Hard to believe it's been a month already! Time flies, for sure. That or I'm getting older?!
Well I had my one month post surgical follow up appointment with the doctor yesterday. Actually, with Lily, his Nurse Practitioner. She was VERY pleased with my progress and assured me that I'm right on point with the plan.
I weighed in at a total of 36 lbs. down since August and 13 lbs lost since my last visit (3 weeks ago). She took a look at my incisions and still says they look beautiful. Not how I'd describe them; but whatever. They looked healthy, normal and are healing. Lily says the redness of the scars will fade in time; and most scabs are gone.
Just this week the one incision that was still tender and a little uncomfortable began healing. I no longer have that discomfort. I can bend and twist and life is good.
I had two main questions I wanted to ask the dietitian and the nurse.
1) I wanted them to know I had advanced my diet progression faster than their brochure recommended; and wanted to confirm that I was to go by what my stomach would tolerate. I also wanted to confirm that in doing so, I wasn't sabotaging my "plan".
and
2) Was it normal for the weight loss to slow down once the food progression began? And what type of weigh loss should I expect before the next visit (Nov. 20)?
Regarding the second question, as you can imagine, it's very normal for the weigh loss to taper down once you begin eating more and more solid foods. Therefore, my personal results were well within reason. (I had been growing concerned that I was no longer dropping that 1-2 lbs overnight. The scale seemed to stall at 320). What a HUGE relief!!!
In the back of my head, the fear of failure still shows it's ugly head and often. I felt like I failed with the lap-band, even if the professionals swear it failed me. I do not want failure to be an option now, after all I've gone through.
Lily said I should expect to lose in the neighborhood of another 15 lbs. by my pre-Thanksgiving follow up on Nov. 20th. That would take me to a total of 50 lbs down. I could handle that?!
As far as the diet progression and my acceleration endeavor, no problem so long as my tummy can handle it, the dietitian said.
I've been VERY lucky in that my stomach has healed very nicely and seems to be tolerating foods nicely. I think I have an advantage in that I had lots of practice in chewing foods properly with my lap-band. So that's not been an issue. I have a food scale; and when eating at home I measure everything. This keeps me from overeating and risking that full nauseated feeling that is pretty unpleasant. I've only experienced it twice in the month since surgery. Once when eating my Tilapia dinner. I never did finish those left overs 'cos I though maybe the Tilapia didn't agree with me. In retrospect, I think it was just a case of slightly overeating.
The second time was when Kevin and I went out to Culpepper's for dinner. I was enjoying a Cobb Salad like I hadn't had one in years; and BAM! I got nauseated for obviously going over my 4 oz. limit. It was sooooo good!
Fortunately, the hospital prescribed me some anti-nausea meds when I was released. So I was able to take one in each of the above cases, lie down, go to sleep and it all passed.
I haven't had any sugar or carbonation cravings. I'm not even drinking as much iced tea. I've transitioned to water, which seems to quench my thirst (and not stain my teeth). I did make sure that we stocked up on all things I thought I'd possibly crave (only healthier versions). So we have a nice stash of those alternatives should a craving strike. I should say that I am deathly afraid to "learn" what would happen if I did try to eat things high in sugar. So, so far, I haven't felt the urge to stray from sugar-free options. Here's what my current supply looks like. Sadly, I feel (in my head) I must have the options handy. But I notice I don't really eat them on the daily. Something comforting just knowing they are there, though!
The dietitian was surprised that I had already weaned myself off the protein shakes. Overall they want patients to do that. However, unless I can be SURE I'm getting 60g of protein in a day, they want me to take at least one a day still. I agreed to drink one for breakfast daily. They did ask me to log my protein each day. ARGH, I am the worst record keeper.
Here are some "BEFORE" surgery pics of me.
And here is one my husband took for me yesterday (I'm not big on the whole "selfie" movement. And I am not photogenic. So forgive the dorky look....keep in mind this is me posing for a pic my husband is taking. And he's not one to wait until I'm posed or my hair is just right, he just snaps away and captures all my geekness. God love him!
Sadly, on a person my size, you really can't see a 36 lb. weight loss. However, I have had many friends tell me they can see it in my face. I can see it in my face and legs. Last week we went somewhere and Kevin said to me, "I can really see it in your clothes. You aren't filling that shirt out any more". Then he proceeded to kiss me and say, "I'm proud of you". What sweet music for my soul to hear!!! In the above picture I am wearing a polo I had in a tote downstairs because it was too small. I was able to salvage it! What a FUN feeling to rediscover old clothes and turn them into new ones again! Yay! I have lots of clothes I am hoping to make use of this fall/winter. It beats having to buy new ones. Plus, I don't want to buy clothes until I get to a size I plan on remaining in for a while. I went through 3 huge totes of old clothes and some old shoes. The things I cannot use I'll be donating to Women of Another Chance. It feels good to be able to fit in some older items that I was sad to out grow. While it seems 36 lbs is a lot of weight, the reality is it is only ONE size in my clothing. Regardless, it's nice to donate the old stuff as I don't plan on going back to that size.
Mentally speaking, I still have trouble imagining me being any other size than this. I can't imagine a thinner version of myself. I guess I'll meet her when y'all do.
Things I've experienced, learned, discovered, etc. in the past month:
1) It's easier to measure food than to "guesstimate" 4 ounces.
2) Despite the weight loss, my energy level is down big time. Doc says this is normal for the first 1-3 months. I'm living for the day when I'm not wiped out at 6:30 pm!
3) We went to see the Little River Band at the Alton Amphitheatre last Friday. I was actually able to navigate up and down the stairs 3 times without getting winded. I cannot express how wonderful that was.
4) I love that on most days (not yesterday as evidenced in the pic above), I have MY ankles back and can fit into some shoes I once thought I'd have to give up for life. Even if this means looking at old Harley-Davidson scars (don't ask). I can't wait for the day I can rock a pair of strappy sandals. I'm living for that moment!
5) My boobs are slowly shrinking. So I no longer fill out the cups which looks ridiculous...but I'm too cheap to keep buying bras so I'm waiting for bigger changes before I do!
6) a mere 36 lbs makes a big difference in mobility.
7) Going up and down the stairs to the man cave is getting easier. Look out, Kevin!
8) I'm DOING this! Yea, it's only been one month. But I'm taking it ONE month at a time....now on to the next...........
9) There is a direct correlation between my mobility and my happiness (I never realized this before).
10) I feel energized mentally.
11) Last night I pulled weeds while Kevin hosed out the garage. It felt good to be out there working and making the yard look nicer (even if we have a long way to go on that note).
12) I still get hot, tired and winded when I exert myself physically; but it is better than it was before and it will continue getting better.
13) I care about my appearance more than I did a month ago. It's as if I'm slowly getting my "ME" back.
