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The Final Countdown

1 week till surgery. O.o   1 week done on the preop diet, 1 more to go. I've done pretty well. I had 1 sort of cheat night for my Brother's birthday on Saturday but it was just Caesar salad and maybe a few more than 3 oz of meat. I didn't have any appetizer or dessert, man was that tough lol   I'm down 12 pounds since the 10th of November. 6 of those pounds have been lost since i started my preop diet last Monday. Hoping to get a few more off before next Monday but wouldn't you know it Aunt Flow has made her unwanted appearance. So that might make things difficult with retaining water. And I'm dying for some Midol right now but I'm not sure if its ok to take so I sent an email to my Dr's office to see what they say.   I am happy that I'm now in my 1 size smaller pants again, LB's 7s instead of 8s.   I've been doing good on my shakes and nighttime meals. I've learned I like 2 scoops of Muscle Milk Light - Chocolate with 8oz of water better than Chike's Chocolate.   Been doing pretty good getting in at least 54oz of water every day with most days hitting the 64oz   We've been making dinner every night and I've been measuring out my 3oz of lean meat. So far it's mainly been chicken and pork.   I still need to take my before photos. For some reason I keep putting it off lol. Think I'll try to do that tonight.   I've been doing awful getting in my walking every night, last week i only walked 2 nights for 30 minutes. I'm determined to get back to it tonight.   I've also started getting all the things i'll need for surgery day. I've got my clothes I'm wearing there, a new pajama set coming in the mail and some nonskid warm socks. Got the gasx I've heard everyone recommend and the rest of the stuff I already have on hand.   Also got most of my post op diet stuff. Got chicken, beef & veggie broth. Sugar free jello and Popsicles.   The nerves are starting to kick in. I've had a few nights that were really hard. My mind is still trying to divorce food. Every where I look there's something that's tempting and the nights where i have hunger pains its really difficult. The real challenge has been between lunch and dinner since thats usually about 6 hours or more apart. I do just fine 4 hours between protein shakes but the 5 and 6 hour mark i start getting pretty physically hungry.   I also have fears of not being able to have large amounts ever again of the foods i love so much, but i know this is awful thinking and i'm trying to put it behind me.   I'm also worried about what my body will look like after all the weight loss. I'm absolutely dreading the saggy skin and wonder if i'm trading one ugly look for something even worse. My hubby has been very supportive and says that we can get the skin removed after but It's expensive, comes with its own risks and then i worry about the scars after. It's like i dont know if i will ever be truly happy with my body. But i know for my health and if we're ever going to be able to have a baby I have to get this weight off.   Well I'll keep y'all posted. Good luck to the others having surgery soon!
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

3
 

Preop Torture Diet

So 2 weeks now until surgery. HOLY CRAP!   Started the preop diet today. I knew this preop diet was going to be hard.. but damn, it's REALLY hard.(twss)   I tried the premade Muscle Milk Light in Chocolate and YUCK, was hard getting that down, though it did keep me satisfied for 4 hours. But i did order the Muscle Milk Light chocolate powder, it should be here tomorrow. I'm hoping it will be better with skim milk and making it on my own.   I'll probably end up also getting Chike in chocolate from my Dr since i liked the sample they gave me. Still need to get a multi vitamin from them since my other is almost out.   Did go get some healthy shopping done today for the preop dinners. Chicken, pork and lots of different veggies. I swear the store was like a bad food gauntlet, everywhere i turned there was something yummy taunting me. I think i skilled up my willpower by 100 that trip.   I went in for my preop lab work today also. Had blood drawn and an EKG, and was given the breathing thingy to start using 10x a day. Took a tour of the surgery center, it was pretty nice, the patient rooms are huge with free tv and wifi and a sofa sleeper for a guest to stay the night.   Actually got in my 64oz of water today. That was difficult. Felt like i had to pee just about every hour.   Dinner was: 3oz of one of those already made rotisserie chickens and steamed broccoli and fresh baby carrots. 3oz of meat is NOTHING or so my stomach still says lol   Already down 3 pounds since my starting weight. Will probably be more in the morning after today. These next 2 weeks are going to be tough. Definitely need to find something to preoccupy myself to keep my mind off of food. I refuse to fall back into my bad habits.   *** Edit 11/29 *** I was so hungry by bedtime last night I drank a 1/4 bottle of one of my protein shakes. It at least killed the hunger enough for me to go to sleep. But I've done good getting in my 64oz of water these past 2 days.   I was happy to see that I dropped 3 more pounds this morning. At least the torture is paying off.   Speaking of torture i went to lunch with my hubby today and sat there drinking water while he ate yummy thai food.   I'm beginning to really resent food, i'm trying my hardest to keep a positive attitude and i've been making a list of reasons i'm doing this, so anytime i'm doubting it i can look at this list and get back on track.
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

