RudynSuzie

Send Message

Block

Add Friend

So, I flew home 3 days ago on Wednesday and it's so good to be back!! My experience in Puerto Vallarta was wonderful and I hope I get to go back some day with my family.

The flight home was great, my parents upgraded my seat to First Class and it made all the difference.  I was so comfortable.  My husband was there to meet me and it was so good to see him and hug him and KISS him!! 

The last few days I've been busy at home.  I got my stitches removed yesterday, and everything looks good.  The nurse even said the doctor who did stitches did a really good job and there will be minimal scarring.  Yay!!

I apparantly brought the nice weather home with me because it might get up to 90 this weekend.  Woohoo!!

Today is my first day of introducing full liquids to my diet, and it's great!  I had a few onces of my protein drink this morning, and then this afternoon I blended up some Healthy Choice Chicken Noodle soup, diluted it with chicken broth and water, and it was delicious.  And it seems to be sitting fine. 

I haven't been feeling hungry.  I try and always have water or apple juice close by.  My treat right now is frozen apple juice, yum.  I was just putting it in a cup in the freezer, and then letting it sit out to thaw for about an hour.  Then I use a spoon and eat the icy treat.  However last night I decided to put the apple juice in ice cube trays and freeze it that way, then I take a few apple juice ice cubes and some apple juice out of the fridge and blend it up...much easier to eat/drink and much quicker.

Well, I've got some other stuff to do now, so I will check back in later.  Hope everyone else is doing well!!

-Suzie

I am now 6 days post-op and feeling great.  2 other women are here in Puerto Vallarta who had the Gastric Sleeve.  The just got out of the hospital yesterday and are now back at the hotel.  We are waiting for our doctor to come and do a check up on us and then we're headed to the Flea Market.  It should be fun.

So, I did the dye test on Friday, YUK!! But it was cool to watch on
the ultra sound type machine...to see the liquid going into my new
stomach and down into my intestines...that was pretty neat. What a
visual image!! But YUK!!

Later that day I got ice and juice, YUMMO!! And then I finally got to
go to the bathroom...it's just weird to not had to go #2 for 4 days.
Anyhow, later in the afternoon, I got my drain pouch/tube removed,
what a weird feeling! But I was so glad to have it off. And then a
little later, I got my IV removed. That was nice. I hated having
something attached to my hand, and having to push the IV bag holder
thing around. I mean It was all fine, I dealt with it, but this was
the longest stay I've had in a hospital and I was ready to not have
all that stuff attached to me.

Then, yesterday, I was released around Noon. That was a great
feeling. I got to the hotel, got checked in, relaxed a bit. Oh, and
before I even came to my room, I stopped at the lobby bar and got one
of those lime popcicles...YUMMY! I let it melt in a cup and diluted a
little with water, but it turned out to be like a slushy...it was
good! I plan on having another maybe this afternoon. Anyhow, after I
relaxed a bit, and waited for housekeeping to bring the foam pad for
my bed, I headed to Walmart.

Someone had posted to bring your own gauze, like the 4inch square kind
because the Walmart here wouldn't have any, so I did, I brought 4 inch
guaze pads, big and regular size bandaids and medical tape. So this
is what I bought at Walmart...which let me say, was no easy task
because EVERYTHING was in SPANISH!! I just figured with it being a
Walmart, it would be easy, but not so much!!

Sugar Free Jello
Apple Juice
Chicken Bollion Cubes (I don't know how to spell that)
Bottled Water
Plastic Spoons
Small Styrofoam Ice Chest

Now, that was the stuff I got that I NEEDED, but of course, I got way
more then what I needed. When I walked down through the lobby I
thought there would be hot water like for tea or something that I
would be able to make my chicken broth with and I didn't see any, so
when I was at Walmart I looked for a hot plate, like a kid would have
in a dorm room or something and I didn't see one. I look at Walmart
back home before I came and couldn't find one either. But, I did find
this cute, single cup coffee maker...I got it and it works great. I
put in water, let it be steamed an just threw the bollion cube in the
cup when all the hot water had come out. I aslo bought sunscreen
because I forgot to bring any and I plan on being outside a lot. And
then, I loaded up on souvineers. (Sorry for the spelling, my spell
check doesn't seemt to working, and I'm LOST without it!!) Now, I
think I'm going to have go back and buy a duffle bag to get all the
stuff home that I bought. And I know my shopping isn't done because I
plan on going to the flea market because everyone has raved about it.

Anyhow, this is the morning of day 5 being post-op, I'm sitting in my
4th floor, beach front room at the resort, watching parasailers and
jetskiers go by, and listing to the waves rolling in. It's wonderful.
What a beautiful, sereen setting to spend recovery in.