14) I am thirsty all the time. And I find it helpful (to get to my 64 oz minimum) if I use my Des Peres Hospital mug (which holds 28 oz). I tell myself if I drink two full mugs of water daily, I'm doing good. The NP agreed.
15) If I take my vitamins at bedtime (multi, iron and regular meds), I have all day to down 3 Oscal at separate times.
16) ProBiotics help with the gas that is inevitable with gastric bypass. My husband is still laughing at the lady (on a bypass forum) who says she practically levitates off the chair.
17) My rings are loose. They can go on or off easily. That's a first!
18) If I want to drop more rapidly, I will need an exercise regimen. Right now I rely on our weekend running as a family as my exercise. But I need to carve out some time daily to even do a 7 minute workout each day to help...and build from there. This will be my WIP....work in progress.
19) My former surgeon (who did my lap-band) was all over the KC news this week. His office was closed, he was evicted for failure to pay rent and his patients up a creek. Glad I'm no longer under his care. Here's the link to the story: http://fox4kc.com/2014/09/26/weight-loss-surgeons-disappearance-leaves-patients-in-perplexing-situation/ and http://www.kshb.com/news/region-kansas/evicted-doctor-working-to-return-medical-records
20) My current surgeon's office would not take my unopened bariatric vitamins (that dissolvables that make me nauseated-the Bari*Activ MultiVitamin and Calcium) and give to another patient. I didn't want them to go to waste. So I took them on my appointment hoping to help a patient who couldn't otherwise afford them. So I had to walk in the lobby after my appointment and offer them to whoever was sitting there. Fortunately a woman took me up on them, so they didn't go to waste. I am now buying my own multi vitamin and calcium. It's just easier for me to swallow a pill and not deal with taste than to take a dissolvable that nauseates me! I have informed the company who sends them to only send me B-12 and Iron in the future.
Funny little things. They say this is more mental than physical, which is scary in an unknown kinda of way. But I'm starting to see what they mean. I can't imagine what it will be like at the 6 mo or 12 mo marks. I'm sure it will be more magnified.
All in all, the changes that have taken place in a mere 30 days are remarkable. I look forward to seeing what unfolds in the next 30. I'm still amazed at science and medicine and how far I've come in 4 weeks (recovery wise). I like to think that I've already had my living hell with the lap-band. I've had pretty good luck with the bypass so far. And I hope it stays that way.
I booked Fox's birthday party and ordered the cake. Surprisingly, the cake lady didn't have a sugar free option, or so she said. This floored me given all the sugar free mixes and frosting you see in the average grocery store and knowing how my Mom and Abbie manage to bake with Splenda and Truvia. But I'm hoping to come up with an alternative I can enjoy at his party, too. I have a while yet, his birthday is in December!
I also asked the NP if I had to give up alcohol forever. Not that I drink much; but Kevin and I have a weekend winery trip booked again for our anniversary this year. My favorite of the Grafton wines is "Autumnberry", only available this time of year. So I had hoped to enjoy some that weekend. I was surprised to learn that alcoholism is 5x more likely in gastric bypass patients. This is due in part to them giving up one addiction for another. SCARY statistic. But she told me I CAN have wine occasionally (which is all I drink it anyway) but warned me that it will take a LOT less to get me "drunk" now due to certain parts of my intestinal anatomy that were sacrificed during my surgery. She said I may not be able to drink an entire glass. And that I need to sip it and see how I feel, that a couple sips could actually get me pretty woozy. Interesting. I wouldn't have thought about that. So I was glad we had the discussion. It was good preparation. Maybe we should have a contest to see how many sips it will take for me to get buzzed on Autumnberry? Anyone care to venture a guess?? Answer on or around October 26th!!!
This weekend is my 30 year high school reunion. I organized it single handedly. I wish I could have been down 100 lbs before it. But I had to wait for insurance to approve the procedure and that cost me a year. Oh well, I can at least go knowing I'm taking care of myself now.
On October 18th, I've enlisted a cousin I've never met (yea my family is crazy big like that) to take our family portraits. I'm not at my goal weight; but I'm still proud of and love my family. So I can't wait to have pics with Fox and Kevin for our holiday cards. It's been 3 years since we last had a photo shoot. Check out my cousin's website: http://aaronkranz.smugmug.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/aaronkranzphoto/timeline .
I'm looking forward to a trip to Vegas in November. I am hoping I will be able to walk more and have more endurance by then. We love Vegas!
With so much going on, my brain is all over the place. So I apologize for the lack of organized writing and random thoughts. But I wanted to get an update out; as I know several who have been waiting for it. I will blog monthly from here on out. Here's hoping I can remember everything that happens on the daily at the end of each month!!!
Wishing you all a great week and a fantastic Autumn season!!!
Lori
PS-For those following in my footsteps, there isn't much I haven't eaten in the past two weeks (remember I accelerated my own diet progression and I was lucky to be able to tolerate it). A few things as examples that I'm eating and have been for a week or so now:
Pasta Con Broccoli
Chicken Flautas
Tuna Salad
Chicken Salad
Melba Toast
Cobb Salad
Eggs
Grits
Rice
Refried Beans
Taco Soup
Taco Salad
Chips
Frito Scoops
etc
The only things I'm still avoiding: bread, sweets with sugar in them and carbonated beverages.
Wow! Hard to believe it's only been 3 weeks since my surgery. I'm still amazed at the recovery given the time lapsed.
On Monday (the 15th) I returned to work. It took me three days to clean up my email and address all open items accordingly...just in time to start focusing on end of quarter! I found that by the end of the work day, I was utterly and completely exhausted. I was in bed and half asleep each evening by 8 pm. Sad, I know. But with the little nutrients I'm getting and the struggle to get all the vitamins and protein down, the doctor says this is normal (for the first 1-3 mos). Thank goodness I am close to having one month behind me already!
As far as diet goes...I was allowed to introduce the following into my diet: eggs, soft baked fish, mashed potatoes, low-fat soft cheeses and canned veggies, officially.
The eggs were wonderful; but got old fast (similar to the grits of a week or so ago). I went to the grocery store and stocked up on cod, tilapia and sole. Thanks to handy dandy Pinterest, I was able to find plenty of fish recipes. Sadly, I only made one this week. I made all four tilapia filets in one recipe. Two for Kevin for one dinner, one for me (which was well over my 4 oz limit) and plenty of leftovers to have for lunches.
I decided to try a healthy Baked Parmesean Tilapia recipe along with mashed potatoes and canned green beans. I was THRILLED as I felt like I was going to eat a full on MEAL versus 4 oz of one item.
