Hi All,
Thanks everyone for all your lovely comments they are really appreciated. Including the one for my husband too. Bless him, he loved that he got a mention.
Last night I slept reasonably well and woke up this morning with my head a lot clearer too. I guess that I am getting rid of all the anaesthesia out of my body. I am walking regularly and managing to take in plenty of fluid. I managed a final count of 50 ounces of fluid yesterday so felt pretty proud of myself.
I am thinking of asking for belching and burping to be made an olympic sport, if it was I guarantee that I would win a gold medal for Britain this year! Does that go on forever? Or does it slowly subside? I am hoping it does subside as this is rather embarrassing to say the least. On the other hand, if it is a lifelong thing I guess I will just have to learn to live with it. Given the burps or being morbidly obese I will happily take the burps thank you very much.
I am feeling very positive at the moment, but I am very aware that I could 'crash' down and feel pretty low. I hope it doesn't happen, but have read so many peoples blogs where they have crashed and felt very low and depressed that I wouldn't be too surprised if it happened to me too. Still, at the moment I am on a high and loving life.
My husband is still being so warm and supportive, that if I wasn't already married to him I would snap him up in an instant. I realise just how lucky I am to have him totally on my side and with me every step of the way on this journey. So nothing new to report except that I am a day further on and hopefully today will manage my magical 64 ounces of fluids. Good luck to everyone out there about to take this life changing step and I hope you have my luck and have a relatively easy journey.
It really has happened, I can hardly believe it myself. I went into hospital on Monday 19th March and they allowed me home on Tuesday 20th March. They also sent me home with a ton of medication.I am truly thankful that my husband is here to help me make sense of it all. He has already made me a wipe board with my medications and times to take them on. He is so supportive I couldn't manage without him.
Anyway, the operation went very well, I didn't need a drain thank goodness, everything looks good and my incisions were covered in a glue that holds everything together. They are beginning to heal well because they have started to itch. I am leaving them well alone. I am able to drink albeit slowly and steadily. I am also able to swallow all my pills even the large ones. (they are not comfortable but are doable) I have been both ends (if you know what I mean) so that is all working just fine. In fact, apart from the fact I feel as though I was kicked by an elephant I am just fantastic.
Although I was on a morphine drip the first day I stopped using it at two in the morning as I really didn't need it. I have been incredibly lucky. I haven't really had what I would call pain. I have been uncomfortable but I expected that as a minimum. I am sure that I was able to cope so well was because of everything I have read on this forum. Thank you everyone here, you made this so much easier for me and I am truly greatful. :wub:
I am drinking but not sure how much yet. I have been told different amounts by different doctors (!!***!!) But, I think the minimum I should have would be 1 and a half pints of liquid and if I can do 4 pints that would be amazing. At the moment I am on track for the 1 and a half pints, but who knows I may get better at it sooner than I expect. I will try and keep everyone informed on how I am doing as my head gets a little clearer and I have a little more energy.
Oh my goodness, this is my last day of pre-op diet. Tomorrow is surgery day, Yea!
It is finally here (well, almost). I will be off line for at least two probably three days (no laptop to take with me) so don't panic if you don't hear from me immediately.
I am glad we are finally getting there, as the last two days I have started to dream about food. Wow, I have never done that before. The pictures in my head have been wonderful roast dinners with lashings of hot gravy, mmmmmmmmmm. Mountains of steamed vegetables all calling my name. Oh dear, you get the picture. At least tomorrow it won't just be willpower keeping me on the straight and narrow.
A huge big thank you to everyone on this forum who has helped me get this far. Without all of you sharing your stories, both good and bad I would probably never got up the courage to go ahead with this. It was seeing so many people of all ages and sizes having such success with the sleeve that made me believe that maybe, just maybe, this could work for me too.
So I am excited, nervous, but really looking forward to tomorrow and the rest of my tomorrows as a fitter, healthier and thinner person.
