poppy1
Iron low and potassium..7 weeks out now and down 33 pounds .
Apr 17, 2009
Just had a call from Diana the dietitian at Humber to say my iron and b12 is low ....so have to go see my GP to get my bloods checked and start taking two iron pills a day . I have struggled with low iron and B12 before my revision so this isnt unexpected ..my potassium is also low ( still ) so she advised oranges/bananas/tomatoes/sweet potatoes in my diet on a regular basis . I have been craving oranges lately ...so thats no hardship . I told her I have been feeling tired a lot ..and no doubt I am already anemic ..sigh .
My weight loss has been 2 pounds a week but last week I only lost one pound ...but I have been sneaking in a few too many crackers and even a few little chocolate eggs over Easter so its my own fault . I know my protein and water intake is still too low ...I hardly ever feel hungry ..and a couple of mouthfuls will fill me .
But all the same my pouch sometimes seems capable of holding more than others at my stage of post op ..7 weeks out yesterday .
I am doing my best ..and will keep working on my water and protein . I am taking my calcium and multivit daily .
I get on the scales every morning still ..it keeps me better focussed I feel .But ohhh ..its soooo slooooow to go down ..lol .
I can see the difference in my face and body ..others often comment on my wt loss too . My clothes are getting loose ...its a great feeling .
Still not constipated..it has settled to every other day a bowel movement usually .
Was at the Brampton coffee night last night ..that was fun . I have found some very nice ladies on here and love our get to gethers . Taking some clothes to the clothes exchange this Sunday . The York monthly meeting ..we will leave the country place early on Sunday to get there for 2pm .
Really warm and sunny Friday ..it will soon be May ..yay for Spring . That sure was a long winter . I am glad to be on this side of it .
0 comments
My weight loss has been 2 pounds a week but last week I only lost one pound ...but I have been sneaking in a few too many crackers and even a few little chocolate eggs over Easter so its my own fault . I know my protein and water intake is still too low ...I hardly ever feel hungry ..and a couple of mouthfuls will fill me .
But all the same my pouch sometimes seems capable of holding more than others at my stage of post op ..7 weeks out yesterday .
I am doing my best ..and will keep working on my water and protein . I am taking my calcium and multivit daily .
I get on the scales every morning still ..it keeps me better focussed I feel .But ohhh ..its soooo slooooow to go down ..lol .
I can see the difference in my face and body ..others often comment on my wt loss too . My clothes are getting loose ...its a great feeling .
Still not constipated..it has settled to every other day a bowel movement usually .
Was at the Brampton coffee night last night ..that was fun . I have found some very nice ladies on here and love our get to gethers . Taking some clothes to the clothes exchange this Sunday . The York monthly meeting ..we will leave the country place early on Sunday to get there for 2pm .
Really warm and sunny Friday ..it will soon be May ..yay for Spring . That sure was a long winter . I am glad to be on this side of it .
Hips down 6 and1/2 inches in 5 weeks ...woot .
Apr 02, 2009
5 weeks out today and down 30 pounds . I did my measurements for the first time since I was on Optifast and have lost a total of 21 inches ..no less than 6 and 1/2 inches from my hips from 50" to 43 and 1/2"..3 inches from my waist and 2 inches from my bust ..my thighs are down 3 inches on each ...marvelous !!!
I put on a pair of summer capris today and last year they were tight but now are baggy ....the same with many of my once too tight clothes .
Its a great feeling .
I am eating and drinking fairly well ..getting most of my protein in with real food . I do not get hungry and forget to eat sometimes ...I am only eating around 800 calories a day ...but most food sits well ..I enjoyed strawberries and cantaloupe melon today ..just a few bites but very good .
Still get over tired come evening ...my energy levels still not wonderful . Sleeping well ..no pain ..bowels good ..not constipated at all .
I am doing really well all told .
It feels great to look in the mirror and see myself slowly melting . Most days I lose something ..about half a pound a day is the average ..or approx 3 pounds a week . Its not as much as some but I am happy .
Roll on Summer .
2 comments
I put on a pair of summer capris today and last year they were tight but now are baggy ....the same with many of my once too tight clothes .
Its a great feeling .
I am eating and drinking fairly well ..getting most of my protein in with real food . I do not get hungry and forget to eat sometimes ...I am only eating around 800 calories a day ...but most food sits well ..I enjoyed strawberries and cantaloupe melon today ..just a few bites but very good .
Still get over tired come evening ...my energy levels still not wonderful . Sleeping well ..no pain ..bowels good ..not constipated at all .
I am doing really well all told .
It feels great to look in the mirror and see myself slowly melting . Most days I lose something ..about half a pound a day is the average ..or approx 3 pounds a week . Its not as much as some but I am happy .
Roll on Summer .
My post op appointments ..1 month out .
Mar 25, 2009
My one month post op follow up visits today with both the dietitian and Dr Klein .