The recipe I chose can be found here: http://www.madefrompinterest.net/2014/01/baked-parmesan-tilapia/
Dinner was delicious on last Friday. Kevin liked it. I experienced the first "FULL" or "Food Coma" feeling since I had the surgery but it was tasty. I bought a food scale but the batteries weren't working; so I couldn't use it just yet. But I obviously ate more than 4 oz. as I was MISERABLE. In fact, I wound up lying down after dinner to calm my stomach and ended up going to sleep after that. I was blessed in that I did not regurgitate anything. I am so afraid to do so, given the newness of all the surgeon's hard work. I didn't want to risk tearing any incisions open, etc.
Within a day or so I mentioned the scale to Kevin who then "fixed" it; but not before walking into the bedroom where I was, shaking his head and swearing that I am blonde. Apparently I had the batteries in backwards.
I tried eating the Tilapia for left overs one day at lunch; but found myself feeling the same way again. So I never did go back for more. Instead, I've been eating all kinds of random things. I've been VERY good about staying off the carbonated beverages and sugar. However, I did lose my patience and jump ahead with my diet progression a bit....by what my stomach would tolerate. So I have been eating avocado, tuna salad, shredded chicken, etc. So far, so good, although the weight loss is going slower now that I'm eating more solid foods again.
I've also been OUT to eat a couple times this past week, which was nerve wracking yet liberating at the same time. Saturday we had cracker barrel for a late breakfast/brunch. I ordered egg beaters and cheesy grits. The egg beaters were ok but not scrambled. I only ate half of them. They had cheese and onion on them. The cheesy grits were a JOKE. They were more like grits with a few sprinkles of shredded cheese on them. Not as tasty; but I did eat all of them. It was hard looking at Kevin's two plates full of all the good stuff; but I realized that when I focused on what was in front of me, I filled up and felt content. Thank goodness.
We have been remiss (given Kevin's OT and my exhaustion) at walking daily; but we do get a fair amount of walking in, with our weekend festivities. This past weekend we attended Celebrate St. Peters. Despite VIP parking, we had a good walk past the new pavilion, food area, main stage and to the carnival fairway. I did share an $8 order of Pork nachos with Kevin while we waited for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils to take the stage. It was pulled pork with no sauce on it and cheese over chips. It was about the only fair food I thought I could actually "do". I also drank water! One thing that did surprise me was the Shaved Ice truck actually had sugar free options. No banana; but I was impressed regardless. Kevin grabbed me a sugar free strawberry. It was ok. Honestly, I'd have rather just had the plain ice to go with my water.
Sunday we walked a lot after taking Fox home. We then shopped down in the Washington, MO area at Target, Ross and Marshall's. I felt good other than the tender incision area I have. Makes it hard to get in and out of the car, all the bending and stretching made me sore. After our shopping extravaganza, we had dinner at Ernesto's, my favorite little mexican joint in that part of town. I love their chicken flautas. So my entree came with 2 chicken (pulled) flautas, rice and beans. I managed to eat some chips and cheese dip before dinner; but I was so afraid to fill up on those, that I had to force myself to wait for my entree. When it arrived, I was able to eat 1/2 of one of the flautas and a few bites each of rice and beans. I had the same for lunch today. It doesn't get any better than that! What you see on the plate below is about 4.4 oz of mexican goodness!
So, I'm starting to get a sense of normalcy back, which is nice. It's important to have a routine.
One thing I noticed (as did my loving husband) is that I have had a lot more gas since I've been eating. Not the kind of bent over in miserable pain gas; but the kind where you're not going to hold it back because the relief feels too good gas. And it seems constant. I'm not sure what causes this. But my handy dandy husband decided to research it. Next thing I know, we're lying in bed last night and he's laughing his ass off at the forum he googled and all the women talking about gas. He literally laughed out loud when one woman claimed that she nearly levitated off the bed it got so bad!!! And this is what I'm dealing with. Kevin refers to it as my butt trumpet. I'm becoming quite an accomplished musician, I suppose!
Honestly, that's really the only side effect I've had to date. I'm doing pretty well. I'm getting around pretty good. I sit when I need to. I am not lifting much as the bending and stretching part still bothers me; but I am otherwise self sufficient.
I still struggle with trying to get 3 calcium horse pills in per day....all at different times and not with the Iron pill I take at night with all my prescription meds and my multivitamin. That will be an ongoing challenge; but I'm working at it.
I also find it hard to NOT drink water 30 min before or after and during meals. It seems like I'm thirsty all the time; but since I can't take big gulps and have to sip, it takes all day (even during meals) to reach my 64 oz attainment per day. I started using my Des Peres Hospital mug that is 28 oz....I fill it up twice and shoot to drink both mug fulls a day to get close, at least. These goals are harder for me than sticking to the 4 oz thanks to my new size stomach.
Question for my nurse friends and family: If I need to get 1500 mg of Calcium per day and the body only absorbs 500 mg at a time, how long do I need to wait between doses? How closely or far apart must I take them?
Lastly, for what everyone really wants to know.........I weighed in this morning at 321. Yesterday said 320. That's down from the start weight of 356 by 35 lbs; and a weekly loss of ony 2 lbs. But I'll take it!
This coming weekend we have a concert to attend Friday night (which I'm sure will involve walking) and a birthday party at a winery on Sunday (also sure to involve some walking). I plan to forgo the vino until I talk to my doctor. I am afraid to risk the sugar and alcohol, honestly. But I do hope I can have some on our anniversary weekend wine trip (our new annual thing). I'll have to check my favorite wines to see how much sugar is in it. Wonder if it will say? Two things you supposedly give up for life when you have gastric bypass is sugar and alcohol. So I don't want to sabotage myself.
I did have this "notion" this week to have things around that I CAN eat when I have a craving, per se. So poor Kevin went on a hunt for sugar free chocolate. I asked him for some basic sugar free Russell Stover's options from the local Walgreen's. But he came home with $19 worth of sugar free caramels and turtles from Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate. BROWNIE points. I have maybe 1-2 a day and feel like I'm not doing without. I dunno, something about feeling like I can't just sets me up for failure. So I'm trying to do my own version of "Eat this, not that" right here at home. He also got me some sugar free Murray brand cookies...three different kinds (a girl must have choices). So he bought me oatmeal, pecan shortbread and fudge covered wafers (a take off of my favorite Fudgesticks). All were surprisingly good. Again, the idea is to keep me from binging and sabotaging this grand plan. And if those options weren't enough to have handy, Kevin also got me a sugar free small tub of Edy's ice cream. I haven't checked to see if it's the same Fat Free Sugar Free stuff I used to eat but could never tell the difference.....but hopefully it is. Then I can feel like I can have ice cream, too.
Next I need to find sugar free cakes, brownies and other treats I can eat when hosting parties. I ordered Fox's birthday cake and asked the lady if she could do a sugar free option. I was floored when she said no, considering there are sugar free mixes, frostings, etc. I will figure something out for me, though. Rest assured.
