ch1_image_001.bmpHey guys! I'm so morbid, I asked the doctor to take a pic of my stomach before he took it out. Here it is! Everything is separated, just before he took out the remainder of my stomach... I like to think of it as a reminder of what I went through so I can make this life change.. Everyday is getting better.. I'm confident in my choices now.. I'd just KILL for some real food! LOL... Keith asked me what I want for my first real meal, and I was crying saying "I don't wanna think about that!!" I had an issue with my psych meds, I wasn't taking them like I should have, so I got a little depressed. They're just too big for my stomach.. So, I'm crushing them and putting them in applesauce. I feel old.. LOL... I haven't weighed myself. I'll do that tomorrow. I did go through my clothes today, and I'm glad I'm able to take a few pairs of pants, and dresses to the consignment shop tomorrow, and give some stuff to goodwill.. I was soo stoked about this one skirt I have. It's from Target, and it's a size 18, I think they're cut a little small. Before my pre-op diet I couldn't even get it over my hips. Today I tried it on, and it goes over my hips, and I can almost zip it!!! So excited about that!! I guess that's my first NSV! Happy Labor day guys!
Ok... Today is 4 days post op.. I'm home.. I'm somewhat comfortable... I'm already confused! HAHAH! Let's go to surgery day! On the 22nd I had to be there at 5:15 for the dose of heparin before surgery at 8:15.. Pre op time with my mom was good, my hubby stayed home so he could get our two kids off to school, and be there when they got home.. We waited and waited.. Finally the team started trickling in and introducing themselves. I had a great team of nurses, anestethesiologists and of course my surgeon! I got suited up.. Anyone else have to wear the weird space age pants and hat thing? I swear I looked like an alien! Before any surgery I try to remember all I can before I go under.. This time I was able to remember getting to the OR and speaking to the people. It was soo cold in there, I said "It feels like a morgue in here!" I held my mask to my face and the next thing I remember is the nurse telling me to take deep breaths. I do, and then I remember her telling me again to take more deep breaths, but this time it's after surgery. Everything went smoothly, no complications. He said my liver looked great and he could tell I followed my pre-op diet.. He even took the picture like I asked him too of my stomach before he detached it. It's great and gross! I get up to my room, I don't even remember being in recovery at all, or the trip up to my room.. I dozed a bit, then realized I had a cath.. UGH.. I didn't think I was going to have one, but I woke up with one.. I got a dose of pain meds and took a stroll around the nurses station and the floor. Did great, felt great.. Thirsty as hell, but I was expecting that anyway. I did have some gas pains, nothing like major or crippling, just annoying for a few days.. I was feeling well enough to tell my mom she could go ahead and go home for the night and I'd see her in the morning... BIG MISTAKE!!! Once all the anestestia wore off, and I was trying to be a tough girl my pain got way out of control around 2:30 that morning.. OMG!! Full blown hissy fit, sobbing (which didn't help my pain) infront of my poor male nurse... I asked if I could have a heating pad and that helped me finally go to sleep around 4 that morning.. I am then rudely interrupted from my slumber for the contrast test. So they make me drink this crap that is horrible to see if everything is running right, and stuff isn't leaking and all that good stuff.. I pass.. They even tell me I pass while I'm down there. Telling me I'll start my liquids that day.. YAY!! I go back up to my room.. Wait... wait.. wait.. wait for water.. Just gimmie some water!!! Finally my doctor's PA comes in like, "where are your liquids?" "uh, I don't know.. they haven't given them to me". Once she started talking I got my water! Soooo thirsty.. I sipped.. sipped.. sipped.. Apparently while I was drinking the water, my stomach decided it didn't like the morphine they were giving me anymore.. Every time I got a shot, I got soo sick to my stomach.. Like you know you're gonna puke when all that saliva starts forming in your mouth sick.. Then the heaving started... owwwwwww!! We went back to the dilauded (sp?) Until I could have the lortab elixir.. Night two my mom stayed, pain was manageable, but getting liquids down, not so much.. I didn't know how much I was supposed to be drinking when.. I wish they would have a chart saying by this time, you should have 60 cc's in such n such time.. So I got really confused.. Saturday rolls around, day to go home.. Woo! The on call doc comes and checks me out, gives me the ok to leave.. I didn't like him at all.. He just asked if I was drinking ok at that point I was, and poked my belly. Said ok.. Thankfully for my nurse, she reminded him that I hadn't had full liquids, meaning the shake, so I shouldn't be discharged until I had those after lunch. So lunch came, I drank the unjury shake with no problems and got to come home! I had FANTASTIC nurses, well except for two.. But they were CNA's and LPN's. My RN's were fantastic! I look like I've been beaten with all the bruising from the heparin shots and people's hand prints on my arms from moving me.. I do have a drain, they call it a "grenande". It's gross... UGH... My first night at home I slept soooo good.. Sooooo good.. My kids haven't been too crazy, but they know mommy isn't feeling so hot.. Last night I didn't sleep well.. I kept thinking about blood clots.. I have anxiety really bad, so it ran off with itself. Once I took my anxiety meds, I was ok.. And here I am today. I've already walked around my culdesac a few times, had my protein drinks, and getting ready for some juice before I update my FB. If you've finished this, thanks so much! I am sooo looking forward to this journey!!