Fist Denise at 8am ..we were up at 6am to leave by 7am to miss the worst of the Toronto rush hour traffic . Ended up getting there by 7-30am and then was kept waiting untill 8-30am before being called in ..grrr . Turns out my file is missing ..Denise looked high and low but to no avail ..all very annoying ..made my appt very late . First onto the bariatric digital scales ..showing a loss overall of 24 pounds ..yes !!! I wish it was more but still not too shabby ...Denise says I am slap on target for month one ..they expect you to lose between 3-5 pounds a week at this stage and I averaged out at 4 pounds ..so well within target . We chatted about my daily foods/drinks/protein /vits and suplements etc . Every thing seemed good ...she told me to try Spectrum select 22 by life brand as that has the best amounts of every thing I need at the best price for a chewable ...I will finish my 2 bottles of liquid multivitamins first ....then she sent me across to the lab for a ton of blood taking plus a urine to see if I am still spilling potassium like I was at the time of surgery ( thats the mild diuretic I take ) I should hear soon if there is anything out of whack ..
I was away to see Dr Klein by 10am and we headed across town to his office . I was in shock to actually be called in right on time ..this is unheard of for Dr Klein normally . I have waited over 2 hours to see him both visits pre op . He was very businesslike but pleasant and answered my various questions . All went smoothly at my revision last month , blood loss minimal, he made my pouch 6cms by 3 cms in size ( normal pouch size ..not large but not small either.) My common channel is 150 cms (normal for Dr Klein ..but a little longer than some surgeons do ) he removed my duodenum ..and the 2/3 size stomach remnant as he always does for a revision .My biliary channel is 45 cms ..he looked at my tummy ..all well healed , passed me for my daily swims and told me to recommence my iron pills .I showed him how I can chug water (about 5 good size swallows at a time ) but he said that was ok ..no biggie ..as it just goes straight into the intestine ..I was worried that I could drink such a lot at one time but he was not worried ..hmm . I told him I often get waves of nausea after eating and he said its normal at this stage and to slow down my eating more . I made another dual appt ..both the dietitian and him on the same day in May for my 3 month follow up and voila ..all done .
I feel glad that all was well ..and am cleared for the next 2 months . he did tell me to call him if anything was wrong ever ..nice to hear .
So there you go ..my first months appointments down on my blog .
0 comments
Fist Denise at 8am ..we were up at 6am to leave by 7am to miss the worst of the Toronto rush hour traffic . Ended up getting there by 7-30am and then was kept waiting untill 8-30am before being called in ..grrr . Turns out my file is missing ..Denise looked high and low but to no avail ..all very annoying ..made my appt very late . First onto the bariatric digital scales ..showing a loss overall of 24 pounds ..yes !!! I wish it was more but still not too shabby ...Denise says I am slap on target for month one ..they expect you to lose between 3-5 pounds a week at this stage and I averaged out at 4 pounds ..so well within target . We chatted about my daily foods/drinks/protein /vits and suplements etc . Every thing seemed good ...she told me to try Spectrum select 22 by life brand as that has the best amounts of every thing I need at the best price for a chewable ...I will finish my 2 bottles of liquid multivitamins first ....then she sent me across to the lab for a ton of blood taking plus a urine to see if I am still spilling potassium like I was at the time of surgery ( thats the mild diuretic I take ) I should hear soon if there is anything out of whack ..
I was away to see Dr Klein by 10am and we headed across town to his office . I was in shock to actually be called in right on time ..this is unheard of for Dr Klein normally . I have waited over 2 hours to see him both visits pre op . He was very businesslike but pleasant and answered my various questions . All went smoothly at my revision last month , blood loss minimal, he made my pouch 6cms by 3 cms in size ( normal pouch size ..not large but not small either.) My common channel is 150 cms (normal for Dr Klein ..but a little longer than some surgeons do ) he removed my duodenum ..and the 2/3 size stomach remnant as he always does for a revision .My biliary channel is 45 cms ..he looked at my tummy ..all well healed , passed me for my daily swims and told me to recommence my iron pills .I showed him how I can chug water (about 5 good size swallows at a time ) but he said that was ok ..no biggie ..as it just goes straight into the intestine ..I was worried that I could drink such a lot at one time but he was not worried ..hmm . I told him I often get waves of nausea after eating and he said its normal at this stage and to slow down my eating more . I made another dual appt ..both the dietitian and him on the same day in May for my 3 month follow up and voila ..all done .
I feel glad that all was well ..and am cleared for the next 2 months . he did tell me to call him if anything was wrong ever ..nice to hear .
So there you go ..my first months appointments down on my blog .
Almost one month post op .
Mar 24, 2009
I will be a month out from my revision to RNY this Thursday . I see Denise (Dr Kleins dietition) tomorrow and then Dr Klein himself . I am interested how they will think I am doing .
I am down 6 pounds from last week ..a boost to my confidence in this surgery .I must have been on a stall for the first 2 weeks ...I have actually found others here who went through the same thing . I wish I had been forewarned then I wouldnt have felt so stressed about it . I am still feeling a bit blahhh ..not depressed but not myself yet either . Its like I am still sitting on the sidelines of my life ..not really back in the saddle yet .
I sleep a lot more than I used to ..the other night I slept for a full 12 hours .I wake up so thirsty always too
..I think I must still be a little under hydrated ..I forget to drink ..I have always been like that and no different now . I really must force myself to drink more ..its not like I cant get it in ..I can drink no problem .
