Surgery Date: November 3, 2015
November 10th made 1 week into this whole process. The first few days at home were interesting. I was on a clear diet until Friday the 6th. My husband, a truck driver, was home from his over the road life and while supportive of me doing what I need to, he is self contained in his ways. He loves food...which made being around him hard. I wasn't hungry,,,,,but man did I have head hunger. So everything I seen, I wanted to lick it or taste it in some way. That was pretty difficult! Even when I started my Protein Shakes over the weekend, it didn't help. They are good flavor, similar to Chocolate Milk. (Premier Brand from Walmart). When he comes home he brings the junk food....so my son was sitting next to me eating some potato chips. I don't really care for them to begin with,,,but oh I wanted one so bad.
On Sunday we took a drive to the beach. I just needed to get out of the house. It was nice to get out and about, even though it was raining all week since I had been home. Then everyone else wanted to get something to eat.....and there was me, with my water bottle looking pathetic. They chose Red Robin. While the restaurant smelled great I was miserable sitting there sip sip sipping on my H2O. I could have ordered the French Onion Soup and sipped the broth...but I couldn't pay that much for just broth. lol.
Monday, the last day my husband was going to be home before hitting the open road again, he wanted to go to Golden Corral....At least they had soup. Being that it is a buffet, I just ordered a cup to go so I didn't have to pay for the whole price and took it to the table. I got Creamy Broccoli Soup....I wasn't ready, but man it tasted good. After a few mini spoonfuls, spaced out over several minutes I was feeling weird....not nauseous, or diarrhea, but got the sweats like if you have the flu. I figured it was too soon.
My 1 week post op appt went well. Everyone is so nice there. I was told to stop taking the Plavix (blood thinner). The PA (Annie) checked me over and took my staples out. She even let my 10 y/o help apply the steri-strips. It was cute. lol. She told me to start walking more, for exercise...not just to keep my blood moving. Dr Harris even wanted to pop in to say Hi and make sure all is well.
I was also told that I could slowly advance my diet to soft foods and go from there....if I don't tolerate it well then wait a day or two and try again. I must say I am not enjoying this whole eating thing....I keep looking fwd to when I can eat real foods again, even if its in moderation this time. Keeping up on my protein is no problem with the shakes and the water intake has been sufficient....but I just hate being so restricted. lol.
Pre-Op Weight: 250#
1 Week Post Op: 236#
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Friday, November 6, 2015
Surgery & Hospital Recovery
November 3rd was the big day! I had worked the night before and got off at 0330 to make my 0730 arrival time at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, in Wilmington, NC. After work I had gone home to grab my bag and do my last pre-op shower, using the special soap I needed to wash with. My mind was going a million miles an hr. What was I doing? My stomach will never be the same. I kept apologizing to my belly for what it was about to go through. Silly, I know. My daughter kept insisting I was going to die. Of course I played it off cool, like she was ridiculous to even think that....but in my head I was thinking, oh gosh, what if? I kissed the kids goodbye and my friend picked me up around 0530 and we headed to the hospital.
The whole way to NHRMC it was raining like crazy. I arrived on time and the process was pretty simple. The staff at the hospital was exceptional and the facility was amazing. They processed my info, had me pay my co-pay and handed me a pager. When the pager lit up, I left it with my friend to continue waiting while I went to get prepped for the big event.
When I got to the patient prepping area the nice nurse had me go pee, and then take off everything but my hospital gown and issued socks. There she attempted to place an IV in my left arm. I made her nervous I think by telling her I was a nurse and she of course blew the IV, leaving me with a big bruise. She continued to the right arm where she was successful at the placement but again left a beast of a bruise and was in a very tender spot. Then she put on some thigh high SCDs and gave me a shot of Lovenox, so I wouldn't get a blood clot. The Anesthesia Doc and Dr Harris rounded on me pre-op as well. My friend, Tabitha, was callled back to sit with me til I was wisked away to the OR.
I don't even remember going to the OR actually. I do remember anesthesia coming in and giving me some Versed (I think???) but the next thing I remember, I was waking up in PACU.
It is amazing how someone can get medicine and go through a huge process, like surgery, and not know anything happened, but still wake up. So I remember waking up and falling asleep over and over. The nurse would come and talk to me and most of that recovery room stuff was hazy about what all happened. I do know they were waiting to find a room was the major hold up. It wasn't til 8pm that one was available and I was one of the first there in PACU to get a room. How can you know you are going to have x amount of people needing rooms and not have the rooms ready for the patients? Definitely something I will put on my survey.