We still have cod and sole in the freezer; so I imagine that I will try that this week, as well. And maybe some tuna salad.
Over all I feel good; and the 35 lb loss has been nice. I am fitting into clothes differently and once again my husband told me he could see it in my clothes and that he was proud of me. There are no sweeter words that could come from his mouth.
One step at a time.........following my own yellow brick road......hoping to find the wizard of skinny. Well, maybe not SKINNY but healthy and slimmer. How's that?
Until next time............thanks again for all the kind words, love and encouragement as well as your friendship.
Lori
Week two post op was MUCH better than week one. I was able to spend my last week of medical leave alone by day, no assistance needed. I am still experiencing some tenderness or discomfort on one side of my belly, Seems like one or two incision areas, specifically. Both near my naval. It's manageable; but I find myself holding that part of my tummy subconsciously.
I find myself living for Friday's now because that's when I get to start on the next progression level of my diet. This past Friday, I graduated to my "Week Three" food plan: Soft Foods. I am now allowed eggs/egg substitutes/egg whites, Natural nut butters (no sugar or oil added), soft baked fish (cod, tilapia, sole, whitefish), Mashed Potatoes (no skin); Low fat soft cheeses (cottage cheese, string cheese or sliced cheese), canned vegetables (no salt added) or fresh cooked to mush (no thank you), canned fruit in their own juice and bananas. Silly as it sounds, every Friday is a celebration. I'm ready to introduce more foods into the plan and feel like I'm getting closer to my new normal. This week I can make fish, veggies and mashed potatoes and actually feel like I'm having a MEAL with Kevin for the first time in several weeks. Very refreshing. It's the little things!
I pretty much spent the past week at home resting. Friends came by to visit me during the days and nights. It was good company yet also tiring. Plus my house wasn't really up to par on cleaning. Oh well. Friday I decided to venture out and do some walking (test my endurance/stamina) at the Outlet mall in Chesterfield. My mom and aunt joined me. It was COLD. I did pretty well, stopping and taking a breather on the abundance of benches they had as needed. Afterwards, we went to iHop for lunch. I was a little anxious about eating out for the first time after surgery. Dining out was always such a hassle after my lap band surgery. Often times I'd get sick and spend time in the bathroom waiting for my food to come back up. I was haunted by such memories. However, everything went off without a hitch in my Friday lunch experiment. I ordered scrambled eggs (the nurse practitioner said I could eat my eggs however I wanted them) with onion and cheese.. The served me well over 4 oz; but I nibbled and tried not to push the envelope. It worked. What a HUGE relief. I want to be able to dine out in the future and remain within my limitations without getting ill. I ate slowly, of course.
One thing I'm REALLY struggling with is the rule to NOT drink 30 min. before or after meals. It's so second nature for me to drink with my meals, that I can't even dream of not taking a sip here and there during a meal. The idea of this is so I do not wash the food through my new stomach pouch. The purpose is for the food to sit there and give me the sensation of being satisfied or full.
I'm also unable to GULP liquids down now. Everything is about SIPPING. Do you know how hard it is to sip when you feel like you're thirsty as hell? Try it sometime. It's maddening.
Anyway, so after iHop we hit the Hallmark store in Chesterfield bottoms then we parted ways with my aunt before heading back to St. Charles for a couple more pit stops. Mom joined me at our brand new CVS for opening day. There I was able to grab some multivitamins and calcium citrate with vitamin D (two required dailies that I'll be on till I die). The bariatric vitamin company I've been going through send me monthly prescriptions of both; but they are chewable/dissolvable and literally make me nauseous. So, I need to call them and drop those two items and just stick with pills I can swallow. Hopefully they will allow me to order the B12 nasal spray I take once weekly and my iron pill still (it's also dissolvable but not as putrid). I'll need to look into my options this coming week.
Our last stop was Schnucks, where I had to pick up some things to support my week three and four food plans and also some items to serve during my Life Expressions party on Saturday. It's always hard picking out things to serve others that I can't enjoy myself. It's good to learn to resist, I suppose.
Once we got home on Friday both mom and I were WIPED OUT, It was a 9 hour day for us. She headed home; and I plopped myself on the sofa where I remained until bed time.
Yesterday I hosted a Life Expressions party, which was FUN. Friends and Family joined me in making some signs for gifts and our own home decor. It was a fun home party concept. For food we had chips, salsa, veggie tray, buffalo chicken dip, tuna salad, chicken salad and a party platter of sandwiches from Subway. Oh, and how could I forget, LOFTHOUSE cookies (my all time favorite). Funny how I've never been into sub sammies; but damn they were tempting. Particularly mom's home made chicken salad and tuna salad on dollar rolls (thanks Mom for contributing those to the party). OH how my mouth watered to have one of each. Sadly, tuna salad wasn't on my food plan until this coming Friday. I managed to resist until near the end of the party. Then I went outside of the box and scraped the contents off of the bun to enjoy the contents of one of each. It was a total guilty pleasure of mammoth proportions. HIT.THE.SPOT. Although, I've been trying to go by the book, I veered a little. At least it wasn't a glass of soda or a damned lofthouse cookie!!!! I sinned but made a better choice. Moving forward it's going to be ALL ABOUT making better choices. I know this.
So tonight Kevin and I are having fish, mashed potatoes and canned green beans. Not the same as the steamed ones we prefer; but it will do for now. At least I'll be able to sit at the table and enjoy a MEAL with him for a change.
And to the news everyone is really waiting for. I lost another 10 lbs in the past week. I'm using 356 as my starting weight even though I dropped 7 lbs. prior to surgery while on my 3 day liquid diet. That said, I am now weighing in at 323 for a total loss of 33 pounds, to date. I don't know what to really say about it. It's all very surreal to me. I do not feel hungry. I feel more thirst than hunger. Not sure which is worse?! I try not to push it to where I do feel full. I'm learning to stop eating when I feel content or satisfied. Before I'd eat till I was full. Friends and family have commented that they can see some of the weight loss in my face. Here's hoping that all my chins will disappear over time!!!
I strive to take all my meds and vitamins in one day, drink 64 oz of liquid (water or tea) each day and get 60 g. of protein in each day. It's not as easy as it sounds. Work in progress.
My biggest challenges so far are as follows:
1) Not drinking with my meals
2) Getting on a schedule to get all the meds and vitamins in (some can't be taken with others, etc)
3) Eating three meals a day versus my typical two
4) Getting 64 oz. of liquids in per day and not being able to take large drinks at a time, just sips.
These will continue to be a work in progress.
I'm definitely ready for Friday when I can "officially" have tuna salad, egg salad, low fiber cold cereals (i.e. Cheerios) and crackers (Ritz, graham or saltine).
