I knew this day would come. It really is simple science to realize that eventually everyone will 'hit the wall'. The only question is when will they and how hard. Well today I got that answer.
I have hit the wall, and I have hit it hard.
The day started with a sleepless night.. I only got about an hour and a half worth of sleep. After getting up I felt extremely week for the rest of the day..
I simply felt like a zombie, but had no appetite at all. I also was extremely thirsty but I had a hard time wanting to drink.
I spent the day very dizzy, very lethargic, and simply just bad.
I had a protein shake for breakfast, for lunch I had a small cup of beans to try to get some fiber in my system.
Unfortunatly I ran into a VERY stressful situation with my phone company. This was the first time since my surgery where I had to face stress from something unrelated to my surgery. Needless to say I did not handle it well. I felt like a sickening feeling was rolling from my head to my toes, no amount of medication could stop it.
The night did not get any better. I had 2 poached eggs and some apple sauce. I cant say that it is hunger pains that I felt, but simply just an overall aching feeling..
Thankfully I will be seeing the doc on saturday, and hopefully he can check me out..
I have significant bruising near the port area, but i assume that its normal
So far only 1 of the stitches patches has fallen off, I thought more wouldve fallen off by now..
I really hope tomorrow is a better today as today was just awful =/
Took a couple of days off from blogging, time to get back to it..
Last couple of days have been nearly the same.. I am disappointedly not making any additional progress in regards to the pain anymore. My unmedicated pain level hovers around 3/10 while laying down to 7/10 while walking. The first few days were encouraging because every day I felt a bit better, unfortunatly thats no longer the case. I am also starting to run low of my medication, so I hope the doctor will represcribe some to help me out.
As far as food goes, I have continued with the liquids/mushies. I have been having a protein shake for breakfast, then soup for lunch, for dinner i have had 1-2 poached eggs. So far hunger has only been a minor issue.
I have also had sugar free pudding and apple sauce as well when I need a snack..
Energy wise I am up and down. Normally when I feel energized I get up and start moving around, unfortunatly it doesnt last long and I quickly crash. I have a feeling it has a lot to do with my low food intake, and is something my body will just need to get used to..
Its amazing to think that right now (technically) it has been just about a week from surgery. I would definetly say that I am very satisfied with how the overall week went. I am really looking forward to weighing myself in the morning and taking my weekly shirt off pic. I really cant wait to look back on all these pics and watch the transformation take place! So far the only thing I have personally noticed is that my double chin seems to be receeding a bit. Hopefully next week will be better as I am going to start adding daily excerise to my routine!
Today was an up and down day.
This morning I slept for 12 hours (Midnight to noon). This is a bit concerning considering I did not take any sleep enhancers and I never sleep that long. Very bizzare. I absolutly hate waking up and half the day is already over.
I finally had my first bowel movement since surgery. It was very concerning to me as the waste was covered in a fuzzy white substance (kind of like mold on bread).
I rushed online and basically found out that the white substance was mucus. Of course the reasons for this were vast and included some scary things.
I called my doctor and explained what I had. He confirmed it was mucus and advised me that it was normal and not to fret.
I definetly felt even more energy today and less pain. I can pretty much get in and out of bed/chairs etc without it taking a long time, something that has been a struggle.
I had an energy drink for breakfast. I didnt really have anything for lunch but I have been drinking as much vitamin water as I can. For dinner I had a small cup of beans and cheese. I have really started mixing liquids with some mushies earlier than prescribed.
I am hoping to be close to pain free within the next couple days so we shall see!
Well I cant say whether tonight was a success or not.. On one hand, I watched family chow down on such an array of delicious food and didnt feel depressed about it or felt like I was being depraved. On the other hand I definetly cheated on the 'liquid only' post op faze. I had some mash potatoes and some deviled egg filling, both of which im sure are classifed as squishys and not liquids My stomach did not seem to have a problem handling the food. I made sure everything was thoroughly chewed and swallowed at a slow pace. Although it seems like my stomach is very forgiving at this point, I dont want to test it again and will go back to nothing but liquids tomorrow. I am very curious to see how the pain feels tomorrow as I really feel like progress has been made on it. If things continue to heal well I am going to try to taper back on the meds as the last thing I need is to get hooked.
Today is a day Ive sort of dreaded for awhile. My dad is well known for making the most amazing feasts for holidays. Seriously every single pound gained by holiday food made by him has been well worth it. However this year things of course will be very different.