My tummy is all healed ..all bruises gone ..drinking REALLY well .
I can chug about 5 swallows from a water bottle ..something I am surprised about .I have decided that Dr Klein must have purposely given me a wide out let from the pouch ..because of my prior difficulty getting in solid proteins .I am getting less and less hungry ...my gerhelin levels must be lower now . I find nothing really appeals ..and I always seem to feel nauseated after I eat anything . Not dreadful nausea but enough to make me not want to repeat it .
I know a lot of people feel nausea ..its weird its only just started up for me though . I am tuning in to my pouch more ...at first it felt numb ..or the same as before ..but now I know its there . Today I had a little of the pot roast beef in broth from lasts nights supper for my family . About 3 spoons and I was done . I find I only eat 2 small meals ..breakfast is now just a cup of tea followed by a protein shake about 10am . I am definitely going off eggs .
I think I have dumped twice ..once on the soft insides of a baked potao ..I put cheese a little butter and sour cream on it and about half an hour later felt deathly sick and papitations ..yawned madly and just wanted to lie down and sleep .Yep am sure that was dumping .I am glad really ..that will keep me from straying too much . I eat a lot of soups ..and like sucking on orange segments ..I spit out the pith and fibrous part ..just swallow the juice . I have nibbled on toast ..but dont really enjoy it . I often crave a certain food but if I try it dont like it ..hmm .... head games obviously.
I have decided to just stick to protein shakes and soups mainly ..work on my water ...get my protein intake up to help me drop faster .
I am swimming every day ..loving it .
Took the dogs for a walk at the weekend ...ages since my legs let me do that .
Was amazed at all the clothes that now fit me from my too small side of the closet ...so had a purge and am enjoying wearing a whole size smaller . I weigh 235 today ...my BMI is now merely obese ..woo hoo .feels good to be here ...I cant wait to see where I am at the end of month 2 .
2 comments
I am down 6 pounds from last week ..a boost to my confidence in this surgery .I must have been on a stall for the first 2 weeks ...I have actually found others here who went through the same thing . I wish I had been forewarned then I wouldnt have felt so stressed about it . I am still feeling a bit blahhh ..not depressed but not myself yet either . Its like I am still sitting on the sidelines of my life ..not really back in the saddle yet .
I sleep a lot more than I used to ..the other night I slept for a full 12 hours .I wake up so thirsty always too
..I think I must still be a little under hydrated ..I forget to drink ..I have always been like that and no different now . I really must force myself to drink more ..its not like I cant get it in ..I can drink no problem .
My tummy is all healed ..all bruises gone ..drinking REALLY well .
I can chug about 5 swallows from a water bottle ..something I am surprised about .I have decided that Dr Klein must have purposely given me a wide out let from the pouch ..because of my prior difficulty getting in solid proteins .I am getting less and less hungry ...my gerhelin levels must be lower now . I find nothing really appeals ..and I always seem to feel nauseated after I eat anything . Not dreadful nausea but enough to make me not want to repeat it .
I know a lot of people feel nausea ..its weird its only just started up for me though . I am tuning in to my pouch more ...at first it felt numb ..or the same as before ..but now I know its there . Today I had a little of the pot roast beef in broth from lasts nights supper for my family . About 3 spoons and I was done . I find I only eat 2 small meals ..breakfast is now just a cup of tea followed by a protein shake about 10am . I am definitely going off eggs .
I think I have dumped twice ..once on the soft insides of a baked potao ..I put cheese a little butter and sour cream on it and about half an hour later felt deathly sick and papitations ..yawned madly and just wanted to lie down and sleep .Yep am sure that was dumping .I am glad really ..that will keep me from straying too much . I eat a lot of soups ..and like sucking on orange segments ..I spit out the pith and fibrous part ..just swallow the juice . I have nibbled on toast ..but dont really enjoy it . I often crave a certain food but if I try it dont like it ..hmm .... head games obviously.
I have decided to just stick to protein shakes and soups mainly ..work on my water ...get my protein intake up to help me drop faster .
I am swimming every day ..loving it .
Took the dogs for a walk at the weekend ...ages since my legs let me do that .
Was amazed at all the clothes that now fit me from my too small side of the closet ...so had a purge and am enjoying wearing a whole size smaller . I weigh 235 today ...my BMI is now merely obese ..woo hoo .feels good to be here ...I cant wait to see where I am at the end of month 2 .
A slow loser ?
Mar 16, 2009
I heard that revisions lose slower but hoped that wouldnt be me ..I am now down only 9 pounds since surgery and am feeling very discouraged .
I am going to be 3 weeks out on thursday ..I have lost a total of 23 pounds since starting Optifast just over a month ago ..so I suppose thats a good loss in total . Its just when I read about people losing 30 pounds in the first 2 weeks mine feels like only a tiny loss compared to theirs . My starting BMI was a fairly low 43 so thats partly why I am not shedding as much weight as those with higher BMI's maybe .