This experience has been far better then I ever could have imagined.
The Doctors were wonderful, the nursing staff top notch. I even made
it a point to find Yolanda before I checked out of the hospital to
give her a hug goodbye. She was the one who took care of me mostly
during the first 3 days. She is such a caring person, and a wonderful
nurse, I want to take her home with me!!

I have 3 days left here in PV and I plan to make the most of it. I
have a few rendevous' set up with some gals I met in the hospital and
some that are flying in soon.

I'm so glad I did this, I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to have my
parents be able to pay for me to come, and that my famiy has supported
me. I can't wait to start loosing the weight and changing into the
new woman I'll become. It's amazing how many new opportunities and
experiences I'm going to be able to enjoy just by loosing weight!! I
can't wait!!

-Suzie

I'm doing very well!!  Just got released from the hospital and am back at the hotel for 4 days before I fly home.  I love OH!!  I'm meeting so many people and learning so much from this website.  Yay!!

I'm on day 4 of my 10 day stay here in PV.  Things are still going great.   I've met two other people here, and there is one more I'm waiting to run into.  I just have to say, THANK GOD FOR MY FAMILY.  They only reason why they aren't all here by my side is because we couldn't afford it.  But they are by my side in spirit and I have been talking with them many times a day since I left home.  Two of the gals I spoke with said their families are upset with them for doing this, or that they just didn't tell them at all.  I know that I'm physically down here by myself, but emotionally and spiritually I'm not alone, and I don't know how I would ever get through something like this if it weren't for my family.  I feel very blessed.

I woke up about 12 hours ago, talked to the family, did some walking, used the bathroom, then went back to sleep.  I just got out of the shower and did some more walking.  I'm doing very well.  Not in any pain, just have that bloated feeling from the gas...but that feeling is almost gone now.  Going to lay back down for another nap.

Hey ya'll!!  I made it PV!!  Arrived yesterday afternoon, it's beautiful here!  I'm getting ready to check out of the hotel, which is nice also. 

I'll look forward to posting more as soon as I can.  Talk to ya'll soon.

-Suzie

So I was on www.vitalady.com and there was a suggestion for making protein shakes taste a little better.  I'm on my 7th day now, and I've practically had to start gagging them down, ugh.  I got a strawberry flavored kind and it is very chalky and not so great anymore.  

So the tip was to get vanilla flavored protein powder and mix it with Diet Orange soda or Diet Root Beer soda.  I'm not a soda drinker...maybe an occasional Root Beer or Dr. Pepper, and Orange is okay too, but I've never cared for any diet soda.  But I thought why not, I need something a little tastier to make it through the next week.

I went to Costco and found a WAY cheaper proteinn powder, the strawberry one I got a healthy food/vitamin/nutrition store.  It was 20 servings for $50, what they heck was I thinking!!  And...the serving sizes are 40g of protein.  Maybe that's why I was having a hard time getting them down.  I've since learned that we can really only digest about 30g of protein per meal, and about 60g of protein per day is recommended.

So, the stuff I got at costco, it is called Premium Protien, and it's a 6 pound resealable bag.  It has about 27g of protein per serving.  It was only $35.99.  There are about 78 servings in the bag, so that breaks down to less then .50 cents per drink.  Compared to the $2.50 per drink I paid at the nutrition store, I'm happy as a clam.  

I also got some diet orange soda and diet root beer, and I'm LOVING IT!!  It's like having a root beer float or an Orange dream.  If you blend it in a blender the blender gets rid of the carbonation.  If you use a shaker, let the soda go flat and then mix it.  Yumm-o.

The next week will be a breeze!!  I really love coffee flavored drinks, like mochas and frappaccinos, expeically caramel and chai flavors, or BUTTER RUM, yum.  Does anyone out there have any tips about how to make a protein drink taste like that?

Talk to ya'll later,

Suzie
Bypass scheduled June 17th

Someone recommended http://www.vitalady.com, I was just browsing around her site when I found this:

Copied with permission, I thought it might help some fresh post-ops or about to be reaffirm their reasons for having this done. This patient belongs to Dr. Marcus' support group in the MD-DC area. Barbara and her sister sat down one day and devised this list to help her decide to go ahead with her surgery. It is so powerful that again that I want to share it. Please pass it on as you see fit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making a Decision
By Barbara Cummings