So far this morning I have only had a protein shake for breakfast and its already 2. I dont know what I am going to do while around so much amazing food when all I can have is liquids. But its temptations like this that got me in trouble in the first place. Ill update tonight with how things go.
As far as pain goes. I am still sore on port side, but I definetly feel an improvement. I am able to bend over a little easier and it isnt quite as painful. Getting up out of a chair isnt as painful either.
The next big step is going back to work which will be happening in just a couple. Even though I have a light work job, I am afraid about how I am going to concentrate with the pain meds, the hunger pains, and just the overall body pain. Guess I shall see on wednesday.
Time to get ready for easter dinner, should be an interesting night!
First of all, I want to say a big thanks to all who have been reading my blog. Having over 1000 views in just a couple weeks time is incredible and gives me so much motivation to continue to share my journey with everyone. So again thank you to all my readers
Now onto Day 2 happenings..
The first bit of good news was that I got a full night sleep, something Ive absolutly have needed the last week or so. It really helped get the day going.
The pain this morning was a little weird. I had a little less pain in my port area but a LOT more pain in my shoulders. I am not sure if that is a gas thing, a result of the way I am sleeping, or the result of the actually surgery itself. Thankfully I had my trusty pain syrup by my side and that helped a bit.
I went to my post op appointment where the doctor did a quick check to ensure there was no swelling or redness around the incisions. Thankfully there wasnt and he said everything looked good. I asked and was given some stronger pain medication as the vicodin syrup really has not been helping. I told him that I had been out and about and he was quick to tell me that I need to take things much easier.
I then talked to my nut. She went over all the things I could have under 'full liquids'
On the way home, I stopped and got some soups and puddings that I was told I could have.
Once home I had some clam chowder soup (being careful to thoroughly chew threw the clams) My god it was so tasty compared to what I have had the last few weeks. I cant explain how good it felt to feel like I was eating some real food again.
Unfortunatly due to circumstances I had to go out and run a couple more errands today. My poor body however has had enough of that and has really tightened up and is in a lot of pain.
I am going to really work to stay confined for at least the next day or so to give my stomach some time to rest.
One side note, the new prescrip pills that were given to me of course have to be crushed up. I purchased a pill crusher and tried to use it. I just basically took the pill powder and tried to swallow it - i nearly vommitted as it was such an obscenely disgusting taste. I am going to need to find some new way to swallow the powder.
I am soo looking forward to dinner - some brocolli and cheese soup and a little sugar free pudding! Yummm!
Well I definetly over did it this evening. Less than 24 hours after having stomach surgery I was out running errands at Target and Michaels. This turned out too be a big mistake. While I had good intentions of getting out and moving around, I went too far and have paid for it all night. It didnt take long for me to start becoming very weak while out walking around. I became sweaty, pain increased, and I for the first time, I felt nausiated.
By the time I got home I felt ill, and was in a lot of pain. I laid down to try to calm down and relax but the pain and sickness persisted.
Its around midnight now, and the nausia has subsided but I am still very sore. At the very least I know ive made sure that there wont be blood clot problems.
I am scheduled to see the doc tomorrow at 11. I plan on letting him know that while taking it easy, things have been pretty darn good under the circumstance. However I certainly need to take things much easier and realize that no matter how non invasive the surgery was, it was still stomach surgery, something that my body needs plenty of time to recoup from.
I am hoping for a full nights sleep tonight, and hopefully a little less pain tomorrow!
Wow, I have to say that when I typed in the title of 'Day 1' I had such a feeling come over me. Its stunning to think wow, Day 1 of the rest of my life is today. So many times in the past I have felt like I have had that 'Day 1' feeling such as after I start a new diet or lost a few pounds here or there. But never before has Day 1 really felt like the first day of the rest of my new life. But because of the events of this year, I have ensured that today truly will be the last 'first day' I have.
Last night, as expected was a bit rough. I only slept for a couple hours here and there. Thankfully I wasnt in much pain at all, I just normally dont sleep on my back, so I kept waking up.
Today I have made it a point to walk around as much as I can. I took a 15 minute walk outside to get the mail, and have gotten up every hour just to walk around the house.
I am VERY VERY sore today where the port is as well as where the hernia repair took place near the top of my stomach. I have been taking the liquid vicodin, but honestly it just barely takes the edge off. Thankfully I only have this feeling while walking around. When i am laying down or seated I have not been in pain at all.