I am still on soups and sloppy foods only ..and get a good amount in of those liquidy things . As soon as I try any thing more solid I feel the restriction in my new pouch ..and get the foamies and have had to throw up once...that was on a boiled egg .I am trying to avoid carbs altogether in an effort to speed up the weight loss . No more cream of wheat or saltines . I only had them a couple of times any way .I am doing a little better on the protein shakes but only managed one so far today . I ordered the Click protein I keep reading about ..and also the BSN Lean Dessert in whipped Vanilla (also hearing good things about this type ) I added a tin of Champion Pro Stack Whey in Chocolate ..all online from supplementscanada ..didnt have to pay shipping and they should be delivered in the next couple of days .
I started back swimming today ..only did a few gentle laps and will increase my time every day . It felt good to be back in the water .
All my bruises are gone ..no scabs on my 5 small lap incisions .
Energy getting better by the day . I seem to be over my grey mood of last week .
I just hope the weight loss picks up soon .
Did any one else get off to a slow start ? I could do with some reassurance here .
..I am 52 ..my weight today is 238 .Preop was 261
0 comments
I am going to be 3 weeks out on thursday ..I have lost a total of 23 pounds since starting Optifast just over a month ago ..so I suppose thats a good loss in total . Its just when I read about people losing 30 pounds in the first 2 weeks mine feels like only a tiny loss compared to theirs . My starting BMI was a fairly low 43 so thats partly why I am not shedding as much weight as those with higher BMI's maybe .
I am still on soups and sloppy foods only ..and get a good amount in of those liquidy things . As soon as I try any thing more solid I feel the restriction in my new pouch ..and get the foamies and have had to throw up once...that was on a boiled egg .I am trying to avoid carbs altogether in an effort to speed up the weight loss . No more cream of wheat or saltines . I only had them a couple of times any way .I am doing a little better on the protein shakes but only managed one so far today . I ordered the Click protein I keep reading about ..and also the BSN Lean Dessert in whipped Vanilla (also hearing good things about this type ) I added a tin of Champion Pro Stack Whey in Chocolate ..all online from supplementscanada ..didnt have to pay shipping and they should be delivered in the next couple of days .
I started back swimming today ..only did a few gentle laps and will increase my time every day . It felt good to be back in the water .
All my bruises are gone ..no scabs on my 5 small lap incisions .
Energy getting better by the day . I seem to be over my grey mood of last week .
I just hope the weight loss picks up soon .
Did any one else get off to a slow start ? I could do with some reassurance here .
..I am 52 ..my weight today is 238 .Preop was 261
Two weeks out today .
Mar 11, 2009
I am getting a little more energy every day ...the healing continues to go smoothly . The bruising mostly gone now ..my tummy is still a little hard and swollen but less than it was . I find some days I am feeling low and tearful ...not dealing with stress nearly as well as I normaly do . I am resting a lot ..though hubby says I am doing too much at home . We had visitors last night and I vacuumed and mopped ..cooked them dinner and baked a loaf of honey multigrain flax bread for them to take home .Too much right ?
But most days I dont do as much .
I actually read a book last week ..lol . I am lucky I dont have to work out side the home ..so I can rest when I need to usually .
The fluids are still a struggle ..I forget to drink ..and then I wake up every morning feeling soo dry .I might be getting in the equivalent of four glasses of water a day only .I also really need to work on the protein shakes ..its a struggle to get in one a day if I am honest . I am managing soft eggs and cheese..hummus ..cottage cheeses ...liver pate ..soft veggies in soups ..I crave savoury foods . My sweet tooth isnt there at all right now . I think thasts why the protein shakes are a struggle as they are sickly sweet ..even when I add extra water .
I do still feel hunger (bit of a bummer )...and enjoy my small meals ..the mouth taste of them is divine .I had soft avocado, pate and thinly sliced apple for lunch and mmmm it tasted great .
My portions are small ..but not teeny tiny like some report .I eat slowly and everything soft goes down great . I sometimes wonder if my pouch is too big . I can eat a whole bowl of soup in 10 minutes . I am probably getting in around 800 calories a day ..definitely no more than that .I usually only eat twice in the day .
I did eat a few saltines early on but have decided to cut out ALL carbs as my weight loss is slow . I am down 20 pounds ..only 9 of those since surgery . I am hoping its just an early stall and if I work on my protein and fluids it will pick up again .
I weigh 239 this morning ...my goal is to be at 232 at least within the next month . I know that revisions often lose slower and the older you are the slower the weight loss can be . But still I am disappointed not to have lost more ...sigh .
I am fitting into my "tight' clothes and my jeans are fitting again ..yipeee . I plan to measure this weekend ..maybe I have done well on the inches lost .
I am having regular ( mosts days once) soft yellow bowel movements ...the colour is very different than before surgery . Its not something I have heard others mention ..reminds me of baby poo . lol Doesnt smell like before either ..it even smells like baby poo .
I am glad I'm not constipated any way . I certainly dont need a stool softener .
I am taking my liquid multivitamin /liquid calcium citrate /b12 ..every day .
I am longing to get back to my daily swims but decided yesterday not to rush it as many advised 2 weeks is too soon . I am going to start walking a little more soon too ..the Spring is coming and the snow is gone now .
The five small incisions that Dr Klein made are teeeny ..really you can hardly make them out .I am amazed he could do the work through them ..lol .