   1. When was the last time you shopped in a regular clothing store, like Hoechst's?
   2. When was the last time you wore size 8 underpants?
   3. Do you have more than 1 belt in your drawer that you have never worn?
   4. Can you shower in the communal room at the local health club?
   5. Can you swim? Do you? With normal sized people?
   6. Could you take an aerobics class and stay to the end?
   7. When was the last time you rode a roller coaster?
   8. When you fly, do you have to ask for a seat belt extension?
   9. Does your car seat belt cut you across your neck?
  10. When was the last time you could wear "one size fits most?"
  11. 11. When you go upstairs, does your heart pound until you think it's going
      to jump out of your chest? Does it hurt?
  12. Can you climb a flight of stairs without pain in your knees? Two flights?
  13. Have you ever looked longingly at people using scooters in Wal-Mart?
  14. When was the last time you went to the beach? In a bathing suit? To swim? And not thought people were looking at you?
  15. Do you buy your clothes in a department store, or is Lane Bryan, Dress Barn Woman, Fashion Bug Plus, and Roman's the stores you go to?
  16. When was the last time you had on sexy underwear?
  17. Is your neck bigger than most people's heads?
  18. Is your leg bigger than most people's waists?
  19. Have you run out of diet solutions, having tried every one of them in the past, only to fail?
  20. If you had a medical emergency, would the paramedics have to struggle to get you into the rescue vehicle? Could they perform CPR on you, or, because of your fat, would they have to use paddles?
  21. Have you ever cried because of you are overweight?
  22. Have you ever lost a partner or spouse because you are overweight?
  23. Have you ever lost a job because you are overweight?
  24. Have you ever been denied a job or promotion because of your size?
  25. Have you ever gone into therapy for weight related problems like depression or sexual dysfunction?
  26. Was the therapist overweight and struggling, or was s/he normal weight, with no idea what you were going through?
  27. Have you ever been in therapy, only to find that you're listening more to the therapist's problems than yours?
  28. Have you ever taken more than one prescription drug for weight control?
  29. If there were a fire in your building and you were on the fifth floor, would you be able to go down the stairs in less than three minutes?
  30. Do you have health problems related to overweight -- like diabetes, arthritis, knee or hip joint pain, heart palpitations, irregular heart beat, etc.,
  31. Do you think a thyroid pill will help all your problems?
  32. Can you look at yourself naked in the mirror, or do you avert your eyes?
  33. When was the last time someone other than your partner/husband/wife/children told you that you were beautiful? Pretty? Pleasingly plump? Any compliment about your appearance at all? Lately?
  34. Can you still fit behind the wheel of a car without pushing the seat way, way back? Would you consider it dangerous to ride with a driver who can't reach the pedals? Can you reach them easily?
  35. Do the seats in your chairs and sofas have indentations where you sit? Do you crush the seat cushions wherever you sit? Has anyone ever asked you not to sit on a chair? Did you understand that it was because you might break it?
  36. If you were asked to go sailing, could you?
  37. Does your greatest night out (date) consist of an "all you can eat" restaurant?
  38. Can you fit comfortably in the seats at your local theater?
  39. Can you slide easily into a booth at a restaurant?
  40. Can you clean yourself thoroughly after normal bodily functions?
  41. Can you sit without your knees bowing out to the side?
  42. When was the last time you crossed your legs?
  43. When was the last time you tied your shoes without sitting down? Do you ever call your husband/wife/children to help tie your shoes?
  44. Does your shoe wardrobe consist mostly of slip-ins?
  45. Do you ever wonder where the beauty and joy went?
  46. When was the last time you DIDN'T wear queen/king size?
  47. Have children ever been afraid of you? What about your grandchildren? Do they run to hug you, or do they hang back? Did you ever consider that it might be because your weight overwhelms or frightens them?
  48. Do you want to be there when your children have grandchildren? Do you want to be able to play with them, really play with them?
  49. Could you buy a fancy, beautiful mother-of-the-bride dress, and be comfortable in it? Would you look gorgeous in it?
  50. When was the last time you could cuddle a child IN YOUR LAP?
  51. Has your son or daughter had to fight a kid because they called you fatty?
  52. If your child were your size, would you be okay with it, or would you do whatever you could to help him/her achieve a normal weight? Including surgery? If so, why not you? Don't you deserve what your child deserves?
  53. Do you fear the surgery? If you do, do you also fear: Amputation? (It's in the cards.) Kidney failure? (Wait. It's coming.) Heart attack? (At your weight, you probably won't make it.) Stroke? (Reduced blood flow in overweight people and high blood pressure -- it's a probability.) A wheelchair existence? ('Nuff said.) A really short life span? (Almost guaranteed)

So, the opportunity has presented itself for me to have the bypass surgery in Puerto Vallarta on June 16th.  I've begun my personal journey and know this will but such a life changing experience.  I am looking forward to using this OH blog to keep a history of my journey.  I look forward to meeting people who have gone through or who will go through what I'm doing.  It's nice to know I'm not alone.

I started my protein shakes on Monday...I have to admit, I've already fudged twice, but very minimally.  I know I can do this.