See you all on the other side
Phoenix :wub:
Being super cool and organised I thought I would get my case packed. Got it down the other day ready to do that. Washed a variety of old nighties and my dressing gown so they were ready. Decided that my slippers could really do with a freshening up.
Big Mistake! I bunged them in the washing machine which promptly decided to eat them!!! Arrrrrrrrgh!
Luckily for me my lovely husband went straight out and bought me a new pair to wear in hospital (ain't love grand). He really is a wonderful husband and he looks after me so well.
I am still doing the milk diet, but it is getting really boring now. Oh well, only two more full days then I get my op. Hooray. It really can't come quick enough now. I have also been changing my 'tracker' as I have lost another pound, and realised that this year I have lost more weight than ever before in my life. WOW! I did a double take when I realised that I was nearly (well 5lbs off) under 300lbs. I have not been that low for twenty years. Ok, I know 300 is not low by any means, but when you have been as big as I have for as long as I have it is amazing. All this even before my op. I have been walking around with a stupid big grin on my face all day. It also means I have less to lose after my operation which just makes me soooooooo happy.
Today I feel invincible. I am trying to memorise exactly how this feels so later on if things get hard and difficult I can boost my morale with the memory of this feeling.
Yay me
Hi Everyone,
I am having a good day today, feeling really happy about the weight I have lost since being on this milk diet for the last 15 days (9.5lbs) Yea! I know others lose more than that on liquid diets but I retain water so losing that much is wonderful for me. I still have another 4 days to go and if I am lucky I may lose another 2lbs. Either way, I know I have stuck totally to my diet and my liver should just be fantastic and not get in the way of my surgery.
Have got my little case down and am wondering what to take with me to hospital, apart from the usual items that is. Books? I usually love to read, but will I have the energy to sit and read? Crossword and sudoku puzzles, but will my brain be able to concentrate on them? Knitting? What did other people do? I have read on here that lots of people take music but I am partially deaf and can't do headphones! I am also re reading all the material I have from the hospital about what to expect so I am as prepared as I can be.
I know I am well informed, I know I am ready for this, sooooo, why do I have this little tiny voice at the back of my head going...could I do this without the surgery? For goodness sake, get a grip, you know darn well that you have spent the last 25yrs yo yo dieting and always always always regaining. Of course you need this surgery. It's true, I do know I need this and I will go forward and have it done but I guess everyone who does this questions themselves. I was just surprised that I did! I have been so sure for so long then all of a sudden I hear this voice.
Well, having had a long straight talk to myself, I have decided to put a load of tape over that tiny voice to shut it up. I really don't need to hear it right now. So, back to being positive and sure. It won't be long, another three days of liquid diet then the next day my operation and the beginning of a new me. One that doesn't quit, won't look back and will keep losing the weight. Yes, I definately like the sound of this voice.
I know I mentioned before that I was not computer literate, but boy, I didn't expect to be able to show everyone how computer illiterate I am so quickly!!!! Sorry to the person who had commented on my last entry (I didn't even get a chance to see the name!) While trying to read it I managed to delete it. Oh well, hopefully you will see this and understand that it was not intentional.
The last two days have been quite trying. Not because of the lack of food, but because of (for those sensitive types you may want to stop reading) severe constipation. Wow, who knew it could get that bad. Thankfully I had some fybrogel in the house and got it sorted but not before a lot of discomfort. I think I shall take this every other day for a while to make sure everything is back on track. On the up side, I have lost some more weight. Hooray. I am on day 11 of the liquid diet so have broken the back of it now. I am on the downward count to my operation. Only 7 more to go.
As I have not told people about my forthcoming surgery, I have been looking online to see how people who are a long way out are coping and how much they are able to eat. I don't want people to guess by what I am eating about the surgery. I was pleasantly surprised. Before starting the liquid diet I had been eating a fairly full diet but greatly reduced portions and low on carbs. From what I have seen this will be pretty much what I will be able to eat a year from now. I had been eating off a small tea plate rather than a dinner plate to ensure my portions didn't creep up. Judging by the photos people have posted online, this is about the size of meals vsg'ers are able to manage.