So when I got to my room and got settled, Tabitha was finally allowed to see me. It had been a long day for her, I am sure. Waiting on someone else feels like forever, but she had been waiting about 11 hrs for me. What a true friend she is! Then of course I was hooked up to a PCA pain pump, so was pretty much zonked for the night because every time I hit the button I was out. The pain wasn't bad at all, but I hit the button thinking I would be in pain, I was more nauseated than anything. Through the night the nurses and nurses aids were all concerned because my temp went up to 100.5F and pulse was up in the 110-120s consistently.
The next morning was rough for me. I wasn't really in pain, just continued to be nauseated. Typically, the next morning/afternoon should have been my discharge day. But for me, I got to go to X-ray and have a swallow study done. NO FUN! First off, all I wanted to do was vomit anyhow. I was still NPO so didn't have anything in my system to bring up. Sometimes that is the worst feeling! Then I had to stand by the Xray machine and swallow this stuff that tasted like a lemon lime cleaner. It was so bitter and horrible, and made me gag, literally. Then I had to take down some barium and do the same, 3 big gulps of each. Luckily, the test came back ok and no leak was reported. So I went back to my room and pretty much rested the rest of the day.
Later that evening I was able to take in fluids by mouth. They gave me a big drink cup of water and some medicine cups.I had to fill the cup to the 30cc line and take 10-15 min to drink that little cup.Once I did, I put it in the dirty pile and got a new cup. This was to show how much I was drinking. The goal is to have 48-64 Oz of water / day. Doesn't sound like much, but is a daunting task to get it in, only taking it one ounce at a time.
I also got out of bed more and did several laps, which allowed me to get rid of the PCA pump and go to oral liquid pain medication. I felt so much better off the PCA! I slept pretty good that night as well and in the morning was given the OK to be D/C. The Bariatric Nutritionist came by to give me some guidance and set me on the right path when I got home. I took notes and glad she gave me some tips and timelines to follow. There is a lot of learning about this whole ordeal and didn't want to screw up.
So I got home on Nov 5th, safe and sound.... Now the job is to Sip Sip Sip. It is now Nov 6th,and tonight I get to have my first protein since Nov 1st (I have been on clear liquid all this time since the 2nd). I am excited to be progressing well. More posts to come as progress is made.
These are my measurements when I got home from the hospital:
NOV 5Th
Arm: 15in
Neck: 15.5in
Breast: 48.25 in
Waist: 46.25 in
Hips 54.5 in
Thigh 28 in
Calf 18.5 in
Weight hasn't been done since preop, which was 250#
The whole way to NHRMC it was raining like crazy. I arrived on time and the process was pretty simple. The staff at the hospital was exceptional and the facility was amazing. They processed my info, had me pay my co-pay and handed me a pager. When the pager lit up, I left it with my friend to continue waiting while I went to get prepped for the big event.
When I got to the patient prepping area the nice nurse had me go pee, and then take off everything but my hospital gown and issued socks. There she attempted to place an IV in my left arm. I made her nervous I think by telling her I was a nurse and she of course blew the IV, leaving me with a big bruise. She continued to the right arm where she was successful at the placement but again left a beast of a bruise and was in a very tender spot. Then she put on some thigh high SCDs and gave me a shot of Lovenox, so I wouldn't get a blood clot. The Anesthesia Doc and Dr Harris rounded on me pre-op as well. My friend, Tabitha, was callled back to sit with me til I was wisked away to the OR.
I don't even remember going to the OR actually. I do remember anesthesia coming in and giving me some Versed (I think???) but the next thing I remember, I was waking up in PACU.
It is amazing how someone can get medicine and go through a huge process, like surgery, and not know anything happened, but still wake up. So I remember waking up and falling asleep over and over. The nurse would come and talk to me and most of that recovery room stuff was hazy about what all happened. I do know they were waiting to find a room was the major hold up. It wasn't til 8pm that one was available and I was one of the first there in PACU to get a room. How can you know you are going to have x amount of people needing rooms and not have the rooms ready for the patients? Definitely something I will put on my survey.
