Sheila C.
Nov 18th
Have seen Dr Starr and have been given a surgery date of July 6/06
Feb 9/06
Saw the social worker and the nutritionist at Humber River Hospital on Finch west Toronto
April 18th 06
Went to Humber today for a required nutrition class, it lasted about an hr and half. Real boring.
June 12th 06
I went for my pro op screening and internist appts today. Pre screening consisted of a chest xray, ecg, and blood work as well as a short talk with the nurse. All was very pleasant. The appt with the internist (Dr Glazer) wasnt quite as pleasant. He asked me some questions then asked me to jump up on the table and he listened to my heart. He thinks he heard a murmer. I now have an appt to go for an ultrasound on my heart on June 22nd.
June 21st 2006
Today I went to see Dr Starr for my last pre surgery visit. When I first started looking into WLS in 2005 I weighed 335lbs. By the time I saw the dietician in Mar 06 I was down to 316.5. Today when Dr Starr weighed me I was 310.6 lbs, needless to say he was happy about this. Tomorrow I start OPTIFAST. Not looking forward to it but it is something I need to do to shrink my liver and get ready for surgery. I know I can do this, so I will. I asked Dr Starr how many times he has performed the RNY and he said 30 times. I will be # 33. Damn I'm real excited now.
June 22nd 2006
1st day on Optifast. Not as bad as I expected it to be. Guess it was just all the hype here listening to others who dont like it. I think it taste like choc cake batter or choc pudding. I dont think it will be too bad for me. I also went to have my heart ultrasound today. Not very much fun, and comparable to a mamogram. I really dont think the lady who performed this test was very experienced as it took her an hour and she still wasnt happy with the pics she got. Oh well, it's behind me now. Just the results left to deal with and I wont get them until next week. I am hoping they wont delay or postpone my surgery since I have stared my Optifast and I only have 14 more sleeps to go. Even more excited than yesterday!!
July 5th
Wow only one day left, actually 15hrs. I am getting very nervous now. Today my husband had to ask where I keep all the important papers and such. (just in case) I really got thinking after that and got all weepy.He doesnt know but I have written a letter to him and put it in my hosp bag just in case better to be prepared. I will rip it up tomorrow nite and never give it to him. I think I have done and remembered everything. Everyone here and on OSSG boards are wishing me so much support. My family and friends are also calling with good wishes and suppport. I feel very fortunate to have all this support, I know not everyone has this support and for them this must be very hard. Well thats about it for now. May have more thoughts later on.
July 6th The Big Day
Well today is the big day. I arrive at Humber River Hosp at approx 6:50am thinking my surgery is still set for 8:00am. I go to check in and all the comotion begins, it seems my surgery was pushed up to 7:00 and someone forgot to call and tell me. The nurse starts yelling at me for being late and telling me they are waiting for me on the OR. They rush me around getting me ready and in my fancy OR outfit. My husband is asked to wait for me in the waiting area and we hardly have time to say see ya later. I'm sure he was worried. They rush me to the OR where the nurse there is mad I dont have an IV in yet so she gets one started. Everyone was already there except me. The anesthesiologist asks me a few questions and Dr Starr says hello and asks if I have any questions. Feeling bad for holding everyone up I say no questions. The next thing I know the mask is coming down and he says you are going to be asleep in 10 seconds....... 10,9,8 thats it I'm out. I dont think I woke up in the recovery room at all because the first thing I remember is waking up in my room with my husband standing there looking very worried. He tells me the first thing I said was I hurt, the second thing was did I have Lap or open? Relieved he tells me I had lap. I ring my call bell and ask for pain meds. This was the one and only time they gave me my pain meds on first request. My husband stayed for the rest of the day and kept me company. I had him take a couple of pics of me to remember the first moments after surgery. Finally night comes and I sleep pretty good but wake up feeling sick.