I am also losing inches, following someone's advice on this forum I took a great many measurements (which in itself was pretty horrifying) as they said this was a great way to track your losses even when the scale refused to move. I will eventually post those measurements, but not until I have lost some more. (Pathetic isn't it, like if you don't know my measurements you won't be able to tell that I am fat!!!) Who am I kidding, if I wasn't fat I wouldn't be having surgery. Well it is very late in England and I have to be up very early in the morning so Goodnight all and hopefully I won't delete the next load of comments.
Well thank you one and all who added comments here. I had trouble working out how to read them and I am still not sure if I have worked it out. You will probably have guessed that I am barely computer literate, and struggle with how to get it to work for me.
So.......I do know how to add an entry to my blog and figure I can answer you all that way until I learn or better still someone tells me what to do.
To Afro_Cyster, Yes I am doing liquids only except for a sugar free jelly (which goes down like liquid so I don't think I can call it a 'meal.
To amencorner, Not just milk, but an oxo drink, water and squash too along with the jelly mentioned above.
To rebecka, Thanks for the lemon and hot water tip, that really helped.
To kimmy*custis, There seem to be so many different pre op diets both here in England and in America. I figure if that is what my doctor wants that is what he gets, he certainly knows more than I do, as this is my first and only sleeve. Or will be on the 19/3.
You will all be pleased to hear that today was not too bad. Still tough but not as bad as yesterday. I have kept myself busy and whenever I felt hungry I had yet another drink of water or orange squash. So apart from spending an incredible amount of time in the loo!!!! Things are going well. Thank you all for your kind wishes and helpful words.
Phoenix
Having re read my first entry, I knew it was too good to be true! Today has been awful, I have felt hungry all day and my stomach has been growling and complaining fit to be tied. I am still sticking to my milk diet, but oh dear me, it has been really hard today. I have a constant headache, and just feel terrible. (including feeling really sorry for myself). I have another 12 days to go and although I know I will do it (I must) it will be a very long 12 days. So what does everybody else do to distract themselves when they feel this way? I have tried some exercise, reading, doing sudoku and crossword puzzles but all my brain wants to think about is food.
My husband had a curry tonight as he knew I was struggling and also knows that I cannot stand curry, bless him. His way of helping at the moment is to eat only things I hate. Isn't that sweet of him. Trouble is, I feel so hungry that even his curry looked inviting!!!!!!
I know this will pass eventually, but waiting for that to happen is really tough.
Well, here goes, this will be mainly my ramblings about my vs journey. Never done a blog before so this is another first for me.
I started my pre-op diet on the 1st March 2012. This time around it doesn't seem so hard. I am not sure if it is because I know what to expect now or because at the end of it I get my op. I have lost another three pounds since starting it, but I know that I may not lose much more as my body retains water (on medication for it) and will only let go every so often. I will lose a few pounds then stay still for ages then eventually when I think it will never happen again I lose a few more!
My husband is being truly wonderful and supportive, in fact I have never known him to be this supportive before, but I am loving it. I think the hoops I have had to jump through to get this far have impressed him, and he has decided to be as helpful as possible. I am having my op on the NHS and they are very strict about a ten per cent weight loss and maintaining it before surgery. (We have been married for thirty years and I have been overweight for all of them, but seriously overweight for the last twenty).
I am a regular reader and lurker on this board, but have posted now and then. I have found so much useful information and help here, and have researched all I can, that I feel I am ready for this operation and will do everything I can to make it work. I know from reading other people's stories that it will not be a walk in the park, and that I will probably have to work harder than I ever have before, but I am ready for that. I also know that if I am worried, or down, or just wanting to share good news, I will be welcomed with open and non-judgemental arms here.
So, my posts may not be educational, erudite or that interesting to anyone else, but I will feel the benefit of unburdening myself and who knows, I may be able to help someone who may have felt what I felt, or will feel what I may feel in the future.