Temptation is all around me. And it will be all around me for the remainder of my life; so I may as well learn how to control it now. My biggest fear is failure. Thank goodness I keep reminding myself to "Let my FAITH be greater than my fear".
I'm still very confused by the notion that there's the whole other gal inside me. Of my friends who have had the procedure, their before pics look like a totally different person. You can't even tell they are one in the same. This blows my mind, honestly. I don't know who the person is inside me, I can't imagine what it will be like to discover her and I often wonder if I'll even like her. I can't really describe my range of motions when it comes to this. Regardless, I'm taking everything one day at a time. It's like I'm giving birth to a whole new me yet this is the only me I know how to be (after 48 years). Crazy. In the end all I really want is to be more healthy and fit for the active lifestyle we have and keeping up with Fox....and to be happy. It wouldn't hurt if my husband found me more attractive then, either.
I made 4 oz of eggs this morning, I can't even eat half of it. I'm not going to push it.
Again, I thank all who have reached out via phone, email, FB posts or messages, flowers, visits, gifts, etc. They say it's imperative to have a great support network when going through this; and I am so very blessed to have you in it.
Have a great week everyone!
Ahhhh, here I sit one week and a day post-op. I am nothing short of AMAZED by the stark contrast between how I felt last Friday versus how I am feeling today. The field of medicine is pretty miraculous, really.
Tuesday-Thursday Sept. 2-4th
These days all seemed pretty similar.....liquid diet of chicken broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jell-o and protein shakes. I struggled to get out of bed on my own. Kevin had to help me up each morning before he left for work. Mom came to help me on Tuesday and Wednesday. Abbie came on Thursday. Their jobs consisted of helping me move the laptop when I need it on me, helping fetch me things and helping me if I needed assistance using the restroom. AGAIN, I don't know where I'd be without them. I cannot thank them enough; and my lifetime indebtedness to them I'll never be able to repay.
Each day seemed like I got a little stronger; but there is definitely one side of me that remains very sore and painful, as if the slightest movement pulls on the internal and external incisions/binding, etc. I have trouble standing for very long, twisting my mid section or reaching and bending. I tend to walk holding the sore side more.
I've been very tired, in part due to the lack of nutrition and the shock of all this to my metabolism, which the doctor says is normal. And also waking when Kevin leaves for work has made me tired during the day, too. Each day gets a little easier.
Tuesday and Wednesday Mom and I just chilled around the house: talking, watching HGTV, etc. The days were probably boring as hell for her; but they passed pretty quickly for me.
Thursday, Abbie stayed with me. We did much of the same talked, read magazines, etc to pass the time. My dear friend, Henry Peer came by for a nice visit between sales calls he was making that day. He had me laughing, right off the bat. Damn, it hurt to laugh; but he said I should expect nothing less from him. We visited for a couple of hours; and then he had to set off for a 2 pm appointment. Our conversation was quite stimulating with him talking more about his work in the field of medicine and what exactly he does. Abbie learned more about him; and I was just fascinated. His visit was good laughs and good medicine. Again, I am BLESSED to have great friends and family.
I managed to go without pain meds most all of Tuesday except for at bedtime. Wednesday I broke down and took some in the afternoon. Thursday I did well until bedtime again.
Overall I seemed to do okay with the week one diet of liquids but I was MORE than ready to progress to the week two plan if the doctor would bless me.
I did have one small episode of constipation. I told you I wasn't sugarcoating or eliminating the "private details". This is to help anyone who considers a similar path, remember. For the most part I was starting to be able to wipe my own bum. But then, after the one hour quest to poop, I decided to take a stool softener. The label said to take 1-3. I landed in the middle and took two. So after Kevin fed me my chicken broth and popsicle for dinner (while I watched him eating tamales from a can smothered in cheese.....and proceeded to DROOL), I needed to use the restroom. I had a soft stool and needed assistance in cleaning myself afterward. Kevin to the rescue. Men, know that when you say I do, it will me ALL kinds of crazy shit for your spouse in their time of need. Fortunately for me, I have a husband who make me laugh. So as he's doing the dirty job of wiping my bum, he blurts out, "it's like wiping Fox's ass on steroids!". I proceeded to BUST up laughing. Laughing is painful. I am so thankful that he can keep moments like that light, though. I needed that, even if it was a slam, it was FUNNY. After that we went to bed!!!! Too much fun for one day.
I've been showered in love and gifts. Below is a beautiful candle I got from Daniela, Steffen, Noah and Lara. And below that are flowers from Abbie and Jaimey that came with a Schnucks gift card (to help me with the new foods I'll need to be buying). Awesome heartfelt gifts.
Friday-September 5th ONE WEEK FOLLOW UP with the DOCTOR
Today, since I was able to get myself up our of bed now, I stayed in bed when Kevin went to work. I fell back asleep but woke when my mom rang the doorbell. She came to help me but also accompany me to my one week follow up at the doctor's.
My appointment was at 1 pm but they called and asked me to come in sooner. We agreed on 12:20 pm. I was in the shower when they phoned; but called them back.
Showers take a lot out of me. I take them; but skip shaving and do the basics since surgery. But today, I had to shower, wash my hair AND shave since I had to leave the house. This proved to be challenging; and it took every ounce of energy I had. I was WIPED out when I got out of the shower. So I layed down for 15 minutes to catch my breath. I was sore from bending and such even though I do have a chair in my shower. Then I forced myself to get up, brush my teeth, do my hair and get dressed. Again, it wiped me out; but I had to get to the doctors. Mom drove me down to Des Peres to the appointment. So far I hadn't had anything to eat and no pain meds.
I've never gotten in and out of Dr. Scott's office so fast. He was caught up in surgeries all day; so I saw Lily instead. First I stepped on the scale and had my BP taken. I was surprised to discover that I had lost TWENTY THREE pounds since my starting weight of 356 (which is considered my weight when I began seeing the doc) and 16 lbs since my last appointment. But I was more excited to see my mom's face. She was happy for me. Needless to say, I am thrilled, as well.
Lily said the incisions looked "beautiful". NOT exactly how I'd describe them; but I'll take the compliment. No infections or anything of concern there. And the BEST part is, she said I was able to progress to the next level/week in my plan. This means I can introduce additional foods to my eating plan. They call it FULL LIQUID stage or Week 2 Post Op. Aside from the things I was allowed to have last week: protein shakes, broths, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jell-O and tea....I can now ALSO have sugar free pudding, grits, cream of wheat, blended soups (lentil, black bean, vegetable, etc), greek yogurt with no fruit (plain vanilla or <9g sugar), thin oatmeal, vegetable juice, thin unsweetened applesauce, sugar free hot chocolate and sugar free fudgcicles. Can you hear the angels singing? I can!!! Oh the little things I celebrate now.