So when I got to my room and got settled, Tabitha was finally allowed to see me. It had been a long day for her, I am sure. Waiting on someone else feels like forever, but she had been waiting about 11 hrs for me. What a true friend she is! Then of course I was hooked up to a PCA pain pump, so was pretty much zonked for the night because every time I hit the button I was out. The pain wasn't bad at all, but I hit the button thinking I would be in pain, I was more nauseated than anything. Through the night the nurses and nurses aids were all concerned because my temp went up to 100.5F and pulse was up in the 110-120s consistently.
The next morning was rough for me. I wasn't really in pain, just continued to be nauseated. Typically, the next morning/afternoon should have been my discharge day. But for me, I got to go to X-ray and have a swallow study done. NO FUN! First off, all I wanted to do was vomit anyhow. I was still NPO so didn't have anything in my system to bring up. Sometimes that is the worst feeling! Then I had to stand by the Xray machine and swallow this stuff that tasted like a lemon lime cleaner. It was so bitter and horrible, and made me gag, literally. Then I had to take down some barium and do the same, 3 big gulps of each. Luckily, the test came back ok and no leak was reported. So I went back to my room and pretty much rested the rest of the day.
Later that evening I was able to take in fluids by mouth. They gave me a big drink cup of water and some medicine cups.I had to fill the cup to the 30cc line and take 10-15 min to drink that little cup.Once I did, I put it in the dirty pile and got a new cup. This was to show how much I was drinking. The goal is to have 48-64 Oz of water / day. Doesn't sound like much, but is a daunting task to get it in, only taking it one ounce at a time.
I also got out of bed more and did several laps, which allowed me to get rid of the PCA pump and go to oral liquid pain medication. I felt so much better off the PCA! I slept pretty good that night as well and in the morning was given the OK to be D/C. The Bariatric Nutritionist came by to give me some guidance and set me on the right path when I got home. I took notes and glad she gave me some tips and timelines to follow. There is a lot of learning about this whole ordeal and didn't want to screw up.
So I got home on Nov 5th, safe and sound.... Now the job is to Sip Sip Sip. It is now Nov 6th,and tonight I get to have my first protein since Nov 1st (I have been on clear liquid all this time since the 2nd). I am excited to be progressing well. More posts to come as progress is made.
These are my measurements when I got home from the hospital:
NOV 5Th
Arm: 15in
Neck: 15.5in
Breast: 48.25 in
Waist: 46.25 in
Hips 54.5 in
Thigh 28 in
Calf 18.5 in
Weight hasn't been done since preop, which was 250#
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
My Decision
After many years of being overweight and on yo-yo dieting, working out and bouts of depression I have given in the towel and decided to try weight loss surgery. I have several friends who have gone the surgical option and initially I thought they were just "taking the easy way out".
Starting as a young child, maybe 8 yrs old or so, I have been overweight. I look back at pictures and cringe. That round face and tight clothes is all I could see. But deep down I was just a kid, victim of what was available to me. I didn't know better, I just hated being fat. I remember in 5th grade taking Slim Fast to school for lunch and the kids laughing at me. I remember my mother often telling me if I got any fatter I would only fit into garbage bags for clothes. I began to hate myself.
When I was 17 I got Mono. Ya it definitely wasn't fun but I dropped 20+ pounds and felt so much better about myself. I weighed 150#, and I could finally fit in to some of my friends clothes. At 18 yrs old I became pregnant after graduation. I had my son just a few weeks shy of my 19th birthday. I was looking forward to getting my "skinny" back on but that didn't happen. I had gained over 60# with him. I was eating for 2 is what people told me, so I did just that. Needless to say, 10 yrs later I was 240# and had tried all those fad diets: Slim Fast, BeachBody, Atkins, Cabbage Soup Diet,ect. I had joined a gym, started calorie counting and became addicted. Of course I hated it at first, but the results was all I wanted. It took almost a year but shed 80#. I was hitting the gym 4-6 hrs/day for 5-6 days a week. The Biggest Loser was my favorite TV show and if they could do it, so could I. Long story short, it ruined my marriage, interfered with my work life and I didn't have time for friends. As I cut back on my routine, my pant size grew. I had to find a new addiction, which I did-Travel. But more about that in another post. I found myself getting to 250 #, the most I had ever weighed. I felt tired and couldn't keep up anymore.
So last year, Dec 2014 I started looking into this Weight Loss Surgery that my friend recently had. She and I work together and have the same insurance. She told me it was a lengthy process to be approved so I poked around at what was needed to be done. She wasn't kidding. I had to go to the Dr office monthly for a weight and blood pressure visit, and take nutrition classes and psychiatric evaluations. Plus I had to be mindful of what I was eating to make new habits for post-op. The more I learned the more I realized, Surgery is NOT the "easy way out". It actually is probably the harder way out, due to all the sacrifice you have to be prepared for.