7
 

Getting Closer

24 days out from surgery.   My first blog.   Figure I've lurked on this forum long enough. Time to actually get involved, maybe it will make this whole process seem more real. Right now it hasn't really sunk in yet that in less than a month my life will be changed forever.   I guess I've been on auto pilot since I took the next step and setup my psych eval and diet appointment.   I went to the mandatory seminar back on August 20th with my husband and had kind of decided on the band but was thinking about the sleeve also.   I then went to my consultation on August 26th and decided the sleeve would be a better option for me. My Husband expressed concerns over the risks of dying since there's a higher chance with the sleeve so I kind of backed off the idea and put it on the back burner for a month or two. Then I guess at some point we had another talk and he knows this is really what I want to do, so now he supports me 100%.   Now it's all been happening so fast. I had my upper endoscopy, diet consultation and psych eval all basically in the month of November. My preop appointment is November 28th and Surgery is set for December 12th.   I guess that's the only bright side of having shitty insurance and being cash pay is you don't have to wait on approval.   So now I'm just going through the motions trying to get everything lined up.   Today I was able to move enough money over to my savings account to cover the cost of surgery less 5000 which will be put on my Care Credit card, probably going with the no interest for 18 months route. Payments shouldn't be too bad then.   Also got my new "Blender Bottle" today and tried it out. I really like it, made mixing the powder in very easy. Also got a magic bullet type appliance. Figure I'll need it to get through the preop diet easier. Not looking forward to starting that on the 28th. I'm going to do my best and not pig out on Thanksgiving like its my last meal ever. lol   I did try another protein shake flavor today, Chike's Orange Creme with just water. Ugh definitely didn't like that. Going to try a few more flavors before I decide on which one I want to go with. The dietician recommended either Chike, Muscle Milk Light, EAS Myoplex, Adkins Advantage, or Body Fortress. So far I've only tried Chike.   On another note, my husband found a gym buddy and is going to start going to the gym 5 days a week next Monday. I think this will really help me with my process since we'll be able to motivate each other to stick with good habits.   Anyways this has become more of a book than a blog. lol We'll have to see if I can keep up with this blog thing.
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

3
 

4 Going On 5 Days Post Op

So I figured I would make another post since I left alot out of my last drugged up blog lol   I've now been home from the hospital for 2 and a half days.   Today has been ok, better than yesterday. I got 8 hours of sleep in 4 hour blocks. I went a full 8 hours without pain meds for the first time but i think only because i was asleep during most of that.   I've got this huge bruise on my inside arm from where they did one of the IVs, looks like chopped liver and turning all sorts of colors now.   The backs of my legs have been itchy since the surgery, its very weird. I'm not sure if its because of the inflatable things they had on my legs while i was in the hospital. Its not as bad as it was but still concerning.   I've also got 2 blisters under my steri strips. One is much larger than the other and its near the outside not near the incision. I just cut off the steri strip section that was covering the blisters and dabbed it with some hydrogen peroxide. Hope they clear up tomorrow. My stomach has also been itching all over since surgery.   I think i'm starting to get dehydrated, my tongue is whitish on top. I only got in 44 ounces today and i know even less yesterday. Its weird that I get more gassy when i drink plain water than when i drink crystal light water.   The gas is still a problem. Sometimes i have a gas bubble when i take a drink even if its a sip and it feels like i have to burp but usually cant. I've also had sharp gas pains that feel like they're near my back spine area.   I've been trying to walk every hour for at least 5 minutes at a time, not sure if this is enough, the Dr didnt really say how much.   I'm confused on what clear liquids mean because the box of powder they gave me to make into soup surely isnt clear, its also disgusting so i started taking canned progresso soups and draining them and having the broth from them. I figure as long as its pretty runny liquid(nothing creamy) it should be ok.   I've decided to stop reading the forums as they started freaking me out with the stories of leaks etc. Being self pay I literally cannot afford a leak. So i'm just keeping my fingers crossed and trying to follow every rule.   On the bright side the scale said 298 today, its the first time i've been under 300 in like 7 years.   So I lost 16lbs on the pre op diet and another 2lbs since Monday and i know I still have alot of water weight.   Well that's all i can think of for now. Off to bed.
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

2
 

2 Days Post Op... #@$%

Had my sleeve 12/12 Monday at 8:30 am. After I woke up from surgery it was like living hell. The gas pains were pretty bad all centered in my stomach and ribs, i stayed doped up on morphine pretty much all day. My family was all there and very supportive. Tuesday was just as bad in a different way. I started having burning in my stomach and esophagus on top of the gas pains. I asked for the lortab elixir on monday but they never brought it to me, they just gave me tylenol which helped somewhat. I had no sleep monday night into tuesday morning. I finally got lortab on tuesday and that helped a lot. It made me drowsy at first then i'd be alert and ready to go. I was able to walk the halls about 6 times on tuesday.   I got about 3-4 hour blocks of sleep tuesday night into wednesday morning. Was feeling much better but didnt have the energy to shower.   Got discharged about 9am this morning and i feel great as long as i'm on my lortab. but once it starts wearing off i'm in quite a bit of pain. Also got in a shower when i got home. I wasnt able to pick up my lortab prescription till 2pm and i was in quite a bit of pain by then.   The gas pain is still there and still annoying and painful. I'm trying to get down all the liquids i can in any form. i'm looking for some broth recipes since so far i havent liked any plain broth that i have.   I've had a couple emotional spells since i got home, and been wondering if i did the right thing. I'm hoping it gets better.   Also been having itching on the backs of my legs thats driving me crazy. Put a call into my dr to see what they say.   Wrapping up this drug induced rambling, i'll keep you posted
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