I did take a big step today, sharing with all my friends and family via facebook that I got the lap band. It was something I struggled with, whether or not I wanted to keep it to myself or to share it with everyone. In the end I know that all my friends and family provide nothing but amazing support, so sharing it with everyone has nothing but upsides to it.
I did contemplate going to the ducks playoff game tonight, but I think I may have regretted it later from all the stair climbing as well as the tight and upright seat I would be stuck in for 3 hours. I probably could have done it, but its better to not take the risk when I can watch it in beautiful HD at home.
I have not been hungry at all today, which is something I was concerned about. However I have been very thirsty and have had to constantly drink gatoraid and water. The last thing I want is to be dehydrated.
My fiance is going to take me out to run some errands in a little bit. It will be my first real test to see how well I will be able to deal with the pain for a longer period of time for now.
Honestly I have no idea how long before the port side pain subsides, hopefully it will within the week.
In any event I have been in such a positive mood today, and I really think the positivity is what is helping to make this such a smooth process.
Well I did it.. i really cant believe that I have a lap band inside of my right now.. Truly amazing..
So let me talk a little about today..
Got to the medical center plenty early for the obligatory signing of the stack of disclaimers waivers and such.. seriously they definetly know how to cover their asses should something go wrong lol.. the tough thing is that you have to initial every single potential complication.. so as you go down the list its hard not to cringe and wonder 'what if', will I be that guy..
They took me into the room and took my pulse, blood pressure and asked me a bunch of questions about alergys and such..
Then I had to literally strip completely down and put this really thin paper gown on.. not a pretty sight thats for sure..it was cold in the place which made it even tougher..
They finally started the IV which, being a complete needle sissy, is never fun..
The surgeon and the anesthesiologist took turns coming in and answering any last minute questions I had (which if you still have questions at this point, then what the hell are you doing there!)
Finally they came and said it was time
Now let me say, that walk from the room to the operating table has to be the single most nervewracking moment ever.. it seriously feels like the green mile.. the operating table looked lile a lethal injection table too.. the arms jutted out to the side so i looked like i was being cruxified. Had straps on it too, not quite sure why but i was completely strapped to that thing..
THANKFULLY, after speaking to the anesthesiologist early, as soon as I laid down he pumped me full of meds, so up until the moment I was knocked out, I felt pretty high lol
Next thing I knew I was being woken up, I sort of remember the tube being taken out.
First thing I immediatly noticed: The Gas Pain
Truly has to be one of the most painful and uncomfortable things I have ever felt.. No matter what meds they gave me, nothing could get rid of that pain.
They had a nice heater thing keeping me warm while laying in bed. After awhile they had me get up and walk around. Walking around was not a problem really, but boy o boy that gas.. truly was brutal.
I was informed I had a major hiatel(sp?) hernia that was repaired which was great news as I have dealt with acid reflux for years now, and now I knew the cause.
Was finally rolled out of the place I think about an hour or so after I woke up.
All the way home, again the one constant was the gas pain.. basically I couldnt take anything other than very short breaths as anything more was met with immidiate pain.
When I got home I tried to walk around as much as I could as I have had a family friends husband die from a bloot clot after surgery and I definetly am taking steps to ensure that doesnt happen to me.
I got to finally experience Liquid Vicodin.. boy o boy, goooood times that is all I can say about that, especially considering I had to slowly slurp it down.. ughh
And so now I am just layin in bed... ive been able to burp a little to clear some of the gas, but sadly still in pain.. Its also numb where the port is which bugs me, I really hope that doesnt stay like that...
But in any event I did it, I took back control of my life. I just know it will get easier from here.. I got my second chance at a healthy life, something soo many people wish they could have, and something that many dont ever get.
Well tomorrow is Day 1 of the next chapter of my life.. I figure ittl be a tough night, but its one night closer to being pain free, and obesity free.
Thanks again to all of you who have read my blogs, I really hope that if you are on the edge and are considering the lap band that you do it. While there is obviously some pain now, I think we can all agree it will pale in comparison to a triple bipass, or some other medical surgery that would be required without turning things around now.
Chears to a new life!!
Well the nerves are in full force now. We are speeding along the freeway en route to my date with the band. Just got a call from my coordinator wishing me the best of luck Also was advised that my last minute blood test came back perfectly normal which is good. I had a rough night Tossed and turned had nightmares too. Not a fun way to start today. But it is what it is. Forgot to bring a heating pad which everyone suggested I should bring which sucks. Honestly though as long as I wake up I'd consider that a victory lol.