I see him for my first check up in 2 weeks .
Today is my dietitian class ..a half day at Humber .
Peter is leaving work early to come with me ..I am looking forwards to it .
Day 7 ...slowly becoming myself again .
Mar 04, 2009
8am ..looks like a glorious early Spring day out side . I have my condo window open and can hear the musical birds chirping..bird song must be one of my favourite sounds in the whole world . I watched the pink and gold lace sunrise and now its blue skies and sunshine . I feel reborn .
So lets see how am I doing ...
Sleeping well at night and rarely napping in the day .
Havent taken any pain meds since my first day home .
Going to the washroom every day ..no more runs ..not constipated like so many seem to report .
Havent used any Gas Ex strips since day 3 ..the rumblings arent too uncomfortable .
Feeling a little more like myself every day ..not there by any means but getting there slowly .
My energy levels still low but mentally as bright as a button .I find my sense of humour returning ..found myself laughing out loud a few times .
I laid off the protein drinks totally yesterday after my upset tummy the day and night before . I managed to get in 2 very soft poached eggs for breakfast yesterday and a tiny bit of creamed tuna at lunch ( 3 dessert spoons maybe ). Both went down fine ..a little nausea for 5 minutes after the eggs but nothing dreadful .I am drinking V8 ..crystal light ..warm tea (warm drinks definitely go down better for some reason ) a little bit of water ..my pouch doesnt like water too much ..hmm . A little 1% milk went down fine . I had a very milky single weetabix (hot milk ) this morning .. that was fine .
So far not bad then .
I do feel hungry ...its a background feeling ..an emptiness ..but am quickly full when I eat .
I took all the steristrips off my 5 baby incisions this morning after my shower ..every thing healing great .
Bruising on my belly still bad from the heparin shots . I have the biggest bruise on my arm from one .
I am still not getting in the recommended amount of fluids or protein ..every day will get a bit better hopefully .
Down 20 pounds in total ..feeling and seeing the loss too . Peter commented how small my face was getting yesterday ...lol .
I am NOT going to keep hopping on the scales every day ...once a week on a Monday only from now on .
Funny ..a week ago today I was heading into surgery feeling very scared and this morning I am sitting here feeling the sunshine on my face and starting to think about Spring .
I am glad to be here ...
3 comments
So lets see how am I doing ...
Sleeping well at night and rarely napping in the day .
Havent taken any pain meds since my first day home .
Going to the washroom every day ..no more runs ..not constipated like so many seem to report .
Havent used any Gas Ex strips since day 3 ..the rumblings arent too uncomfortable .
Feeling a little more like myself every day ..not there by any means but getting there slowly .
My energy levels still low but mentally as bright as a button .I find my sense of humour returning ..found myself laughing out loud a few times .
I laid off the protein drinks totally yesterday after my upset tummy the day and night before . I managed to get in 2 very soft poached eggs for breakfast yesterday and a tiny bit of creamed tuna at lunch ( 3 dessert spoons maybe ). Both went down fine ..a little nausea for 5 minutes after the eggs but nothing dreadful .I am drinking V8 ..crystal light ..warm tea (warm drinks definitely go down better for some reason ) a little bit of water ..my pouch doesnt like water too much ..hmm . A little 1% milk went down fine . I had a very milky single weetabix (hot milk ) this morning .. that was fine .
So far not bad then .
I do feel hungry ...its a background feeling ..an emptiness ..but am quickly full when I eat .
I took all the steristrips off my 5 baby incisions this morning after my shower ..every thing healing great .
Bruising on my belly still bad from the heparin shots . I have the biggest bruise on my arm from one .
I am still not getting in the recommended amount of fluids or protein ..every day will get a bit better hopefully .
Down 20 pounds in total ..feeling and seeing the loss too . Peter commented how small my face was getting yesterday ...lol .
I am NOT going to keep hopping on the scales every day ...once a week on a Monday only from now on .
Funny ..a week ago today I was heading into surgery feeling very scared and this morning I am sitting here feeling the sunshine on my face and starting to think about Spring .
I am glad to be here ...
Day 5 post op .
Mar 03, 2009
Tuesday afternoon ..am now day 5 post op .
I have been resting more today ...I did far too much yesterday and ended up paying for it . I started with bad gas pains and aches in my tummy and then had to keep rushing to the washroom with a very bad case of the runs .I think the whey protein powder shakes yesterday may have also caused the upset stomach last night .I know I am very dehydrated today and am struggling to get down more than a few sips of water at a time .I am through just one 500 ml bottle of water all day ..I am supposed to aim for around 64 ounces .
I am feeling empty and hungry but nothing really tastes nice ..today I had just a few little tea spoons of baby cereal ..yuch . I just cant face the protein shakes so wont be getting in the 90grams of protein today . I just want to rest my poor sore tummy .
I may make a light sugar free egg custard ..that does sound like it might go down .
I had a slow start this morning ..but am showered and dressed and able to walk about the condo doing light tasks . My tummy is still very bruised and a little swollen ..the 5 small incisions are healing nicely though .
