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Well the drain tube is now gone, it was definitly a weird feeling.  I had absolutely no words, other than weird, on how it felt when he pulled it out. 

First he pulled on my little stitch bow and cut it, then put a bandaid on it.  It stung for a quick minute and then it was nothing.  I really thought, before I got there, that he was going to be taking the whole stitch out, but no he just cut it flush with the skin.

Then he put a big stack of paper towels under my pant waistband, then got like 6 large and long strips of tape and had them hanging off my leg, ready for use, and then an abdominal pad (gauze thing) and he took out the saline from it and whoosh he pulled it out, pressed the pad onto it and taped it down.  He instructed me to keep pressure on it, and to change it as needed.  Well he sent me home with several extra pads and a roll of tape.  It never did leak through, hardly any leaking at all when I changed it at home.

Oh, I am of course here, before I saw Dr Baker, I met with Courtney the nutritionist and she weighed and measured me, then in her office she asked a bunch of questions.  I told her how I was bruising easily and cold all the time, so she told me to start taking Vitamin C (500mg-1000mg) daily and then she told me to start taking Calcium (FOREVER) and suggested the Citracel +D Creamy Bites. 

This evening my sister surprised me with the walgreens brand calcium +D chews and also a bottle of vitamin c.  Her husband bought it, how nice of them. 

So I go back to see Dr. Baker for my 3 month post op checkup on Nov 16th.   Dr. Baker was real pleased with my weightloss so far and asked if people started calling me skinny yet, I said no only my face has gotten skinny.  LOL I really like being able to talk so casually with Dr. Baker.  He is real down to earth kind of guy. 

Today I am getting my stitch, which I have nicknamed my "fishing bow" because it looks like fishing line and it is a little bow.  I am also getting my peg tube removed as well.  I think I might miss it.  It has kind of grown on me, and it is like when you have really long hair and then you get it all cut off (like I did several months ago) and then you miss your hair, and you go to feel for your long hair but its not there.  Well I think that might be how it will be for me and my peg tube.  I will look and expect it to be there, but it won't. 

Courtney called me yesterday, from Dr Baker's office and moved my appt from 4:15 to 1:45pm.  She says that I will be fine when they do everything, and I told her "But I was asleep when they put it all in."  I am a bit nervous because I do believe they will not be numbing me when they remove everything, but I have been told on the AR message board that the peg tube won't bother me but taking the stitch out might be a little painful.

I will post a reply when I get home and let everyone know how it went for me, and hopefully, if Dr Baker doesn't mind, I will have my sis take a few pics on my phone of the process.

Well my shipment of the Matrix Cookies N' Cream protein powder came in on Monday.  It was a 5.5lb bag.  Overall, I would have to say that it tastes good.  It doesn't taste bad, and it doesn't have that nasty taste the GNC Whey Protein had.  It even has little bits of "cookies" in it, of course I don't know what they really are, but they seem to taste like the cookie part of an oreo. 

I would recommend this to anyone who is having trouble finding a protein powder that doesn't taste bad.

Next I want to try the protein bullets I keep hearing so many of my peers on OH talk about. 

Dr Baker called me today, on a saturday!  He was checking up on me, he called me yesterday too.  I had called him the other day because I was getting dizzy on and off during the day and I knew I was getting enough liquids.  He called me yesterday afternoon, right before noon, and I was still asleep.  He told me that I missed the better half of the day, and I was like I know :( 

So he calls again today, right around noonish, and guess what?  I was asleep.  But we talked for a good minute or two, he asked questions, I answered them.  He told me I could try to eat 3-4 tbs a meal now.  That with liquidy foods I would get more in than a more solid food, which I know about from reading posts on OH.  So that's cool.  I told him how I know if I am getting full from the pressure/pain I feel in the middle of my back, and he was pleased. 

So, since I am not getting enough protein in, that could be the cause of the dizziness.  Not to much else I can do right now until my new protein powder comes in the mail.  I ordered it last night from fitfuel.com.  The Syntrax Matrix Cookies N' Cream protein powder, 5.5 lbs bag.

I will update later this week and let you know how it goes.  I just pray it isn't like the GNC Whey Protein powder, I couldn't handle drinking it, yuck.

Well I went to GNC today and the lady came up and asked if I needed help, and I was glad cause I didn't know what I was looking for, and I said my Dr wants me to start doing protein powder, and she asked if I was going to have the weightloss surgery and I proudly lifted my shirt halfway and she says Oh you already did and smiled.  She showed me exactly what I needed, I guess what other postopers get, and not only that but it was on sale.  So I got 2 large canisters of Whey Protein and 1 little bottle of Liquid B-Complex. 
The Whey Protein was originally marked 27.99 and I got it for 19.00 how cool is that?!?!?

Today was also the first time I went out to eat, well my roomie, Robbie, was invited to eat with his mom who was coming through town on her way home from a drs visit and an old family friend, and so we both went and I ordered quesadilla and refried beans but I didn't eat them there, because I had been drinking and it was not time for me to eat, so I drank some lemon water.  I took my food home and at dinner time I ate some refried beans and scooped some cheese out of the quesadilla.  The rats have enjoyed the tortilla with a hint of cheese.  LOL

Robbie's mom and family friend asked a lot of questions, and Robbie's mom told me several times she was so happy I had the surgery done.  She plans on coming to visit again, maybe next week, with Robbie's stepdad, who wants to come down and visit me and see how I am doing, and also visit with Robbie, LOL.