In any event this is it. I'm gonna sign off for now. Next time I blog I will have joined the land of the bandsters. My new life is mere hours from beginning.
For those reading, please send prayers and well wishes my way! I really appreciate it.
I'll be back later!
Well its here. No more delaying it to another day. No matter pretending its still weeks away. Nope, in EXACTLY 13 hours from now, I will be having my body altered in a way that will forever change me. Sure its reversable, but after everything Ive gone through, really there is no turning back. The nerves are in Full force now.. I know its wrong, but I almost feel like my funeral is tomorrow. As you can see, surgerys are not my thing. I cant count how many times ive read the words 'As with any surgery Death Can Occur'. Sadly that is the hypochondriac in me. The normal thinking me would say that there is a million times higher chance that some idiot could plow into my car instead. Blah..
Had an intersting hiccup today. Less than 24 hours before surgery, I called a call stating that there was a problem with 1 of my blood tests I took over a month ago and that I needed to rush and have another one. (Something about the coagulation of my blood needing to be retested due to a problem with the tube) Thankfully the testing place is LITERALLY a 2 minute WALK from my apartment (Building next door) Highly convenient, considering I only had 1 hour to take it!
In any event it is passed twelve therefor the no food, no drink rules are into play. And wouldnt you know it, im dying of thirst. How convenient.
The surgery is at 130, arrival by 12. By my estimations that will mean I should be leaving by about 430, which - by adding thursday before easter holiday traffic + rush hour, means that my first 3 hours of my new life will be spent in traffic. Joy.
April 21st. Sort of has a ring to it. Not like 4/20 tho... (Not that that applies to me but meh)
Ive heard people refer to this day as there 'new birthday'. Everyone ive talked to about that either thinks that its a bit much, or is right on target. Not quite sure where I sit with the thought.
That darn jingle seems to be stuck in my head.. 'Let your new life begin... call 1800 Get Thin', I suppose it is time for my new life to begin.
I hope I am able to sleep tonight.. im very tired, but my nerves are shot.. it will be quite a battle to see if my nerves will keep me up.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I want to do my final pre-band weigh in, followed by 1 last set of pictures. I am sure I will look back on this and stare in awe over the transformation..
In any event, eyes are drooping.. going to post as many thoughts as I can as tomorrow progresses
*Side Note: I am stunned that i have over 450+ views! I hope that my words will help bring a little insight for people who are considering the lap band. I know that reading blogs absolutly helped me. Im not going to lie or sugar cote anything either, I want to let people know exactly how my experience goes! So again thanks again*
Its 230am the morning before the surgery and I cant sleep. It truly is beginning to sink it that this will be that l will eat like a normal human being. Regardless of what the future holds for me, as far as food goes, nothing will ever be the same again.
Its been awhile since I blogged so lets recap some important events.
Pre Op appointment: So from reading around it sounded like the preop was a big ordeal. When I arrived I expected to get prescriptions, a full blow by blow of what was gonna happen on D- day, a Q and A, etc. What I got was very different. I arrived at the office and waited for about 5 min for me doc to call me into a room. When my fiance and I walked in, he advised that there was no need to sit down. He simply asked if anything had changed or happened with me since my last appointment. I said No. He asked if I had any questions. I asked 1, even though I knew the answer, just so that I could feel like something was accomplished. And that was it, he wished me well and said hed see me on thursday. The entire thing last less than 4 minutes. Now some people might see this as concerning. But me, being a hypochondriac actually got comfort from this. Dr. Gee (Which i would HIGHLY recommend for anyone looking for a surgeon) is an EXTREMELY confident guy. He obviously is well aware of what he is doing, and he describes it as if he was describing how to tie a shoe. He is very funny which is a huge plus. He literally told me that if I worked the night shift, the night of my surgery (I work for a call center from my house) that I could absolutly go back to work that night! Insane! (For what its worth I am still taking the 3 recommended days dammit lol)
After the pre op appointment I was notified that they mistakenly forgot to give me a stress test. So they quickly scheduled me one for today. I really had no idea what the heck it was so I went to the appointment today clueless. Once I got in I was asked to take my shirt off and lay on a bed. I was hooked up to about 14 electrodes all over my chest. The doc basically advised that they were going to check the structure of my heart, as well as the valves to make sure there were no abnormalities or blockages. Once I was hooked up he did an ultrasound on my chest near my heart and took a bunch of pictures (Lots of breathe in - hold - breath outs) Afterwords I was put on a treadmill with a steep incline in an attempted to get my heart to a certain rate at which point I would have 1 minute to jump off and have him snap a few more comparison pix of my heart in action. We actually rehearsed it as literally there is only 1 minute to get from the treamill back onto the bed and in place in order to get an accurate read. Needless to say but it went fine. He had all my previous results and basically told me everything had come back great with the exception that i had a high liver enzyme count. Apparently this is very common with large people (also known as having a fatty liver), and was advised that it would be corrected by the surgery.
