Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!
$99 Yearly Supply Alert! 🌈 "1 per Day!" Bariatric Multivitamins
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0
  • entries
    5
  • comments
    11
  • views
    1,520

Entries in this blog

 

Trying to Beat My DNA!!!

04/20/10 - Seminar (Weight 269 pounds) 04/29/10 - PCM appointment for referral 05/03/10 - Insurance submitted after I had to call the my PCM's office again to make sure that they did it. 05/05/10 - Insurance approved (Tri-Care) 05/13/10 - First consultation with Dr. Keith and surgery date scheduled 05/17/10 - PT, Psych, and Dietary consults 05/20/10 - 10 day diet class and first support group meeting 05/24/10 - Pre-op diet started (266.8) 05/27/10 - Final pre-op appointment 06/04/10 - Surgery (255.4)   Well, today is my first blog ever. I got home from the hospital about 6 hours ago. The ride from OKC was pretty rough. Longest 3 hours that I've had in awhile. Surgery was yesterday. Weighed in on their scales at 255.4. Got there around 6:45 yesterday morning. Lab drawn, physical assessment done, IV started with a 20 gauge to my left hand x 1 stick. (She was good. Didn't feel a thing). Didn't get wheeled back to surgery until 10:30 and got out of recovery at about 12:30. Was VERY, VERY nauseated in recovery. (I always am and that was with a Scoplamine patch on). Pain meds given and then I was taken to the floor. Had very nice, attentive nurses. Could not have asked for a better bunch to take care of me. Hubby stayed by my side the whole time and even slept in one of those horrible geri-chairs. Was very groggy for the first several hours. Around 4 pm, I finally decided it was now or never if I was ever going to wake up an walk. I walked the length of the hallway a couple of times and sat up for about 30 minutes, then back to bed I went. They were giving me 30 cc of ice chips every 30 minutes for an hour then 30 cc of ice chips every 15 minutes for an hour. After I tolerated that, they brought me some Jello, crystal light with a bottle of water, and some de-caf tea and was told to drink/eat 30 cc every 15 minutes of that. (Took me forever to get it all down). Took my sleeping medicine and some more pain-medicine and off to LaLa land I went. Was awoken several times through the night for different things. Woke up at 4 am to urinate and was in a lot of pain. So I took more pain meds. Doctor came in and discharged me around 8 am. We stopped in Shawnee to get my prescriptions filled and so that my hubby could get him something to eat while I sat in the truck (he didn't want to eat in front of me and I didn't want him too either). I took some more pain meds when I got home and off to bed I went for a little while. As long as I take the Gas-X and Lortab I am doing okay. Hurts like hell to lay on my right side (where the port is). Shoulder pains from the gas. Keep telling myself, you just have to walk. I'm not really hungry. I ate a 1/2 cup of low-fat cream of chicken soup when i got home and that filled me up. I drank 1 can of Vanilla Slim-Fast carb control. It was okay, but took me like an hour to get it drank. I waited the 30 minutes then got me a bottled water and had my first experience with something not wanting to go down. It was like the water was stuck in my throat. Not like choking, but like it was stuck. Any how, I cleared my throat and down it went. Got on the scales and found that I had gained 10 pounds from those darn IV fluids and all the swelling. Overall, it has not been a bad experience. I could have done without the pain, but it is surgery afterall.
nursesandy

nursesandy

2
 

Trying to Beat My DNA - 8 days post-op

Well, I'm just over a week out and feel pretty good. My monthly friend showed her ugly little head a couple of days ago so I am all bloated and cramping, but other than that I am good. I am still cranky as all get out. I'm not sure what that is about, but I way more irritable than I usually am and believe me that is not good.   Doing pretty good diet wise. I got to advance yesterday and the change in texture was so welcome. I'm still not getting all my protein in. I've tried adding unflavored protein powder to my soup, but I am only able to get 4 ounces of my protein shakes down at a time instead of the 8 ounces I am suppose to be getting. It is very frustrating. Before surgery I thought, "There is no way someone can not get all their protein in with these shakes." Boy, was I wrong. I guess I didn't anticipate that I would feel full even with liquids. I'm sure that is probably about to change since the swelling is going down.   I like this feeling of getting full off of so little, but I do get depressed feeling occasionally thinking "What did I do?" I am missing planning the big meals and going out to eat with my family. I never realized how much my life revolved around food until now. Last night was very difficult for me. We took the kids to the movies and of course they had popcorn and sodas. That popcorn smelled so inviting. I was a good girl though and didn't eat any of it. I just sat there and sipped on my water. I'm just taking this one day at a time and trying to keep the bigger picture in my mind. I have no doubt that I will get there, it just seems like the bigger picture is so far away right now. UHHHH!!!!
nursesandy

nursesandy

1
 

Trying to Beat My DNA - 5 days post-op

Wow, it is amazing how much difference a couple of days makes. I feel great today. No pain today at all. Port site is just a little uncomfortable, but only notice it occasionally.   I felt so good that I even mowed the lawn today. My husband was supposed to be running the weed-eater, but he just can't do it like I want him to. He pays no attention to detail and just does a half butt job. Ughh. Guess I will have to hire someone to do that part since I can't do it myself.   I haven't been a very good girl today. I'm supposed to be on full liquids still, but today I broke down and made me some egg whites. OMG I have never loved chewing something so much in my life. And believe me I chewed those egg whites up like a human food processor. lol. I was scared to get something stuck and then I would have to explain that to my doctor. But, I did not get stuck. Actually did really well. I am getting my fluid in really well today. It is much easier to swallow today so my swelling must be a lot less.   Darn scale is broke. It is only 2 months old. Must be God's way of keeping me off the thing. Guess I am going to have to buy a new one. Because God only knows that I can't go very much longer without knowing.   As far as my mood. Oh goodness, I am irritable. No one can do anything to suit me. The smallest thing is setting me off. My poor family. I of course think it is just the fact that I am not used to being around all the kids for this long of a period and they are driving me nuts. Who knows, it may be a combination of the two. Lord help us. I'll never make it another 4 weeks if they keep acting like this. lol.
nursesandy

nursesandy

1
 

Trying to Beat My DNA - 3 days post-op

Well, my brain thought I was super-woman yesterday and since my body didn't put up an arguement at first, I went with it. We drove to the closest mall, which is like a hour away, so I could get some samples of protein powders and such at GNC. It didn't take long for my body to catch up with what was going on and retaliate. I think my body won that fight, because we came straight home and I had to go to bed.   Fast forward to today. Not feeling so well today. I have woken up every morning at 4 in pain and extrememly nauseated (I'm sure because my stomach has not been this empty in well FOREVER). Drink a protein shake, take pain meds, sit up for about 30 minutes to an hour and then off to bed again. That reminds me, I am going to have to find me a new place to sleep. It seems that my children have all conspired against me to make my bed the community bed and right now I just can't handle all those people in my bed. Woke up this morning lying sideways with my feet hanging off the side. Did I mention I have 4 kids living at home. 5 if you want to include DH.   The shoulder pain is still there and I'm still passing gas like never before. Makes me wonder, exactly how much gas did they have to pump me up with. I know I'm a big girl, but really I feel like I could have fueled the space shuttle by now :thumbup: Diarrhea kicked in this morning. In a way I am very thankful, because I was contemplating taking a laxative, because things just weren't happening like they were supposed to. Who knows, I may have taken a laxative in my narcotic induced state and just don't remember it. lol.   I was supposed to go back to work this weekend, but I'm so glad I chose not to. I had enough sick leave to take 5 weeks off from work and right now I can't tell you how excited I am that I don't have to worry about that for awhile. I am a RN charge nurse on the Medical/Surgical floor in the small town that I live. Although I do get to sit down a lot more than some of the other nurses, I can't imagine having to go through the different phases of the diet while having to be at work. This way, by the time I go back to work, I will be on regular solid food and should have already had my first fill (supposed to have it a 4 weeks post-op).   Well, I could type all day long like this, but I guess I might want to do something productive. I wish I felt well enough to clean house, because it is a pig stye right now. Wish I had a maid. Oh wait, I do have a maid, but she is off on medical leave due to just having the lap-band put in place. lol.
nursesandy

nursesandy

1
 

Trying to Beat My DNA - 2 weeks post-op

UHHHH!!! I am so aggravated today. I wish I had never had this surgery. Or at least that is how I am feeling today. I have had heartburn for the past 4-5 days with a small amount of gastric acid reflux. Today my throat feels like it has a cotton ball stuck in it and it feels extremely dry. No matter how much water I drink, it still feels dry.   Went to the doctor for my 2 week check up. I let her know about my symptoms and she told me to start all over on my diet. Yes, I'm back on liquids. I was on liquids the first week, pureed the second week, and was supposed to start soft foods tomorrow, and now I'm back on crappy old liquids. I understand why, but that doesn't help matters any. She said my stomach must still be swollen and I'm not tolerating my diet being advanced yet. I am officially in Banster Hell!!!!! I have been starving to death. The restriction that I felt is gone and I find myself wanting to eat every couple of hours. I'm still only eating 1/2 of a cup of pureed food because I am scared of doing anything to harm my pouch.   I started on Pepcid so we will see. I'm just very discouraged tonight. I researched this alot and knew the problems that could arise, but I thought it wouldn't happen to me. That is what I get for thinking.
nursesandy

nursesandy

6
Sign in to follow this  
Followers 0

PatchAid Vitamin Patches

Bariatric Forums

For Patients

Health Professionals

Search Surgeons

Bariatric Surgeons: Want to research a weight loss surgery surgeon? Enter their last name below to start!

×