First thing I had when we got home from the doctor's was cream of wheat and a fudgesicle. It was nice to actually enjoy a quasi meal. I felt satisfied with it (no hunger pangs). I am to start taking my bariatric vitamins daily now and B12 nasal spray weekly. I take Iron, Calcium with Citrate and a Multi Vitamin, all chewable (eww) plus the B12 spray. That should be all I need to supplement my diet moving forward.
Every week on Friday, if I have done well with that week's diet, I am allowed to progress to the next week/level. Next week I look forward to adding eggs, Natural nut butters (no sugar or oil added), soft baked fish (cod, tilapia), mashed potatoes, low fat soft cheese (cottage, string or sliced), canned vegetables, canned fruit in their own juice and banana. At least each week I have something to look very forward to. I can live a week on each new option.
Tonight we have Noah overnight (my "adopted" son who chose me as his 2nd mom) and Fox for the weekend. My friends Kelli and Brett are coming over to visit us after dinner. It will be nice. Kevin is going to make tacos for the boys. My mom was kind enough to make some sugar-free pistachio pudding before she left. So I plan on having that and some Grits for dinner and possibly a fudgesicle. I may have some protein shake, too just to make sure I've gotten some protein in today. I didn't have breakfast.
I'll keep you posted on what the next week brings; but I'm hoping it will bring me more strength, less pain and the ability to get out of the house for an hour here or there.
I plan on returning to work on September 15th, barring any complications. I need to call the doctor Monday and make sure they will have the paperwork read for my return to work on the 15th.
Other than that, I'm following doctor's instruction by the book and so far it seems to be working well.
Still being surprised with visits and flowers, below is a pic of the flowers I got from good friends, Kelli and Brett Eckman and family.
As for my saga, well........To be continued..............
So I won't bore you with many more details of the pre-op diet. They were pretty much all the same and very do-able for me. I drank a lot of chicken broth, ate a lot of Popsicles, dabbled with a little jello and relied on protein shakes to get me by. I survived!
The night before surgery I was given instructions not to eat or drink anything after midnight and to shower in the evening and in the morning with anti-bacterial soap. So I made a special trip to Walgreens for anti-bacterial soap (my brand of choice, Caress, didn't meet the criteria). Imagine my surprised when I scoured the shelves only to discover they had only two brands to choose from: Dial and Safeguard. I grabbed a two pack of Safeguard (on sale for $1) and went my merry way. I have sensitive skin; and it does NOT like Dial products for some reason.
The nurse phoned me the day before my surgery to advise that I was scheduled for a 10 am surgery and would need to be at the hospital by 7:30 am. Later they called to bump me to 11 am, with an 8:30 am arrival time. I was ok with that as it allowed me more time to sleep in, in the morning.
Kevin's boss would not allow him the day off as he (the boss) was scheduled to go to Seattle that week on business. His comment to Kevin was, "doesn't she check our work schedule before arranging surgery?". Everyone I mention this to laughs and says it's a chauvinistic thing to say. I, on the other hand, find it offensive. Guess it never occurred to him that I could possibly make more than Kevin or have my own work schedule to clear. We live in a home where we both contribute proportionately with monetary and workload division. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to meeting the guy. Pretty sure he couldn't handle a gal like me!
So, now that I've completely digressed, we decided that mom and Abbie would accompany me on surgery day while Kevin worked. Kevin would come immediately after work. I also got a call from the doctor's office advising me that I would owe coinsurance of $2287 and some change. They wanted to know what I would be paying at admitting. My head was spinning with the surgery as it was, let alone the notion of having to pay $2287 some odd at check in (which, by the way, was less than 24 hours away). No pressure.
So I wrapped up my day at work and then showered up and turned in early for my big day on the 28th.
DISCLAIMER: I am going to document every nasty detail of my journey, including any "TMI" deets. I know my blog may bore the shit out of some of you. By all means, blow past them, block them, whatever ya gotta do. I am not journaling this for ANY other reason than: 1) me to look back on and remember how far I've come before I even think about sabotaging myself, 2) as a very honest and truthful "scoop" on all details of the process should anyone you know want to get a first hand account as they consider the same path and 3) for the close family and friends who are interested in following along in my life long work in progress endeavors. Other than that, NO, I don't think I'm so special that you're just dying to hear my story. It's not about that.
August 28th-SHOWTIME
I woke at 6 am and took my second anti-bacterial shower and got dressed and ready for surgery. I had packed the day before.....my laptop, my toothbrush and paste, a change of clothes to come home in and a stack of magazines to read. I was sure this procedure would be no different than that of my lap-banding.
Abbie (my aunt who is a mere 4 yrs older than me) and my mom arrived at our house by 7:15 am; and we promptly set out for Des Peres Hospital. We made good time and arrived way ahead of schedule. By the Grace of God, we managed to avoid major rush hour traffic. Once we got there, we checked in and were taken to admitting immediately. There I gave all my emergency contact info, handed them copies of my healthcare directives and a check for $2287 (luckily I had the money).
After I wrapped up there, mom and Abbie were asked to sit in the lobby and wait while I was ushered to the pre-op area, which was like no other pre-op I've ever experienced. They simply showed me a room, had me put on my robe, put socks on me, gave me my Lovenox shot (doctor is using these as a precautionary measure since I had history of a blood clot in 2009, it's a blood thinner) and attempted to stick me for an IV. I've always been a hard stick; so that was unsuccessful. Nurses there decided to wait and have the anesthesiologist do it later. I was not given anything to relax me or start mellowing me out. Instead, once they did their thing, I sat in my room with my mom and Abbie and killed a lot of time until a man came up with a bed to wheel me down to the OR.
A fun little man whisked me off to the recovery area so I could get my IV then I was going straight into the OR. I wasn't nervous at all about surgery. For me, the worst part is ALWAYS getting the IV. ALWAYS. So one hour later the IV was FINALLY in, that's 6 men on their knees looking in two arms for any place other than the wrist to stick. The first four men I met were final year med students doing a 4 week rotation at the hospital in prep for applying to the residency program at Des Peres. I really enjoyed talking to them. One was attending school in KC, one at OSU whose med program is in Tulsa and I can't recall the other two. Then finally I met the two full time anesthesiologists that were at Des Peres and assigned to my OR. We had fun conversations and talked a lot of NCAA football smack!
As soon as they had the IV in, I was carted off to the OR where I met the team assisting in the OR. Everyone was nice, in good moods and joking. I still wasn't nervous. They put me on the table, starting prepping me, put oxygen over my face and then administered the anesthesia. Next thing I know, I was OUT. Medicine is such an amazing science!
