Rachelle Buck

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Well, it's my first day back to work and it sure is an adjustment. I had a bad night last night since I had a headache and decided to take my supplements whole instead of crushing them. Well, I have learned that even though the doc says it's now OK for me to do so, my body doesn't agree! It felt like knives in my stomach for the better part of an hour, so I learned my lesson. From now on I will continue to crush/chew/pour my medicine and then take it, because the pain was not worth it!

Gotta get back to work - had 2500+ emails when I first logged on so I've still got a long way to go to getting everything back to normal!

I'm doing really well! I just hopped on the scale this morning and am at 269 so I've lost 65lbs since I started this journey; 44 pre-op and 21 post-op. I took a full 6 week leave of absence and will be back to work next Tuesday. It seemed so long at the start and now it's hard to believe the time has already passed by!

I'm being very diligent with taking my proteins and  supplements 3 times a day and have started eating "soft" foods once or twice a day. Tonight I actually have dinner plans with my girl friends and am so excited! I really feel like I eat for nourishment now instead of for comfort like before. I still struggle with the sweet craving in the evening after dinner, but have found that a sugar-free popsicle or a small carton of Fiber One/Yoplait yogurt does the trick.

I still have 100+ lbs to lose, so I haven't noticed any major body changes so far, although I have had to clean my closet out a couple of times and have bags of clothes to get rid of sitting in the garage. Really, I think the biggest change so far for me has to do with my attitude. After living so long with no hope, I finally feel like I have hope! I have a renewed outlook on life and am so excited to continue shrinking and have a chance to do all the things that I couldn't do for so long. We even have a trip to the Big Island booked for December and I plan to have a blast and be excited to get into shorts, tank tops, and maybe even a swimsuit for the first time in 10+ years!

I'm trying to do 2 WLS support group meetings each month; 1 at Vitalady in Puyallup (2nd Tuesday & Wednesday of each month) and 1 at the Summit Library in Tacoma (4th Monday of each month). I'm just trying really hard to do everything right so I don't lose out on this window of opportunity to maximize my initial weight loss. When you've tried and failed to lose & keep the weight off so many times, there's always that nagging fear that it will happen again. So this time I have made a committment to myself to remain diligent and perservere!

Best of luck to all of us!!!!!

Well, I just passed my 1 month post-op date on 6/18. I am feeling really good but am still working on getting used to my new insides and what they can/can't tolerate. Unfortunately, the weight isn't coming off post-surgery as quickly as I thought it would. I have "only" lost 16 lbs since my surgery which is a bit disappointing considering that I'm not taking in hardly any calories and am following all of the doctor's instructions. The one thing I do need to work on is adding more exercise back into my lifestyle and I was just cleared for all exercise at my last doctor appointment. I keep telling myself not to get discouraged or frustrated, but when nothing else has ever worked for me in my life, it's hard not to worry that I'll be the one that the surgery doesn't work for. I've head that 2-3 months out is when I should really start to see some significant weight loss with the bypass. So I am just trying to focus on the successes, even if they are small, and not get too discouraged or too wrapped up in the scale. I'm going to do my 1 month postop photos and measurements today, so hopefully they will help me see the progress a bit more because sometimes it's easy to lose sight of it when I see myself every day and don't see the changes. Part of what I need to work on is my distorted body image since I have never seen myself as I actually appear. So I find that photos actually help me with that distortion because they allow me to really see myself since what I see inside myself and in the mirror doesn't usually match with what's really there.

May 26

I just had my 1 week follow-up today and they said everything's as it should be. I get to slowly add protein shakes back into my clear liquid diet and will be on that for the next 3 weeks when I can slowly introduce soft foods. The protein should help give me enough energy to start walking on the treadmill each day which will help with healing & weight loss. Since the start of this process I'm down a total of 53lbs which is exciting! Now that I'm healing and starting to feel better, the biggest challenge will be to make sure that i don't do too much too soon!

 

I should have some pictures to update my websites soon so that everyone can see my progress since everyone has said that the changes in the upcoming months will be significant!

I've got quite a few full body photos of me at my heaviest in 2009 and I didn't get my measurements at my heaviest but did take them pre-surgery. I also took photos post-op already, including ones of my hugely swollen belly which I don't want to look at now but I'm sure I'll appreciate later for the scrapbook! Everyone I've talked to emphasizes how important it is to track weight, measurements, body fat, BMI, & to take pictures at least each month. So i am going to be sure I do all of this for posterity appreciation.

I have my post-op appt with Dr Oh on Weds and am anxious to see him. I'm sure that everything is normal, but I still have so much pain, gas, and bloating swelling that it's hard to feel very "normal". I've been taking my pain meds regularly & found that I don't need an alarm reminder because I'm ready for them after 4 hours and can't sleep much more than 4 hours at a stretch because of the abdominal discomfort and lower back pain. Mine never travelled up into my chest/shoulder like they warned, but I've got extreme persistent pain in my lower back-especially focused on the left side which makes it impossible to ever get comfortable.