Well here I am, still some depression but not to bad.  I started taking the vits Dr. Baker subscribed for me, and at first I tried breaking them in half and had difficulty taking them.  I have found just taking the pill whole is much easier, it is coated and seems to go down easier whole. 

I have been getting dizzy a lot, it is really bad whenever I wake up, but I notice when I am walking, that I get dizzy easier than pre-op.  Well actually I don't remember ever having trouble with dizziness before surgery.  I figure it could be anything, but it isnt anything major.  I know it isn't the new vits because the dizziness started in the hosp.  I thought maybe it was morphine withdrawal but that has been way over a week, so no it couldn't be that either.  I am desperatly trying to get 48-64oz a day but I know I am not near that, I don't even know if I am even getting half that.  I should start recording how much I am drinking. 

I have been doing some major lurking on the RNY board, seems like there are a lot of new postops over there, so I can just read their posts and most of them feel like I do, so I don't feel so bad. 

As far as eating goes, I have been pureeing alot of foods.  I hate chewing, the whole chew 30 times is becoming hard for me, so I am pureeing foods that require a lot of chewing.  I am going to slowly stop doing this, because I cannot puree my food for life.  That would be gross to go to a restaurant and order a nice meal and ask for a blender, LOL


I am not getting my protein in, naughty me, I have not bought any protein powder yet, I desperatly need to go to GNC but fear that won't happen till the 3rd of next month when I get paid.  I have a mountain of bills for Sept, and only get 770 dollars a month, so I hope my roomie tries to do some OT or something. 

My little fishing line bow (stitch at the top of my incision) started hurting today.  I told my roomie it felt like someone was sticking me with a sewing needle.  I think the scab is started to come off (I have lost a few incision scabs the last few days) and it is still attached to my stitch thread, so that might be why it is hurting.  I have put a bandaid over it so that it will not be irritated by my clothing/pajamas.

Well that is all I have to say about postopisms, LOL 

Well I guess it is time to make some sort of post on my blog so that I can jumpstart my post-op diary.  I have not really felt like typing since I came home Saturday. 

Well first off, my surgery was okay, no complications other than that my gallbladder was not taken out.  My incision is only 4 inches and I have a peg tube to the side of it. 

I have been depressed since surgery, alot of the why did I do this, and if I could do it over again I would not.  I have been crying a few times a day since I came home, and from what I can understand, this is normal, especially right after a big surgery.  I don't feel like I am in charge of my life anymore.  Everything I do right now is on a schedule, when I can eat, drink, do this or do that. 
I haven't been feeling like I have been drinking enough, so I could my surgeon's office this morning, and Becky told me I can go up to 5-6 oz per hour between meals now.  I was glad because 3oz wasn't doing it. 

Eating on the soft diet hasn't been too bad, 1tbs of this, 1tbs of that and if it is lunch or dinner, a wheat thin as well.  I have been sticking with cottage cheese, as I seem to tolerate it really well and I love it.  So I will probably be eating a lot of it. 

I shopped yesterday and spent $40 on groceries.  I am quite sure there is more than enough for the next 4 weeks of the soft diet.  I bought all different kinds of things, so I can try this or that to see what my new stomach can tolerate. 

So other than the crying, I am doing okay.  I am adjusting well and everyone seems quite confident that I will do just fine with my new post-op life.  

Well I am about to get in the shower and thought I would make a post.  I am so tired I keep yawning every few minutes. 

I am ready for this to be done and over with, I am not anticipating the surgery part but I am ready for my new life to begin. 

I will see everyone in a few days.

Well today is my clear liquids day, I didn't make any jello last night because I was just to upset to.  I cried a lot last night, not of surgery, but of my dear rat, Stuart, he finally died between 4-4:30 am this morning.  I was asleep but I knew when I went to bed last night that I he wouldn't be here in the morning.  My roomie told me that he petted him at 4 and he was still alive but at 4:30 he was gone.  I am glad he got petted in his last minutes of life. 

I am still sad though, because I loved him, even if he is a rat, he was my rat.  I don't have any children, just my rats, so I love them with everything. 

Here is Stuart when he was only like 3 months old


Well onto surgery news, I am hungry, no shakes today only clear liquids.  Tonight at midnight...NPO...so I am going to bed early so I won't be hungry and then bright and early in the morning, I will be waking up and taking my special shower and going to the hospital. 

I am going to pack today and do some cleaning so I won't have anything to do when I get home.

I wake up to find my rat Stuart (he's my first rat) in resp. distress.  He is not eating/drinking and his mouth and nose are of purple color.  Now his feets are starting to turn purplish and he won't drink anything.  he has had an updraft.  He has been removed from the cage (with the other boys) for a few reasons, first being I don't want the others getting sick and secondly I don't him to get eaten.  So he is laying on a soft cushy pillow on my couch and he is on oxygen to help him breathe better.  I don't think he is going to make it.  I just hope that if this is his time, that God will take him before my surgery, because I don't want to be worrying about him when I am gone. 

I just have to keep praying and hope that he goes in peace.  I hate to see him suffering trying to breathe. 
This is him right now, I just took this seconds after I started typing this: