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Day 4--feeling great

Feel great today. No nausea, no pain. I'm a little sore in my stomach but no pain unless I bend. I'm not hungry at all. No hunger. None!!! I found out I shouldn't be crushing my wellbutrin because it's Sustained Release, so they told me I should be able to swallow it whole. I'm trying that tonight. If for some reason it gets stuck, I need to ease it down with warm liquids. My chewable centram orange taste pretty good. My only issues are not really surgery related. 1. I only told people at work that I was having surgery and didn't tell them why except for two people I'm close to. Other people have been speculating what kind of surgery I'm having and gossiping, which kind of makes me mad. They are guessing I had some kind of cosmetic surgery and even suggested lap band as a possibility. I don't really know why it bothers me because it's not a secret, I just didn't feel the need to tell everyone at work. I don't feel like it's their business. I'm off work for a month though due to my sick leave running into my christmas vacation, so I'm pretty sure i'm going to look different when I return, so I'm sure they will guess correctly that I had WLS. This bothers me, but only a little. I just feel that sometimes they are mean spirited in the way they gossip. I'm not embarrassed about the surgery, I just feel that I have the right to privacy about my health. 2. I randomly met a guy two days before my surgery and he keeps asking me if I'll go out with him and I keep putting him off. He wants to get dinner and I'm on liquids right now. I'm debating whether or not to tell him. I don't like to lie and I hate making up excuses that arent' true. But I do want to go out with him.   Those are my biggest problems, and as you can see, they are little inconsequential issues. I am very happy so far and I'm down 18 pounds from before I started the pre-op diet. My pants are looser and my butt looked better today. Day 4 is a good day.:thumbup:
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

4
 

A okay--day 3

:thumbup:Okay, first of all, thanks to everyone who has been so supportive! I really appreciate it and really feel close to you guys now. You're the best!! I have no hunger (which I know is only temporary) so it has been no problem sticking to my liquid diet. I actually went with my mom and went shopping. I got tired and run down and had to go and sit n the car, but I think that was more dehydration and lack of calories. I've moved to the full liquid stage this afternoon and oatmeal and milk went down fine. I can't feel anything weird when I eat and I can't really feel the port. I do have about five incisions. I'm not sure why so many, but they are slowly healing. I can sleep fine. It hurts when I turn over, but I can sleep on either side once I get there or on my back comfortably.   I actually feel pretty normal, other than I feel a little weak due to lack of calories. I'm trying not to obsess over the scale, but I am down 15 pounds since I started the pre-op diet and I can tell I'm still swollen and I haven't had a BM yet. I think the loratab makes you constipated. I'm weanin myself off of it and onto liquid tylenol. Now I have to eat/drink every hour that I'm awake. This is the recommended schedule until Tuesday. 8am-soupy cereal (milked down oatmeal, no clumps) 9am-water 10am-juice 11am-strained cream soup 12pm-jello 1pm-water or non caloric beverage, coffee is okay 2pm- nonfat milk 3pm broth 4pm milked down cream of wheat 5pm-water 6pm-strained cream soup 7pm-juice 8pm-jello sugar free pudding 9pm-nonfat milk.   To be honest, I haven't been keeping up with it because it seems like a lot. I'm trying to get better though and everything is going down fine. My biggest issue right now is that they have not called in a liquid form of wellbutrin and crushed pills is disgusting. I'm going to call them again tomorrow.....
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

3
 

8 days to go!!!

I'll be having surgery in 8 days!!! I'm 6 days into my pre-op diet and I've lost 10 pounds. I feel really good about that, because I've been sticking to the diet really well. Four protein shakes during the day and one healthy choice dinner. Add veggie or healthy choice dessert if I'm still hungry but no more than 1100-1200 calories per day. Some of the 10 pounds is probably water weight and I'm counting from weight that I just gained from having "last meals". The first two days are pure hell, but after that, I have gotten used to drinking my meals instead of eating them. I really haven't been hungry much at all. My boss took me to lunch on Friday, and he knows I'm having surgery, but I didn't tell him what for. I ate 1/3 of a grilled chicken sandwich really slowly and he didn't seem to notice. Then, I just drank a protein drink for dinner. I've been meaning to get to the gym but it is COLD. I mean really COLD for Florida. It's been in freezing temperatures the past few days. When I get off work it's dark and cold and I just want to stay inside and be warm and not go back out. I will definitely start going to the gym after my surgery. I think I can do cardio fairly soon after and weights after 6 weeks or so. I'm really looking forward to losing this weight and starting the new year off right!! I've only told two people at work that I'm doing it and only a few friends and my family. I actually am going to have a month off work counting the Christmas vacation I already scheduled, so I hope to come back to work much lighter. Let the rumors begin!!!
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

1
 

Background

Okay, here's some background on me. I'm a 29 year old single female. I've been overweight since I was about 10. I've had success with diets off and on through high school and college, but would keep gaining after I lost. I get sidetracked by life and it takes a lot of attention for me to lose weight or even maintain it. I have to go to the gym, eat much less than I want, and pick healthy foods. Sounds doable right? Well, after going to my sister's wedding and seeing most of my relatives who have lost the battle of the bulge, I finally realized that the odds were not stacked in my favor. I consider myself successful--I graduated college and obtained my master's degree while working full time. I have a good career and good friends. However, I just can't seem to succeed at losing weight. It has now gotten to the point where it will negatively impact my health and has definitely hurt my otherwise healthy self-esteem. I'm not dating anyone because I look in the mirror and I can't imagine anyone wanting to be with me. I've dated in the past quite a bit and been fine, but I guess now it has really hit me how overweight I've become. I feel sluggish and my feet hurt and I'm tired all the time. I want to have energy and enjoy life. I want to get dressed up and go out and feel sexy! But most of all, I don't want to look back at my life and feel that I wasted my youth being held back by the 100 and more extra pounds I'm carrying around! So, This is it. I'm hoping it will be! I'm an optimist by nature, so I am hoping and thinking that this will work, not by itself, but though hard work as well. I think that is what makes the lap band appeal to me. It won't work unless I work as well. I don't think I'd appreciate it as much if I didn't have to work for it. So, here I go! I'm scared that I will fail. I'm scared that something will go wrong and I will die. I'm scared that I won't be able to eat and I'll be miserable. But I won't let my fear hold me back. Because, most of all, I"m scared that I will do nothing and doing something to me is always better than doing nothing about a problem. I want to be that success story. I want to inspire others like many have inspired me. Let the journey begin...December 1st here I come!
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

5
 

Long overdue update

Well, after much work, I finally got insurance approval!!! I'm waiting on a surgery date, but I'm hoping for early December. I've been researching this thing to death and feel ready--nervous/excited/but ready. Here we go!
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

2
 

Lap Band Paperwork/PCP Appt.

Okay, so I went to my primary care doctor today, with all my paperwork. I was nervous to ask her for the letter of medical necessity so I talked about my foot first. Apparently I have heel spurs and she suggested orthopedic shoes. Uggh! I think I"m going to try a heel pad. She mentioned that it can come from excess weight. I think she was just about to suggest some kind of new diet....ugh..That was the perfect opportunity to bring up the fact that I wanted lap band surgery. She looked king of confused, then looked through my chart. Well, you do qualify, she said..and then pondered it. She said, well, what about RNY instead? It has more proven results. She's big on proven research. I asked her for Seasonale birth control a year ago and she said no because there wasn't enough research on the long term results. I told her that I felt that Lap Band was better for me and cited the reasons. She said she' d had two patients that it had failed on. I asked her what she meant by failed (ie. did they die or what?) She said they ate around the band and gained the weight back and you had to be very committed if the band was going to work. I told her that's me exactly. Because I am very committed. I pointed out that I lost 77 pounds two years ago on weight watchers and the gym I go to told me I'd gone to the gym more days that year than any other member. Then she seemed to get excited about it because she started typing (my letter, maybe?) and started piling up my justifications for surgery or my insurance (heel spurs now...back pain, joint pain, she said my blood pressure was borderline, I told her that my back hurt and she said, "Excellent!" She measured my waist, ordered a chest xray, ordered the Thyroid test, a diabetes/insulin test (not sure why) and a bunch of other blood tests. She wanted a stress test, but later decided they'd deny it, because of my lack of symptoms. Then she told me she wouldn't approve it unless I quit smoking. I told her I wanted to do that anyway. She said I had to quit at least 2 weeks before surgery. She told me she'd see me again before surgery and I had to quit before she'd give me clearance and not to lie about it. I agreed not to lie. I have issues with lying to a doctor who's in charge of my health and safety. I don't think I'd ever lie to my doc, what's the point? Anyway, I told her I probably needed help quitting and she suggested Chiabix? However, my insurance doesn't cover smoking cessation (i know, crazy) and i heard it's expensive, so I suggested Wellbutrin, because that's also an antidepressant, so I think they'll cover it. She prescribed that and Xanax because she said I'll be bitchy. No argument there. She made an appointment in a month and I have to have quit smoking by then and she'll give me clearance for the surgery. She's an insurance guru so I'm actually starting to believe this will happen. She also sent over a referral for a surgery consult with my lap band surgeon. WHOOO HOOOO!
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

1
 

Message from 10/7/10

So I had my surgery for breast reduction and abdominoplasty on Tuesday. They said it went really well. I did have a lot of pain and discomfort, but I am also heavily medicated, so I've been sleeping all the time. The breasts really don't hurt at all, but the stomach muscles hurt a lot the first day, and the sutures have hurt the past two days. I have my follow up appointment today. They removed 11 pounds altogether. I haven't seen the results yet because I'm in this body "armor" and support bra and I can't take it off until after my post-op appt today. I'm almost afraid to see it because I know it's going to look bad at first. I did look down right after surgery and was woah!! and the nurses thought something was wrong, but I said, my stomach is gone! It was a really great feeling. My mom is here taking care of me. I think it would be almost impossible to do this without someone here because I need her help just to get in and out of bed. The stomach hurts alot whenever I move, but as long as I stay still, everything is okay. My back and neck are really sore from having to sleep in the same position. All in all, not super fun and very uncomfortable, but not intolerable and definitely worth it if it ends up looking/feeling good. I'll post more soon.
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

0
 

Only 1 drain left

I had a follow up appt. today at the plastic surgeon's office and one of the drains on my hips came out. They think the other one can come out on Monday. It's still outputting quite a bit of fluid. It has to be below 30 ccs output in a 24 hour period before it can come out. I am ready for it to be gone but I understand that it greatly reduces the amount of painful swelling. My left side has been hurting and I'm not really sure why. My new belly button was leaking some fluid and the Dr.'s office thinks that some of the fluid from the belly button may be going to my left side. They stated everything looks really good though and that i shouldn't be worried. I no longer have to put bandages on my incisions. I can just wear the surgical bra and the compression garmet. After 2 weeks, which is Tuesday, I only have to wear the compression garmet during the day, not at night. I have to wear the bra 24/7 for 6 weeks total. My breasts are starting to look really good and the Nurse Practitioner mentioned how they seem much rounder and I agree. My stomach is also starting to look flatter. I asked her if it was going to be totally tight and flat and she said that they pulled it tight and flat during the surgery, but that because of the swelling, it is lumpy and swollen. She said that it will get flatter and tighter, but that because the skin has been stretched from gaining and losing alot of weight that it loses the elasticity so it may not be as tight as it was in the surgery. I'm hoping that wearing these compression garmets will help it get tighter. I don't know if I mentioned this before but originally the surgeon said that he'd have to do free nippple grafts for my breast reduction because of the length of my breasts. In this scenario I would definitely lose all sensation in my breasts. I wasn't happy with this so he said that he would try to do the normal way which is moving the entire nipple and the attachments, but that he may have to switch mid surgery if the tissue wasn't getting blood supply. Well, he was able to do the normal one and I have full sensation in my nipples! This is a big deal for me and I am super happy about it. I definitely credit his surgical skills because I read alot about how if your nipples are a certain length from where they need to go that they have to do the free nipple graft--which is taking them off completely and reposiitioning them which guarantees a complete loss of sensation in the nipple and they will not get erect and you cannot breast feed. But, yay, that is not the case for me! He had also talked about the possibility of having to do a vertical incision to get the stomach tight which would have meant a long vertical scar. However, he did not have to do this either, so everything went really well. I'm feeling better every day and the office staff was so nice. They said I am a very easy patient. I'm super excited because I wore a shirt tonight that I have saved since I was 15 years old (I'm 31 now). It has been too small since I was 15, but it was my favorite shirt ever. I tried it on tonight and it fits perfectly!!!:thumbup:
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

0
 

plastics recovery

So plastics recovery is going well. My weight went up about 8 pounds but then went down 10 in one week. I think I was having major swelling. I went to the lap band doc and got a fill and am now super tight. I weighed myself and I am at 197.6. Onederland!!!!!! First time since I was a teenager. My stomach is looking much better. It's lumpy when I sit down, but looks good standing up. My breasts look awesome. They are still healing though and I can't wear any underwire bras for another month. It's really hard to find bras with no underwire. I'm pretty happy with how I look when I'm in clothes right now. I have alot more confidence and when people see me, they say WOW you look awesome! I am now in a large size in tops or shirts and still a 14 in pants. I'm not sure if that will change when the swelling goes down all the way or not. I am 5'9"/5'10" so that's not bad for my height. I would need to lose another 20 pounds to reach my overall goal. I've started back at the gym but taking is slowly due to the swelling I've had and the belly button issues. I go back to work next week :scared2: I've really enjoyed the time off. Things are going well though. I'm really happy about the results of my surgery!
trina4ufl

trina4ufl

0
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