So thats it. I made my first call to 1800 Get thin on Janurary 29th. 3 months and 20 days later I have done numerous testing, got a financial hardship waver, was approved for insurance coverage and now am just 1 single day away from the lap band - something I really didnt fathom would happen.
I think to this point, It really never hit me on how big this is. Honestly I have had doubts in recent days. But one thing I keep reading is the struggles and heartache some people have who are not as lucky as me to get such a quick and easy pathway to the lap band. I should be greatful and chopping at the bit, considering there are thousands (maybe tens of thousands) who would give anything to be in my place.
I actually forced myself to check out the surgery on youtube.. dont know if that was such a good idea (who knew fat was yellow?). It really was sort of incredible to watch the man work.. but boy o boy it looks so easy to just scrape an organ in there.. gotta keep positive thoughts though..
I am going to need to take a sleeping pill to get me to sleep tonight and tomorrow as the anxiety has me wired.
Im going to post throughout the day leading up to my surgery, and will blog as soon as I get home, for all who would like to follow.
Again thanks for reading and please comment before ya go! Good luck to all, no matter where you are in your path!
-Chris
Wow.. it is absolutly shocking to think that in less than 1 week my life, and the way I function will change forever. I truly dont think it has hit me yet. And honestly that is probably for the best.. if i really processed what is about to happen I would probably be freaking out and not being able to focus. As far as food goes today.. stuck with the protein shake and string cheese for breakfast and lunch but for dinner, i sort of cheated.. had a little bit of pork and some salad.. i suppose i got my alotted protein and the salad was good. I feel like ive sort of fallen of the track, I really need to press hard with my excerise this weekend and really try to get my liver as slim as possible!
Today was a much better day.. the doctor gave me some pain medication yesterday which helped with the headaches.. Breakfast and lunch went great.. still am having trouble focusing though and its really making work tough. Tonight was a bit of a step back though as I cheated pretty bad for dinner but had already been give the ok to cheat tonight as I had a special event tonight that I had been looking forward to for awhile.. however I need to make sure I get right back on track starting tomorrow.. its insane to think my surgery date is one week from tomorrow.. god my heart is pounding just thinking about it.. Just gotta stay focused.. eyes on the prize...
Today was another tough day.. woke up this morning, had absolutly ZERO energy.. literally took me a few hours simply just to roll out of bed.. was extremely tough..
Tried the ISOPure drink today, the taste was disgusting, however it absolutly filled me up which was a huge benefit..
Got to speak to my nut today, she advised I could have string cheese.. let me just say, eating that string cheese was like a party in my mouth, it was so tasty compared to what ive put in my body the last couple days..
Had a major migrane for a majority of the day, was able to identify the cause as being from the lack of caffeine.. i suppose when you go from drinking over a liter of soda a day to cold turkey, it has quite the effect on the body..
Had the isopure for breakfast, a couple string cheese for lunch, and a chocolate protein shake for dinner.. its 1130 now and my stomach is howling..
I know that everyone says things will get better.. I sure hope it does!
Well seeing how informational reading other blogs are, I felt it was my duty to publish one in hopes that maybe somebody can gain insight or information from my lap band experience.
Today I have marked as -9 as in 9 more days left before I am banded on April 21 and my new life begins!
Started my preop diet today.. and it has been ROUGH. I had a protein shake for breakfast which wasnt bad, and had some lean chicken.. but the hunger is almost unbearable and its only the first day!
Ive had a migrane as well as an empty stomach all day and its affecting my work.. Im going to try to do some excersing tonight.. also am going to do the ol' Pre Pictures that I will be able to look back on in the future!.. Also need to weigh myself so that I have my Official starting weight.. not looking forward to that..
Well this should be good for now.. I know that someday I will look back on this blog and be able to say, That was the day that my life started to change for the better.
<Edit> Looks like my official starting weight is 326.6... brutal.. but hopefully starting tomorrow morning I will never see a number like that ever again.