July 7th
Early in the morn the nurse comes in and gives me a meds cup with my pills and a little cup of water, not thinking I toss all the 5 pills back and take a drink. The next thing I knew I was in so much pain I could hardly stand it. I thought for sure I had a leak. All that day I begged for pain meds which came slowly as it seems I had the worst nurses in the place. Later in the Day Dr Starr came and was worried about how I was feeling and sent me for a CT scan to see if I had a leak. Thank god no leak. I think the whole problem was the nurse gave me those pills like that and they got stuck and caused great pain. After that I was told nothing by mouth until the next day. My next pills were mashed up in sugar free jam (yuk) still very bitter. I had company that day but I'm afraid I wasnt very pleasant as t he pain was too much. At about midnite the nurse said I was running a fever and she was concerned. She got a couple of pillow cases and put bags of ice in them and placed them one on each side of me, and placed cold wet cloths on my head, neck, and arms. I never saw her again until about 6:30 am just before her shift was over.
July 8th
In the mean time I am awake and wet and freezing. I buzz for my nurse and another nurse comes in and says she is filling in while my nurse is on break. I tell her my bed is wet from the ice and she says no your just cold. I tell her yes I am cold but my bad IS wet. Finally she checks and sees it is. She is not happy she has to change my bed. Finally I'm back in bed and my nurse comes in looking like she just woke up (break eh?). She takes me temp and goes home. I wake up again at about 9am and the girl in the bed across from me says there are puddles under my bed. Duh the nusre who made up my bed during the night left the bags of ice under the bed. I call the day nurse and tell ehr and she says I dont do housekeeping sorry. I told her if I get up and fall in the water someone will be in trouble, reluctantly she returns with some bed pads and throws thwm on the floor to absorb the water. helps a little. Later I see a housekeeping lady and tell her about the puddles, she says I dont work in these rooms. Too much, does anyone in this place actually work? Later this day I am buzzing and buzzing trying to get pain mads and they are ignoring me. Finally I buzz and say "do I have to call downstairs to Admin to get a nurse in here". Finally someone comes and gives me pain meds. Now I guess I have made enemies with the nurses as no one wants to help me now. I HATE HUMBER RIVER HOSPITAL!!!!!! If you dont want to work with sick people get out of the business!! Again I have a fever in the evening and they order some pennicilin for me. All day and night lab people are coming and taking blood samples and urine. I am sent for a chest XRay too. I am never told of any results of all these tests.
July 9th
Dr starr comes in the morning to see me and says if I go 24 hrs without a fever I can go home. I can also have some clear fluids today. Luckily they all go down no probs. Damn I hope I dont get a fever tonite. Another day of begging for a nurse to bring pain meds. Lots of company thankfully someone who is nice to me. Did I mention I HATE HUMBER RIVER HOSP? Evening comes and I have a very low grade fever but I am not feeling so much pain. I bet those bitch nurses are glad they dont have to help me at all now. For the rest of the night I take care of myself. I even got up and took a walk downstairs and got a Tea at Tim Hortons. It was heaven!! Finally I sleep.
July 10th
Dr starr comes in the morning and says I can go home. THANK GOD. 1 more day there and I would need a straight jacket. HUMBER SUX!!!
Jan 13th 2007
I know I havent posted for some time, but I never know what to say. I am really loving having this weight off. I am now 6 months post op and and have lost 100lbs so far but now the weight loss has really slowed down. I still have another 60 lbs to take off. Over the holidays I gained 5lbs ouch. I find now I can eat most anything, and I have never dumped. This scares me. The head hunger usually gets the best of me and I feel terribly guilty afterwards. Thankfully I still have probs with bread, cause this was my biggest downfall pre-op. The one thing I am most happy with is being able to wear jeans again. FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS!!!!
Jan 31/07
I am feeling pretty good these days. The weight loss is still slow but I have recovered from the holiday weight gain and am down the 5 I gained plus 3 more. Total lost 108lbs. WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO. Got a new job. Things are good.
January 15th 2008
I am a little dissapointed not to have gotten under 200lbs, but I am still grateful with where I am. I am now thinking it may be time for a Panni. I really wanted to try wait to save for a full Tummy Tuck, but saving money is not my strong point. I am looking for a plastic surgeon in or around Hamilton Ontario that will work with OHIP. Will update once I have any new info.
