TracyC1970

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Valentines Day was wonderful on two levels.  I got to spend the evening without kids in the company of my wonderful husband and I finally hit the 100 lbs lost goal in the same day!!! I am doing wonderful and I am loving life right now!

Tracy 2-16-09

I had my 3 month follow up on 1/15/09.  I saw Dr Fuzz and the resident, Amber the Nut. and Dr Smith the psychologist.  I was told that I had lost and "extraordinary" amount of weight since my surgery and 40 lbs since my last appointment in November.  In all, I have lost 92 lbs.  I now weigh 225 and I am only 50 lbs from my personal goal of 175.  I am very proud of myself.

January 19, 2009

Tracy

So it has been awhile since my last update.  I will start off by saying that I am 80 lbs down, 9 1/2 weeks out of surgery (23lbs pre-op).  I am tickled by my progress, although, finding clothes now that are not baggy on me is a little difficult.  I have had no complications from my surgery and I am not taking any meds outside of my supplements.  No more blood pressure or diabetes medication for me!  So far I have not “dumped” but I think I did have a reaction to too many carbs (I felt dizzy and very tired for about 30 minutes) I have not vomited or gotten food stuck.  I am rarely hungry and I have some difficulty remembering to drink water.  Before surgery, I was wearing a size 26/28 and now I am probably closer to a 22.  My rings are beginning to fall off and I am noticing my hair falling out as well.  I cut my hair short to just above my shoulders when it used to hang halfway down my back.  I feel like a new woman.  I am so glad that I had this surgery and I am thankful for a skilled surgeon (Dr. Fernandez) and for my insurance company for approval of the surgery.  I will post pics as soon as I can.  Thanks for reading.

 

Tracy 12/17/08

Okay...it has been a long time since I last posted.  I recuperated at home for 3 weeks after my Gall Bladder surgery and the hospital stay where I had Pancreatitis.  I went back to work for about a week and a half and then on Tuesday, October 7th I had RNY at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.  The surgery went great.  I arrived two hours early, as requested, and it turned out that the surgeon that had scheduled the operating room prior to my surgeon was running significantly behind schedule. So, I arrived at 11:00, surgery scheduled at 1:00 and I was actually taken back into the OR at about 3:00.  My surgery actually started about 45 minutes later and I was wheeled into recovery at 6:00.  I remained there for about 2 hours.  I remember feeling very nauseus and they gave me a shot of something that helped.  I was in and out of consciousness.  At 8:00 I was taken to the Sticht Center where my room was located.  I was impressed.  The Sticht Center is for Bariatric patients and sports injuries.  It was like a hotel.  Very quiet and the nursing staff was great. 

I was in and out for a while and my husband was there keeping the boredom at bay on his laptop.  Thanks to the hospital for having WiFi.

I got up out of bed that night to go to the bathroom and I felt like I had been hit by a truck.  It was exactly as I had expected it since I had had abdominal surgery in the past and two c-sections.  I was not surprised.  I was allowed to suck on ice chips after a few hours and they were the most delicious ice chips I had ever eaten!  The next day I was again allowed ice chips and a small sip of water.  I was surprised at the lack of hunger.  I had not eaten in several days and I did not even care. 

I was on pain meds for the first full  day and in the evening of my second day.  I was feeling pretty good.  After I saw my surgeon he said I should plan to go home the next day (Friday). 

After I arrived home I tried to nap as much as possible.  I have two small children who had missed me so I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked, but it was enough.  After walking around hunched over for a few days I began to feel more and more normal.  The abdominal pain was subsiding and the wounds were healing nicely.  I remained on liquids until the following Monday when I tried a scrambled egg.  It was good but I could only eat a few bites.  I would burp and know that that was enough.  I drank 2 protein shakes a day and as much water as I could.  I still  struggle to get in all my liquid each day, but I am trying.  I am now at 3 weeks out and feel brand new.  I have lost a total off 52 pounds since my pre-op diet (23 before surgery) and am wearing clothing that I have not worn in years.  I did experience a stall between week one and three where I did not loose one pound.  I hope that that stall is over, it really bums you out when you are eating nothing and still not seeing the scale move.  I know it is expected, but a bummer just the same.  I see the surgeon on November 6th and the Nutritionist on the 10th. 