 

Anyway, I keep reminding myself that this is what I chose and that every day it will get a bit better. I've been walking around the house for 15-30 minutes every 1-3 hrs and it does help. I hope to be able to start out slowly on the treadmill this week but right now just don't have the energy for it.

It really helps to have the well wishes, wisdom and support of so many caring people. The support really makes all the difference and helps me to remember that I'm not going through this alone!

Hi All,
I just wanted to thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers through my surgery. I came through everything and am now home and am slowly on the mend. The first night in the hospital was a little rough in terms of getting my pain and nausea under control, but at about 18 hours post surgery I was feeling much better. I was discharged 24 hours after my surgery was over and have been home now for a little over a day. I've had some help at home, but actually haven't really needed it since there's not much to do other than walk every couple of hours and keep hydrated and on top of my pain meds. The biggest thing I needed help with yesterday when I got home were my pets (my hubby & I have 3 pugs that are our "kids"), but now that they realize they have to be gentle around me, I'm even able to care for them again now. So there is some discomfort still, but I've set my alarm to go off every 4 hours so that I get my pain meds regularly and that's really helped. So far I've only had water and powerade zero to drink, but I actually feel a bit hungry so might try out some chicken broth for "dinner" tonight! Overall, it wasn't really that scary at all, more just a matter of managing pain and nausea and being an advocate for myself while in the hospital.

This has been such a long journey that it's strange to know that I've finally made it through the surgery! It's somewhat surreal and so exciting to be starting on this new chapter in my life and I have only a positive outlook and optimism for what the future holds. I feel more than ever that this was the right decision for me and I'm so excited to see the changes and move forward with a healthier me. Thanks and love to you all!
Rachelle

My pre-surgery blog wouldn't be complete without a big shoutout to all of you who have been there for me over the past years and months. Thank goodness for my loving and patient husband and for all of my caring friends and family. I couldn't have done this without you all! Your thoughts and prayers mean the world to me and have really helped to provide me with the strength I need to continue this journey and ensure it's success. I appreciate every one of you, your warm thoughts, kind words, and loving hearts. Without this support network I couldn't get through this and maintain such a positive attitude. Each one of you is critical to my success and I look forward to continued relationships with all of you which will only be enriched by my improved mental and physical health. Thank you all - love ya!

After 18 months of solid preparation it's finally here! There is a strange calm within me, although if I think about the fact that I haven't yet packed for the hospital, I might get a little anxious! It's not like the planner in me to not even be packed yet. I guess that just shows how chill I am about it all. I'm so ready that there's not really much room for nerves or fear. I'm sure there'll be plenty of time for that tonite when I'm trying to sleep and tomorrow before I go into surgery. I just talked to my sis and she assured me that once I get the IV in, I won't remember a thing until I wake up 5 minutes (but actually several hours) later. That's the part I'm looking forward to! The way I look at it, it's everyone on the outside who's awake and waiting for me to come out of surgery who will be nervous. I've actually got it easy!!!!! I think I've got all the preparations taken care of at home and now it's just time to pack and try to get some rest tonight. I'm sure that's easier said than done, but I guess I'll have lots of time to rest in the upcoming weeks while I'm recovering. That is, when I'm not walking every 1-3 hours to prevent clots!

So surgery is almost here and I think I have everything in order. I've done all my "liquid diet" shopping, have made sure all the bills are paid and the house is in order, and have provided for my dog care and self support. I also put together a living will and will which I shouldn't need but which are good things for anyone to have who is going under anesthesia. I think it freaked my mom out a bit (she is here to support me for the surgery), but I'm a very matter-of-fact person so knew it had to be taken care of. I'm still just mostly anxious/excited and have very little fear because I'm so prepared. Plus the liquid diet - although it sux - really isn't as bad as it could be. I think that's because I'm so mentally/emotionally prepared and have the end goal in mind. It wasn't as hard to say goodbye to food as I thought it would be, and I'm really not craving anything bad. I just want a piece of turkey or a nice big salad with hard-boiled eggs! I guess solid protein is something to look forward to in another month! I've gottan run off to a Firearm Safety Class of all things - so better pack my protein and tomato juice! Then it's off to a bday party where I get to resist the temptation of BBQ & Cake! LOL!

I think I'm past the point of nervousness now and am just really, really, really excited for the surgery. I guess 18 months of solid preparation will that to a gal! I'm actually not really scared about the surgery itself or my life afterward - thanks to all of the research I've done and people I've talked to. However, I watched a show on anesthesia awareness that completely freaked me out, so I'm more nervous about that. The hospital stay should be short and the recovery should be good unless there are any unforeseen complications. So now I'm just really eager and excited for it to finally be here so I can start this new chapter in my life! Wish me luck!