I have lost a total of 19 pounds now since starting the Optifast . 11 pounds before surgery and 8 pounds in the last 5 days since my revision .
I am sleeping pretty well at night ..but had a dreadful nightmare last night . Woke myself up crying out and it took a while for me to realise what was reality and what wasnt .
Thanks for all the comments every one .
I think I am doing well on the whole .
Hugs
Linda x
2 comments
I have been resting more today ...I did far too much yesterday and ended up paying for it . I started with bad gas pains and aches in my tummy and then had to keep rushing to the washroom with a very bad case of the runs .I think the whey protein powder shakes yesterday may have also caused the upset stomach last night .I know I am very dehydrated today and am struggling to get down more than a few sips of water at a time .I am through just one 500 ml bottle of water all day ..I am supposed to aim for around 64 ounces .
I am feeling empty and hungry but nothing really tastes nice ..today I had just a few little tea spoons of baby cereal ..yuch . I just cant face the protein shakes so wont be getting in the 90grams of protein today . I just want to rest my poor sore tummy .
I may make a light sugar free egg custard ..that does sound like it might go down .
I had a slow start this morning ..but am showered and dressed and able to walk about the condo doing light tasks . My tummy is still very bruised and a little swollen ..the 5 small incisions are healing nicely though .
I have lost a total of 19 pounds now since starting the Optifast . 11 pounds before surgery and 8 pounds in the last 5 days since my revision .
I am sleeping pretty well at night ..but had a dreadful nightmare last night . Woke myself up crying out and it took a while for me to realise what was reality and what wasnt .
Thanks for all the comments every one .
I think I am doing well on the whole .
Hugs
Linda x
My surgery and hospital stay ...part two .
Mar 01, 2009
Out of the blackness I swim up into woozy conciousness ..'I am hurting' is the first thing I feel. Next .'.this is afterwards ..the surgery is done' ...I hear a nurse asking me what my pain is out of 10 and I tell her 8 ..she goes to get me some pain and nausea meds to put into my IV. I open my eyes and see blurry people and other trolleys with people coming around on . I am now really hurting a LOT ! I feel tremendous pain in my back and both shoulders ..I wonder who has been stamping on them ..I think my clavicles must be broken ..its awful . That is the gas that was pumped in to inflate my abdomen so the laprascopic surgery can be visualised easily by the team .I complain again ..then she gives me something in my IV . I keep drifting in and out and the pain and nausea is still bad .
I get wheeled up to the ward ..up in the elevator ..I try and speak to the porter ..he smiles and seems to understand my gibberish . My bed is pushed into place in a semi private room ..I can hear people talking behind the curtains seperating my bed from the lady next to me . We are the only 2 in the room ...she is from Jamaica and had a 5 pound fibroid removed today . She is sitting up eating ..the smell makes me feel even more sick ! My tummy is sore but the worst thing is the pain in my shoulders .
Peter is suddenly there ..he looks very relieved to see me and tells me the surgery went on from 12-30 to 4-30 . It is now just after 5 pm and no one had come to tell him how I was for all that time . He was getting worried that something had gone wrong .
I tell him the nurse in recovery has told me that everything went well ..he smiles .
I ask the male nurse for a hot pack for my shoulders ..he tells me that the pain will remain till my body absorbs the carbon dioxide ..I ask again and he finally gets me two hot packs . (I can be assertive you know !)They instantly give a good relief to my shoulders and I get out of bed to be helped to the toilet ..manage to pass water and then sit in the chair for a while . Every one is saying its incredible I am so mobile already . I can tell the difference from an open surgery ..the pain and difficulty moving is so much less . My surgery angel Tina calls and I speak to her ..she is amazed its me and that I sound so good . Peter gives me ice chips ..they feel so good on my dry parched throat . I let the cool water trickle down my throat ...nice .
I am now feeling tired and sit up in bed ..try a sip of water ..not an easy thing ..my throat feels blocked ..I manage a few tiny sips . I realise my internal anatomy is very changed around this point .The demerol is kicking in ...I am pleased I feel as good as I do ..pain down to about a 3 out of 10 . I speak to the boys on Peters cell phone ..they are all pleased its done and went ok .
Peter looks shattered ..he goes home around 8pm . He has to work tomorrow ...poor man .
I get my obs taken every couple of hours ..my bp is low ..my pulse is high ..nothing too unusual for this stage . I try rest but the woman next to me has visitors chatting and laughing loudly till around 9pm ..and visiting was over at 8pm . I quietly complain to the nurse in the end . I sleep for an hour or so at a time only ..my back is only mildly sore ..those hot packs really helped . I get myself up a couple of times to go to the wash room ..should have called a nurse to help me ..but they are nowhere to be seen between rounds . I get jabbed with heparin every 3 hours and regular pain meds in my IV ..this helps my pain a lot and makes me sleepy .
I get up and wash and manage to slip my own pajamas on around 6am ...I am determined to get discharged home asap .
