Yesterday I started pureed foods.  I am not happy with the texture, but I've selected some things that don't taste terrible when whirred through the blender.  I ate breakfast and lunch, and then..that was it.  I was sooo not hungry for the rest of the day.  I headed out to teach some lessons and didn't get home until 8.  There was no way I was going to force dinner down, so I just had a sugar free popsicle and that was it.

Liquids remain a challange, I just don't feel like I am getting enough down.  I have not come close to dehydration again, but I know I could be doing better.

The excercise is going well, I get a few miles in with Cookie (the dog) every day.  THings will be harder when I move back home, go back to work and really hit it hard with my piano students.  My parents have offered me a membership to the Y for Christmas, I have selected one that is 1/2 way between home and work, I'm hoping I can get there over lunch hour at least 3 times a week.

And, the cherry on top.....this morning...the scale hit the -30 pound mark.  YAY!

No pain, feeling well.   I'm still finding myself tired in the afternoons, and I am very slow getting moving in the morning.  I'm off work now until after Thanksgiving, so that should help.   

My afternoons consist of taking walks with the dog, we're going further and further each day.  Other than that, I'm just relaxing and working on finding that energy of mine.

I only have one "wound" left that hasn't begun the healing process...where the draining tube was.  I'm caring for that and anxious to get it further along........right now....pants hurt.  I'm enjoying the lounging life in sweatpants, but....I won't be able to wear them when I return to the office.

I didn't even feel the tube coming out.  I had heard stories that it was painful so I took some pain medication ahead of time, big mistake.

I mentioned to the doctor that I had felt a little out of breath the day before.  While I was getting weighed they also took my pulse ox and blood pressure.  The pulse ox was 92 (thanks pain meds!).... I ended up over in the hospital for a CT scan, to rule out a pulmonary emoblisim. I didnt' have one.  It made for a long morning afternoon.

I'm down 20 pounds.  I've left my parents place.  I have zero pain.  This morning was the first time I felt on the edge of becoming dehydrated.  I could tell from the moment I got out of bed.  I quickly fixed breakfast to get something into me.  I forgot to take my prevacid, so that upset my stomach even more.  After taking care of changing my dressing and taking a shower I settled myself in on the couch with a mamout bottle of water and monitored myself as I got every drop into me over the next few hours.  Eventually my skin became more springy and I was able to move around without nausea or dizziness.  I was out at the store a little bit ago and found some decaf diet orange iced tea.  Its yummy.  Hopefully it will keep me drinking enough to avoid any more problems.

I took a walk today as well, with the dog.  It wasn't too far (maybe 1/4 mile), I was soooo tired and out of breath after.  I can't believe 2 weeks ago I was hiking up a mountain.  I am ready for the energy to return!

Things are still going well.   I had stopped taking the pain medication, but today - I just felt lousy.  No pain so to speak, but I could not keep myself awake or find the energy to even go up and down the stairs.  It was awful.  Then I realized that I hadn't had any pain meds in over 24 hours, and sure enough..I took a 1/2 dose and felt so much better.

The tube continues to be my source of pain.  I had an appiontment to have it out on wednesday - but when Dr. Moein called me this evening, I mentioned Wednesday.  Turns out the front office made a mistake - he is in surgery on Wednseday - so I have to call for a Thursday appointment tomorrow.

I can't wait to see what my official weight loss is so far.  I am not trusting the scale I am using here at home ....I think it has to do with the surface where it is sitting - but it is telling me I've lost 25lbs already.  That can't be true.  I would be more willing to believe 10 or so.

My new life has begun.  Thanks to the "bowel prep" and the current clear liquid phase, I am already down under the 300 mark! 

The day of surgery began farily uneventfully.  We made the 2 hour drive and arrived promptly at 5:30am.  Check in was smooth.  There was one small glitch with insurance (Dr. Moe's office hadn't submitted my hospital payment to the hospital - so they thought I still owed them money..NOT.).  I was prepped, blood was tested, heprin shot administered and then I waited.  Dr. Moen was running late so it was past the scheduled time when he finally popped in to see me.

He explained again the issue with my liver and spleen and said there was a possibility that when he got in there he wouldn't be able to do the surgery.  With that he said goodbye and I was wheeled off to the operating room.  Clarke was able to go about 1/2 way with me.  At the point of no return he leaned over and whispered "I love you" (which, was the first time he ever said those words)...and that was it.

In recovery I did well. I happily snoozed and pushed my pain button and felt quite good.  They did not have my room ready though - so I was there for awhile.  They let Clarke and my mom back to see me because it had been so long (surgery was over at 11:30am..I didn't get settled into a room until 7pm!).

The rest of my stay was good.  My mom stayed down with me and, thanks to that wonderful pain pump, my pain stayed around a 2 the whole time.  I had no issues taking strolls in the hall and chatting with all the nurses.  Some other Dr. Van R. and Dr. Moen patients were there as well...but I didn't run into any of them out on strolls.

I was set to be dicharged a day early even, but thanks to a mix up in the pharmacy and the distance I had to travel home we opted to wait until the morning.

I am now at my parents home and doing well.  I have some bad times.  I need to remember to take my medicine. I tried to substitute liquid tylenol instead of the narcotic, but it made me very sick to my stomach (you have to take much more of it..and it tasted sweet - I think there may have been sugar in it).  As long as I remember the meds and keep drinking drinking drinking.  All is well.  The tube is a pain in the you-know-what...by I only have it for a few more days, I've learned if I dress it well and keep it from hanging it feels much better. 

I have had broth and crystal light and water.  Mostly ...I am just drinking water though - it seems to taste the best and I'm not craving anything with "flavor". 

No real head hunger going on.  Clarke can sit there and drink a coke right in front of me and it does nothing.  The only "craving" I have had has been for a dish from Appleby's there special "brick chicken and spinich salad."  - I can't believe that.  Here I am, not able to eat anything and the only craving I really have is for something that is actually healthy.

Oh well.  That is enough rambling.  time to curl up and rest.

My bags are packed.  We need to leave by 3am in order to get down to Baltimore in time.  I'm not looking forward to that.  C is out at a meeting, wanted to go for a drive after - but I was not excited about being too far away from a bathroom as I am stil working my way through the "prep".  

Other than that, I'm ready, mentally and physically to get the show on the road.

10.11.06 - Surgery is 2 weeks from today. I'm to start the pre-op diet today. My final appt. with the doctor was yesterday, as wel as the pre-op class. All went well, mostly. The only hitch, my ultrasound revealed that my spleen is enlarged. That coupled with some strange results from the blood tests have me a bit worried. The surgeon wants me to get a CT scan for a better look. The test will be on Friday afternoon. Hopefully it's all just a fluke and things will proceed as normal. We were laughed at as we were checking out with teh accounting gal in the office yesterday. In order to cover all the co-pays and out of pocket stuff we had to do some creative juggling... "wait! No! use THIS credic card for that one, and her,e let me write you a check for that, and he's paying for that..." and so on. It's all paid for now, and that feels good.