November 2, 2008 

 

 

 

 

Here I sit at the hospital, again.  I had my Gallbladder surgery on Monday and was recuperrating at home.  I was feeling pretty good and on Thursday I had a regular lunch (after having cheese sandwiches and soup for 2 days) and then I took a nap.  When I awoke from my nap at about 2pm, I noticed that I was having pain in my abdomen that was similar to the pain I had  with my gallbladder before its removal.  In the next 2 hours the pain became unbearable and eventually I consented to gong to the emergency room.  Upon my arrival in the triage my vitals were fine and even though I had pain off the charts and could barely breathe and would occasionally break into fits of crying.  I sat in the waiting room for 50 minutes before being called back to a doctor.  I thankfully was given something in an iv to deal with the pain.  I was sent to get a CT scan and then later admitted due to pancreatitis, possibly due to a stone that had stayed behind in my bile duct after the removal of the gallbladder.  On Friday morning I was sent to get a sonogram (2 hours) and the taken directly to Endoscopic surgery for the removal of a stone.  My pancreas was highly inflamed, white blood cell count way up and my liver numbers were off the charts.  After the endo surgery I am now back in the room recuperating.  I may get to go home Sunday.  The surgeon yesterday told my husband that I was lucky to have not had the by pass surgery yet because it is very high risk and complicated to do what they did after the bypass.  I now have even more faith in my Surgeon Dr Fernandez for having the forsight not to let me talk him into the RNY at the same time as my gallbladder surgery on Monday.

Cholecystitis - which is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Acute cholecystitis is nearly always due to gallstones but may be due to infection (bacterial).

The above infection and numerous gallstones has caused my surgeon to postpone my RNY from Monday until 10-07-09.  Instead, on Monday he will be taking out my Gallbladder.  My liver numbers were off the charts and aparently the attack that I suffered on Monday night is still working on my liver and like the doctor put it "the liver is very angry right now".  So, even though I am quite sad that I will be delayed in my weight loss, I am happy that I have lost 10 lbs in the last 3 weeks and I would not want the surgeon to put me in any danger by operating on me while I still had an infection....so.  Pray for me on Monday and I will hope that nothing gets in my way next month.

Tracy 9-4-08

Yesterday I had to go to the hospital for blood work, anesthesia pre-op visit and a final visit to the surgeon.  Today I had a nutrition class.  Got some samples and discovered all the supplements that I will be on for the rest of my life.  It made my head spin.

Tracy

Okay,   the diet is going well.  Not so hungry on day  5 as I was on day 1.  Tonight for supper I had Mahi Mahi and "mashed cauliflower" that was delicious.  I have not lost any weight yet, but I am still trying.  

Tracy

Boy am I hungry.    I got my food ready last night. 
Breakfast - 1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon and Splenda
Morning snack-cheese stick and protein shake
Lunch-can of tuna, plain and one cup of cucumbers
Snack- cup of beef bullion and a cherry sugar free jello

Later I get to have another protein shake, a yogurt and a cup of soup.  That is all for the day.

My tummy is growling.

Tracy

8/18/08 3:10

I went to World Market and bought some sugar free syrups that I have been reading about on OH and some pumpkin seeds to snack on during my diet.  Then I went to GNC and was shocked at how expensive the protein powder was there.  I had ordered a five pound container from vitashop.com for half what GNC had it for.  My next stop was Whole Foods for some Greek Yogurt and roasted edamame beans.  I hope I like wasabi since I accidently bought two packs of them.  Then it was on to Walmart where I purchased some yogurt, soup, deli meat and cheese, and fish/tuna/salmon for my diet.  I also picked up what I will be eating/drinking immediately after surgery since, you know you can't send a man to the store and he get what you asked for.  LOL.  Well, I am ready for  Monday.  I am ready for surgery. 

 

Tracy C

8-16-08