I obviously have no recollection of anything that happened after that and until I woke up in recovery. From what I was told, they had to get my CPAP from mom and Abbie while I was in recovery to help me take deeper breathes before they could release me to a room. I don't recall much of the recovery room at all; but per mom and Abbie, it was well after 1 pm when I went into the OR. My surgery took 2 hours total and recovery seemed to take forever as I wasn't taking deep enough breathes until they brought my CPAP in for me. The doctor did mention to my family that my surgery went VERY well and that he was surprised to see a hiatal hernia when he was in there; so he fixed that. He suggested that was why I had so many problems with the lap band. Still not sure if it led to the band problems or the band problems led to it. But it was a surprise for everyone. When I woke up in recovery I saw Kevin standing over my bed. It was a very pleasant surprise. I remember saying, "Hi Honey" but couldn't really figure out how it had gotten so late that he was there?! Soon thereafter, the same sweet transporter came to take me to my room. He was a nice man who had who had been working there for 21 years. Very upbeat and entertaining, gave us the history of the hospital, etc. Mom asked his title and he wasn't sure, so I called him the "Director" of Transport. He laughed while I continued to refer to him as such my entire stay. Sadly I don't remember his name; but he was a charming man.
I was assigned to room 338. The third floor nurses at Des Peres were WONDERFUL. I loved all of them. My night nurse, Dartina, was extra special. She took me on my walks and pushed me in a good way. She was real and I just really enjoyed her personality. Karyn my day nurse was great, too. She was a middle aged woman with gorgeous silver hair and perfect make up. Not southern; but reminded me of a southern auntie. Great experience overall with that hospital.
The night of my surgery, I felt like I'd been hit by a Mack truck. It was awful. My neck and shoulders were screaming in pain, presumably from the gasses they had to inflate my abdominal area with in order to perform the surgery. The cure for this was to get out of bed and take short walks 3x a day and release as much gas as you can. All of a sudden, farting was applauded versus embarrassing. I was at a level of misery to where I didn't care. Mom, Abbie and Kevin remained with me into the evening until I assured them they needed food and rest, too. I had pain meds every 4 hours like clockwork, morphine. But I quickly noticed the morphine was wearing off after 2 hours and I'd have to wait it out in 2 hours of pain before the next dose.
For that time, I was not allowed ANY thing to drink even. I had those nasty swabs that they'd dip into ice chips for me to suck on. And let me tell you, I was DYING of thirst. Hunger did not exist; but severe thirst DID. I did not sleep at all that night. I woke in 2 hr intervals. Had to have been the pain and all the nurse activity. I did use my CPAP while in the hospital.
At about 10:30 pm that night, my doctor stopped in to tell me my surgery went WELL and that I'm going to lose A LOT of weight. It was all still too surreal to me. But I wished him a happy holiday weekend and he advised me that Dr. Minnkin would be his back up. Bless his heart, Dr. Scott did well over 10 surgeries that day. It was an even longer day for him than me. Again, I am amazed by these professionals and the science. Truly Amazed.
Dartina, the night nurse, took me for my first walk tonight, think it was about 11 pm. I was lucky to make it 2 doors down to the nurses station. I felt like walking HELL. Everything hurt, the neck and shoulders were screaming with pain; and the stomach felt like I was pulling out all the sutures/staples and whatever else they used to glue me back together again. I took my second walk with Dartina at 2 am.
Friday, August 29th-The Day After
As I mentioned I didn't sleep well; so I was up at 6 am for my Lovenox shot. So I chose to sit up in the chair in my room for a while. I sat there majority of the day, actually. I was still on the swab of water diet, which, along with the IV is the worst part, in my humble opinion. With the help of meds, I can deal with pain. I can't handle thirst so well. I had a catheter in (which was inserted during surgery). Today I had two tests I had to pass in order to get the catheter removed and to be able to have a drink, the Holy Grail!!!
At 8 am they took me down to Radiology for my "swallow test". This test I've had before with my lap band. You drink a shot like of contrast and the radiologist watches it go through your stomach and makes sure everything is flowing properly. They watch it through a Fluoroscope machine. I passed that test with flying colors and returned to my room. Nurse Karyn removed my catheter; and I was finally able to use the restroom on my own!!! Mom and Dad arrived by 10 am ish for a visit. They kept me company most of the day. They brought me a fun St. Louis Blues decoration and a floral arrangement.
We sat around and talked most of the day, watched some TV and just chilled. I was so incredibly tired after a night of no sleep that I dozed off and on. Around 12:30 ish, Karyn came in with my second test, the infamous LEAK test. This test is done to ensure there are no leaks from the organs they cut and rerouted to your system internally. I was warned it was an unpleasant dye. I've always been one to approach things like, "if it's something I've got to do, let's just get it done". So they pour this bright blue dye over ice cubes and ask me to chew the entire cup of coated ice cubes. The nurse described it as tasting FOUL. That was a serious understatement. I powered through it; and the great news is that there was no BLUE dye showing up in my drain (I forgot to mention I had a drain in me, in addition to the catheter and pain ball). The catheter was the first to go. Back to the Leak Test. So I passed that with flying colors, as well, THANK YOU, JESUS. However, I became very nauseated post test. So they had to give me an anti-nausea medication via IV which helped tremendously. The good news is I was FINALLY allowed to drink and go back on the post-op clear liquid diet. They immediately brought me lunch of chicken broth, a bomb pop, jello and ice water. I was never more ready to drink, even if I couldn't gulp! Still not experiencing any sensation of hunger, I was able to take a few sips of broth, a few bites of Jell-O and a few bites of Popsicle. I drank my water. All was right in the world again!
I pretty much had the same menu for the rest of my hospital stay. It didn't seem to bother me. It was the least of my cares or worries.
Mom and Dad stuck around until Abbie and Jaimey arrived when Jaimey got off work. They walked in with a beautiful yellow mum and gift, which I certainly didn't expect after all she'd done to sit with mom for my surgery. But it was a lovely surprise. And I will get them displayed in the yard. I love Autumn and everything about it. So mums were perfect. What I also loved about the floral arrangement mom brought in was that the vase was an ice cream cone.....fitting since my mom is known to all her nieces and nephews as the aunt who always brings cone cupcakes. Very cute. Gorgeous flowers, too. I don't have a picture but will post one when I can get up and about and take one.
Abbie and Jaimey hung out for a bit, long enough for a good visit and to make sure Kevin got there safely. Then they headed out around 8 pm ish so they could get some dinner. Every one's been on wicked crazy schedules. Kevin arrived after work and a shower and stayed until 9 ish where he had to get food and to bed as he'd been working OT for 2 weeks ever since the day after we got back from vacation. He was tired, too!
I was so tired on Friday night, that I wasn't worried about company. I needed to walk and then get to bed. I still got my regular meds, with the exception of my Hydrochlorthiazide. I also got pain meds as needed, Lovenox (blood thinner) twice daily and random Pepcid and Maalox.