The drs are pleased with me ..Dr Klein my surgeon bounces in around noon in his surgical scrubs and tells me is happy with how the revision to a full gastric bypass went . I ask him a few questions ..he says the pouch is a normal size ..yes he removed 2/3 of my old stomach from my body ..to prevent sepsis where he removed the silastic band and 8 rows of staples from the previous VBG surgery 6 years ago . Blood loss was minimal ...everything is good . My liver was healthy and no problem to work around . He warns me that a higher percentage of revisions develop a stricture at about 2/3 weeks out and If I get one he will perform a baloon dilatation around 6 weeks to loosen the scar tissue at the base of the pouch .Not a nice thing to look forwards to ..I am really hoping this complication doesnt occur .
Peter calls me , Sandy calls me and Eva . We chat ...then Sandy drops by around 11am ..then Janet and Diane ..Krys also visits me ..a nice surprise .Peter comes straight from work ..he looks exhausted ...but very happy to be next to me . Christine arrives with a huge arrangement of beautiful spring flowers around 6 pm ..she is her usual very chatty self and actually over tires me because she stays a looong time ..doesnt leave till almost 9pm . I feel a tad upset she didnt see how tired I was getting . I am struggling to get even sips of water in by this point ..and throw up bloody mucus in the bathroom ..the nurse ushers her out and gives me more pain meds and later tells me my pulse was over 100 and my colour pale ..she is worried about me ..I am too . She gives me extra drugs and sits and explains about using tiny measuring cups to get my water in ..after a little sleep it does seem a lot easier that way .
I sleep a little better on night two .
I am hoping for home in the morning ...
2 comments
I get wheeled up to the ward ..up in the elevator ..I try and speak to the porter ..he smiles and seems to understand my gibberish . My bed is pushed into place in a semi private room ..I can hear people talking behind the curtains seperating my bed from the lady next to me . We are the only 2 in the room ...she is from Jamaica and had a 5 pound fibroid removed today . She is sitting up eating ..the smell makes me feel even more sick ! My tummy is sore but the worst thing is the pain in my shoulders .
Peter is suddenly there ..he looks very relieved to see me and tells me the surgery went on from 12-30 to 4-30 . It is now just after 5 pm and no one had come to tell him how I was for all that time . He was getting worried that something had gone wrong .
I tell him the nurse in recovery has told me that everything went well ..he smiles .
I ask the male nurse for a hot pack for my shoulders ..he tells me that the pain will remain till my body absorbs the carbon dioxide ..I ask again and he finally gets me two hot packs . (I can be assertive you know !)They instantly give a good relief to my shoulders and I get out of bed to be helped to the toilet ..manage to pass water and then sit in the chair for a while . Every one is saying its incredible I am so mobile already . I can tell the difference from an open surgery ..the pain and difficulty moving is so much less . My surgery angel Tina calls and I speak to her ..she is amazed its me and that I sound so good . Peter gives me ice chips ..they feel so good on my dry parched throat . I let the cool water trickle down my throat ...nice .
I am now feeling tired and sit up in bed ..try a sip of water ..not an easy thing ..my throat feels blocked ..I manage a few tiny sips . I realise my internal anatomy is very changed around this point .The demerol is kicking in ...I am pleased I feel as good as I do ..pain down to about a 3 out of 10 . I speak to the boys on Peters cell phone ..they are all pleased its done and went ok .
Peter looks shattered ..he goes home around 8pm . He has to work tomorrow ...poor man .
I get my obs taken every couple of hours ..my bp is low ..my pulse is high ..nothing too unusual for this stage . I try rest but the woman next to me has visitors chatting and laughing loudly till around 9pm ..and visiting was over at 8pm . I quietly complain to the nurse in the end . I sleep for an hour or so at a time only ..my back is only mildly sore ..those hot packs really helped . I get myself up a couple of times to go to the wash room ..should have called a nurse to help me ..but they are nowhere to be seen between rounds . I get jabbed with heparin every 3 hours and regular pain meds in my IV ..this helps my pain a lot and makes me sleepy .
I get up and wash and manage to slip my own pajamas on around 6am ...I am determined to get discharged home asap .
The drs are pleased with me ..Dr Klein my surgeon bounces in around noon in his surgical scrubs and tells me is happy with how the revision to a full gastric bypass went . I ask him a few questions ..he says the pouch is a normal size ..yes he removed 2/3 of my old stomach from my body ..to prevent sepsis where he removed the silastic band and 8 rows of staples from the previous VBG surgery 6 years ago . Blood loss was minimal ...everything is good . My liver was healthy and no problem to work around . He warns me that a higher percentage of revisions develop a stricture at about 2/3 weeks out and If I get one he will perform a baloon dilatation around 6 weeks to loosen the scar tissue at the base of the pouch .Not a nice thing to look forwards to ..I am really hoping this complication doesnt occur .
Peter calls me , Sandy calls me and Eva . We chat ...then Sandy drops by around 11am ..then Janet and Diane ..Krys also visits me ..a nice surprise .Peter comes straight from work ..he looks exhausted ...but very happy to be next to me . Christine arrives with a huge arrangement of beautiful spring flowers around 6 pm ..she is her usual very chatty self and actually over tires me because she stays a looong time ..doesnt leave till almost 9pm . I feel a tad upset she didnt see how tired I was getting . I am struggling to get even sips of water in by this point ..and throw up bloody mucus in the bathroom ..the nurse ushers her out and gives me more pain meds and later tells me my pulse was over 100 and my colour pale ..she is worried about me ..I am too . She gives me extra drugs and sits and explains about using tiny measuring cups to get my water in ..after a little sleep it does seem a lot easier that way .
