2.5 Weeks Out

Well, I am now 17 days post-op and today was my first post-op doctor's appointment. I saw the nurse only, and she basically just weighed me and asked me a lot of questions, checked my incisions, etc. I go back on the 28th for my follow-up with the dietician and will probably be advanced to Phase 3 (real food!) at that time (per the nurse today).
Phase 2, the pureed foods, is going fairly well. The foods are a little bland and boring. So far my favorite has been spaghetti sauce made with ground turkey and Hunt's canned sauce, with a little parmesan cheese melted in. I also enjoyed some Jenny-O turkey shredded in the processor with a little mayo mixed in. Last night we went to IHOP for Kristi's birthday dinner, and I ate a few bites of egg & cheese omelet. That was really good and I did not have any ill effects as a result. Of course, eggs are on our puree menu, but that was my first restaurant food since surgery. I was surprised at how little I could eat.
At my weigh-in this morning I had lost 31 lbs since surgery. I suppose that's pretty good for 17 days, huh? Almost 2 lbs per day. My energy level is still low and on Tuesday night this week, I came home from work and was in bed asleep by 7:30 p.m.! And did not wake up until the next morning, either. I am trying very hard to get in my required 64 oz of fluid, 60 grams of protein, and at the minimum 30 grams of carbs per day, but that is a lot harder than it might sound.
My pants are getting very loose in the waist, and I was able to cut the tags off some pants that Artie bought me for Christmas about 2 years ago that I had never been able to wear - and wear them to work Monday.
I know this all might seem fast to the reader, but it seems minute-by-minute to me. I never get hungry, though. I still think about food, but not nearly as bad as those first several days. I do look forward to starting on real foods! I think the small portions will be a breeze as long as I can CHEW something! LOL
I survived Kristi's 40th birthday party with a ton of YUMMY hors d'oeuvres in front of me - but barely. That was probably one of the worst days/nights I've had since surgery. Of course, the food - and it didn't help that ARtie and I were responsible for the food. Then the fact that I had been up and worked all day since 7:00 a.m. and the party was still going at 10:00 p.m.!! I almost passed out at one point, how embarrassing. But the party was a great success and Kristi was shocked and thrilled, so it was worth it.
Tonight is my first support group meeting since surgery. I am tired, and still have therapy before support group, but am looking forward to it nonetheless. I definitely look forward to a few more days off over the holidays. Maybe eventually I will get that burst of energy that so many have talked about.
Keep me in your prayers.

One Week Post-Op

So this whole process has so far been more difficult than I anticipated. The actual surgery was simple and quick, the time in the hospital wasn't so bad. I really haven't had any major pain except my JP drain was giving me some incisional pain before they pulled it out. The first negative thing I noticed was weakness and extreme fatigue. I know this is probably normal after any surgery and anesthesia, but for the 2 days in the hospital it was all I could do to get up and walk my 100 feet every hour or so and to go to the bathroom and back. I did go home on Wednesday as planned, and as soon as I got home I stopped the pain meds. That made me feel less foggy and lethargic.

The next really negative thing I noticed was that I MOURNED food. I mean, I thought about it non-stop and wanted food so badly, it seemed to me like what drug or alcohol withdrawal would be like. It probably did not help that I was lying around watching a lot of TV, where there are more food ads than anything! This was very severe and lasted three - four days.

I am now day 9 post-op and am feeling a little better. I do not have any real pain, just some minor incisional soreness at my "trocar" sites - the small 1-inch incisions where they placed their laparoscopic equipment. My small drain site has closed, but it is right where the bottom of my bra sits, so wearing a bra for any length of time rubs that area and is quite uncomfortable. My actual tummy "insides" don't seem to hurt at all. In fact, I have wondered more than once if they really did anything in there! LOL I do have occasional twinges of pain if I move a certain way, and one of the dogs accidentally pawed me on my belly button incision yesterday and it stung for quite a while afterwards.

I am not mourning food as badly as I did, but that may be partly because I attempted pureed food yesterday (6 days early!) I know I shouldn't have done this, but I did not have any bad reaction or result from it, thankfully. I pureed some canned chicken in the food processor and mixed it with a little mayo. I ate 1.5 oz. and it was yummy! Today I tried 1.5 oz. of refried beans with a little cheese on top, heated, and the beans were even better than the chicken. However, they do not have as much protein so they are not as good of a selection in that regard. I have not tried to puree and eat any "real" meat yet, as in rotisserie chicken or ground turkey, etc.