Friday evening I walked a figure 8 around the 3rd floor. My night nurse, Dartina was very happy with my progress and commented that I looked much better Friday night than Thursday night. She said I had NO color in my face Thursday night. I'm not surprised. That was my roughest night. Friday night I was simply tired.
I went to bed at 9 pm and slept through the entire night.
Saturday, August 29th-Operation Go Home
So I slept like a baby all night, to where the nurses were afraid to disturb me. I didn't have any overnight walks with Dartina, who I understand was waiting for me all night. Instead I woke by 8 am. Doctors made rounds and every one of them mentioned that I would be getting released today. I was ready! I still had the drain and pain ball (On Q pump for pain) in me; so those and the IV had to be removed, although I was disconnected from the big IV pole and never had to really drag it around with me, thank goodness. I was told they were shooting for lunch time. I didn't want to wake Kevin, as he had a long week as well, particularly with constant overtime at work. But he waltzed in by 10 am and surprised the heck out of me. I had expected him to phone first, per our conversation the night before. He sat with me most of the day and also awaiting my release, which did not come until closer to dinner time. He was tired and I was just nursing the pain from the surgery; so it was a pretty mellow room I had. I failed to mention, I did have a private room my entire stay. This was perfect for me. I liked the quiet and the privacy.
As soon as I was released Kevin got the car and pulled up to the door where I was wheeled by a transporter and off we went. As the transporter too me down the hall from my room and up to the main floor to the door, all the nurses and staff were saying goodbye and wishing me well. It was almost as if I'd made a host of new friends. Never have I felt bad leaving a hospital as I almost did then. It was really a nice send off. Wonderful Wonderful Staff at Des Peres Hospital.
We decided to make ONE stop before going home: Walgreens to drop off my scripts. I was given Lortab for pain, some anti nauseal meds and Lovenox (the blood thinner) so that I could self inject every 12 hours for 7 days. This, again, is just a precautionary measure to avoid any blood clots. I've done it before; so it's no big deal to me. Of course, when we got to Walgreens the pharmacist advised us the doc only signed one of the three prescriptions. JOY. So Kevin had them fill the one that was signed (thankfully that was the Hydrocodone pain med) and we headed home to get me situated. The pharmacy called the doctor and filled the scripts at another location for Kevin to simply run out and grab a second time (after he'd gotten me home and comfortable). I had dinner, meds and sat up for a bit then we turned in early. Kevin was still tired and I was in a little residual pain.
Sunday, August 31-First Day at Home
Today was pretty uneventful. When I woke up, I tried pulling myself out of the bed. WRONG MOVE. It hurt like a son of a bitch...and I won't be doing that again any time soon. Kevin is sleeping downstairs to allow me room to move in the bed and he's afraid he'll roll over in the night and hit me where my sutures are. We did everything we could to protect my belly from any cats climbing on top and playing during the night. If they did, I'd never know. Once again, I slept like a baby. Very peacefully. I took pain meds only as needed, which ended up being 2-3 times today. One being at bedtime. And I had no problems with the injections. The worst thing is not being able to twist my abdominal area; and having to rely on someone else to do basic, very personal things, like wipe me after I use the restroom. VERY HUMBLING. Fortunately for me, I married a man who will do anything for me; and he's been as wonderful as he can be. He's not as nurturing as a female nurse; but he does the best he can with what he's got; and I love him for that. Time and again, he's proved to me that I've chosen the right man.
Monday, September 1-LABOR DAY
Day two at home was equally boring. Kevin helped me out of bed which made a world of difference in pain. Then I worked my way to the living room. It's a bit painful to raise my core to an upright stance. I have a ton of staples and sutures inside and out; and it feels like I'm going to pull them when I try to stand upright, when I laugh, cough, sneeze, etc Not fun. I am on a clear liquid diet for a week post surgery. So I had protein shakes, Popsicles and iced tea again, ho-hum. I'm looking forward to Friday when I see Dr. Scott and hopefully get his blessing to progress to full liquids which at least includes sugar free fudgesicles, cream of wheat and grits. C'mon Friday!!!
I spent majority of the day reading email and getting caught up on Facebook as well as playing my Vegas Slots game. I'm desperately trying to accumulate points to redeem toward free nights, meals, shows, etc when we are in Vegas in November.
I also spent a good chunk of time catching up on this blog. Then we had some dear friends (the Klotzs) come over to see me. So we asked them to stick around for dinner, too. Kevin grilled pork steaks and brats while we all visited. It was very nice and took my mind off all this medical stuff for a few hours. Lara tried waxing my legs; but was getting more peeling skin than hair. So she shaved my legs for me. I cannot bend and reach so well, yet. They also arrived with a very nice gift of a gorgeous candle holder and candle that looks perfect in my living room. At dinner time, they all insisted that I sit at the dinner table with them. I drank my protein shake while they indulged in some very aromatic barbecue. No worries, they assured me it was "horrible" and that I wasn't "missing anything" HA HA HA.
After dinner we all sat out on the screened in porch and listened to the rain while visiting until one particularly loud (and apparently CLOSE) thunderclap sent us all running inside. Time to end the party. It was 9 pm, the kids had school the next day, parents had work They left and Kev got me situated with my laptop in bed to complete my blog entry and wind down. He will be upstairs in about 15 minutes to get me lying flat and situated for bed. It was a GREAT day and I was glad to be in the company of great friends. It was THE best medicine.
Tomorrow Kevin returns to work; so my mom will come nurse me. I feel bad for using and abusing her; but she would have it no other way. I still need a lot of help yet. I'm anxiously awaiting for the days that I can get around on my own and not have to rely on others for help.
A very heartfelt thank you to all of those who have prayed for me, reached out to me with an email, a post, a phone call or text before or after my surgery. I cannot express to you all, how far all of that support goes to encouraging me to become a healthier Lori. I am really and truly blessed. I know this. Thank you.
I did step on the scale today, just for fun and I will tell you that I am only down a few pounds since the day of surgery.....but in no time, it will be falling off, I BELIEVE!!!
And now something I'd never have the balls to do........share my weights.
At my highest weight I was 367 pounds. Makes me sick considering I promised myself I'd NEVER allow myself to get closer to 300 than 200 once I went over 200.
I was yo-yo ing with weight all while seeing Dr. Scott, between an empty band and going through the process of fills again up to surgery time. I was losing weight (I believe water weight) shortly before surgery as I'd started a month early by giving up carbonated beverages. That's when I began dropping from like 358 ish down to 350 and on to 341 on the day of surgery.
Today I weighed 339...but it still went down. I figure I still have swelling and such from surgery and that once I am more able bodied, the pounds will drop off....so long as I am following the recommended diet and exercise plan.
I hope to share a very good success story with you as I continue along my way. Thank you, again, to my friends and family for being THE best support group a girl could ever have. I sincerely love you all.