I sleep a little better on night two .
I am hoping for home in the morning ...
My surgery day .part 1 .
Feb 28, 2009
I'm home from the hospital as of yesterday . The revision surgery went well ...I did very well acording to the surgeon and the nurses . I am day three post op today and feeling very weak and sore but glad to have slept in my own bed last night .I am managing to get down sips of fluids but will be on just fluids for the next 2 weeks and then puree ..small amounts of normal foods in a month from now .My tummy is swollen and bruised and it feels like I have been run over by a double decker bus ..but the gas pains arent too bad and am managing with out painkillers since coming home yesterday .
Let me go back in time and share some of the gory details ...
Day of surgery ..Thursday 26th Feb ...slept surprisingly well . Nil by mouth from midnight ..the last thing I had by mouth was a chocolate flavour optifast shake at 11pm . I was feeling extremely hungry ..and have been for the 2 week liquid fast .But down 11 pounds and feeling the benefits already .
I woke up feeling dread but also happy the big day had finally arrived . Its a weird feeling ..it seems unbelievable that in an hour you are going to leave home , drive to the hospital and have major surgery ..not like a regular day at all . I spent a little while online ..then showered and off we went . Peter did the usual morning chores ...I had a tear when saying goodbye to Charles who was still sleepy from working till late the night before .It was a bright sunny morning ..traffic was moving well . We got there for 10am and went up to day surgery on the 5th floor ..I was processed through admin /then the nurse /checked over /put into a gown and cap /Peter stayed with me . Then we waited with other nervous pre ops and their loved ones in a waiting room till a nurse came for each of us and we were taken in the elevator to the pre op and OR room .My surgery was delayed by about 30 minutes ..the anaesthetist was a lady and was very kind ..she came out to talk to me before they walked me into the Operating room . I cried when I turned to leave Peter ..its a scary time indeed .Gulp ..
The OR was huge and full of gowned nurses preparing tables and trays of instruments and packs ..lots of gleaming stainless steel and rubber tubing on view ..plus a huge screen over the operating table for the doctors to watch while they do the Laparascopic surgery .My heart was beating fast and I told them it was a scary sight to be met with ..the nurse was very nice and held my hand after getting me positioned on the operating table and got me a warm blanket to stop my shivers ..then the two anaesthetists arrived and my surgeon who was pleasant but very business like but he reassured me and I told him good luck !
The aneasthetist started the IV and placed a rubber mask over my mouth and told me to relax and breathe deeply . In about 20 seconds I felt the drugs starting to buzz and yet it took about 30 seconds to go off to sleep . I said .."I am still here' ..and grasped the nurses hand tightly ...then blackness ..
To be continued ..
0 comments
Let me go back in time and share some of the gory details ...
Day of surgery ..Thursday 26th Feb ...slept surprisingly well . Nil by mouth from midnight ..the last thing I had by mouth was a chocolate flavour optifast shake at 11pm . I was feeling extremely hungry ..and have been for the 2 week liquid fast .But down 11 pounds and feeling the benefits already .
I woke up feeling dread but also happy the big day had finally arrived . Its a weird feeling ..it seems unbelievable that in an hour you are going to leave home , drive to the hospital and have major surgery ..not like a regular day at all . I spent a little while online ..then showered and off we went . Peter did the usual morning chores ...I had a tear when saying goodbye to Charles who was still sleepy from working till late the night before .It was a bright sunny morning ..traffic was moving well . We got there for 10am and went up to day surgery on the 5th floor ..I was processed through admin /then the nurse /checked over /put into a gown and cap /Peter stayed with me . Then we waited with other nervous pre ops and their loved ones in a waiting room till a nurse came for each of us and we were taken in the elevator to the pre op and OR room .My surgery was delayed by about 30 minutes ..the anaesthetist was a lady and was very kind ..she came out to talk to me before they walked me into the Operating room . I cried when I turned to leave Peter ..its a scary time indeed .Gulp ..
The OR was huge and full of gowned nurses preparing tables and trays of instruments and packs ..lots of gleaming stainless steel and rubber tubing on view ..plus a huge screen over the operating table for the doctors to watch while they do the Laparascopic surgery .My heart was beating fast and I told them it was a scary sight to be met with ..the nurse was very nice and held my hand after getting me positioned on the operating table and got me a warm blanket to stop my shivers ..then the two anaesthetists arrived and my surgeon who was pleasant but very business like but he reassured me and I told him good luck !
The aneasthetist started the IV and placed a rubber mask over my mouth and told me to relax and breathe deeply . In about 20 seconds I felt the drugs starting to buzz and yet it took about 30 seconds to go off to sleep . I said .."I am still here' ..and grasped the nurses hand tightly ...then blackness ..
To be continued ..
About Me
Toronto, XX
Location
29.1
BMI
Surgery
02/26/2009
Surgery Date
Aug 26, 2005
Member Since