7
 

12 Days Post Op Stall? & 6 Days Post Op Entry

6 days post op:   Two nights ago was hell for me i was up with severe gas pains like the worst i've had. i ended up having a very loose BM and felt a little better the next day.   Today my lower left incision still hurts but i havent taken pain meds in 16 hours. I've also been having these random sharp pains throughout my body, like one in my lower abdomen, one in the side of my neck, one in my back and a slight headache.   I've done good and got my full 64 ounces yesterday, today i'm on track to do the same. I've been having little pains in the back of my legs since surgery but i've been trying to walk at least 5 minutes once an hour. and 2 times during the night between 4 hour blocks of sleep.   Last night i had hell getting to sleep. Everytime i would reach the point of falling asleep i would stop breathing, wake up with a start and take a deep breath, this happened over and over till i went online read some articles to distract myself and finally fell asleep. I've never been diagnosed with sleep apnea but i suppose i could have it.   12 Days Post Op:   So today i'm feeling much better than 6 days post op. I have my first follow up Thursday and the Dr said I had lost 34 pounds since my first weigh in and my incisions were healing great.( I took off all of my steri strips about 4 days ago due to the itching and a few blisters they were causing). The Dr actually cleared me for swimming or baths already. Also the Dr said i could try a bit of mushies on Christmas day(tomorrow) if i wanted. Thats a week earlier than what their diet plan is.   So far the last 3 days i've been trying to hit my protein goal of 70grams. I've been having 1 scoop of Isopure Dutch Chocolate and 1 scoop of Muscle Milk Light Chocolate for breakfast and lunch and that alone is 74grams. Then i usually have a creamy soup for dinner.   I missed my water goal the last couple days due to xmas shopping but i'm back on track today. I find that i can now drink regular small drinks of water without pain, not sipping, i hope thats normal lol.   I do still get tired easily and i'm so glad that i ended up being able to take 3 weeks off of work. I thought i would be able to go back after a week lol yea right, no way in hell.   A few days ago i went from sleeping in my recliner to my bed. It's been ok but i dont think i could have done it any sooner.   I'm barely having any pain at my lower left incision anymore, the suture that was sticking out of it already fell off.   Been getting in my 3 daily fusion vitamins, luckily i like the orange cream flavor.   I'm going to start walking 30 minutes 3 days a week as recommened by my Dr.. They've cleared me for all exercises.   And i've heard of the 3 week stall but for some reason i'm already stalled on week 2. I've been sitting at 287 since wednesday fluctuating by .5 lbs each day. Its frustrating to stall this early into the game. I hope it doesnt last long.   I've been having a hell of a time with hunger. It's been a b***h . So i have my morning shake about 9 or 10, then i'm usually hungry again by 2, then at 6pm hungry again, then staying up late like i usually do (11pm) means i'm starving at bed time.   Seems i cant go any longer than 3 or 4 hours if i'm lucky before i'm so hungry. And i've been taking my daily pepcid so i dont think its acid causing the feeling.   Being hungry all the time and having a stall at the same time really sucks. Hopefully something gives and soon.
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

3
 

1 Month Post Op, A Cold & Stomach Virus

So today was 1 month post op for me.   All last week i had an awful cold, i'm still getting over it actually. So i think that slowed my progress a bit. Since the 28th of December i've dropped 5.5lbs. Then on Tuesday afternoon I came down with a nasty stomach virus, between Tuesday and Wednesday i dropped 4 pounds and had a really hard time staying hydrated. Still not feeling 100% today but definitely better and have been able to get almost back on track with my fluid intake.   I had an early stall from December 21st till December 28th. Glad that's over with.   Now I seem to be getting back to the .5lb a day loss. Not bad I guess.   I've been doing great with food, still sticking to mushy things or making something mushy if it wasnt already. I have yet to throw up or slime. A couple times i did get uncomfortable because i over did it.   I find i can eat about 2-3oz now before i get a weird kind of full burpy feeling but I can drink about 6-8oz in 15 minutes now.   I can also now take regular size swallows without any weird feelings.   Since there were a few times where i just couldnt take the 30 minutes to eat i've gotten pretty good at knowing how many bites it takes to get me full but not overly.   Speaking of no time, we also took a 3 hour plane ride up north for a wedding last weekend and for the first time in i dont know how long i didnt need the extender but on one of the 4 planes(since they dont seem to have any standard belt length on planes.) Granted it was still a tight fit but it was a great feeling not needing it.   Now that we're done with holidays/family visiting/traveling i'm going to finally be able to get in my much needed walking.   Weight lost so far since preop diet, 35.5lbs
AmberDawn

AmberDawn

0
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