Artie has been with me 24/7 and we have certainly enjoyed all the time away from work and life stress. We have just been lying around the house, watching a lot of Lifetime movies! LOL He has been so considerate and is barely eating anything at all in front of me - salads, fruit, and a couple of sandwiches when he does eat. Logan of course, has eaten (microwave) lasagna, pizza, spaghetti and anything else he can get his little hands on. But he mostly eats in his room these days, which I'm not going to complain about until I can have real food again.

I think if someone asked me right now would I do it again, I'd have to say I'm not sure. I know that once the weight really starts coming off in significant amounts I will probably say yes. However, desiring food I can't have, missing those yummy, comforting meals I used to indulge in, and feeling weak all the time are not so great thus far. I have lost 16 lbs. since surgery and 7.5 inches. Artie is helping me measure every 2 weeks. If the weight loss continues, I will soon be seeing numbers on the scale that I have not seen in a VERY long time. When I hit 250, it will be the first time in probably 8 or 9 years. If I make it down to 200, it will be the first time since before Logan was born - 11.5 years ago!

I have a lot of great support - my family has been great, work has been great, and my support group from Dr. Boyce's office, as well as my friend and mentor, Angel. I know I'll get through this rough patch and look back and say what? Of course this was worth it! I am healthier, I look better, I feel better, I can breathe and tie my shoes and SEE MY FEET! LOL

Just an update so far. Keep me in your prayers if you are reading this.

STARVING

Okay, so liquid diets are NOT FUN. I am starving. Every food that has been heated up at the office for lunch today smells amazing - even Steve's broccoli and cauliflower steamer. Artie had been on the pre-op diet with me, but he called this afternoon to say he "cheated" and ate lunch. On the bright side, he's lost 8 lbs in 2 days and I've lost 7, so obviously the shakes are working.
Logan's band concert last night was very cute. The music was better than I expected and he looked adorable in his white shirt, tie, and black dress pants. I can't believe he's getting so "mature" - at least in appearance. LOL

Oh well, back to my shake.

Countdown to Surgery

13 days now until surgery. Countdown time! I started the liquid diet yesterday and boy, I'm starving! I didn't realize how much my day/thoughts revolved around food until now. I apparently start thinking about "what's for dinner?" at around 11 or 12 every day. LOL And this week it's protein shakes for dinner .. and breakfast .. and lunch ...

I had my pre-op visit with Dr. Boyce's office yesterday, and registered at Parkwest. What a nice hospital and staff! I toured the bariatric wing and Jessica, the hospital coordinator, was very nice to give me an impromptu tour! The rooms seem large and comfortable.

I am getting nervous about the upcoming events. Partly because of being operated on; partly because of stress at work and worries about being out; partly because of this liquid diet. At least I do get to eat real food on Thanksgiving Day.

Tonight Logan has his very first band concert. He is very excited about it. I can't wait to see him perform.

Looking Forward

I can't believe it's only 4 weeks from Monday until my surgery. This has been such a long time coming! My life is going to change for the better in so many ways! I am really looking forward to it!

We had dinner at Mom's last night so Hannah could show off her Batgirl costume to the family. She looked ADORABLE!! It was such a cute costume and she is such a cute girl anyway.

Hopefully it will not start raining tonight until late so we can go to the Haunted Forest. We haven't been yet this year and I love to go. Plus we are singing at Dante on Sunday night, so it would be TWO chances to see my Dante pals.

I am struggling through another day at work of feeling sluggish and tired. I have work to do, but it's not stimulating my mind enough to keep me super-awake and focused. I swear I think I could sleep for a week and still feel tired. I certainly hope the weight loss from the surgery will make this exhausted feeling go away.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

After a lot of research and doctor appointments and prayer and saving money, Artie and I decided together that I would undergo gastric bypass surgery. I chose to use Dr. Stephen Boyce as my surgeon and am very comfortable with him and his staff and their very comprehensive program. My surgery is scheduled for November 30th. I will be attending a lengthy preoperative diet class in about two weeks to go over my new eating habits and postoperative care.
I am very excited about this opportunity to change my health and my life in such a huge way. I have been overweight for so long now that I don't remember how it feels to be a normal weight and not have the weight-related health issues such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea, joint pain, back pain, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, etc. I am too young to feel so old!
Please pray for me as I undergo this dramatic life change. Hopefully I will be able to impact Artie and Logan and the rest of my family in a positive way and improve their health, as well.

Dad

Dad passed away on June 11, 2009. It was a very peaceful passing, with Mom, Kristi, Pig, Artie and me around his bedside. Everyone else had just left for the night and the kids and Aunt Connie were in other rooms preparing for bed. We saw a light in his eyes and knew he was seeing the lights of home. (There were no lights on in the room).
He has a beautiful tombstone at Emory Pike Cemetary with a lighthouse engraved on it. But he's not there - he's in a MUCH better place!