Wow.. I haven't blogged in thiiisss long!!! It has been a CRAZY 3 months to say the least!! November 22nd will be my 3 months. I'm kinda sad about that, when I think of the significance of that day historically. RIP JFK. On to happier news.. Here are my stats! My highest weight in March when I started this journey was 282 lbs! Day of surgery I was at 254. Today I am about 212.5!!! I'm finally a 16, like before I was married!! HOLY CRAP! 41.5 lbs since surgery, I'm happy with that.. I made my ticker, and I'm OVER halfway toward my goal! I think that's amazeballs!!! I'm glad I can finally eat! It's always protein first. Getting all of my liquids in is hard.. Emotionally I wasn't prepared for how little we eat now. The first time it hit me, I was at Jersey Mike's. I ordered a regular size (I usually order a regular or giant!). So, I get home, and I can only eat like 5 bites. I took half the bread off, so it made me feel a little better. lol.. But only a few bites into it, and I had the rest of this sandwich left!! I was in shock! But when you're full, and you feel full you know it.. Even one bite over that sends me heaving!! Like whoa.. lol.. Even now, there is food I just cannot eat.. McDonald's and I have broken up... I cannot eat there anymore, I barf if I even try anything.. Pizza was hard for me to stomach at first, but now It's ok.. Good thing, I love pizza! hahahaha.. Now, it's barely 1 slice.. Changes, changes are good! How are you guys doing?!
Kimberly
ps. I attached a pic I took this morning at work.. word!
Holy crap! Has it been two weeks since August 22nd... Yup, it sure has!! It went by fast, at the time it didn't.. But now it feels like it did.. This past week I really feel like I've felt my best. I had a few "baby's day out" days.. Yesterday I ran some errands, didn't get exhausted or sore... I think I'm really to increase my walking. I weighed myself today... Surgery day weight was 256, and today I weighed 242. That's 14 lbs in two weeks?! I'll take that! Target skirt here I come! I should have taken measurements on surgery day, but I didn't. I'm going to do that today, to see how many inches I'm losing now, especially with the increase in exercise. I'm doing better with my intake. Yesterday I got super close to my 60/64.. Today we'll see how I do. I'm kicking myself because we got the bariatric advantage protein meal replacement shakes, and it's super gross!! High in protein, but waaayyy toooo sweet!! But I made one with some peanut butter and a little chocolate syrup and it was ok.. But ick.. After I finish the bag, I might go back to my EAS stuff. Hopefully by then I'll be on mushies atleast. I have one more week of just liquids, then move on to mushies.. The first thing I want is a scrambled egg with cheese!! Very first thing on my mushies list!! I am amazed at how bad I want real food. The process of chewing real food, I miss that! I am having problems with not chugging my drinks. Before I could down a half bottle of water only having to come up for air.. I can't do that now.. I was sooo thirsty at church on Sunday, I got an applejuice. I started just chugging it, I thought I was going to puke during worship! I had to sit down and just be like uuuggghhhhh.... Anyhoo... How are the other newly sleeved peeps doing? Or older sleeved? What's your story?
Today is Thanksgiving.. SO many emotions going through my head right now.. So many reasons to be thankful today.. And wondering how today is going to go. How am I going to feel around so much food? How am I going to deal with NOT eating so much food?! I'm I just going to graze all afternoon? (I'm at work til 3, boo!) How did you vets handle your holidays? I'm nervous, I don't want to waste food.. I find that is all I do lately. My eyes are litterally bigger than my stomach.. LOL.. We shall see... Happy Thanksgiving guys!
Kimberly