So my date....NOVEMBER 3, 2015
I am very nervous but so much more excited. The surgery itself doesn't scare me. It is more the thought of knowing this is it, for real, no going back, no cheat days. Maybe that is what I needed all along? No excuses...just do it.
So currently, I am on my 2 week Pre-Op Low Carb Diet. Ya, that is about as fun as it sounds. I have indulged in high protein eating at its finest. While I don't feel hungry, my mind tells me I am starving. I can easily do without cookies and cakes...but breads, oh I miss you. Plus you learn to realize how many things have carbs and how fast they add up. 60grams isn't much when that was ones main intake. But all this is good, and teaching me how to change the eating in the household as well. I don't want them to make the same mistakes I made.
My Goal Weight doesn't really matter. What my Goal is, is to fit into size 10/12 and generally just feel good, be off my medications for BP and GERD.
Also, I am new to Blogging. I had read others blogs and was inspired. I use to journal a lot and it was a good stress relief, so thought I would give this a try. So my other Goal is to keep up with this Blog as well as write a few others about my Travels and my Kids.
Starting as a young child, maybe 8 yrs old or so, I have been overweight. I look back at pictures and cringe. That round face and tight clothes is all I could see. But deep down I was just a kid, victim of what was available to me. I didn't know better, I just hated being fat. I remember in 5th grade taking Slim Fast to school for lunch and the kids laughing at me. I remember my mother often telling me if I got any fatter I would only fit into garbage bags for clothes. I began to hate myself.
When I was 17 I got Mono. Ya it definitely wasn't fun but I dropped 20+ pounds and felt so much better about myself. I weighed 150#, and I could finally fit in to some of my friends clothes. At 18 yrs old I became pregnant after graduation. I had my son just a few weeks shy of my 19th birthday. I was looking forward to getting my "skinny" back on but that didn't happen. I had gained over 60# with him. I was eating for 2 is what people told me, so I did just that. Needless to say, 10 yrs later I was 240# and had tried all those fad diets: Slim Fast, BeachBody, Atkins, Cabbage Soup Diet,ect. I had joined a gym, started calorie counting and became addicted. Of course I hated it at first, but the results was all I wanted. It took almost a year but shed 80#. I was hitting the gym 4-6 hrs/day for 5-6 days a week. The Biggest Loser was my favorite TV show and if they could do it, so could I. Long story short, it ruined my marriage, interfered with my work life and I didn't have time for friends. As I cut back on my routine, my pant size grew. I had to find a new addiction, which I did-Travel. But more about that in another post. I found myself getting to 250 #, the most I had ever weighed. I felt tired and couldn't keep up anymore.
So last year, Dec 2014 I started looking into this Weight Loss Surgery that my friend recently had. She and I work together and have the same insurance. She told me it was a lengthy process to be approved so I poked around at what was needed to be done. She wasn't kidding. I had to go to the Dr office monthly for a weight and blood pressure visit, and take nutrition classes and psychiatric evaluations. Plus I had to be mindful of what I was eating to make new habits for post-op. The more I learned the more I realized, Surgery is NOT the "easy way out". It actually is probably the harder way out, due to all the sacrifice you have to be prepared for.
So my date....NOVEMBER 3, 2015
I am very nervous but so much more excited. The surgery itself doesn't scare me. It is more the thought of knowing this is it, for real, no going back, no cheat days. Maybe that is what I needed all along? No excuses...just do it.
So currently, I am on my 2 week Pre-Op Low Carb Diet. Ya, that is about as fun as it sounds. I have indulged in high protein eating at its finest. While I don't feel hungry, my mind tells me I am starving. I can easily do without cookies and cakes...but breads, oh I miss you. Plus you learn to realize how many things have carbs and how fast they add up. 60grams isn't much when that was ones main intake. But all this is good, and teaching me how to change the eating in the household as well. I don't want them to make the same mistakes I made.
My Goal Weight doesn't really matter. What my Goal is, is to fit into size 10/12 and generally just feel good, be off my medications for BP and GERD.
Also, I am new to Blogging. I had read others blogs and was inspired. I use to journal a lot and it was a good stress relief, so thought I would give this a try. So my other Goal is to keep up with this Blog as well as write a few others about my Travels and my Kids.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)